Blowing Lightly (Thutkarna) While Performing Ruqyah
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to blow lightly (تھتکارنا / thutkarna) while performing ruqyah (reciting for healing)?
❖ Answer:
Yes, blowing lightly while reciting ruqyah is permissible. Its permissibility is established from multiple authentic aḥādīth, and there is scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ) on it.
Evidence from Aḥādīth
❀ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا أخذ مضجعه نفث فى يديه، وقرا بالمعوذات، ومسح بهما جسده
“When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would lie down on his bed, he would blow into his hands, recite the Muʿawwidhāt (Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, al-Falaq, and al-Nās), and then wipe them over his body.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6319)
❀ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) also said:
إن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا أوى إلى فراشه كل ليلة جمع كفيه، ثم نفث فيهما فقرأ فيهما : ﴿قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ اَحَدٌ﴾ وَ ﴿قُلْ اَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ﴾ وَ ﴿قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ﴾ ، ثم يمسح بهما ما استطاع من جسده... يفعل ذلك ثلاث مرات .
“Every night when the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he would join his hands together, blow into them, recite Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, Sūrah al-Falaq, and Sūrah al-Nās, then wipe them over his body as much as possible, beginning with his head, face, and the front of his body. He would do this three times.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5017)
❀ She further narrated:
“Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ became ill, he would recite the Muʿawwidhāt and blow upon himself. When his illness became severe, I used to recite them over him, blow upon him, and pass his blessed hand over his body for blessing.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5016; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2192)
Scholarly Consensus
❀ Imām al-Nawawī (رحمه الله, d. 676H) said:
قد أجمعوا على جوازه .
“The scholars are unanimous on its permissibility.”
(Sharḥ al-Nawawī 14/182)
Conclusion:Blowing lightly (thutkarna) while performing ruqyah is permissible, established from the Sunnah, and agreed upon by scholars.
