UnIslamic ruqyah may be a cause of harm

Praise be to Allah.

If this ruqyah was of the type prescribed in Islamic teachings, such as reciting from the Book of Allah or prescribed words seeking refuge with Allah, as proven in the Sunnah, then there was nothing wrong with it; rather it is prescribed and is Sunnah, and has nothing to do with what happened.

Please see the answer to question no. 3476.

But if it was not something that is prescribed, such as innovated ruqyah or shirki ruqyah (in which others are associated with Allah), then that was a corrupt and harmful ruqyah that could bring no benefit, whether for the one who recited the ruqyah or the one for whom it was done, especially if one of them was following some kind of shirk or innovation (bid‘ah).

The scholars of the Permanent Committee said:

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave permission for doing ruqyah by reciting Qur’an, dhikr and du‘aa’, so long as it does not involve shirk or words of which the meaning cannot be understood, because of the report narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from ‘Awf ibn Maalik, who said: We used to do ruqyah during the Jaahiliyyah, so we said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about that? He said: “Tell me what you say in ruqyah, for there is nothing wrong with ruqyah in which there is no element of shirk.”

The scholars are unanimously agreed that ruqyah is permissible if it is of the type mentioned above, whilst believing that it is a means that has no impact except by the decree of Allah, may He be exalted. End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (1/244).

The one who recited any ruqyah that is not acceptable according to Islamic teachings must repent to Allah, may He be exalted, from that, and he must learn the Islamically-acceptable, Sunnah ruqyahs. Just as Islamically-acceptable ruqyah may be a means of healing by Allah’s leave, ruqyahs that are not Islamically acceptable may be the cause of troubles and calamities that befall a person. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much”

[ash-Shoora 42:30].

However, the reality of what happened is known only to Allah, and no one can say with any certainty whether the cause of something that happened was this ruqyah or some other cause, or whether it was simply a test from Allah, may He be exalted. So what the person must do is repent to Allah, may He be exalted, from all his sins – for the individual’s sins are the origin of what befalls him – and he must turn to Allah, may He be exalted, with humility asking Him to relieve him of the harm that has befallen him, whilst taking appropriate measures to deal with it, performing ruqyah as prescribed in Islamic teachings, and regularly reciting the adhkaar that are prescribed, such as the adhkaar to be recited in the morning and the evening, when going to sleep, when getting dressed, and when entering and exiting the house. There is no greater protection for a person from the Shaytaan than constantly remembering Allah, may He be exalted.

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 11290.

And Allah knows best.