What is the ruling on using sticks to strike during ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation) for one from whom the jinni refuses to leave the body of the afflicted person?

The Shaykh: Tell us what you have.

The questioner: Regarding the issue of using electricity and striking with a stick; is there any scriptural evidence that permits expelling the jinni in this manner?

The Shaykh: In my opinion, this reality has no connection to means that do not involve direct prohibition and direct harm. These require scriptural evidence to permit them if they yield only benefit. When we say, "Zayd struck 'Umar," that strike is harmful. But in this case, it appears that it is not harmful...

The questioner: The patient does not feel it.

The Shaykh: It appears that it is not harmful. So, as long as this striking does not harm but rather benefits, we say it is permissible. We do not need specific scriptural evidence indicating the permissibility of using this matter. We establish this by an example found in the Shari'ah, one of two examples: the other is cupping (hijamah) and the other is bloodletting (fasd). You know that cupping involves an incision in the body in a place known by the specialized cupper, because it is not in every place. Yes?

Another questioner: In the vein.

The Shaykh: No, that might be bloodletting.

Another questioner: Bloodletting.

The Shaykh: Yes, we are talking about cupping now.

Another questioner: Cupping here is on the head.

The Shaykh: Cupping does not have a specific place; rather, the place varies according to the type of complaint and illness. Yes. But what I want to say on this occasion is that this incision is usually harmful. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to incise his brother, even if it is a single incision, let alone several incisions from which blood flows. However, this cupping, whose permissibility has been established in the Shari'ah, and even encouraged to the point that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , we see that this cupping is a means of incision, and this incision is usually harmful. But because this usual harm turned into benefit, the Lawgiver permitted this means.
Means are not judged by the perspective of ends and objectives. Also, what is perhaps more important than cupping is bloodletting; it is cutting a vein in the body. This can expose the person whose vein is cut to more danger than cupping. But the one who performs bloodletting is usually knowledgeable about where the site of bloodletting is, just as he is knowledgeable about where the cupping is.
It is established in the Sunnah that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was cupped more than once and in more than one place. Once he was cupped on the back of his foot (peace and blessings be upon him), and once on his shoulder, and so on. In fact, this cupping has become today a forgotten part of Prophetic medicine. Muslims do not know it, let alone the disbelievers. It should be revived because it is correct Prophetic medicine, both in his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying and doing.
And I remember in my youth, I was exposed to some dizziness. If I was sitting and stood up quickly like this, I would be afflicted with some dizziness. I went to a cupper who was in Damascus, and he cupped me on my leg. Some times he would cup me between my shoulders. And I found tangible benefit in that. Until two years ago, I felt something like that dizziness with tinnitus in the ear. So I asked about some cuppers here, but there was no information. Then I was referred to the blood bank, and they tested me with modern medical tests. It was said to me—and Allah knows whether they are right or wrong—that your blood strength is twenty.

Another questioner: A lot, yes.

The Shaykh: A lot! And they say that the normal level is fourteen or fifteen. So they took a liter of blood from me, and indeed, that which I was feeling went away. Yes. But I do not know if I have had a reaction since about a year ago; I complain of anemia or weakness in the blood or a low blood count. Because the land is inhabited, as we said, we have a doctor here!! They might say anemia is one thing and low blood count is another; so we take precautions! As long as the land is inhabited, that means!! [The Shaykh laughs].

Another questioner: In any case, we have a young, excellent, pious cupper in Kuwait.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed!

Another questioner: ... We will send him to you if you wish. We can send him to you.

The Shaykh: ... Now I have had a reaction. The blood dropped and reached ten and a bit. I am now undergoing many treatments without benefit; meaning, they give me some capsules and so on to raise the blood count.

The questioner: Eat honey. By Allah, honey is good. If your pancreas is fine and you have no diabetes, eat honey.

The Shaykh: No diabetes! But honey—praise be to Allah—we use it. But I do not know how to use it. Or, I say on this occasion that it is established in the Sunnah This is an authentic hadith, and there is no way to doubt its authenticity. But I say that the black seed is a cure for every disease, and there must be a specific method of use. If this method is misused, if the medicine does not turn into a disease, at least the medicine is not obtained from it. This is the point we need to know. Similarly, regarding honey: do you think honey is a cure such that we take a spoonful? And is this spoonful a teaspoon or a tablespoon? And how many times in the morning, in the evening, and so on? For these matters, which I believe we need to know the details of—and I am undoubtedly ignorant of them—I am eager to use = -- may Allah have mercy on you -- = to use honey like this without a system, or the black seed. What do you call it here? Abu 'Abdullah, the black seed that is ground and mixed with sweetness. What do you call it?

The questioner: Qizha, qizha.

The Shaykh: This qizha has sweetness, it has things that a person might find palatable. But how to use it? By Allah, I do not know!

Another questioner: It is mixed. We have tried many recipes, and in the book you do not have time to read the book, but a simple recipe. And I say to the brothers: this black seed is not food that you take constantly and always eat from it because the hadith mentioned it. Rather, it is medicine; therefore, you take it, grind it well, mix it with honey, one small spoonful a day. If you take a spoonful before eating... mixed with honey, it is sufficient, it lowers blood pressure, it regulates the heart; meaning, one does not take it for more than three weeks continuously, then stops. That is it, no black seed, one does not take from it.

The Shaykh: Here the question arises; the specification of three weeks and the specification of one spoonful a day. First, where did this specification come from? Second: is this for all individuals? Third and finally: is this for all diseases? I do not think the matter is like this!

The questioner: I have books—my master, the Shaykh—Arabic books.

The Shaykh: It says in the conclusion of the poem, yes:
"And the end of the speech in it is that it *** is from plants, and it is a solution for all
Except that which harms the bodies *** or the intellects, then that is another thing
Allah has informed, then the Chosen One *** about the honey of the bees that it is a cure
Although it harms the feverish *** and the prohibition of the harmful is from the known"
Now, on this occasion, what is your opinion—and it seems to me that I am not saying that you are a specialist, but you have care for this Arab medicine—what is your opinion that it harms the feverish?

Another questioner: The feverish.

The Shaykh: Correct, so this supports it.

The questioner: Not any feverish.

The Shaykh: Ah, this is also a problem. This supports my previous statement that for this recipe whose description came in the hadith, we must know its quantities and proportions, and to whom it is given. This honey, and then he says:
"For it harms the feverish *** and the prohibition of the harmful is from the known"
So, do you think Zayd, the person in front of you now, complains of more than one disease? Do you think we know from this material medicine that some medicines may benefit in some diseases, but harm in other diseases? Correct or not? So, when you give this recipe to someone like me, it means you need to know what complaints and diseases I have.

Another questioner: Yes, he asks you.

The Shaykh : Hmm.

Another questioner: I will help you...

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

Another questioner: This honey does not harm the feverish in an absolute sense!

The Shaykh : I am telling you, O Shaykh, this is the most confusing part; how do we know which feverish person is harmed by honey, and which one is not?

Another questioner : I will guide you.

The Shaykh : You may guide me, but the general public do not know.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : That is it.

Another questioner : Experience has established that any person with high blood pressure, meaning his body temperature is high and he has very high blood pressure, should not use honey in the summer; because it agitates him. But the one who does not have high blood pressure and does not have a fever, honey has absolutely no effect on him. In fact, if you give a feverish person honey, vinegar, and water—meaning a lemonade—it does not take twenty minutes, counting them, and I mentioned this yesterday in one of the sessions. I gave it to my wife and the children, and we were all normal, meaning in twenty minutes his temperature dropped from forty degrees Celsius to the normal temperature. But a man came to me, and I learned this through experience because I practice it; he said to me: O Abu Muhammad, you prescribed honey and vinegar, I took it, and I became agitated; meaning I almost died. I said to him: Ah... I started asking him, and I found out that he had high blood pressure. So, the person who has high blood pressure, we ask him to be cautious with honey; meaning, it is good to take it in the cold, not in the heat. This is what I mean; it is possible that this is the case as an experience. Likewise, children; these children, if they have a fever, try it and give them honey and a little vinegar, little by little, as I mentioned in the book, in twenty minutes no fever or anything else will come out of them at all... and the children are not like us adults; their hearts are pure, but the adults have problems. If it is about blood pressure, Khalid mentioned to me, Abu Khalid said to me: By Allah, O Abu Muhammad, I cannot stand honey in the summer at all; I become agitated and I get a headache. I asked him, and he has blood pressure that he cannot bear; because it raises the pressure until... and lowers it... So, the black seed—also—I tried it with people as a medicine; it must be taken, not continuously, and then it affects the man sexually. We told the brothers: it affects him; why? Because it lowers the pressure; it lowers it for the one who has high blood pressure; because he has high blood pressure; meaning the one who has high blood pressure and a headache...