Thursday, May 28, 2009

permissibility of using ruqyah in the form endorsed by the Shari'ah


It is reported on the authority of Husain Ibn `Abdul-Rahmaan that he said: "I was with Sa'eed Ibn Jubair and he asked: "Who among you saw the shooting star last night?" I answered: "I saw it," and I explained to him that I had not been at prayer, because I had been stung (by a scorpion). He asked: "Then what did you do?" "I used a ruqyah," I replied. He said: "What made you do that?" I answered: "A Hadith I heard from Ash-Sh'abi." He asked: "What did he tell you?" I said: "He reported from Buraidah Al-Husayyib, who said that ruqyah is not permitted except in two cases: "Al-'ain and stings." He said: "He who limits himself to what he has heard, has done well; but Ibn `Abbas (ra) reported to us that the Prophet  said: "All the nations were made to pass before me, and I saw a Prophet  with a small group, and a Prophet  with only one or two men, and a Prophet  with none. Then there was shown to me a large number of people which I thought to be my Ummah, but it was said to me: "This is Moosa (as ) and his people." Then I looked and saw a huge crowd at which it was said to me: "These are your people: Among them are seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without a reckoning or punishment." Then he  got up and went to his house, and the people began to discuss who they might be: Some of them said: "Perhaps they are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ; others said: "Perhaps they are the those who were born in Islam and have never associated any partners with Allah . While they were talking thus, the Messenger of Allah came out and they informed him (about what they had been discussing). He said: "They are those who do not treat themselves with ruqyah, nor practise treatment by cauterization, nor believe in good or bad omens - but depend upon and trust in their Rabb (Alone)." `Ukkashah Ibn Mihsan (ra) stood up and said: "Ask Allah for me that I be one of them." He said: "You are one of them." Then another man stood and said: "Ask Allah that I (also) be one of them." He  said: "`Ukkashah has preceded you." [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]
Husain Ibn `Abdul-Rahman (ra) informs us of a discussion which took place between him and the Tabi'i, Sa'eed Ibn Jubair, concerning the use of ruqyah, due to the fact that Husain had been stung by a scorpion, for which he resorted to a ruqyah, in accordance with the Sunnah.
When Sa'eed asked him for a proof for that, he informed him of the Hadith of Ash-Sh'abi which permits the use of ruqyah for the treatment of al-'ain and stings. Sa'eed praised him for his adherence to the Hadith, but related to him a Hadith which advocates rejection of ruqyah - the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (ra) which also mentions cauterization and belief in omens, and requires us to have complete trust in Allah , and depend upon Him, Alone; and says that when `Ukkashah (ra) requested the Prophet  to ask Allah to make him one of the seventy thousand who would enter Paradise without reckoning and without punishment, He  informed him that he was one of them, but when another man made the same request, the Messenger of Allah gently, but firmly closed the door upon any further requests by saying: "`Ukkashah (ra) has preceded you."

Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. That the Salaf used to keep away from riyaa` and anything that might lead to it.
2. The obligation to ask for proof before accepting anything in the religion.
3. The permissibility of using ruqyah for al-'ain and stings, on condition that the ruqyah is of a kind endorsed by the Shari'ah - from the Qur'an or the authentic supplications of the Prophet  in the Arabic language.
4. The profound knowledge of the Salaf.
5. Acting in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah takes precedence over all opinions.
6. The virtue of the Salaf and their good manners and politeness in passing on Islamic knowledge.
7. The disparity in the number of followers of one Prophet and another, and that some Prophets have no followers.
8. The number of followers a person may have is not necessarily an indication of the truth or falseness of the message.
9. The virtue of Moosa (as ) and his people.
10. The excellence of the Ummah of Muhammad  in comparison with other peoples.
11. The love of the Companions for all good deeds.
12. The permissibility of engaging in debate in religious matters.
13. Whoever possesses the four attributes mentioned in the Hadith, has perfected Tawheed and will enter Paradise.
14. The permissibility of asking virtuous persons to supplicate Allah on our behalf.
15. That there is no contradiction between the Hadith of Ash-Sh'abi - which permits ruqyah when the conditions for its acceptance are met - and the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (ra) - which forbids ruqyah when those conditions are not met.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed
That the Hadith proves that whoever possessed the four attributes mentioned therein, has perfected Tawheed and will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment.

Ruqyah: To recite a part of the Qur'an (e.g. Qur'an Al-Faatihah), or to supplicate Allah (swt), using words prescribed by the Messenger of Allah  in authentic Hadith, in order to obtain relief from illness.
Al-'ain: The evil eye.
Ummah: Community.
Taabi'i: A Muslim who met and reported from one or more of the Companions of the Prophet .
Sunnah: Words and deeds of the Prophet  and those of which he approved.
The Salaf: The pious, early generations of Muslims.
Shari'ah: Islamic Law.

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