Is practicing ruqya prohibited?

Question

I came across this Hadith today:

"Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Seventy thousand people of my followers will enter Paradise without accounts, and they are those who do not practice Ar-Ruqya and do not see an evil omen in things, and put their trust in their Lord." Sahih al-Bukhari 6472

My earlier understanding was that it is not recommended to explicitly go to some "pir" or "murshad" to seek ruqya. But one was allowed to learn the duas and perform it on oneself or on someone else before they explicitly out of desperation seek for it.

But the above Hadith even includes those "practice" it. Please clarify on the tafsir of this Hadith.

Answer 1

Ruqyah through the Quran, Names of Allah, and Duas etc. is permissible (although there are minority madhabs that consider it makruh, or makruh with with some exceptions).

Evidence for it being permissible includes the verse of the Quran:

وننزل من القرآن ما هو شفاء ورحمة للمؤمنين

And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers

^{— Quran 17:82}

And the narrations that the Prophet ﷺ himself performed it, it was performed on him, and he approved of it being performed by the Sahaba:

عن عائشة، قالت كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا مرض أحد من أهله نفث عليه بالمعوذات فلما مرض مرضه الذي مات فيه جعلت أنفث عليه وأمسحه بيد نفسه لأنها كانت أعظم بركة من يدي ‏

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "If one of his family fell sick, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would blow over him and recite Al-Mu'awwidhât. When he fell sick with his final illness, I started to blow over him and wipe him with his own hand, because it was more blessed than my hand.

^{— Sahih Muslim}

عن عائشة، زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنها قالت كان إذا اشتكى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رقاه جبريل قال باسم الله يبريك ومن كل داء يشفيك ومن شر حاسد إذا حسد وشر كل ذي عين

It was narrated from 'Aishah, the wife of the Prophet , that she said: "When the Messenger of Allah fell sick, Jibril, would recite Ruqyah for him, saying: 'In the Name of Allah, may He cure you, from every disease may He heal you, from the evil of the envier when he envies and from the evil of every evil eye.'

^{— Sahih Muslim}

لدغت رجلا منا عقرب ونحن جلوس مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فقال رجل : يا رسول الله ، أرقي ، قال : من ا ستطاع منكم أن ينفع أخاه فليفعل

A man was stung by a scorpion when we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah , and a man said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, shall I recite Ruqyah?" He said: 'Whoever among you can benefit his brother, let him do so.'

^{— Sahih Muslim}

فأتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكر ذلك له فقال يا رسول الله والله ما رقيت إلا بفاتحة الكتاب فتبسم وقال وما أدراك أنها رقية ثم قال خذوا منهم واضربوا لي بسهم معكم

... So he came to the Prophet ﷺ and told him about that. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I did not recite anything but the Opening of the Book as Ruqyah for him." He smiled and said: "How did you know that it is a Ruqyah?" Then he said: "Accept (the sheep) from them and give me a share with you."

^{— Sahih Muslim}

Various explanations have been given for the hadith you have quoted:

• It refers to non-Islamic Ruqyah , such as that practiced in Jahiliyyah. Spells which rely on other than supplication to Allah, or cryptic incantations whose meaning is unknown, or any Ruqyah done with the belief that the words themselves or the person causes the healing rather than Allah.

  اعرضوا على رقاكم لا بأس بالرقى ما لم يكن فيه شرك

  Present your Ruqyah to me. There is nothing wrong with a Ruqyah that does not involve Shirk.

  ^{— Sahih Muslim}

• It refers to purposefully asking others to do Ruqyah for you, because you depend on that person rather than on Allah, which is against Tawakkul.

• It refers to doing Ruqyah while healthy, from intense fear of falling into sickness, which is again contrary to Tawakkul.