BENEFIT: Ruqyah as a Means of Healing and Dawah for Disbelievers

Question: A young man from the People of the Book, about forty-five years old, lives next to me. He has not married until now. Is it permissible to perform Ruqyah for him using water so that he may wash with it or drink it, as he might be under a spell? Sheikh Najeeb Ash-Shar’abi ḥafidhahullāh: Yes, it is permissible to perform Ruqyah on him as long as he is a musta'man (one who has been given a pledge of protection). This may also serve as an invitation and encouragement for him toward Islam. Therefore, be keen to invite him to Islam. In both Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri (may Allāh be pleased with him) that some companions of the Prophet ﷺ were travelling and passed by an Arab settlement. They were invited to stay but were not hosted. They asked the inhabitants, “Is there a Ruqyah practitioner among you? For the chief of this settlement has been bitten or afflicted.” A man said yes, so one of the companions went to him and performed Ruqyah with the opening chapter of the Qur'ān (Al-Fatiha). The afflicted man was cured. They offered him a flock of sheep as a reward, but he refused, saying he wanted to report this to the Prophet ﷺ. When he told the Prophet, the Prophet ﷺ smiled and said, “How did you know it is Ruqyah?” Then he said, “Take them (the sheep), and set me a portion with you.” Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allāh have mercy on him) said in Madarij As-Salikin (vol. 1, p. 79): «فقد تضمن هذا الحديث حصول شفاء هذا اللديغ بقراءة الفاتحة عليه، فأغنته عن الدواء، وربما بلغت من شفائه ما لم يبلغه الدواء،هذا مع كون المحل غير قابل، إما لكون هؤلاء الحي غير مسلمين، أو أهل بخل ولؤم، فكيف إذا كان المحل قابلًا» "This hadith shows that the man who was bitten was healed by reciting Surah Al-Fatiha over him, and he did not need any medicine. In fact, the healing from the recitation may have been more effective than medicine. This happened even though the people there were not open to receiving good—either because they were non-Muslims or were stingy and harsh. So how much more effective would it be if the people were open and receptive?" In Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud, Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin Al-‘Abbad explained that: «هؤلاء القوم الذين مر بهم هذا الصحابي كفار، بدليل قولهم: (صاحبكم هذا)، فهي تدل على أنهم ليسوا مسلمين، فهذه العبارة يقولها من ليس بمسلم» "These people whom the Companion passed by were disbelievers, as evidenced by their statement, “This companion of yours.” This phrase indicates that they were not Muslims, as such an expression is typically used by someone who is not a Muslim." It states Al-Mawsū’ah Al-Kuwaitiyyah (vol. 13, p. 34) that there is no disagreement among jurists regarding the permissibility of a Muslim performing Ruqyah for a disbeliever. Ahmad (Hadith nos. 21835, 21836) and Abu Dawud (nos. 3420, 3896, 3901) narrated from Khārijah ibn As-Salt, from his uncle, who said: «أقبلنا من عند النبي ﷺ، فأتينا على حي من العرب، فقالوا: نبئنا أنكم جئتم من عند هذا الرجل بخير، فهل عندكم دواء أو رقية؟ فإن عندنا معتوهًا في القيود. قال: فقلنا: نعم. قال: فجاءوا بالمعتوه في القيود، قال: فقرأت بفاتحة الكتاب ثلاثة أيام غدوة وعشية، أجمع بزاقي، ثم أتفل، قال: فكأنما نشط من عقال، قال: فأعطوني جعلًا، فقلت: لا، حتى أسأل النبي ﷺ، فسألته، فقال: ((كل، لعمري من أكل برقية باطل لقد أكلت برقية حق)). “We were coming from the presence of the Prophet ﷺ and arrived at an Arab settlement. They said, ‘We heard that you came from this man (the Prophet) with goodness. Do you have a remedy or Ruqyah? We have a mentally disturbed person in chains.’ We said yes. They brought the disturbed man in chains. I recited Al-Fatiha over him for three days, morning and evening. Then I collected my saliva and spat on him, and it was as if the restraints loosened. They offered me a reward, but I refused until I asked the Prophet. He said, ‘Take it. By my life (used for emphasis, not as an oath), receiving payment for a legislated ruqyah is permissible and commendable, unlike taking payment for unlegislated ruqyah.’”