What Is Ruqyah? Meaning, Evidence and How It Is Performed

Ruqyah (Arabic: رقية) is the recitation of Quran and authentic supplications over a person seeking relief — from illness, pain, anxiety, the evil eye, or spiritual harm. The word means an incantation or a spell in classical Arabic, but Islam narrowed it to a specific, permitted form known as ruqyah shariah: recitation drawn from the Quran and the Sunnah, addressed to Allah alone.

It is one of the oldest practices in the Islamic healing tradition, and one of the most misunderstood. This guide covers what ruqyah means, the evidence behind it, how it is performed, and — just as importantly — what it is not.

Medical disclaimer. This article is educational and describes a religious practice. It is not medical advice, and ruqyah is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. If you or someone else is unwell, seek medical care.

The Meaning of Ruqyah in Islam

In pre-Islamic Arabia, incantations were widely used, often invoking jinn, ancestors, or unknown names. When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about them, he did not abolish the practice outright. A companion reported: "We used to perform ruqyah in the time of ignorance, so what do you say about that?" He ﷺ replied: "Present your ruqyah to me. There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it does not contain shirk" (Sahih Muslim 2200).

That single condition defines everything. Ruqyah in Islam is permissible when three things hold, as the scholars summarised:

1. It uses the words of Allah, His names and attributes, or authentic Prophetic supplications.
2. It is in Arabic, or in a language whose meaning is clearly understood.
3. It is believed to work only by the permission and power of Allah — never by the words themselves, the reciter, or any created thing.

Anything that fails those conditions — talismans with unknown script, invoking jinn, payment for "guaranteed" removal of magic, secrecy about what is being recited — falls outside ruqyah shariah, and much of it falls into what the tradition treats as forbidden.

The Evidence for Ruqyah

The practice is firmly established in the authentic collections.

The Prophet ﷺ performed it on himself. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that when he was ill, he would recite the last three chapters of the Quran — Surah al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas — blow into his cupped hands, and wipe them over his body (Sahih al-Bukhari 5016).

He performed it on others. He would place his right hand on the sick person and say: "O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and cure — You are the Curer. There is no cure but Your cure, a cure that leaves no illness behind" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5675).

He approved it being performed on him. During his final illness, Aisha recited the mu'awwidhat over him and wiped his hands over himself, seeking their blessing (Sahih al-Bukhari 5735).

He allowed the Fatihah to be used. In a well-known incident, a group of companions recited Surah al-Fatihah over a tribal chief who had been stung. He recovered, and the Prophet ﷺ later said: "How did you know that it was a ruqyah?" — approving what they had done (Sahih al-Bukhari 5736).

The evidence is therefore not marginal. Ruqyah is a Sunnah practice, recorded repeatedly, performed by the Prophet ﷺ and by his companions.

What Ruqyah Is Used For

Traditionally, ruqyah has been used for:

• Physical illness and pain — as a spiritual accompaniment to treatment, never as a replacement for it.
• The evil eye (al-'ayn) — an affliction the Prophet ﷺ affirmed as real, saying "the evil eye is real" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5740).
• Anxiety, grief and distress — where recitation and dhikr calm the heart.
• Sihr (magic) and jinn-related harm — the area most surrounded by exploitation and fear, and the one requiring the most caution.

That last category deserves plain speaking. Symptoms commonly attributed online to magic or possession — persistent fatigue, low mood, intrusive thoughts, sleep disturbance, unexplained pain — overlap heavily with depression, anxiety disorders, thyroid conditions, anaemia, sleep apnoea and chronic illness. The responsible position, held by mainstream scholars and practitioners alike, is that medical assessment comes first, and ruqyah accompanies it. Skipping the doctor because a symptom "feels spiritual" has caused real harm.

How to Perform Ruqyah on Yourself

Self-ruqyah is the simplest and safest form, and the one the Prophet ﷺ practised on himself. No specialist and no fee is needed.

1. Set the intention. You are turning to Allah for relief, using His words. The recitation is a means; the cure is from Him.

2. Perform wudu if you are able, and sit in a clean, quiet place.

3. Recite. The core recitations are:

• Surah al-Fatihah — the opening chapter, described in the hadith above as a ruqyah.
• Ayat al-Kursi (Quran 2:255) — recited for protection, particularly at night.
• The last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah (2:285–286).
• The three quls — Surah al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas, recited three times each.

4. Blow lightly into your hands and wipe them over your head, face, and the parts of the body you can reach — following the Prophetic description.

5. Make dua in your own words, sincerely, for yourself and for those you love.

6. Repeat. Once in the morning and once in the evening is the common practice, with additional recitation when the need is felt. Consistency matters more than intensity.

For the supplications with their Arabic text, transliteration and sources, the Ruqyah section of the Islamic Remedies app collects them in one place.

How to Perform Ruqyah on Someone Else

The method is the same, with two additions: place your right hand gently on the person — or on the affected area — where appropriate and permissible, and recite aloud so they can hear. The Prophetic supplication "O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm…" is the classical wording for this.

Children, the elderly and the seriously ill were all recited over in the Prophetic practice. There is nothing esoteric required. A parent reciting the mu'awwidhat over a sleeping child is performing ruqyah in exactly the form the Sunnah describes.

Some traditions also mention ruqyah water — recitation over water which is then drunk or used for washing — and the use of olive oil, honey, black seed or sidr leaves alongside recitation. These are permitted where they involve no shirk, though they carry no independent guarantee, and none should displace medical care.

Warning Signs of Exploitation

A commercial industry has grown around ruqyah, and it preys on desperation. Treat the following as red flags:

• Payment demanded in advance, or escalating fees for "sessions".
• Guaranteed results, or a diagnosis of magic given instantly and without question.
• Secret recitations, unknown names, symbols, or written amulets you cannot read.
• Requests for personal items — hair, clothing, a mother's name — in the manner of fortune-telling.
• Instructions to stop medication or avoid doctors.
• Isolation, physical contact with a non-mahram, or private sessions without a family member present.
• Fear as a sales tool — telling you that harm will worsen unless you return.

Authentic ruqyah is transparent. You should be able to hear and identify every word recited over you, and it should all be Quran or established supplication.

The Balance the Sunnah Teaches

Ruqyah sits within a wider framework of Prophetic healing that also includes cupping, black seed, honey and the general instruction to seek treatment: "Allah has not sent down a disease except that He has sent down its cure" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5678). The same tradition that gives us ruqyah also commands us to take the means.

Understood correctly, ruqyah is not an alternative to medicine and not a transaction with the unseen. It is a return to the words of Allah in a moment of weakness — a practice of trust rather than a technique of control. For related reading, see our guides on Prophetic duas for anxiety, mental wellness in Islamic practice, and the full Prophetic medicine hub.