What is the ruling on blowing into water?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This questioner says: What is the ruling on blowing into water?
The Shaykh : Plants growing in water fall into two categories. The first is when this plant is intended for seeking blessing from the saliva of the one who spits on it. This is undoubtedly forbidden and a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah), because a person's saliva is not a cause for blessing or healing, and no one seeks blessing from the traces of anyone except Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). As for others, no one seeks blessing from their traces. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one from whose traces people seek blessing during his lifetime.
And likewise after his death, if those traces remain. For example, Umm Salimah (may Allah be pleased with her) had a silver container containing some hairs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the sick would seek healing with them. So when one of the people came who was sick, she would pour water over these hairs, then stir it, and then give him the water.
But other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is not permissible for anyone to seek blessing from his saliva, or his sweat, or his garment, or his bed, or his place, or anything else. In fact, this is forbidden. So if blowing into water is done for the purpose of seeking blessing from the saliva of the one blowing, it is forbidden and a type of shirk. How is it a type of shirk?
Because there is a rule, which is that whoever establishes for a thing a cause that is neither religious nor sensory becomes a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), because he has made himself a cause alongside Allah. The establishment of causes for their effects is only received from the Shari'ah. Therefore, whoever clings to a cause that Allah has not made a cause, neither by sense nor by Shari'ah, becomes a mushrik.
As for the second category of blowing, it is when a person blows with saliva in which he has recited the Qur'an, such as reciting al-Fatihah. Al-Fatihah is a ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation), one of the greatest things with which a sick person is treated. One treats the sick with al-Fatihah in water. If this is done, there is nothing wrong with it, and some of the Salaf (the earliest generations) did this.
It is also tested, tested and beneficial by the permission of Allah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to blow into his hands when he went to sleep with "Qul huwa Allahu Ahad" (Say: He is Allah, the One), and[Al-Falaq 113:1], and [An-Nas 114:1], and then wipe with them his face and whatever part of his body he could reach, (peace and blessings be upon him). Is that so? Truly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). No, except if he recited, except if he recited. Is he from some of us? Is he of another kind?
The Shaykh : Plants growing in water fall into two categories. The first is when this plant is intended for seeking blessing from the saliva of the one who spits on it. This is undoubtedly forbidden and a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah), because a person's saliva is not a cause for blessing or healing, and no one seeks blessing from the traces of anyone except Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). As for others, no one seeks blessing from their traces. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one from whose traces people seek blessing during his lifetime.
And likewise after his death, if those traces remain. For example, Umm Salimah (may Allah be pleased with her) had a silver container containing some hairs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the sick would seek healing with them. So when one of the people came who was sick, she would pour water over these hairs, then stir it, and then give him the water.
But other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is not permissible for anyone to seek blessing from his saliva, or his sweat, or his garment, or his bed, or his place, or anything else. In fact, this is forbidden. So if blowing into water is done for the purpose of seeking blessing from the saliva of the one blowing, it is forbidden and a type of shirk. How is it a type of shirk?
Because there is a rule, which is that whoever establishes for a thing a cause that is neither religious nor sensory becomes a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), because he has made himself a cause alongside Allah. The establishment of causes for their effects is only received from the Shari'ah. Therefore, whoever clings to a cause that Allah has not made a cause, neither by sense nor by Shari'ah, becomes a mushrik.
As for the second category of blowing, it is when a person blows with saliva in which he has recited the Qur'an, such as reciting al-Fatihah. Al-Fatihah is a ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation), one of the greatest things with which a sick person is treated. One treats the sick with al-Fatihah in water. If this is done, there is nothing wrong with it, and some of the Salaf (the earliest generations) did this.
It is also tested, tested and beneficial by the permission of Allah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to blow into his hands when he went to sleep with "Qul huwa Allahu Ahad" (Say: He is Allah, the One), and
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِSay, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ
Source
دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام لعام 1406هـ - 2 — binothaimeen.net (29:54)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.