Is Attending a Ruqyah Event the Same as Requesting Ruqyah?

A question whose substance is often asked when holding ruqyah studies is, “Is attending a ruqyah event the same as requesting ruqyah?” The answer is, “Attending a ruqyah event or a ruqyah study is different from requesting ruqyah.”

The ruling for performing ruqyah and requesting ruqyah is different. As for attending a ruqyah event or a ruqyah study, it is actually commanded by the Messenger of Allah and falls under the category of performing ruqyah or offering others to be ruqyah-ed, not the category of requesting ruqyah. This is because offering others to be ruqyah-ed is actually encouraged by the Messenger of Allah as it includes providing benefit to others. Jabir bin Abdillah narrated:

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الرُّقَى، فَجَاءَ آلُ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالُوا: "يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَتْ عِنْدَنَا رُقْيَةٌ نَرْقِي بِهَا مِنَ الْعَقْرَبِ، وَإِنَّكَ نَهَيْتَ عَنِ الرُّقَى"، قَالَ: "فَعَرَضُوهَا عَلَيْهِ"، فَقَالَ: "مَا أَرَى بَأْسًا مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَنْفَعَ أَخَاهُ فَلْيَنْفَعْهُ"

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had forbidden ruqyah. Then the family of Amru bin Hazm came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we used to have a ruqyah with which we treat (scorpion stings), and you have forbidden ruqyah.’ He said: ‘So they presented it to him.’ He said: ‘I see no harm (in the ruqyah). Whoever among you is able to benefit his brother (fellow Muslim), let him benefit him (with ruqyah).’” (Narrated by Muslim: 2199)

Look at how the Prophet, after initially forbidding ruqyah, then permitted it, and even commanded that it be done to others. This becomes even clearer when the Messenger of Allah told the female companion Syifa binti Abdullah to teach ruqyah to his own wife, Hafshah binti Umar bin Al-Khatthab. Asy-Syifa binti Abdullah narrated:

دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَا عِنْدَ حَفْصَةَ فَقَالَ لِي: "أَلَا تُعَلِّمِينَ هَذِهِ رُقْيَةَ النَّمْلَةِ كَمَا عَلَّمْتِيهَا الْكِتَابَةَ"

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered upon me while I was with Hafshah. He said to me: ‘Will you not teach her (Hafshah) the ruqyah for namlah (eczema disease) just as you taught her writing?’” (Narrated by Abu Dawud: 3887)

Therefore, attending a ruqyah study or ruqyah event and being ruqyah-ed is not considered requesting ruqyah, but rather falls under the category of ruqyah or learning ruqyah and teaching it. Of course, today we agree that learning to write is obligatory due to the great human need today for literacy – unlike in the time of the Prophet when few were able to read and write – and look at how the Prophet equated “learning ruqyah” with learning literacy.

This question actually arises because of the assumption that requesting ruqyah is forbidden. This also needs correction, because the majority of scholars actually permit requesting ruqyah, and even recommend it. This is because the Prophet himself commanded his wife Aishah to request ruqyah. Aishah narrated:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَسْتَرْقِيَ مِنَ الْعَيْنِ

“The Messenger of Allah used to command me to request ruqyah from (‘ain - the evil eye).” (Narrated by Muslim: 2195)

His other wife, Umm Salamah, also narrated how the Messenger of Allah ordered that ruqyah be requested for someone afflicted by jinndisturbance. Umm Salamah narrated:

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَأَى فِي بَيْتِهَا جَارِيَةً فِي وَجْهِهَا سَفْعَةٌ، فَقَالَ: "اسْتَرْقُوا لَهَا، فَإِنَّ بِهَا النَّظْرَةَ"

“The Prophet once saw a young girl in her (Umm Salamah’s) house whose face had suf’ah (a yellowish discoloration), so the Prophet said: ‘Request ruqyah for her, for she has been afflicted by an-nadzhrah (‘ain that comes from the jinn).” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari: 5739 and Muslim: 2197)

If requesting ruqyah were forbidden, how could the Messenger of Allah command his own wife to request ruqyah? The permissibility of requesting ruqyah is the opinion of the majority of scholars. Imam Ibn Abdil Barr said:

وَعَلَى إِبَاحَةِ التَّدَاوِي وَالِاسْتِرْقَاءِ جُمْهُورُ الْعُلَمَاءِ

“The permissibility of seeking treatment and requesting ruqyah is the opinion of the jumhur (majority) of scholars.” (At-Tamhid, 5/279)

Imam An-Nawawi said:

قَالَ كَثِيرُونَ أَوِ الْأَكْثَرُونَ يَجُوزُ الْاِسْتِرْقَاءُ لِلصَّحِيحِ لِمَا يَخَافُ أَنْ يَغْشَاهُ مِنَ الْمَكْرُوهَاتِ وَالْهَوَامِّ

“Many or most (scholars) said that it is permissible to request ruqyah for a healthy person if he fears that he will be afflicted by undesirable things or harm (venomous creatures).” (Syarh Shahih Muslim, 14/170)

As for the hadith about the 70,000 people from the Ummahof the Messenger of Allah entering Paradise without reckoning, where they are described as those who do not request ruqyah, do not undergo kay (cauterization) treatment, do not take bad omens, and only rely on Allah, it does not mean that requesting ruqyah is forbidden. Rather, it only explains that one of the characteristics of those who enter Paradise without reckoning is that they do not request ruqyah, and the ruqyah meant is the one that contains shirk (polytheism) and kufr(disbelief) or those who depend on the ruqyah and not on Allah. This is because the Messenger of Allah equated it with thiyarah (taking bad omens from birds), which is also a part of shirk. Imam An-Nawawi said:

وَذَكَرَ الْأَحَادِيثَ بَعْدَهُ فِي الرُّقَى وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ الْآخَرِ فِي الَّذِينَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ لَا يَرْقُونَ وَلَا يَسْتَرْقُونَ وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ فَقَدْ يُظَنُّ مَخَالِفًا لِهَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَلَامُخَالَفَةً بَلِ الْمَدْحُ فِي تَرْكِ الرُّقَى الْمُرَادُ بِهَا الرُّقَى الَّتِي هِيَ مِنْ كَلَامِ الْكُفَّارِ وَالرُّقَى الْمَجْهُولَةُ وَالَّتِى بِغَيْرِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ وَمَالَا يُعْرَفُ مَعْنَاهَا فَهَذِهِ مَذْمُومَةٌ لِاحْتِمَالِ أَنَّ مَعْنَاهَا كُفْرٌ أَوْ قَرِيبٌ مِنْهُ أَوْ مَكْرُوهٌ وَأَمَّا الرُّقَى بِآيَاتِ الْقُرْآنِ وَبِالْأَذْكَارِ الْمَعْرُوفَةِ فَلَا نَهْيٌ فِيهِ بَلْ هُوَ سُنَّةٌ

“Then he (Imam Muslim) mentioned some hadiths after it in the discussion of ruqyah and another hadith in the discussion about ‘the people who enter Paradise without reckoning are those who do not perform ruqyah, do not request ruqyah, and they only rely on their Rabb.’ Indeed, it might be thought that this hadith (about entering Paradise without reckoning) contradicts these hadiths (about the encouragement to perform and request ruqyah), but there is no contradiction in reality. Rather, the praise for abandoning ruqyah refers to the ruqyah that originates from the speech of the disbelievers, the ruqyah whose procedure is unknown, the ruqyah not in the Arabic language, and the ruqyah whose meaning is unknown. These are blameworthy ruqyah because there is a possibility that their meaning contains kufr (disbelief) or something close to it, or is disliked (by the Shari’ah). As for ruqyah with verses of the Qur’an and well-known dhikrs (remembrance of Allah), there is no prohibition in it. Rather, such ruqyah is a Sunnah (recommended practice).” (Syarh Shahih Muslim, 14/168)

This explanation by Imam Nawawi refutes the view of some people who consider requesting ruqyah to be absolutely forbidden, and this contradicts the view of the majority of scholars. As for attending a ruqyah event or ruqyah study, it is not considered requesting ruqyah, even though requesting ruqyah (that complies with the Shari’ah) is permissible and even Sunnah, as explained by Imam An-Nawawi above.

Wallahu a’lam (And Allah knows best).