The Ruling on Seeking Medical Treatment for Illnesses

This is a letter received from (M. B.) from the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, in which he asks about two matters. In the first, he says: The issue of seeking medical treatment; for some scholars have said, in summary, that it is not obligatory to seek treatment for an illness, even if one expects it to be beneficial, and that leaving it off is better. This is narrated from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him); because it is closer to reliance upon Allah, and because of the report of al-Idh to the end of it. We ask you to elaborate on this issue, and what is the report of al-Idh? And what is your opinion, Your Eminence?
Answer: The correct view regarding seeking medical treatment is that it is recommended and prescribed. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) and others mentioned this from the majority of scholars, and that the opinion of the majority is that it is recommended. Some scholars have held that it is neutral, neither recommended nor disliked, but rather permissible. Others have held that leaving it off is better. It is narrated from al-Idh that he said, when it was said to him: But I do not know the authenticity of this from al-Idh, nor do I know the authenticity of this from al-Idh. The point is that what the majority of scholars hold, and which is the correct view, is that seeking medical treatment is recommended with lawful, permissible medicines that do not contain anything forbidden, such as seeking treatment by reciting the Qur'an and ruqyah, seeking treatment by cauterization, and seeking treatment by cauterization when no other medicine is available; there is no harm in cauterization when there is a need for it. Seeking treatment with permissible matters is fine. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ruqyah for some of his Companions, and Jibril (peace be upon him) performed ruqyah for him. So there is no harm in seeking medical treatment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: So seeking medical treatment is a prescribed matter, there is no harm in it, and it does not contradict reliance upon Allah. Reliance upon Allah includes both: placing one's trust in Allah and entrusting oneself to Him, while also taking the means. It is not permissible for a person to say: I rely on Allah, so I do not eat, I do not drink, I do not take the means, I do not sell, I do not buy, I do not engage in agriculture or industry or anything else... No, that is a mistake. Taking the means does not contradict reliance upon Allah; rather, it is part of reliance upon Allah. And so seeking medical treatment is part of reliance upon Allah. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided people to seek medical treatment. When he was asked about ruqyah and medicines, he said: And 'Umar (may Allah have mercy on him), when he came to Sham and heard that the plague, the pestilence, had broken out in Sham, turned the people back and returned with them, saying: Then 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf informed him that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had said: He was pleased with this, as it agreed with the Sunnah.
The point is that seeking medical treatment is a prescribed matter, according to the correct view, which is the opinion of the majority of scholars. And if one leaves it off, there is no blame on him. But if he expects it to be beneficial and the need for it is urgent, it becomes more emphasized; because leaving it off causes harm, it tires himself, it tires his family, and it tires his servants. So seeking medical treatment has benefits for himself and for his family. And because seeking medical treatment helps him with the means of healing and helps him in obeying Allah, so that he can pray in the mosque, so that he can carry out matters that benefit people and benefit him. If he is incapacitated by illness, many things are incapacitated. And even though he is rewarded for what he used to do in a state of health while in a state of illness, as in the authentic hadith, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is from the favor of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). But seeking medical treatment has many benefits if it is done in the Shari'ah manner and with permissible medicines. This is the correct view. And whoever says that it is neutral, or that leaving it off is better, his opinion is the weaker one, and the truth is more deserving of being followed. And the Shari'ah evidence takes precedence over everyone. May Allah guide them all.
The presenter: May Allah bless you! Your Eminence! Some people argue in this matter with the hadith of the seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning.
The Shaykh: These people did not leave off the means; rather, they left off something, which is istirqa', asking people for ruqyah. Leaving that off is better. They left off cauterization, and leaving that off is better. But when there is a need, there is no harm; the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: And in another wording, he said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) cauterized some of his Companions. So when there is a need for cauterization, there is no harm; it is a permissible means when there is a need for it. And istirqa' is asking for ruqyah. But if someone performs ruqyah without being asked, it is one of the means, there is no harm in it, and there is no dislike in it. As for tatiyyur (taking an omen as a bad sign) in the hadith of the seventy thousand: Tatiyyur is forbidden and is minor shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is taking an omen as a bad sign from things seen or heard, until one turns back from one's need. This is not permissible. This includes the one seeking treatment and others. For reliance upon Allah does not prevent taking the means. Do you not eat? And do you not drink? Eating is a means for satiety and for the sustenance and safety of this body, and so is drinking. So is it permissible for a person to say: I do not eat and I do not drink, and I rely on Allah in my life, and I remain healthy and sound, not eating and not drinking? No sane person says this. So he wears heavy clothes in winter for warmth, because the cold harms him. And so he takes the other means, such as closing the door out of fear of thieves, carrying a weapon when there is a need. All these are means that are commanded, and they do not contradict reliance upon Allah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the master of those who rely on Allah. At Uhud, he wore armor, he wore the lamah (a type of armor). And at Badr, likewise. And at Uhud, he appeared between two armors, he wore two armors and had a helmet on his head when he entered Makkah, and he had a helmet on at Uhud. All these are means that he (peace and blessings be upon him) did. Yes.