Above all, the believer must be filled with the firm conviction that no harm can touch him without the permission of Allah the Almighty.
{no calamity befalls [man] except by the permission of Allah}
That is, man is only touched by a calamity by the order of Allah, according to Ibn 'Abbas. In other words: according to His Decree and His Will.
It is incumbent upon the believer, in the case of illness whether physical or spiritual, to seek the permitted legislated means, free of anything forbidden, in order to be treated.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
According to Usama Ibn Sharik (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ (may the prayer of Allah and His peace be upon him) said: "Treat yourselves, O servants of Allah, for Allah has not placed a disease without giving it a cure, except for one disease, which is death."
(Reported by Ahmad and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami' no. 2930)
He also said:
"Servants of ALLAH!! Treat yourselves,
but do not treat yourselves using an unlawful means"
The Scholars of the Sunnah agree that seeking lawful means to be treated does not nullify tawakkul (trust in Allah); the Messenger of Allah ﷺ practiced ruqyah (exorcism), as did the angel Jibril and the companions.
In treating ailments such as the evil eye, jealousy, sorcery, or possession, the fundamental means of healing and protection remains obedience to Allah and adherence to His commands.
The more a person strengthens tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in their life, as well as taqwa (piety), and firmly holds to the daily practice of authentic Islam, the more they build an impenetrable fortress against the harm of sorcerers and the evil eye. Finally, the practice of legislated and lawful ruqyah, according to certain conditions.
Legislated ruqyah consists of three essential things, it must:
1- Be performed with the words of Allah (the Qur'an), or with His Names or Attributes, or finally with the words transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ (supplications)
2- According to Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah, be performed in Arabic if the one performing it knows the language. Otherwise, he must know the meaning of what he is saying so as not to commit a forbidden act unknowingly.
3- The one performing the ruqyah — as well as the one it is performed on — must believe that it is not effective (by itself), and that it is only the divine decree that has influence.
If these three conditions are met, then it is a legislated ruqyah. The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no harm in performing ruqyah as long as it does not contain shirk (associating partners with Allah)" (Muslim).
Legislated ruqyah, through the recitation of general and specific verses, makes it possible to carry out what is called التشخيص, profiling, in order to define the origin of the occult harm and then establish an appropriate treatment (Qur'anically-treated water, olive oil, black seed oil, costus, honey, senna and sanoute, or any other effective means that we will see later)
The best ruqyah is the one performed on oneself, but if we must call upon a third person for this, it is crucial to know that person's beliefs as well as the way they perform the ruqyah.
If a person claiming to perform ruqyah asks you for your mother's first name, know that this is a sorcerer.
If he asks you for a personal item or piece of clothing, if he gives you writings to keep on you, if he asks you not to wash for several days, or to bury something, know that this is a sorcerer who works with jinn.
The four occult harms, and how to tell them apart
| Harm | What it is | What the texts say | What is often observed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The evil eye ('ayn) | A look of admiration or envy that strikes what it looks upon, by Allah's permission, sometimes without intent | "The evil eye is real" (al-Bukhari, Muslim); Surah al-Falaq | Sudden fatigue after revealing a blessing, unease, a string of failures; see our guide to the evil eye |
| Jealousy (hasad) | The wish that a blessing leave the one who has it; it is the heart from which the evil eye emerges | "From the evil of an envier when he envies" (113:5) | The same picture as the evil eye; the difference lies in the intention of the one who looks |
| Sorcery (sihr) | An act performed by a sorcerer with the help of jinn to harm, separate, or cause illness | The verse of the two angels (2:102); the Prophet ﷺ himself was afflicted by it and healed through al-Falaq and an-Nas (al-Bukhari 5763) | Sudden aversion between spouses, blockages, nightmares, pain with no cause; scholars classify it as separation, forced love, illness, or blockage |
| Affliction by a jinn (mass) | A jinn that attaches itself to a person, out of love, revenge, or being sent by a sorcerer | "Those who are afflicted by the touch of Satan" (2:275) | Fits, voices, unfamiliar behavior during Qur'an recitation; this is the rarest case, and the one most easily confused with mental illness |
The professor gives the method for telling them apart: ruqyah itself, through the recitation of general verses and then specific ones, brings out reactions that guide the assessment (the "profiling," tashkhis). This is what serious raqis do, without accusing anyone and without making predictions.
Above all: rule out ordinary causes
The first reflex is not ruqyah, it is the doctor. Fatigue, headaches, dizziness, anxiety, a drop in libido, or repeated failures have, in the vast majority of cases, a cause that can be measured: anemia, thyroid issues, sleep, depression, an ordinary marital conflict. The believer is required to seek out the means to be treated, says the professor, quoting "Seek treatment, servants of Allah," and medicine is part of that. Only considering an occult harm after ruling out everything else protects against two mistakes: letting an illness progress while believing it to be occult, and accusing those around you. When medical causes have been ruled out and the troubles persist, or when specific signs appear during recitation, then one moves forward.
The treatment, step by step
- The fortress: tawhid, the five daily prayers, the morning and evening supplications, Ayat al-Kursi after each prayer, the last three Surahs before sleep, the basmala before entering, eating, or undressing. "The more a person strengthens their tawhid and piety, the stronger the fortress they build," says the professor. This is prevention, and already half the treatment.
- Ruqyah on oneself: al-Fatiha, Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses of al-Baqara, the verses on sorcery (al-A'raf 117-122, Yunus 79-82, Ta-Ha 65-70), al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, an-Nas, blowing on oneself; morning and evening, every day, "like a medicine, until the harm disappears." See the Surahs for ruqyah.
- Ruqyah performed by a third party, if necessary, under the professor's three conditions: the words of Allah or of the Prophet ﷺ, a language that is understood, and the certainty that only Allah acts. And the signs of a sorcerer to avoid: asking for the mother's first name, a personal item, writings to be carried, a ban on washing, something to be buried.
- The material means he mentions, as supports for ruqyah: see the table below.
- Patience and consistency: long-standing occult harms are resolved over weeks or months, not in a single session; whoever promises a cure in one sitting is lying.
The professor's material means, with their dosages
| Means | How | Precaution |
|---|---|---|
| Qur'an-recited water | Recited over and blown upon; three sips morning and evening, and used for washing; with seven crushed sidr leaves against sorcery (a practice of the scholars, without a hadith); see Qur'an-recited water | Prepared in a small quantity, kept cool, made fresh often |
| Qur'an-recited olive oil | Recited over and blown upon; massaged onto the body in the evening, especially on painful areas | None |
| Black seed | One teaspoon of seeds or oil per day, or Qur'an-recited oil applied as a massage | Not taken by mouth during pregnancy |
| Indian costus | A quarter teaspoon of powder in honey, courses of 10 to 15 days; by inhalation; in the bath | Not during pregnancy, not by mouth for young children, short courses (liver); see costus |
| Honey | One spoonful in Qur'an-recited water, morning and evening | Not before one year of age |
| Senna and sanut | Evening herbal tea, for a few days, to "purge" what was ingested, according to the practice of the raqis | A powerful laxative: never for more than a few days, not during pregnancy; see senna and sanut |
| Hijama | With a trained practitioner, with recitation | The usual contraindications of hijama |
These means are supports: "healing comes from Allah, these remedies are means," and none of them works without ruqyah, nor do they replace tawhid.
The line with mental illness
This must be said just as firmly as everything else: voices, fits, strange convictions, withdrawal from the world can be psychosis, epilepsy, or a dissociative disorder, conditions that are treatable and that worsen when treated with ruqyah alone. A recent study of patients who believed themselves possessed found a psychiatric picture in many of them, often linked to childhood trauma, which ruqyah alone had not relieved (BMC Psychol, 2025). This does not deny the existence of jinn; it says that mass is rare, and that an honest raqi refers to a psychiatrist when needed, just as an honest doctor does not dismiss ruqyah. The two can go together: psychiatric treatment and ruqyah on oneself are not opposed. What is forbidden is leaving a sick person without care in the name of the unseen, and charging a distressed family for repeated sessions.
Contraindications and precautions
One never accuses anyone of being the envier or the sorcerer: ruqyah can reveal an origin, it does not name a culprit, and accusation destroys families. One does not consult "fortune-tellers," "marabouts," or raqis who use talismans, numbers, unknown names, or sacrifices: this is sorcery against sorcery, and it is forbidden. One does not pay sums that ruin a family: ruqyah on oneself is free and is the best. One never stops medical treatment on the grounds of an occult harm. And one keeps the heart at peace: "no calamity befalls a person except by Allah's permission," the professor recalls at the outset; whoever is afflicted and remains patient is rewarded, and whoever seeks treatment through legislated means has nothing to fear.
Frequently asked questions
What is an occult harm?
A harm whose cause is invisible: the evil eye, jealousy, sorcery, or affliction by a jinn. The texts name them and ruqyah treats them, but they are only diagnosed after ordinary medical causes have been ruled out.
How can one know if they are affected by an occult harm?
Not through a list of symptoms: fatigue, anxiety, and failures first have ordinary causes. Once these are ruled out, ruqyah through general and then specific verses brings out reactions that guide the assessment; this is the profiling the professor speaks of.
Can one treat oneself?
Yes, and it is the best form of ruqyah: the protective Surahs morning and evening, Qur'an-recited water and oil, black seed, costus, with the certainty that only Allah heals. A third party is needed only for serious cases, and only if they meet the three conditions.
How can one recognize a sorcerer posing as a raqi?
He asks for your mother's first name, an item of clothing or a personal belonging, gives you writings to keep, forbids you from washing, or has you bury something. A single one of these signs is enough: stay away.
A jinn or a mental illness?
Voices, fits, and withdrawal from the world are most often a treatable illness. Affliction by a jinn is rare; an honest raqi refers to a psychiatrist when needed, and both forms of care can go together.
