Is Ruqyah Permissible? The Qur'an and Sunnah Evidence
Before a person seeks ruqyah, or performs it over themselves, the fair first question is whether it is permissible in Islam at all. There are strong views in both directions, and behind the question sits a real fear of falling into something the deen forbids. Is ruqyah permissible in the light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, what are its conditions, and where does it turn into something else? The evidence is clear once it is set out, and knowing it settles the hesitation.
The question, and why it matters
The word ruqyah covers a range of practices, and not all of them are the same thing. In the days of ignorance before Islam some ruqyah carried shirk, some of it borrowed from soothsayers and fortune-tellers, and some of it was clean recitation used for good. When the Companions accepted Islam they asked the Prophet ﷺ what to do with what they had been reciting. That question is the reason there is a clear ruling now, and it is why the answer is neither a blanket permission nor a blanket ban.
Getting this right matters for two reasons. A sister who is suffering will hold back from a legitimate means of healing if she believes the whole practice is haram, and a brother in the same position will unknowingly walk into something impermissible if he thinks every ruqyah is the same. Both of these happen. The answer that protects both is the one the Sunnah itself gives.
The Qur'an is a healing
Allah describes the Qur'an as a healing in more than one place. In Surah al-Isra He says, "And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers, and it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss" (17:82). In Surah Fussilat, in reply to those who rejected the message, He tells the Prophet ﷺ to say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and a healing" (41:44).
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا
“And We send down of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers, and it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.”
- Surah Al-Isra · Qur’an 17:82
These are not metaphors squeezed to fit an argument. Ibn al-Qayyim, in Zad al-Ma'ad, writes that the Qur'an is a complete healing for what is in the hearts of harms in doubt and desire, and a complete healing for physical ailments as well, by the permission of Allah. Reciting the Qur'an over a person seeking cure or protection is therefore acting on something the Qur'an says about itself, and this is where the whole basis of ruqyah begins.
The Sunnah: the Prophet ﷺ performed and permitted ruqyah
The clearest single statement is in Sahih Muslim. Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We used to perform ruqyah in the days of ignorance, and we asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ what he thought of that. He said: 'Present your ruqyah to me. There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it is not shirk.'" That single sentence establishes the whole ruling. Ruqyah is permitted, the test is whether shirk is in it, and the Companions were told to submit what they had used so it could be judged against that test.
اعرِضوا عليَّ رُقاكم، لا بأسَ بالرُّقى ما لم تكُنْ شِركًا
“Present your ruqyah to me. There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it is not shirk.”
- ‘Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja’i · Sahih Muslim
The Prophet ﷺ performed ruqyah himself. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ill, he would recite the Mu'awwidhatayn, Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas, over himself and blow upon his hands and wipe them over his body. When his illness became severe she would recite them over him and wipe his hand over himself, seeking their blessing.
He also permitted others to seek ruqyah, and specifically for two well-known reasons. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave permission for ruqyah from the evil eye, from the sting of a venomous creature, and from a persistent sore. Our guide to ruqyah for evil eye protection walks through the evidence for that particular use in detail. There is also the well-known incident of the Companion who recited Surah al-Fatiha over a chieftain stung by a scorpion, which the Prophet ﷺ later approved as a valid ruqyah when the Companions returned and told him.
So the Sunnah does two things at once. It permits ruqyah in principle, and it shows the practice by the Prophet's ﷺ own actions and by his approval of the actions of others. If ruqyah were forbidden, no one of these would exist. What the Sunnah does not do is leave the door open to anything and everything that calls itself ruqyah, which is where the conditions come in.
The three conditions of permissible ruqyah
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, in his commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Fath al-Bari, records the agreement of the scholars that ruqyah is permitted when three conditions are met together:
That it is with the verses of the Qur'an, or with the names and attributes of Allah. Nothing is recited that involves magic or shirk.
That it is in Arabic, or in words whose meaning is understood, so that what is being said is known.
That it is held with the correct aqeedah: ruqyah is a means, and the true shifa comes from Allah.
Each of these closes a different door. The first keeps ruqyah tied to what Allah has revealed, so that nothing made up, and nothing carrying magic or shirk, is recited over a person. The second keeps it out of the world of unknown syllables and secret incantations, which is exactly where shirk hides. The third is the belief that decides everything else: the Qur'an is a means by which Allah gives shifa, and the outcome belongs to Him. A Raqi, or a person reciting over himself, who has these three conditions in place is on solid ground. The permissibility of the whole practice hangs on holding them together.
Once these are clear, most of what people worry about answers itself. If you have wondered whether seeking authentic ruqyah is a step you should take, the conditions above are the checklist that decides it. The question is not whether ruqyah is permissible in Islam. It is whether the ruqyah in front of you meets these three.
What makes ruqyah impermissible
The same conditions, read the other way round, describe what turns ruqyah into something else.
Shirk in the words themselves. Any recitation that appeals to other than Allah, calls on jinn, invokes the dead, or asks help from beings that have no right to be called upon takes the practice outside the deen. This is the plain meaning of the Prophet's ﷺ words, "so long as there is no shirk in it." The consequence of ignoring this is the whole reason the Companions were told to submit their ruqyah for inspection.
Unknown words and hidden meanings. Where a person is asked to recite or wear something in a script they cannot read, or in words no one will explain, the second condition has been broken. It is often here that shirk enters unseen, and this is why authentic scholars have refused to accept the practice regardless of who is behind it.
Amulets and taweez. The Prophet ﷺ said, as narrated by Uqbah ibn Amir in Musnad Ahmad, "Whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk." Amulets are rejected outright, without conditions, and no argument about their contents changes the ruling. Our article on taweez and amulets in Islam covers the evidence in full.
من علَّق تميمةً فقد أشركَ
“Whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk.”
- ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir · Musnad Ahmad
Charlatans. A person who asks for an item of clothing, a lock of hair, your mother's name or your date of birth, or who claims to name the one who has harmed you, has left the practice of ruqyah and entered the practice of fortune-telling. These are the tools of soothsayers, not of the Sunnah, and going to them is a serious matter in the deen. A qualified Raqi has no need of any of this.
Guarantees of a cure. No one has the right to promise healing. Shifa belongs to Allah alone, and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said of his Lord, "And when I am ill, it is He who cures me" (Surah ash-Shu'ara, 26:80). A Raqi who tells you your cure is certain has forgotten the third condition, whatever else he does correctly.
وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ
“And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.”
- Surah Ash-Shu’ara · Qur’an 26:80
Self-ruqyah and seeking a qualified Raqi
A Muslim can and should recite the Qur'an over himself and over his household. The Prophet ﷺ did so, and it is a Sunnah worth keeping. Reading the Mu'awwidhatayn morning and evening, reciting Ayat al-Kursi before sleep, and turning to the Qur'an in illness are part of the ordinary life of the believer.
Self-ruqyah has limits. When signs persist, when a case is complex, when a person cannot tell what they are dealing with, a proper assessment with a qualified Raqi is what settles it. Our guide to what ruqyah is according to Islam sets out the practice, the evidence and the method in one place, and it is a useful read alongside this one.
The question of whether a Raqi has to be physically present, or whether the treatment can be given online, comes up often, and it has the same answer as the wider question. The recitation of the Qur'an is not limited by distance and its effect is by the permission of Allah, not by the room. Our article on whether online ruqyah is permissible in Islam deals with that specific question against the evidence.
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How we can help
If you have been holding back from seeking ruqyah because you were not sure it was permissible, that hesitation is a good instinct and the evidence above is what it needed to hear. Our sessions are online over Zoom and strictly one to one, led by qualified Shaykhs. What we recite is the Qur'an, the names and attributes of Allah, and the supplications established in the Sunnah. Nothing else. You will not be asked for an item of clothing, a lock of hair, your mother's name or your date of birth, and you will not be handed an amulet.
We assess before we treat, we tell you honestly what we find, and where we believe the cause is medical we say so and encourage you to see a doctor. You will not be promised a cure, because shifa belongs to Allah, and you will not be promised a fixed number of sessions, because ruqyah is not a fixed science. What you will be given is a clear picture of your situation and a plan you are followed on week by week. Read more about our private one-to-one ruqyah treatment, or book directly at ruqyahtreatment.com/book-appointment.
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Frequently asked questions
Is ruqyah permissible in Islam?
Yes. Ruqyah is permitted by the Qur'an and the Sunnah on the condition that it contains no shirk. The Prophet ﷺ said, "There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it is not shirk" (Sahih Muslim, from Awf ibn Malik). He performed it himself and permitted others to seek it, and the scholars have set out the conditions that keep it within the deen.
اعرِضوا عليَّ رُقاكم، لا بأسَ بالرُّقى ما لم تكُنْ شِركًا
“Present your ruqyah to me. There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it is not shirk.”
- ‘Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja’i · Sahih Muslim
What are the three conditions of permissible ruqyah?
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani records the agreement of the scholars in Fath al-Bari on three conditions: that ruqyah is with the verses of the Qur'an or with the names and attributes of Allah, with nothing in it involving magic or shirk; that it is in Arabic or in words whose meaning is understood, so that what is being said is known; and that it is held with the correct aqeedah, that ruqyah is a means and the true shifa comes from Allah. Meeting all three keeps ruqyah authentic.
What makes ruqyah impermissible?
Anything that appeals to other than Allah, uses words whose meaning is unknown, treats the recitation as effective in itself, or comes with amulets, personal details for divination, or a guaranteed cure. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk, and asking for a mother's name or a date of birth belongs to fortune-telling, not to authentic ruqyah.
Can I perform ruqyah on myself, or must a Raqi do it?
Any Muslim can recite the Qur'an over themselves and over their household, and doing so is a Sunnah. When signs persist or a case is complex, a proper assessment with a qualified Raqi is what settles it. Self-ruqyah has limits and is not a substitute for a structured assessment.
Is online ruqyah permissible?
Yes. The recitation of the Qur'an is not limited by distance and its effect is by the permission of Allah. What matters is that the Raqi is qualified and the three conditions of permissible ruqyah are held to. Our sessions are online over Zoom and strictly one to one, so a qualified Raqi is reachable wherever you are.
A note on medical care
Nothing here is medical advice and none of it is a diagnosis. Many of the difficulties people bring to a Raqi have ordinary medical and psychological causes, and those should be investigated with a qualified doctor. Ruqyah is a means by which Allah gives healing, and it is practised alongside medical care, never as a replacement for it. Shifa belongs to Allah alone.
