Question:
I have a present situation that I am trying to acquire more info and help with. I was wondering if you would be able to shed some light or help me out finding answers.
I have some family members that presently believe that they shouldn’t visit doctors for any sort of medical problems. It is believed by these family members that if you visit the doctor, your imaan will decrease. They refuse to take medication for their current sickness that they suffer from which is diabetes, heart issues, varicose vein sores etc .
They were on medication before to treat the health problems and use to visit the doctors however, they started to visit a group of people (these people say they are maulana and haafiz etc from freeport) who inturn told them to stop visiting the doctor and stop taking medication. They depend on what they call ‘ jaray salt’ etc which they say will help cure them. They take this salt for any little problem. They claim that the ameer who they resort to is like a wali of Allah. When their ameer recites on the salt that they patch in a pot….his recitation is like the noor of Allah and evil do not enter the body where the noor of Allah is.They also claim that our beloved Rasool (Salallaahu alaihi Wa Salaam) and his companions used this salt as a cure. They also say that the Rasool (Salallaahu alaihi Wa Salaam) never went doctor or took tablets etc.
I need your help to find out what is your opinion on what is happening here. These individuals and very close to me. The entire of the family is following this sort of belief. These individuals includes aalimahs and the son who is heading everything is a haafiz .It has alot more to what they believe in but this medical matter is of an urgency as the sick individuals are harming themselves slowly. It’s like suicide while they blame what is happening is how Allah wants it, although they know that they can be better by visiting the doctors and taking medication but due to this belief that they are involved in, they refuse to.
The ameer and his crew do their checks on people or whatever issues people have from a far distance away, without being in the individual presence. There is a lot more to what these people are involve in, but I just highlighted the more serious situations. If you need to know more details, let me know in shaa Allah.
(Question shortened)
Jazaakummullaahu khair
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
There are two aspects of your query. 1- Refusing to visit a doctor and taking medication due to the incorrect belief that it is against Imaan and Tawakkul. 2- The visiting of corrupted individuals or ‘Aamils’.
Regarding the first issue of visiting a doctor and taking medication, while as a Muslim one must have full Yaqeen and conviction that sickness and cure is only in Allah’s control, it is also necessary that along with Tawkkul (reliance) in Allah one adopts permissible means that Allah has provided for cure.
Nothing or no one in this world has the power or ability to heal anyone unless Allah wills, however exercising precaution in such matters and adopting worldly means is from the teachings and Sunnah of The Prophet ﷺ.
There are many instances where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed his companions to be cautious when eating or drinking certain types of foods. Similarly, he would also point out that ailments and illnesses do exist and in order to combat such sicknesses Allah has created a cure as well, and would the command the Sahabah to seek such medication and cures. Consider the following narrations:
– The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is reported to have said:
لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءٌ، فَإِذَا أُصِيبَ دَوَاءُ الدَّاءِ بَرَأَ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
“There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allāh, the Exalted and Glorious.”
– The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is also reported to have said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ الدَّاءَ وَالدَّوَاءَ، وَجَعَلَ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءً فَتَدَاوَوْا وَلَا تَدَاوَوْا بِحَرَامٍ
“Allah has sent down both the disease and the cure, and He has appointed a cure for every disease, so treat yourselves medically, but do not treat yourselves with anything unlawful.”
– Abū Hurayrah (radiyallāhu `anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً
“There is no disease that Allah has created except that He also has created its cure.”
It is also narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised one of his companions to avoid certain foods while suffering from specific ailments, and doing so is not against one’s Imaan.
عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ صَيْفِيٍّ، مِنْ وَلَدِ صُهَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ صُهَيْبٍ، قَالَ: قَدِمْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ خُبْزٌ وَتَمْرٌ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «ادْنُ فَكُلْ» فَأَخَذْتُ آكُلُ مِنَ التَّمْرِ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «تَأْكُلُ تَمْرًا وَبِكَ رَمَدٌ؟» قَالَ، فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي أَمْضُغُ مِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ أُخْرَى، فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Suhayb (radiyallāhu) narrates: I came to the Prophet ﷺ and in front of him there were some bread and dates. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Come and eat.’ So I started to eat some of the dates. Then the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Are you eating dates when you have an inflammation in your eye?’ I said: ‘I am chewing from the other side.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled.
In the following narration, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ points out that intentionally consuming a fatal drink such as poison is a great sin, therefore to intentionally cause harm to oneself by refusing proper medication is also a sin.
مَنْ تَحَسَّى سَمًّا فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ، فَسَمُّهُ فِي يَدِهِ، يَتَحَسَّاهُ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا مُخَلَّدًا فِيهَا أَبَدًا
Whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever.
From the above narrations and many more Ahadith, we understand that there are also many instances where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has advised us that we should take precautionary measures, and if there is a sickness, one must adopt permissible means of cure like visiting a doctor and taking medication etc.
In summary, while it is incorrect to directly attribute illness or cure to anyone other than Allah, seeking Halaal medication is not against Tawakkul (having trust) in Allah Ta’ala as established through the guidance of our blessed Nabi ﷺ.
The second issue of visiting the mentioned group of individuals, or deviated ‘Aamils’ is indeed a serious matter and extremely detrimental to one’s Imaan. Such methods as mentioned, seeking cure from the ‘Wali’ through the salt and claiming to know the unseen of who did the black magic (by using jinns) etc. are acts of Shirk and totally Haraam.
Visiting such individuals and believing in what they say is impermissible and a major sin. Furthermore one must never believe in their claim of the unseen what they learn from Jinns, that so and so family member did the black magic. This in actual is the work of Shaitaan, to break family ties.
Allah says in The Quran:
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ
Translation: O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar – evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” (Al- Hujaraat: 49-6)
It is clear from the above verse that it is not permissible to believe someone without verifying the information.
How is it possible to verify such information or the Jinn’s trustworthiness? In fact, the Jinn is at least a Faasiq (evil person) if not a Kaafir as it has violated Shari’ah by coming unto a person. The information of such a Faasiq is clearly rejected and cannot be accepted. If one accepts the information of the Jinn, that is an insult to one’s intelligence and it is a sin to even accept such information.
Unfortunately many so called such “Aamils” nowadays are nothing but money thirsty perpetrators who claim to have such knowledge and cure sicknesses. They cause corruption in society in order to make a few dollars from those who faith is weak. A lot of innocent Muslims fall into their trap. Great caution must be practiced in this aspect. On most occasions, there is nothing spiritually wrong with the afflicted person. He may be ill, which is from Allah, and can happen to any man, but an Aamil would say that somebody has done some magic on him, thus the cause of the illness being magic or effects of Jinn.
It is a well known fact that such agents of the Shayateen, via Jinns and magic strive to separate or stir up hatred and enmity between people. Also Jinns lie a lot, and can even mislead the Aamil.
Allah has warned us to abstain from suspicion;
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ
Translation: “Oh you who believe! Avoid much suspicion (zann), indeed some suspicions are sins.” (Al-Hujuraat: 12)
Rasulullah Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam said:
إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ
Translation: “Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the gravest lie…”
If one accepts the information from the Aamil and Jinn, it will facilitate suspicion which leads to a host of other sins, enmity, serving family ties, backbiting etc. If one relies on such information, he will be guilty of negligence, sinful and also a victim of Shaytaan by spreading evil. In reality, accepting such information compounds the problem and brings more pain to the affected person. It is compulsory to reject such information and never attend such individuals and defy the Shaytaan. There is always Barakah in practicing on Shari’ah and the guidelines of Shari’ah in everything.
One may safeguard himself by doing the following,
1.Recite the Manzil daily.
- Recite Quraan daily, surah Yaseen, Ayaat ul Kursi, Surah Baqarah regularly.
- Staying in the state of Wudhu.
- Observing Salaah in congregation and on time.
- Not to listen to songs or music, and generally abstaining from all sins.
- Seeking refuge when entering the toilet. The Prophet ﷺ used to say the following invocation upon entering the toilet: “Aiiahumma inni a’udu bika minai- khubuthi wal-khbaith (O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the male female Satans„)”1
- To make Wudhu and recite Ayatul Kursiy before going to bed,
- To say (bismillah) upon doing any task
- To be in the company of pious people
- To observe morning and evening Duas (supplications).
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
