Spiritual Healing

This post is summarized about how Islam views spiritual healing or healing by using the Quran or as we call it in Arabic “ Ruqeah”. will try to focus more on our current time and issues around it

The simple concept of healing is resulted from being harmed, the reason for this harm can be viruses, bacterial infections etc … as human are made of physical body and soul, the soul can be harmed also so we believe in Islam in other unseen creatures share the earth with us which are called “jinn”

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

“And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy – devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent.”(6:112)

those creatures can cause harm to human and that is harmful is more of mental harm or spiritual harm …. besides the harm which can happen between human them self in spiritual level through “bad eye” or black magic etc. other heart sicknesses in Islam see the bad character as heart sicknesses like greed or hate, etc.

‏ أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ أَن لَّن يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ أَضْغَانَهُمْ ‎

Or do those in whose hearts is disease think that Allah would never expose their [feelings of] hatred? (47:29)

this post is not to debate these points as true or not, or imaginary or not as it is focused on the concept of healing, to note today due to the Hollywood effect and the abuse of the spiritual healing in many societies and religions that domain is seen more of myth or against the applied science and medical knowledge, although medical science is still struggling to explain many incidents. also looking throughout history humans always tend to link any kind of pain or unknown sickness to the spiritual domain which results in few abusing the mass by selling them cures which if worked it will be more the Placebo Effect than real cure. aiming to collect money and gaining fame.

The Islamic approach is different although it recognizes the harm to the soul … it seeks first medical advice base on science for any symptom and that why Islamic golden age the medical research and achievements were so important and sponsored by the state to try to achieve the Hadith Aims …

Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. [ Sahih Muslim 2204 ]

if that fails or there is not seen result or if there is no medical cure yet the religion by spiritual healing which has mental claiming effect and we know today for the fact that faith has an effect on the release of natural painkillers and reducing depression from sickness etc, and we believe that Quran has a curing effect too besides that of calming effect.

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا 

“And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, 17:82”

Another approach is when the sickness is unknown and all the physical parts are functioning normally Islam limit the spiritual intervention to few allowed methods to avoid any abuse or money-making from healing … and even those methods all can be self-applied like reading Quran it doesn’t need a healer a person can heal himself by himself, in same time Islam as it is monotheism in it is a pure shape, it forbid the use of things believing in power in things like, stones, or stand by graves, etc of things which many claims it has healing power as that is against Monotheism in Islam and even worst it can make a person, not Muslim.

to summarize Islam recognize the harm to the soul/heart, but it limits the intervention and see the priority to look into the physical symptoms and try to find cures and medication base on science and medical advancement.