What is ruqyah?

 

Definition of Ruqyah

Ibn Qayyim said:

“Ruqyah consists of mentioning Allah, surrendering to His will, seeking refuge in His power and strength from the evil of pain, which is sufficient to alleviate the pain. Repeating these words further enhances the effectiveness of the remedy, like taking a prescribed medicine regularly to remove unwanted substances from the body. Through ruqyah, the supplicant prays to Allah, mentioning His perfect dominion and complete mercy to heal the patient, recognizing that He is the one true healer. Therefore, during ruqyah, a supplication is directed to the Most High Lord, wherein words are uttered that indicate His unity, benevolence, and sovereignty.” [ Ibn Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad ]

Conditions for a permissible ruqyah

The ruqyah that is acceptable in the Sharee’ah is that which fulfills the following conditions:

1. The ruqyah must be done with the Quran, with the Names and Attributes of Allah The Almighty, or with a supplication reported on the authority of the Prophet (ﷺ).
2. The ruqyah must be composed of comprehensive Arabic words because it is not appropriate to use a language other than Arabic in supplication. Only those who are not fluent in Arabic can use another language in supplication. Using foreign words in ruqyah is unacceptable. This was stated by shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. [IslamWeb, fatwa nr. 4310]
3. It must steadfastly uphold the principle of Tawheed (the oneness of Allah) and avoid any semblance of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The ruqyah has no effect on its own, but it is effective only by the will of Allah The Almighty.
4. The ruqyah must not be recited in impermissible situations, for example in toilet.

 

Once these conditions are fulfilled, it becomes a valid ruqyah. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that ruqyah is permissible, provided that it does not include any of the features of shirk (polytheism). [ Muslim ]