What comes to mind when you think of ruqyah? You might visualise water, Qur’an, jinn, a du’a, or even a loved one who would do ruqyah on you.

Or you might not have an idea of what ruqyah is. That’s okay. While there are people who specialise in the practice, it’s a lot like medicine—you can understand a few basics and embark on the ritual yourself, and see a more experienced practitioner for advanced cases. Not only for when you have an injury or illness, but also as part of daily life.

What is Ruqyah?

Linguistically, ruqyah is made up of the Arabic letters ر (ra), ق (qaf), and ي (ya). These roots, together, can mean “incantation” or even “exorcism.” The Hans Wehr Arabic dictionary goes so far as to add “magic,” “spell,” and “charm” as definitions—but those aren’t correct. In Islam, those words have a negative connotation, as “casting a spell” on someone means to wish them harm in their lives.

Rather, ruqyah is less about incantation and more about supplication. A person invokes the power of Allah ﷻ to remove harm. In extreme cases, this can include getting rid of the effects of the evil eye or even the possession of a jinn. But most Muslims do and will practice ruqyah at some point, even if they may not call it that. In fact, even the Prophet ﷺ did ruqyah.

Aisha RA reported, “If the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was afflicted by something, the Angel Gabriel would supplicate over him, saying,

‘“In the name of Allah, may he cure you, may he heal you from every ailment, from the evil of the envier when he envies, and from the evil of every eye.’” (Muslim)

بِاسْمِ اللهِ يُبْرِيكَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ يَشْفِيكَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ وَشَرِّ كُلِّ ذِي عَيْنٍ

Bismillahi yubrika wa min kulli da’in, yashfika wa min sharri hasidin idha hasada wa sharri kulli dhi aynin

A morning and evening wird (litany) of certain du’as and Quranic verses counts as ruqyah, to protect yourself from whatever goes about in your day. You might even know a few already.

Ruqyah for the Layperson

There are specific formulas for ruqyah, as well as a bit of flexibility. I myself have recited ruqyah over my cat, after she experienced a devastating fall from a gate on one tragic Friday morning. When I took her to the emergency clinic, the staff said that her leg was “shattered,” so much so that amputation was a likely possibility. It was a holiday weekend, and the soonest I could have her operated on was Tuesday. That meant four days of her being unable to walk, eat, or use her litter box comfortably. I opted for her to receive a cast and wait to see if the surgeon could save her leg in a few days, rather than amputate that day. 

Back at my apartment, any time she tried to get up, I heard her cry out in pain. I had been given some pain medication to administer to her, but I wanted to try something else. I’d heard that the Qur’an could be recited over anyone if they were hurting or sick, so I gently put my hand on her broken leg and read as much as I could as the hours ticked. She purred and purred.

When Tuesday came, I texted my friends and family for du’as and waited. The surgeon warned me that he would do his best, but if the damage was really bad, he’d still have to amputate her leg. I received a call later that day saying that her procedure “couldn’t have gone any better,” and I was overcome with relief. 

Over and over again, I was reminded how powerful ruqyah is when one has firm belief in the One who sent it for us.

When I brought my cat to a veterinary physical therapist for exercises to alleviate her recovery, the woman said that she was shocked to see my cat walking with relative ease, having seen how awful the destruction was on the X-Rays. Indeed Allah provided the means for, as well as, her complete cure.

Ruqyah can form a fundamental part of care and protection in all chapters of life. Hafsah Dabiri, the founder of Muslimah Storytellers, found it particularly comforting after giving birth.

“In my experience, it’s a form of seeking comfort and deep healing with postpartum-related anxieties and feelings. And as well as with chronic conditions, reminding myself that healing is truly only with the One who created us.”

When asked for her favourites, Hafsah Dabiri mentioned the 902nd hadith found in Riyad al-Salihin, verified by Bukhari and Muslim:

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported, “When the Prophet ﷺ visited any ailing member of his family, he would touch the sick person with his right hand and would supplicate, ‘O Allah! The Lord of mankind! Remove this disease and cure (him or her)! You are the Great Curer. There is no cure but through You, which leaves behind no disease.’”

‏اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ، اِشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِيْ، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَّا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا 

Allahumma rabbanas, adh-hibil-ba’s, ishfi antash-Shafi la shifa’a illa shifa’uk, shifa’al-la yughadiru saqama.

She also recalled Sunan an-Nasa’i 5449:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had supplications that he never omitted to recite. He used to say: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge with You from worry, grief, incapacity, laziness, miserliness, cowardice and being overpowered by men.’”

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allahumma inni a’udhu bika minal-hammi, wal-hazani, wal-‘ajzi, wal-kasali, wal-bukhli, wal-jubni, wa ghalabatar-rijal.

Another sister, Adan, said that she used ruqyah for her period cramps. “With adenomyosis and PMDD, there’s only so much that over-the-counter pain medication can do. As soon as I’m done ovulating, it feels like my insides start squirming. Sometimes, I’ve even had to hold onto something as I brace for the painful spasms. This du’a always works for me to feel better.”

Uthman ibn Abu al-’As Al-Thaqafi reported that he made a complaint of pain to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ that he felt in his body at the time he had become Muslim. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Place your hand at the place where you feel pain in your body and say Bismillah, three times and seven times: I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear.” (Sahih Muslim 2202)

(x3) بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ 

(x7) أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ 

Bismillah (x3), 

a’udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir (x7)

Some Muslims will also use “ruqyah water,” water that has had specific Qur’anic verses recited over it. Jamila, who lives in Texas with her husband, would prepare ruqyah water in a spray bottle, place it in the fridge, and the two of them spritzed it on themselves during sweltering summer heat. The coolness, as well as the cure of the Qur’an, helped immensely.

“I would also keep a spray bottle of water open in front of me while doing the ruqyah, and then close it, and use it periodically to spray my head and face to get rid of headaches and lethargy. Ruqyah is something I always turn back to when life happens, and I need relief.”

Jamila had also mentioned seeing a raqi, a specialised practitioner of ruqyah, previously, and took their recommendations to heart.

But if we can do it, why do we need a raqi?

While some shuyukh have some experience in ruqyah, many will outsource to the professionals, known as a raqi, or ruqa, plural. The same way you might have effective home remedies for a minor illness but need to go to a doctor if it exacerbates, consulting a raqi is similar to how your own ruqyah regimen may not be as helpful as that of a raqi’s prescription.

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi once sat with a raqi, Ustadh Talha Abuzaid, who provided an enlightening interview on the practice of ruqyah. A surprising detail was this: those who practice sihr, or black magic, do so in different ways depending on the country and culture. Which means that local ruqa are also important, because they’re familiar with the customs practised in that vicinity. Some magicians, for example, will use a specific type of knotted amulet, while others will have a piece of metal wherein curses are inscribed on the inside.

“The dua (supplication) and the dawa (medicine) are not two separate things,” Ustadh Talha said. “Ruqya was recited on the scorpion bite, for ayn and hasad (jealousy), and sihr (black magic).”

To supplicate with ruqyah means that there is a physical, as well as a spiritual component. In some cases, even mental. Sihr isn’t the only thing that a raqi can remove from a person. In the event of a jinn possession, a person would also go to a raqi.

In his own practice as a raqi, Ustadh Talha consults with Muslim psychiatrists and physicians to see if there is indeed a patient going through a physical or mental illness, rather than a possession. There are cases, though, where it is indeed a jinn.

Dr. Layla Asamarai, founder of The Luminous Mind clinic, recalled one incident from when she was an intern. A man had come in for an evaluation, and she had asked him about his offences. He responded that he was a sex offender, and that he couldn’t speak about the offences because the demon would come out—and that the demon, not him, committed those sexual offences.

From there, she attempted to establish whether he was experiencing psychosis, but sensed something was off in the room. His voice also changed, as did his physical mannerisms, and he began drooling. Dr. Layla then asked if the demon was in the room. The man, in a completely different voice, responded, “Yes.” Then she began to recite the Qur’an and blow those verses onto him. When the jinn was mostly subdued, she told him to leave and get an exorcism. After he left, she never saw him again, and she remained safe from the encounter.

Certainly, instances where a person might behave in a manner not typical of their usual self shouldn’t always be mistaken for jinn possession. Sadly, even colloquially, a person acting strangely is referred to as majnun (possessed). But if you fear black magic or possession, try to look at other options as well. Your loved one may need mental health support, such as bereavement counselling or a consultation with a psychiatrist who can prescribe medicine.

“Superhuman strength is also very common,” commented Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi. “I have multiple times, experienced young petite ladies, little girls, old ladies; they seem to have so much power that, you know, five, ten men cannot hold them down.”

In part two of the interview, Ustadh Talha also elaborated that if one fears that they’ve been afflicted by sihr, they should listen to the adhan and also the Quran regularly, and note their feelings around it. If there’s a revulsion, it could be an instance of black magic. Ruqa will also ask about other things if presented with common problems, like an inability to get a job, to get married, or to have children. Ustadh Talha said that he’ll ask about medical diagnoses, and if there were sudden changes in a person’s well-being without any rationale. As he delves deeper, he’ll discover cases where “Somebody gave me something,” “I met somebody,” or “I found something,” “I visited a place…” in these situations, a professional is sought out. 

But there are ways for a person to be proactive in their protection, rather than reactive.

Ways to Do Ruqyah

While there are different invocations for different afflictions, the basic outline for ruqyah is as follows:

• Make your intention. Intend to recite for ruqyah. Ask Allah for shifa (cure) from any sickness, seen and unseen.
• Recite on yourself. Surah al-Fatiha, Surah al-Falaq, Surah al-Nas, Surah al-Ikhlas, and Ayat al-Kursi can all be recited seven times each. It’s not necessary to be touching an afflicted area of pain, but it is preferable.
• Or choose to recite over water. In this method, you can recite and do nafath (dry spittle), either at the completion of the surah or after every few words.
• Ensure that all five prayers are established. Even ruqa may not recommend assignments like reciting specific verses, but instead say for the person to start praying before any more regimens are administered. One should also allow for a week of dedicated ruqya.
• Try to listen with wudhu and khushu’ (mindfulness). If you’re not able to recite, you can still listen. Find a quiet spot, get quality headphones, and pay attention to what is being recited. This is especially effective for longer surahs like Surah al-Baqarah.

“The entire Qur’an is a shifa,” Ustadh Talha said.

So one can also recite what they have already memorised, or if they are able to read from a mushaf, they can recite from its pages. 

Remember that ruqyah is a routine, not a last resort

Frightening “jinn stories” can certainly be motivating for stepping up our morning and evening adhkar routines, they should not be our only reason for doing so. Ruqyah is a sunnah (Prophetic tradition), and yet another way of seeking closeness to Allah. In many of these verses, you’re reminded that Allah has many qualities, He is All-Powerful, All-Capable, and the source of all healing. One specific dua comes to mind because of how special it is:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الَّذِيْ لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ، وَهُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ

Bismillahi-ladhi la yadurru ma’asmihi shay’un fil-ard wa la fissama’, wa Huwa-s-Sami’ul-Alim.

“In the name of Allah, by whose name nothing in the earth nor in the heaven can cause harm, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”

Just by saying “bismillah,” in Allah’s name, you affirm that there’s no evil that can come to you. We say it before we eat, before we drive, and even that protects us.

I’ll leave you with this. The stories of possessions and other afflictions are frightening, don’t forget the words of Allah  when another instance of magic occurred:

“When the magicians came, Moses said to them, ‘Cast whatever you wish to cast!’ When they did, Moses said, ‘What you have produced is mere magic, Allah will surely make it useless, for Allah certainly does not set right the work of the corruptors.’” (Surah Yunus, 80-81)

Remember that when you do your ruqyah for protection, Allah can nullify the effect of any magician, jinn, or person who intends you harm.

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References 

1. Alkadi, Hannah. “I Feel Like Someone’s Always Watching Me: Do We Invite the Evil Eye When We Post on Social Media?”
2. Shaykh Dr. Qadhi, Yasir. “The Hidden World of the Jinn | Interview With A Real Ruqya Expert Pt 1.”
3. Shaykh Dr. Qadhi, Yasir. “Sihr or Something Else? Understanding Black Magic, Jinn and Evil Eye with a Ruqya Expert.” 
4. Amaliah Team. “11 Verses & Duas for Shifaa (Healing).” 
5. Amaliah Team. “Morning and Evening Adhkar: Easy Duas for Powerful Protection.”