How to Perform Ruqyah (Self-Remedy) on Yourself
Authentic methods from Qur’an & Sunnah. Spiritual care is not a substitute for professional medical treatment—seek medical help when needed.◈ First: Blow into your palms
Hadith — ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said:
“Every night when the Prophet (ﷺ) would come to his bed, he would bring his two palms together, then blow into them, and then recite these sūrahs:
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ
Then he would blow again into his palms and wipe his hands over his body as far as possible, beginning with his head, face, and the front of his body. He would do this three (3) times.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5017
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◈ Second: Perform ruqyah on the painful spot
Place your right hand on the area of your body that hurts and recite.
Hadith — ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said:
“When any one of the household of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fell ill, he would recite the Muʿawwidhāt over them.”
(Muslim 1292)
It is also narrated:
“When the Prophet (ﷺ) experienced pain, he would recite the Muʿawwidhāt over himself.”
(Bukhārī 5016, Muslim 1292)
It is also allowed for the sick person to recite other sūrahs (besides these) for ruqyah. The entire Qur’an is a source of ruqyah, and all of it contains healing.
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ
“Say, it is for those who believe a guidance and a healing.”
(Qur’an, Fuṣṣilat 44)
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“And We send down in the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers.”
(Qur’an, al-Isrā’ 82)
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◈ Third: Recite over water, drink from it, and bathe with it
Recite Qur’anic verses and authentic supplications over water. The patient may drink some of it and the rest can be poured over the body—just as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did for Thābit ibn Qays ibn Shamās (رضي الله عنه).
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3885)
If Zamzam water is available, it is more complete (afḍal), for the Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding Zamzam:
إِنَّهَا مُبَارَكَةٌ — “It is blessed.”
(Muslim 2473)
إِنَّهَا طَعَامُ طُعْمٍ — “It is food for the one who eats.”
(Muslim 2473)
وَشِفَاءُ سُقْمٍ — “And a cure for illness.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb wa-l-Tarhīb 1161, al-Albānī)
مَاءُ زَمْزَمَ لِمَا شُرِبَ لَهُ — “Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah 3062, al-Albānī)
فَإِنْ شَرِبْتَهُ تَسْتَشْفِي بِهِ شَفَاكَ اللَّهُ — “So if you drink it seeking healing, Allah will heal you.”
(al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak 1/473)
It is also narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would fill containers and water-skins with Zamzam, carry it with him, pour it over the sick, and give it to them to drink.”
(al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah 883)
[Ibn al-Qayyim] (رحمه الله) said:
“I and others have witnessed astonishing matters in seeking healing through Zamzam. By it I was cured of many illnesses, and Allah, Exalted is He, granted me complete wellness.”
(Zād al-Maʿād 4/1393)
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◈ Fourth: Recite over oil and massage with it
Recite over olive oil and then massage with it.
Hadith — The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Eat olive oil and anoint yourselves with it, for indeed it comes from a blessed tree.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 1851, al-Albānī)
There is no harm in going to the restroom after applying this oil.
(al-Majmūʿah al-Thāniyah 1/103)
◈ Fifth: Place your hand on the painful spot and recite supplications
Hadith — ʿUthmān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ al-Thaqafī (رضي الله عنه) reported:
He complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about pain which he had felt in his body since embracing Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him:
“Place your hand on the part of your body where you feel pain and say three times:
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ — ‘In the Name of Allah’
Then say seven times:
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
‘I seek refuge in Allah and His Power from the evil of what I find and what I fear.’”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2202
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Another narration — Anas (رضي الله عنه) said, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“When you feel pain, place your hand on the place that hurts and say:
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ (‘In the Name of Allah’),
بِاللَّهِ (‘By Allah’),
and then:
أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ مِنْ وَجَعِي هَذَا
‘I seek refuge in the Might of Allah and His Power from the evil of what I find in this pain of mine.’
Then raise your hand, and repeat this. It should be done an odd number of times (i.e. three, five, or seven times).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 3588; al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1258
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Another report: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Place your right hand on the place of pain, recite this supplication seven times, and wipe your hand over that place seven times:
أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ
‘I seek refuge in the Might of Allah and His Power from the evil of what I feel.’”
References: al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1415; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ 3894
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ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said:
“When any of us fell ill, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would visit the sick among his family and wipe with his right hand over the place of pain, reciting:
اذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
‘Remove the suffering, O Lord of mankind! Heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing — a healing that leaves behind no ailment.’”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2191
Other supplications authentically reported from the Prophet (ﷺ) may also be used for ruqyah.
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◈ Sixth: Supplications for performing ruqyah on yourself
When performing ruqyah on yourself, recite the following supplications:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ، اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
“In the Name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye. May Allah cure you. In the Name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.”
Reference: Muslim
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أَسْأَلُ اللهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يُشْفِيَنِي
“I ask Allah the Magnificent, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure me.”
References: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd 3109; Musnad Aḥmad 2139
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اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ، وَاشْفِ، أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“O Allah, Lord of mankind! Remove the illness. Heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing — a healing that leaves no trace of sickness.”
Other authentic supplications from the Prophet (ﷺ) may also be used for ruqyah.
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◈ Seventh: Mix saliva with earth
Its method: blow lightly on your index finger with some saliva, then place the finger on earth, raise it, and apply it to the patient’s wound/afflicted spot while supplicating.
ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said:
The Prophet (ﷺ) would perform ruqyah for the sick with the following words:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تُرْبَةُ أَرْضِنَا، بِرِيقَةِ بَعْضِنَا، يُشْفَى بِهِ سَقِيمُنَا، بِإِذْنِ رَبِّنَا
“In the Name of Allah, with the soil of our land, mixed with the saliva of some of us, so that with the permission of our Lord, our sick may be cured.”
References: Bukhārī 5742; Abū Dāwūd 3890; Tirmidhī 923
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In another narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
When a person was injured with a wound or boil, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would place his finger on the ground, then lift it and say the same supplication.
References: Muslim 2194; Bukhārī 7546
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Imām al-Nawawī (رحمه الله) said:
“Its meaning is: he would place a little saliva on his finger, then put it on the soil, mixing it with a small amount of earth. Then he would apply it to the wound or affected spot, while reciting the above supplication.”
Reference: Sharḥ Muslim 2194
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◈ Eighth: Blowing before, during, and after recitation
It is permissible to blow before ruqyah, during, and after recitation. Evidence:
1. ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) reported: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would blow into his palms before reciting, then recite the sūrahs and blow again.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5017
2. Another narration: he (ﷺ) would blow into his palms, then recite [Qul Huwa Allāhu Aḥad] and the two Muʿawwidhatayn, then blow again.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5748
Imām Ibn Ḥajar (رحمه الله) said:
“The meaning is that he would recite these sūrahs and blow while reciting.”
Reference: Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/210
3. In the story of the man possessed, a companion recited Sūrat al-Fātiḥah for him for three days, morning and evening. When he finished the recitation, he would gather his saliva and blow upon him. This proves blowing after recitation.
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◈ Ninth: Ruqyah without blowing
It is also permissible to perform ruqyah without blowing or saliva. The Prophet (ﷺ), when visiting the sick, would recite:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ، وَاشْفِ، أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“O Allah, Lord of mankind! Remove the illness. Heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing — a healing that leaves no trace of sickness.”
References: Bukhārī 5675; Muslim 2191
Similarly, when Jibrīl (عليه السلام) performed ruqyah for the Prophet (ﷺ), he did not blow:
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ، أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ، اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
“In the Name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye. May Allah cure you. In the Name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2186
Thus, these two ḥadīths indicate that ruqyah without blowing or saliva is also valid.
◈ Tenth: Essential Warnings & Notes (with references)
1) Legislated ruqyah (by agreement of the scholars) has three conditions:
- It must be with the Words of Allah (the Qur’an), or with supplications that include His Names and Attributes.
- It must be in clear Arabic (or wording whose meaning is understood).
- One must not place absolute reliance upon the ruqyah itself; rather, believe that ruqyah has no inherent effect — any benefit is created by Allah alone.
2) Prohibited ruqyah is any in which elements of shirk are found — e.g., calling upon other than Allah, seeking help from others besides Him, seeking help from jinn or devils, or reciting obscure/unintelligible names and phrases; likewise, using words whose meaning is unknown.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (Standing Committee) 1/261; also notes pp. 80–92–91
3) The intention (niyyah) of both the one performing ruqyah and the one receiving it must be sincere, believing that healing (shifā’) is from Allah alone; ruqyah is merely one beneficial means, and the cure occurs by Allah’s permission.
4) It is not permissible for a Muslim to visit magicians, soothsayers, or fortune-tellers — not for asking questions, nor for seeking treatment. It is obligatory not to believe them nor to go to them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade going to sorcerers, soothsayers, and foretellers.
مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَصَدَّقَهُ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلَاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً
“Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, then believes him, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2230
Also:
مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ (ﷺ)
“Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (ﷺ).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah 639
5) It is impermissible to “undo magic with magic,” because magic is not possible without acts of worship to devils and seeking aid from other than Allah; it involves drawing close to shayāṭīn.
Reference: Ibn Bāz, 3/318
6) It is impermissible for a Muslim to seek help from jinn for diagnosis or services; seeking aid from jinn is shirk.
References: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (Second Collection) 1/91 (under Shaykh Ibn Bāz); al-Fawzān, “al-Siḥr wa al-Shaʿwadhah,” p. 86
A ruqyah-practitioner who seeks aid from jinn is to be suspected in his faith; it is not permissible to seek treatment from him — he falls under the category of soothsayers and the like.
7) Watching “magic” TV channels (or calling them for questions and believing them) is impermissible; they spread falsehood in society. The same severe warning applies as above:
Reference again: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah 639
8) In the two Ṣaḥīḥs, from ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was affected by magic, such that he would imagine that he had done something when he had not done it.” [This magic was done by Labīd b. al-Aʿṣam, the Jew.]
Al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ (رحمه الله) said: Magic is among illnesses that can befall the Messenger (ﷺ) just as other ailments do, and it does not detract from his Prophetic rank.
References: Zād al-Maʿād (Ibn al-Qayyim) 4/124; Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 2/139; al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (under Shaykh Ibn Bāz) 1/380
It did not affect revelation or worship. Denying its occurrence contradicts established proofs and the consensus of the Companions and early generations.
9) There is no harm in requesting ruqyah when needed; one does not thereby exit from the seventy thousand (who will enter Paradise without reckoning). The Prophet (ﷺ) instructed ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) to have ruqyah done, and likewise instructed the mother of the orphans of Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) to have ruqyah done for them.
Reference: Ibn Bāz, Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt 11/28
10) In the narration about the seventy thousand, the addition “they do not seek ruqyah” is a shādh/weak addition according to Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله) (audio).
Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) also held that this extra wording is likely a narrator’s error.
References: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (Second Collection) 1/83; Ibn Bāz (audio statement)
11) It is not permissible to send a shirt or clothing to those who claim knowledge of the unseen, nor to believe them; authentic ḥadīths forbid this.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (Second Collection) 1/617
12) Some magicians/charlatans may recite some Qur’an and duʿās but then mix in shirk phrases and seek help from jinn/devils — this is deception; beware and avoid them.
Reference: “al-Siḥr wa al-Shaʿwadhah,” p. 92
13) Seeking medical treatment from non-Muslims is allowed in purely medical matters (e.g., surgery, diagnosis of permissible medicines). But ruqyah/duʿā-based treatment should be sought from Muslims upon sound creed.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (Second Collection) 1/104
14) It is permissible to perform ruqyah (Qur’an) upon a non-Muslim (who is not in a state of war) as an act of kindness; Allah loves the doers of good:
And perhaps his healing becomes a means for his Islam.وَأَحْسِنُوا ۛ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“And do good; indeed Allah loves the doers of good.” (al-Baqarah 2:195)
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/105
15) It is permissible for a woman to perform ruqyah for her husband, son, brother, or other maḥrams — as ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) did for the Prophet (ﷺ) in his final illness.
References: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5018; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2192
16) A woman may, when needed and within sharʿī guidelines, perform ruqyah (blowing) for a non-maḥram man.
Reference: Fatḥ al-Bārī 1/136
17) A male ruqyah-practitioner may not touch the body of a non-maḥram woman while performing ruqyah, due to fear of fitnah. He should recite and blow without touching. If she is his maḥram, there is no harm.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/90
18) If multiple women are present with a trustworthy practitioner and ruqyah is being performed for all, this is not khalwah (seclusion). Khalwah is forbidden when a woman is alone with an unrelated man.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whenever a man is alone with a woman, the third of them is Shayṭān.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 1171
Presence of two or more women with a reputable therapist for issues like possession/evil eye/epilepsy is not prohibited.
References: “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah fī al-Ruqyah al-Sharʿiyyah,” pp. 26–27; Nūr ʿalā al-Darb (Ibn Bāz) 1/336
(The prohibition of khalwah is distinct from travel rulings.)
19) A menstruating or postpartum woman may recite these supplications; there is no harm.
20) The strongest scholarly view: a menstruating/postpartum woman may recite Qur’an without touching the muṣḥaf.
Reference: Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt 24/345
21) A person in major ritual impurity (janābah) may not recite Qur’an until performing ghusl.
Reference: Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt 24/345
22) There is no harm in menstruating/postpartum women performing ruqyah on themselves, on others, or using ruqyah water.
References: Written fatwā by Shaykh Ibn Jibrīn, 24 Shaʿbān 1418 AH; “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 34
23) A person in janābah must not recite Qur’an for ruqyah upon anyone until he performs ghusl.
References: “al-Kanz al-Thamīn fī Fatāwā Ibn Jibrīn” 1/195; other print 1951
24) It is permissible for a ruqyah-practitioner to perform ruqyah on a woman in ʿiddah, or menstruating/postpartum, or even in janābah (though ghusl first is better).
References: “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 34; “al-Kanz al-Thamīn” 1/195
25) The practitioner should recite audibly so the patient hears the āyāt and duʿās — to learn them and be reassured that the ruqyah is sharʿī.
26) Assigning special sūrahs/tasbīḥāt after two rakʿahs so the bewitched “sees something in a dream” is an innovation (bidʿah) with no basis in Qur’an/Sunnah.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/96
27) It is not permissible to hang Āyat al-Kursī or other Qur’anic verses/ḥadīth duʿās on the neck as amulets for protection/healing. This is the stronger scholarly view.
Reference: “al-Muntaqā min Fatāwā al-Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān” 1/244
28) Going to charlatans for “papers” to burn/smell for cure, and similar acts, is impermissible — baseless superstitions.
Reference: “al-Saḥarah wa al-Mushaʿwidhīn,” pp. 87–88
29) Placing a physical muṣḥaf on a patient’s face to “drive away Shayṭān” is not permissible; it is disrespectful to the Qur’an and placates devils.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/188–189
30) A mother placing a muṣḥaf on a child’s chest or nearby when leaving him alone for “protection” is also impermissible, due to potential disrespect and lack of sharʿī basis.
Reference: “al-Muntaqā” 2/150
31) Blowing on wet/dry soil, adding saliva, then mixing with water to drink for cure has no proof.
Reference: Ibn Bāz (audio), 18 Shaʿbān 1319 AH (tape record)
32) Writing āyāt/duʿās on rings, dipping them in saffron water, pressing them onto paper as “imprints,” then washing and drinking that water — all impermissible. One ruqyah condition is that the intention be seeking cure by reciting (not inscribing) Qur’ān.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/91
33) So-called “anti-poison mantras” (e.g., “scorpion mantra”) — reciting over water, then claiming one must not kill snakes/scorpions afterward — have no basis. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Kill snakes and scorpions, even if you are in prayer.” (Abū Dāwūd 804, authentic)
“Kill all snakes; whoever fears their effect is not from us.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ 1149)
The fabricated incantation text quoted is baseless and contains shirk elements.
References: Majmūʿ Fatāwā Ibn Bāz 1/214; Ibn Jibrīn “al-Fatāwā al-Sharʿiyyah fī al-Masā’il al-Ṭibbiyyah,” p. 48; al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/255–266
34) Claim that reciting the verse
وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ (al-Ṣāffāt 158)
“summons jinn” during exorcism is a mistaken interpretation. Scholars (e.g., Ibn Kathīr) reject this.
Ibn Kathīr (رحمه الله): The verse indicates that jinn will be made present (for judgment/punishment) on the Day of Reckoning; deniers concocted claims without knowledge.
Reference: Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr 4/24
35) Cup-reading, palm-reading, astrological signs, horoscopes as in magazines/newspapers are types of siḥr, claims to the unseen, and soothsaying — all false.
Reference: al-Fawzān, “al-Siḥr,” p. 80
36) If a person is afflicted with jinn, burning jinn with fire is absolutely forbidden — punishment by fire belongs only to the Lord of Fire. As for electric shocks for the possessed, there is no established basis.
References: “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 72; “Mahlan Ayyuhā al-Ruqāt,” p. 79
37) Incense and fumigation (lubān, etc.) to “chase away devils” has no sharʿī proof; it should be avoided. Devils are repelled by abundant dhikr, Qur’an recitation, and seeking refuge in Allah’s words. Sometimes such smoke is a means to appease jinn or seek their aid.
References: Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt 26/171; Nūr ʿalā al-Darb 1/396; “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 127
38) Using wolf skin for amulets or making the patient smell it to diagnose “madness” is impermissible; keeping it at home/shop to “repel devils” is baseless folklore.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/91–124
39) Pouring molten lead over a patient’s head to “break magic” is impermissible; it is a form of soothsaying, involving seeking help from jinn.
Reference: Majallat al-Buḥūth al-Islāmiyyah 1/593
40) “Magnetic” detection and treatments for finding stolen goods, lost items, or diagnosing patients — as a method — are impermissible and indeed shirk.
Reference: ibid., 1/593
41) Engraving Qur’anic āyāt as talismanic “designs” or on bowls for “healing” is prohibited; whoever possesses such items must erase them; otherwise bury respectfully in a pure place.
Reference: al-Majmūʿ al-Thamīn (Ibn ʿUthaymīn) 2/23
42) Reciting over a large water tank to distribute en masse is baseless. The legislated way is to recite directly over the patient or over the specific amount of water to be used by that patient.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/89
43) Seeking “blessing” from the practitioner’s saliva is impermissible and a means to shirk; human saliva is not a source of barakah or healing (except the specific reports about the Prophet ﷺ). If minimal moisture accompanies blowing while reciting Qur’an, there is no harm.
Reference: ibid., 1/75–76
44) Selling “ruqyah water” to the public is a baseless practice and a money-making scheme.
Reference: Nūr ʿalā al-Darb 1/315
45) If the pain is localized (e.g., hand or head), one may blow directly on the painful spot — as the Prophet (ﷺ) did for Muḥammad b. Ḥāṭib (رضي الله عنه) when hot contents fell on his hand. The Prophet (ﷺ) applied saliva and said:
أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءٌ لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“Remove the suffering, O Lord of mankind! Heal, for You are the Healer; there is no healing except Your healing — a healing that leaves no ailment.”
His hand was cured.
Reference: Musnad Aḥmad 15452
46) If pain is general or the location is not outwardly apparent (e.g., possession, epilepsy, constricted chest, evil eye), have the patient sit in front and perform ruqyah upon him — as in the report of the Prophet (ﷺ) treating one afflicted.
47) Ruqyah via tape recorder, loudspeaker, or telephone is a modern issue; the legislated method is direct, in-person recitation and blowing.
Reference: Aḥmad 0/128 (as cited in discussions on the topic)
48) Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) is reported to have struck or restrained jinn (through the afflicted) and conversed with them so they would depart; but the present-day exaggerations heard and seen have no proof.
Reference: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā wa Maqālāt 28/278
49) Using leftover water from washing the Kaʿbah for barakah or healing is not legislated. What is legislated regarding the Kaʿbah is facing it in prayer, making ṭawāf, and respecting it without excess or innovation.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (Second Collection) 2/214
50) At weddings, some recite Qur’an over water (adding perfume/camphor) to bathe and “ward off envy/siḥr.” There is no evidence; it is an innovation.
Reference: ibid., 2/305
51) Reciting over honey, milk, or similar items; massaging with musk; or blowing Qur’anic verses over rose-water and using it — there is no harm; this is reported from the Salaf.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/97
52) Fixing a specific time just before sunset for bathing has no evidence.
Reference: ibid., 1/98
53) Filling a syringe with “recited water” and injecting it into veins — citing “Shayṭān flows through the son of Ādam like blood” — is not a sharʿī method and may harm the patient.
References: al-Bukhārī 2038; Muslim 2174 (on Shayṭān’s flow as a metaphor in context); al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/298
54) Carrying books like “al-Ḥiṣn al-Ḥaṣīn,” “Ḥirz al-Jawshan,” or “Sabʿah ʿUqūd” as protective amulets is impermissible.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/268
55) If the practitioner intends ruqyah for all present patients and recites over water to be apportioned to them, there is no harm.
Reference: Ibn Bāz (audio fatwā)
56) If needed, ruqyah water or oil may be warmed.
57) Popular claims about Sūrat al-Zalzalah — that it either cures the patient or causes death/miscarriage — are baseless folklore without any evidence.
Reference: Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt 26/175
58) If an animal or car is affected by the evil eye, ruqyah is permissible; sprinkling ruqyah-water on the affected item is also allowed. If the envier is known, he should perform wuḍū’/ghusl or wash a limb, and its water is poured upon the affected person/item (even a car).
Reference: “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 111
59) The envier must not refuse when asked to perform wuḍū’/ghusl; whether there is suspicion or certainty regarding his eye.
Reference: “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 112
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When you are asked to bathe (for evil eye), then bathe.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2188
60) Evil eye can occur unintentionally — toward one’s children, spouse, or property. The remedy is to make a duʿā of blessing when something pleases you, such as:
مَا شَاءَ اللهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ
“Whatever Allah wills; there is no power except with Allah.”
One may wash a limb and pour its water over the envied thing.
Reference: “al-Fatāwā al-Dhahabiyyah,” p. 114
61) The popular practice of offering four takbīrs of janāzah prayer over someone “whose eye strikes” (with or without his consent, even while asleep) to nullify his effect — has no sharʿī proof and can be harmful, even fatal. Do not become responsible for someone’s death by such actions.
Reference: Ibn Jibrīn fatwā, 23 Shaʿbān 1318 AH (translator’s note: al-Darāwī)
62) Dropping a piece of bread to see who looks at it “in fear due to evil eye” is a corrupt belief and contrary to the Prophet’s guidance; he (ﷺ) said:
“If a morsel falls from any of you, let him remove anything harmful from it and eat it.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2033
63) Slaughtering an animal for a new car or house to ward off envy is shirk if done as an offering to jinn/spirits for protection.
Reference: “al-Muntaqā” (Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān) 2/135
64) Digging a grave for one afflicted by evil eye, or to obtain healing, has no basis in the Sharīʿah — an evil innovation to be warned against.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/112
65) Some ruqyah practitioners recite strange phrases for evil eye such as:
حَبْسُ حَابِسٍ، حَجَرٌ يَابِسٌ، وَشِهَابٌ قَابِسٌ، وَرَدَّتْ عَيْنُ الْحَاسِدِ إِلَيْهِ وَعَلَى أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَيْهِ
This is not from the Prophet (ﷺ) nor any Companion; it has no basis and contains objectionable language. Treat evil eye with Qur’an, authentic duʿās, and the legislated washing method.
Reference: al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah 1/111
66) Holding a piece of wood (or similar) to treat envy/jealousy has no sharʿī or proven basis; relying on it is impermissible.
Reference: Ibn Jibrīn (written fatwā), 24 Shaʿbān 1418 AH
