Taking payment for ruqyah: those who permitted it

Kharijah bin al-Salt relates that his paternal uncle came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When he was returning, he passed by a mad Bedouin who was bound in iron fetters. Some people said (to his uncle): Do you have anything with which you can treat him? For your companion (meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) has brought what is good. So I performed ruqyah for that Bedouin with Surah al-Fatihah for three days, twice each day, and he recovered. For this those people gave me a hundred goats. When I reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I told him about this. He asked: "Did you recite anything besides this?" I said: No. He said in reply: "Eat them, saying Bismillah. By my life, whoever has eaten by means of a false ruqyah (let him answer for it), but you have certainly eaten by means of a true ruqyah."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent us, thirty riders, on an expedition. He said: We stopped among some people and asked them for hospitality, but they did not host us. He said: (Meanwhile) their chief was stung. So they came to us and said: Is there anyone among you who can perform ruqyah for a scorpion's sting? Abu Sa'id said: I replied: Yes, but I will not perform ruqyah for him until you give us goats. Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They said: We will give you thirty goats. He said: We accepted this. He said: Then I recited Surah al-Fatihah seven times. He said: (By this) he recovered. So we said (among ourselves): Do not be hasty until you reach the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The narrator said: When we reached him, Abu Sa'id said: I mentioned to him what I had done. He said: "Did you not know that it is (also) a ruqyah? Divide the goats, and set aside a share for me along with yourselves."

It is narrated from Qays bin Abi Hazim that he said: A man came to the noble presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: I performed ruqyah for so-and-so, who had madness, and I was given a flock of goats (in return), though I performed ruqyah only with the Qur'an. At this he said: "Whoever took (payment) by means of a false ruqyah (let him answer for it), but you have certainly taken it for a true ruqyah."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ya'la bin Murrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I went on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When we were midway along the road, we passed by a woman who was sitting with a child of hers. The woman said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! This is my child; he has an affliction, and because of him we are in distress too. I do not know how many times a day that affliction torments him. He said: "Hand this child to me." So the woman lifted the child up to him, and he seated the child between himself and the saddle of his mount. Then he opened the child's mouth and blew into it three times, saying these words: "In the name of Allah, I am the servant of Allah. Be gone, O enemy of Allah!" Then he handed the child back to the woman and said: "Meet us at this place on our return and tell us what happened." The narrator said: We set off from there, and when we returned we found that woman in the same place with three goats. He asked: "What became of your child?" The woman said: By the One who sent you with the truth, we have felt no trouble from this child until now. So please take these goats and slaughter them. He said: "Get down, take one of them, and return the rest."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Ruqyah is not permissible from anyone except those from whom Sulayman (peace be upon him) took a covenant.