What Is Ruqyah Shariyyah? How to Recognise Authentic Ruqyah and Avoid Sorcerers

Many people search for Ruqyah because of distress, the evil eye, envy, fear or problems they cannot explain. Sadly, the people who truly treat with the Quran are few, while many who claim to “treat” are in reality fortune-tellers and sorcerers. This guide explains what authentic Ruqyah Shariyyah is, the clear warning signs of a sorcerer, why medical treatment must never be abandoned, and how our online Ruqyah sessions work.

What Is Ruqyah Shariyyah?

Ruqyah Shariyyah is seeking healing and protection from Allah by reciting the Quran and authentic supplications from the Sunnah. It contains nothing hidden, no strange words, and no help from anyone but Allah. The Companion ʿAwf ibn Mālik said they used to use ruqyah before Islam and asked the Prophet ﷺ about it. He said: “Present your ruqyahs to me. There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it contains no shirk.” Reported by Muslim (2200) (Dorar).

Warning Signs of a Sorcerer or Fraudster

If you see any of these signs, stay away. They indicate that the person is a fortune-teller or a sorcerer, not someone who treats with the Quran:

• He asks for your mother’s name, because he builds calculations on it.
• He uses talismans (ṭalāsim): written symbols, strange words or amulets he gives you to wear, then tells you “your problem is solved”.
• He makes false promises: “you will be cured tomorrow” or after a fixed period.
• He asks for your clothes, or the clothes of your wife or a specific person.
• He does not recite the Quran and does not follow the way of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions in Ruqyah.
• He claims to have soldiers from the jinn who will help you.

The Prophet ﷺ warned: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.” Reported by Muslim (2230); graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī in Ghāyat al-Marām (284) (Dorar).

See a Doctor First: Taking the Means Is Required

Seeking medical care is not a lack of faith; it is part of it. Healing is from Allah, and we are required to take the means. For example, if someone feels constant pain in one part of his body, our first advice is: do the medical tests, show them to a doctor, and start the prescribed treatment. Then begin Ruqyah alongside it. We never tell anyone to stop medicine, therapy or professional care.

Faith Is Part of the Treatment

Allah describes the Quran as healing “for the believers”. Healing is tied to faith. That is why, in the assessment stage, we gently ask about the person’s religious life: his prayer, whether he falls into major sins, and whether he has dealings in interest (ribā), about which Allah says: “And if you do not, then be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:279). Removing these obstacles helps the person truly benefit from Ruqyah.

We also give the person authentic daily remembrance from sound hadiths, such as saying one hundred times: “Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamd, wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr”. The Prophet ﷺ described its great reward and protection: “…it will be a protection for him from Satan that day until evening.” Narrated by Abū Hurayrah; reported by al-Bukhārī (3293) and Muslim (2691); graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah (3079) (Dorar).

These are added step by step, not all at once, so the person does not feel overwhelmed. Little by little, we try to bring the person closer to Allah.

A Real Example: When the Family Leads the Way

A family contacted us about their eldest son. He had been religiously committed, then suddenly changed: he turned away from his commitment, became very thin and stopped eating properly, while insisting nothing was wrong with him. He rejected Ruqyah completely and called it nonsense.

We advised the parents to begin the Ruqyah sessions themselves. During each session, they played it on a speaker so that the recitation filled the whole house, and the son heard it indirectly. Over about three months, by the grace of Allah, he improved: he began attending the Ruqyah sessions himself, praying in the mosque and returning to his commitment. All praise is due to Allah; healing is from Him alone.

How Our Online Ruqyah Sessions Work

• Led by: Sheikh Abdul Rahman Yaqoob and Sheikh Abdullah Yaqoob.
• Live on Google Meet, with separate links for men, women and families, and a private link on request. Participants keep their camera and microphone off.
• Quran and authentic supplication only: no talismans, amulets, fortune-telling or communication with jinn.
• No guarantees of a cure, a date or a number of sessions, because healing is from Allah.
• Self-Ruqyah guidance and daily adhkar to continue between sessions.
• Three free days to start, and you decide on day four whether to continue.

See the full details on our Ruqyah Shariyyah programme page.

Ruqyah is faith-based spiritual support. It does not replace medical or mental-health care. Quranic Values is an independent online platform.