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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Making Ruqyah and Dua’a in English



Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allaah have Mercy on him and Purify his soul] said:

(In origin) It is disliked (Makrooh) to do Ruqyah in any language other than Arabic, such as Hebrew or Syriac etc.  because there is a fear that wording which are not permissible will be used. End quote.

[Iqtidaa’ as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (Pg. 203)]

He also said:

Most of what the people possess  from amulets and charms and the Ruqyah they practice is not understood in Arabic. Even worse, most of them involve shirk and worship of Jinn. Based on this, the scholars have prohibited any form of Ruqyah with wording which is not understood in its meaning, regardless if the person using them knowing that the wording involves shirk or not. End quote.

[Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa (19/13)]

Shaykh Sulaymaan bin ‘Abdullah, the grandson of Shaykh al-Islaam Muhammad bin ‘Abdul Wahaab [may Allaah have Mercy on them both] said:

The scholars hold it as being Makrooh to do Ruqyah from sources other than the Book of Allaah. The meaning of what Shaykh al-Islaam stated (quoted above) is that it is disliked to use supplications (Dua’a) or Ruqyah in a language where one doesn’t know the meaning of the words (or its implications) and languages other than Arabic; this is because they may utter statements which conflict with the foundations of al-Islaam. 

I say: Ibn ‘Abdus-Salaam was asked about supplicating and using the Arabic letters for Ruqyah (such as الم or الر or حم or other letters that appear at the beginning of certain Surahs) and he prohibited it as there is a fear that they will lead to Kufr in their use (TN: what is understood is that people may change the meaning or depend on letters from the alphabet to bring a cure and not Allaah, the Most High). 

As-Suyootee stated that there is scholarly consensus which becomes binding to follow (this is known as Ijmaa’) that an exception is made for those who don’t know Arabic, however this is on three conditions; 

1. That the person is using a correct translation of the  Words of Allaah, or His Names and Attributes
2. That the meaning is clear and not obscure
3. That the one doing Ruqyah or supplicating is seeking to gain a response from Allaah and not that the act of doing Ruqyah itself will bring about the cure. End quote. 

[Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed (Pg. 136)]

Translated from the Editing of Shaykh ‘Aadil ar-Rafaa’ee of Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah (Pg. 75)

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