Strengthening Iman by Ruqya

One of the best things to increase one’s iman is ruqya. Today, visible, physical things are trusted and believed in, whereas the unseen is doubted and often times mocked.

Here’s a good little score card of our iman: next time you’re in pain, ask yourself, which are you trusting more in: ruqya or Tylenol? Take both, but trust in the former.

5 principles of ruqya:

1 All of the Quran is a refuge. All dhikr protects from harm. The basis for this is the Propehtic dua, “I seek refuge in the words of Allah from the harm in His creation.” And, “In the name of Allah with whose name no harm can come.”

2 Source of ailment are internal, external, or both. For example, a deep trauma or grief can cause sicknesses from headaches to cancer. But once the sickness is there, it becomes a physical reality. Therefore, one must also continue taking physical medicines.

3 The Quran in general is a healing, but there are specific verses which are like a fast-lane of this healing. Not all of the verses are equal in this regard. The proof of this is His saying, “We reveal *from* the Quran that which is a cure and a mercy to the believers.”

4 What those specific verses are is a zanni science, i.e. speculative and based in opinion. If large swaths of scholars hold a verse to be a cure to something, then they are likely to be correct. If in a hadith or a verse is crystal clear that it is a shifa, then it is absolute.

For other verses, it is the language that matters, not the context.

5 Sidq & Taqwa. The remainder of the aforementioned shifa verse ends with, “It does not increase the oppressors except loss.” Therefore, it may be the oppressor and the shameless sinner may not benefit. Ibn al-Qayyim says...

“The Quran is a healing but not everyone is prepared or successful in benefitting from it. Whoever recites it on his ailment with sincerity, iman, submission, and complete trust, the sickness will not overcome the words of Allah.”

General ailments for all pain:
1 Surat al-Fatiha based on the hadith of Abu Said al-Khudri.

2 For stress, anxiety, or anything in the chest or heart
وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ
wa yashfi sudoora qawmin mumineena
[He] cures the breasts of the believers
9:14 Tawba

3 For anything in the heart, chest, or general pain
يا أيها الناس قد جاءتكم موعظة من ربكم وشفاء لما فِي الصدور وهدى ورحمة للمؤمنين
Mankind there has come to you a guidance from your Lord and a healing for your hearts, and for those who believe a guidance and a mercy. Yunus, 10:57

4 To recite while taking honey for medicinal purposes as this verse pertains to honey.
َيخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاء لِلنَّاس
There issues from within the bodies of the bee a drink of varying colors wherein is healing for mankind.
16:69 Nahl

5 For general use
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاء وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Wa nunazzilu mina al-qurani ma huwa shifaun wa rahmatun lil-mumineen
And We sent down in the Quran such things that have healing and mercy for the believers (an-Najm, 17:82)

6 For illnesses in general
وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ
Wa idha maridtu fahuwa yashfeeni
And when I am ill, it is [God] who cures me.” (ash-Shu`ara, 26:80) (A supplication of Prophet Abraham [as])

7 For general purposes
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاء
qul huwa lil-ladheena amanoo hudan wa shifaun
And declare (O Muhammad) that [the Quran] is a guidance and healing for the believers. (al-Fussilat, 41:44)

8 For general pain:
أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّٲحِمِينَ
Harm has touched me and you are the Most Merciful of those who have mercy
21:82 Anbiya
Or one can simply repeat Ya Arham al-Rahimin

9 For pain and burdens

ٱلۡـَٔـٰنَ خَفَّفَ ٱللَّهُ عَنكُمۡ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمۡ ضَعۡفً۬ا‌ۚ
“Now Allah has lightened your load and knew that within you is weakness” 8:66 Anfal

10 For vision
فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٌ۬
We have removed the cover off of you and your vision is now like iron.
50:22 Qaf

11 For bleeding or bodily fluids that will not cease pouring out
وَقِيلَ يَـٰٓأَرۡضُ ٱبۡلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقۡلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلۡمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ

It was said, 'Earth, swallow your water. Sky, clear. And the water went away, and the matter was done.
11:44 Hud

12 For the pregnant woman as a dua for a healthy and beautiful child:
59:24 Hashr
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَـٰلِقُ ٱلۡبَارِئُ ٱلۡمُصَوِّرُ‌ۖ لَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ‌ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ

13 For the health of skin and bones:
2:259 Baqara
وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعِظَامِ ڪَيۡفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكۡسُوهَا لَحۡمً۬ا‌ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ۥ قَالَ أَعۡلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬

14 For speech
20:25-26 Taha
Rabb ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri, wahlul uqdatan min lisani, yafqahu qawli.

15 For insomnia and anxiety
13:28 Ra’d
أَلَا بِذِڪۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ

16 For hunger & security
Surat Quraysh

17 For birth during labor
84:1-4 Inshiqaq
إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ (1) وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ (2) وَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ (3) وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ

18 For fever and burns:
21:69 Anbiya
يَـٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرۡدً۬ا وَسَلَـٰمًا

19 For black magic
10:81-82 Yunus
فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا قَالَ مُوسَىٰ مَا جِئْتُم بِهِ السِّحْرُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُبْطِلُهُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُصْلِحُ عَمَلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (81) وَيُحِقُّ اللَّهُ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ

20 For strength
42:19 Shura
Allahu latifun bi 'ibadihi yarzuqu man yasha' wa hu al-qawi al-aziz.
Allah is gentle with His servants. He gives to whomever He wills and He is the strong, the noble.
اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ