The month of Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an. Ibn al-Qayyim devoted a chapter to the Qur'an in his book "Prophetic Medicine," in which he mentions the word of Allah: "We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers." And He also says, "O mankind, there has come to you from your Lord an exhortation, a healing for what is in the breasts." Thus, the Qur'an is the perfect healing for all the ailments of the body and the heart, of this life and the Hereafter. However, it is not given to everyone to be healed by means of the Qur'an; yet if the sick person knows how to use it as a cure, applying it to his illness with sincerity and faith, with perfect acceptance and belief, and fulfilling all the required conditions, the illness will never be able to resist it.
As for the remedies of the heart, the Qur'an mentions them in detail, with their causes and their treatments. Allah says: "Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them?"
How can we explain the phenomenon of healing through the Qur'an?
By listening to the verses of the Qur'an, they influence the cells of the brain, which reprogram themselves entirely. By regularly listening to the word of Allah, we increase our creative potential, which is very important. Furthermore, the benefits of listening to the Qur'an are not limited to healing alone, but also extend to the development of one's personality. Listening to it also improves communication with people and increases the emergence of new ideas.
Moreover, scientists have discovered that brain cells vibrate constantly, and this throughout their entire life. Each one has its own particular vibratory rhythm and is influenced by cellular activity. But also, the events experienced by a person leave traces on the brain cells. It is likewise understood that any psychological disturbance causes an imbalance in this program and leads to a reduction in immune defenses. We can therefore say that listening to the Qur'an boosts immunity and makes it harder for illness to take hold. Moreover, when negative events accumulate, emotional shocks affect a person over the course of their life, certain critical situations and other problems occur, and this causes the cells disruption and dysfunction, which is painful and a source of stress for the brain.
Our behavior results from particular cellular vibrations. Permanent exposure to certain frequencies leads to a change in the cells' vibratory system by altering these frequencies. And among the beneficial frequencies for the brain is listening to the Qur'an. Indeed, upon hearing it, the cells regain their balance and increase their basic functional capacity.
In summary, the therapeutic effects of the Qur'an, especially during Ramadan, are: an increase in immunity, an increase in creative potential, an increase in concentration, the healing of incurable chronic illnesses, a significant behavioral change, an inner peace (indeed, during the month of Ramadan inner peace settles in and nervousness disappears), the disappearance of restlessness, anger and carelessness, the ability to make sound decisions, the disappearance of the feeling of fear, the development of one's personality, the healing of a great number of illnesses, an improvement in the speed of recovery and the prevention of certain illnesses.
Finally, listening to the Qur'an during the month of Ramadan makes it possible to let go of certain bad habits such as overeating, smoking, anxiety and stress: everything that we experience in today's society.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the universe.
What the texts say: healing of the heart, then of the body
Two verses ground all of this. "O mankind, there has come to you an instruction from your Lord and a healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers" (10:57); and "We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss" (17:82). Ibn al-Qayyim, in the chapter the professor cites, draws three things from this. First, the Qur'an is the complete healing of the diseases of the heart: doubt, ignorance, base desires, sadness, because it contains the proofs that dispel doubt and the reminders that set desire straight; these diseases, he says, no doctor treats, and only the Qur'an addresses them "with their causes and their treatments." Next, it also heals diseases of the body through ruqyah, as shown by the hadith of the scorpion and al-Fatiha (see the benefits of Surah al-Fatiha). Finally, the condition the professor repeats: it is not given to everyone, but "if the sick person knows how to treat himself with it, with sincerity and faith, the illness cannot resist." The remedy is perfect; it is the use of it that falls short.
What the research has measured
- In 55 ICU patients being weaned off the ventilator, listening to Qur'an recitation reduced anxiety and eased the weaning process compared to the control group, in a randomized trial (J Relig Health, 2019).
- In 53 older men on dialysis, combining Qur'an listening with exercise improved physical capacity, dialysis efficiency, and anxiety and depression measures compared to exercise alone (Libyan J Med, 2017).
- In 132 heart surgery patients, ten minutes of listening twice a day reduced pain and hospital stay (Crit Care Res Pract, 2023), and a systematic review found a reduction in anxiety across varied settings (Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res, 2018).
- More broadly, a review of spiritual interventions in women treated for breast cancer found effects on markers of stress and immunity (cortisol, immune cells), with studies of uneven quality (Integr Cancer Ther, 2016).
Here is what can honestly be said: listening to and reciting the Qur'an brings peace, and that sense of peace can be measured in anxiety, pain, sleep, and to some extent in biological stress markers. This is consistent with "healing for what is in the breasts." It does not prove ruqyah, whose effect comes from Allah, and it says nothing about "incurable chronic diseases."
What must be set aside: "cellular vibrations"
The text above echoes a very widespread explanation: the brain's cells supposedly vibrate at certain frequencies, life events supposedly disturb these frequencies, and the Qur'an, through its "beneficial frequencies," would rebalance them and reprogram the cells. It must be said clearly: none of this exists in the scientific literature. No study has measured "vibrational frequencies" of cells altered by a recitation; the material circulating under this name comes from websites and conferences, not peer-reviewed journals. This discourse is the same as the new age talk of "water memory" and "energies," which the Institute's charter rejects. It adds nothing to faith and exposes it to risk: if someone "demonstrates" tomorrow that frequencies change nothing, what will be left? The believer does not need this crutch. The Qur'an heals because Allah said so, through the faith it gives rise to, the meaning it carries, the peace it brings, and through the ruqyah He legislated. What research measures are the effects of this sense of peace; the rest belongs to the unseen, and is left in its place.
Making the Qur'an a remedy, daily and during Ramadan
| For what | What to do | What it treats |
|---|---|---|
| The heart: doubt, sadness, emptiness | Read every day with understanding, even just one page; reflect on a verse; the evening Surahs | "Healing for what is in the breasts": this is the first use, and the surest |
| Anxiety, stress, sleep | Listen to a slow recitation, 10 to 20 minutes, morning and evening; Ayat al-Kursi and the last three Surahs before sleep | What the trials have measured: less anxiety, better sleep, less pain |
| Illness of the body | Ruqyah on oneself or on the sick person: al-Fatiha, Ayat al-Kursi, the verses of healing, while blowing; Qur'an-infused water; see the Surahs for ruqyah | A legislated remedy that supplements the doctor, does not replace him |
| Ramadan | A complete reading or a fixed portion each day, the tarawih prayers, listening while doing chores | The professor notes it: the inner peace of the month, less anger and restlessness, the chance to let go of smoking, binge eating, bad habits; fasting and the Qur'an work together |
| Habits and character | One verse applied each week: forgiveness, patience, a guarded tongue | The "behavioral change" the professor speaks of comes from application, not from passive listening |
Contraindications and precautions
The Qur'an has no contraindication; it is the use made of it that can have one. No treatment is abandoned on the grounds that "the Qur'an heals everything": Ibn al-Qayyim himself treated the body with remedies and the heart with the Qur'an, the two together. No one promises a sick person the cure of cancer or a chronic disease through listening to the Qur'an: that would be attributing to Allah a commitment He did not make, and it causes real harm. Be wary of videos and "therapists" who sell "Qur'anic frequencies," "charged" recordings, remote sessions: the Qur'an is read, listened to, and recited, it is not sold as waves. And keep in mind the end of the verse: "but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss." The remedy acts on the one who receives it with faith.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of the Qur'an on the brain?
What the trials measure: less anxiety, less pain, better sleep, in patients who listen to the recitation. The idea that the Qur'an "reprograms cells" through its frequencies has no scientific basis; it is not endorsed here.
Is listening to the Qur'an enough, or should it be read?
Listening brings peace, and that is what the studies have tested. But the healing of the heart spoken of in the verse comes from meaning: reading, understanding, applying. The professor says this about ruqyah: one must "seek understanding."
Can the Qur'an heal a chronic disease?
It is a legislated healing, through ruqyah, that supplements medical care; Allah heals whom He wills. But no one can promise the cure of a chronic disease through listening to the Qur'an, and treatment is not abandoned for this reason.
Why is Ramadan the month of the Qur'an?
Because it was revealed in this month (2:185) and because Jibril reviewed it with the Prophet ﷺ every year during this month. Fasting lightens the body and the Qur'an occupies the heart: this is the combination the professor describes, inner peace and a break from bad habits.
What should be thought of "Qur'an frequencies"?
It is a discourse with no study behind it, modeled on new age theories of energies. The believer does not need it: the Qur'an heals because Allah said so and through the faith it gives rise to, not through a measurable vibration.
