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Can you perform long distance healing? Can you do ruqya remotely?

Can you perform long distance healing? Can you do ruqya remotely?

In Islam we believe that Allah is Al Shafi, the One who cures and heals. Though Allah controls the cure, He provides different channels through which the cure is delivered. At our disposal we have medicine, dua and ruqya. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also used cupping (hijama).

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءٌ فَإِذَا أُصِيبَ دَوَاءُ الدَّاءِ بَرَأَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

“Every disease has a cure. If a cure is applied to the disease, it is relieved by the permission of Allah Almighty.” (Muslim)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that we should seek cure and that Allah has provided cures for diseases. Moreover we should seek cure through legitimate means and not seek cures that contain anything haram or use any impermissible source for cure:

‘Allah has sent down the disease and the cure, and has made for every disease the cure. So treat sickness, but do not use anything haram’” (Abu Dawud)

عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ شَرِيكٍ، قَالَ شَهِدْتُ الأَعْرَابَ يَسْأَلُونَ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَعَلَيْنَا حَرَجٌ فِي كَذَا أَعَلَيْنَا حَرَجٌ فِي كَذَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ ‏”‏ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ وَضَعَ اللَّهُ الْحَرَجَ إِلاَّ مَنِ اقْتَرَضَ مِنْ عِرْضِ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا فَذَاكَ الَّذِي حَرَجٌ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ عَلَيْنَا جُنَاحٌ أَنْ نَتَدَاوَى قَالَ ‏”‏ تَدَاوَوْا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَضَعْ دَاءً إِلاَّ وَضَعَ مَعَهُ شِفَاءً إِلاَّ الْهَرَمَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا خَيْرُ مَا أُعْطِيَ الْعَبْدُ قَالَ ‏”‏ خُلُقٌ حَسَنٌ ‏”‏ ‏.

‏Usamah bin Sharik (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“I saw the Bedouins asking the Prophet (ﷺ): ‘Is there any harm in such and such, is there any harm in such and such?’ He said to them: ‘O slaves of Allah! Allah has only made harm in that which transgresses the honor of one’s brother. That is what is sinful.’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is there any sin if we do not seek treatment?’ He said: ‘Seek treatment, O slaves of Allah! For Allah does not create any disease but He also creates with it the cure, except for old age.’ (Ibn Majah)

Our sources of cure therefore must be based on what Allah Almighty has guided us to through the Quran and Sunnah and by sources of medicine which do not go against the Quran and Sunnah. We do our best to seek cure through these means and do not rely on either one alone, as they compliment each other. Islam however does not allow us to turn to sources of cure which are based on superstitions.

Therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, cupping, posture training, massage therapy, and dietary changes do not contradict Islam. For a more detailed look at alternative medicines please see our blog.

In addition it is very important that we do our best to look after our physical, mental and emotional health which are an amanah by having a healthy lifestyle. Prevention is better than cure.

Can you do ruqya only in close proximity or for people far away?

This is a point of discussion among scholars, as there is no clear evidence on this from the sunnah.

Do you need to imagine the person or can you just say their name? It does not matter either way, as the core of ruqya is your intention.

If you want someone who is not near to have shifa, you can say the ruqya and also the ayahs of shifa if you want, and ask a Allah to cure them.

Can you extend someone’s life through your dua?

Our lifespans have been written before our birth. This is clear from the famous hadith in which our provisions in life (rizq), lifespan (ajl), actions and final destination were recorded before our birth.

`Abdullah bin Mus’ud narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be on him) said:

(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature’s) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him. So, a man amongst you may do (good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behaviour and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behaviour, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise. (Bukhari)

Why is it then that when someone is very ill, many people make dua, perhaps make dua often during blessed times and places, and the sick person recovers?

We have no idea how Allah Almighty works. With or without dua, Allah Almighty has already written our final lifespans and He does not change the final destiny which has been written. However, He knew that people would make dua for that person, and accordingly that that person would get better.

Dua and maintaining family relationships can increase your lifespan in the books of the angels

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said:

He who desires ample provisions and his life be prolonged, should maintain good ties with his blood relations.  (Bukhari and Muslim)

Lifespan can be prolonged or shortened in the books of the angels. For instance it may be that someone’s age was 60 in the books of the angels but due to their maintaining good relationships with their family, their lifespan was increased to 70.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim – Tafseer Class 3rd March 2021

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.