Quran Academy

Anytime you hear the word ‘Ruqya’, what comes to mind? Probably an image of someone possessed by a jinn and in need of ‘deliverance.’ Because that is what many Muslims attribute ruqya to.

But there is so much more to ruqya for us Muslims that goes beyond evil eye (ayn), black magic (sihr) and possession by jinns. Ruqya is a cure for every ailment and we will find relief when we use it if Allah (ta’ala) wills.

What is Ruqyah and How do You Use It?

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“And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers” (Qur’an 17: 82)

The ruqya duas are prayers from the holy Quran and the ahadith, as taught to us by the holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). They are a means of protecting ourselves from the evils of Shaytaan, mankind and jinns. They are also a means of healing for illnesses both medical and non-medical.

There are different verses of the Quran and dua used for ruqya, and many people feel more comfortable seeking the help of a trained ‘Rakee’ if they fear that they have been afflicted with an illness that needs ruqya. But really, preventing the affliction of, or curing yourself of evil, is something that we all can learn to do in our own little ways.

It is worth noting here that there seems to be a misconception in our communities that all illnesses require ruqya without medical intervention. While this may be true for many unexplainable ailments, medical illnesses should be referred to by the appropriate health practitioners even if you are still going to perform ruqya at home.

That said, here are some ruqya verses from the Qur’an and examples from the sunnah that can help.

Verses from the Quran

The Mu’auwidhat (Suratul Falaq & Nas)

If you are looking for some of the most powerful verses for healing in the Qur’an, the verses of both Surahs are some of them. So also is Surat Al Ikhlas, which is the third chapter in this trio of chapters of protection.

In a hadith narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “used to seek protection against the evil of jinn and the evil eyes till Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas were revealed. After they were revealed, he took to them for seeking Allah’s protection and left everything besides them”. (Riyad as-Saliheen)

These chapters of the holy Quran are so powerful that the holy Prophet would recite them on his palms whenever he was ill and pass his palms all over his body. In his final illness, his wife, Aishah (RA), narrated that she would recite them on her palms and pass her hands over his body.

It is highly recommended according to the sunnah to recite these three chapters of the Quran every morning and evening, three times each. These are verses of protection from evil as well as healing from illnesses.

Ayatul Kursi (Qur’an 2:255)

It is said that whoever recites Ayatul Kursiy when he wakes in the morning, he will be protected from Jinns till the evening, and whoever recites it in the evening will have the same protection till morning. This is one of those verses that comes up both in instances of preventing harm from coming to us and of healing ourselves from the effects of evil.

Duas from the Sunnah

The Dua of Jibril

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ أَوْ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ

“Bismillahi arqika, min kulli shay’in yu’dhika, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘aynin aw hasidin. Allahu yashfika, bismillahi arqika (In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye, may Allah heal you.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Once the holy Prophet Muhammad was ill and Jibril came to visit him and mentioned that the illness came as a result of the evil eye, and he made this ruqya dua for the Prophet (SAW).

2. The Dua of the Prophet for the Ill

“اللَّهُمَّ أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ فَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ‏”

“([Allāhumma] adh-hibil-ba’sa rabban-nās, washfi antash-shāfi, lā shifā’a illā shifā’uka shifā’an lā yughādiru saqama).’”

“[O Allah,] make the harm go away, Lord of mankind, and heal him, You are the Healer, there is no healing except your healing, a healing that does not leave any sickness.” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi)

The Prophet (SAW) would make this dua for anyone who was ill, and by the mercy of Allah (ta’ala), they would be cured.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ

“Bismillah, a’udhu bi’izzatil-lahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhiru. (In the Name of Allah, I seek refuge in the might and power of Allah from the evil of what I feel and what I fear),” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

The Ruqya of the Prophet for His Wives

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِهِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ‏”

“O Allah, the Lord of the people! Remove the trouble and heal the patient, for You are the Healer. No healing is of any avail but Yours; healing that will leave behind no ailment.” (Bukhari)

In multiple hadith narrations, it is said that the holy Prophet (SAW) would pass his right hand over the spot of the pain of his wives and recite this dua.

One thing that we as Muslims should understand with ruqya and the topic of healing from ailments and protection from evil is that this is a mercy from our Lord and we need to put our trust in Him.

There is so much evil in the world, but as Muslims, we know that Allah (ta’ala) has not sent down an ailment that does not have a cure and that whenever we feel ourselves or our loved ones afflicted with ailments, either medical or not, we can always return to the words of Allah (ta’ala) and His Messenger for a cure.