دفع الشبهات عن أهل الفن لأهل حسن الظن

Allegation:

Shaykh Muḥammad Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī, a renowned Islamic scholar, is respected for his piety and dedication. He authored over 1,300 works across various fields of Islamic knowledge. In these tens of thousands of pages, his detractors found one Urdu paragraph by which to make an allegation. One of his works, Aʻmāl-e-Qur’ānī, is a collection of ruqyas (spiritual healing practices) and taʻwīdhs (amulets), which has unfortunately been misunderstood and mischaracterized by them as teaching siḥr (magic). Thus, they incorrectly alleged that Shaykh Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī taught siḥr to separate people as is done by the practitioners of siḥr.

Explanation

Ruqyah

The background to his book starts with the verse of Sūrah al-Isrā’:

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

We reveal the Qur’ān, which is cure and mercy for the believers, and it adds nothing to the unjust but loss.

In the following hadith, the Prophet ﷺ emphasized the Qur’an’s ability to heal:

‘Abd Allah ibn Masʻūd reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Hold on to the two cures: honey and the Qurʻān.”[1]

Additionally, Imam Muslim narrates in his Ṣaḥīḥ how the Companions implemented this:

We stopped at a place, and a woman came to us saying, “The tribe leader has been stung by a scorpion. Is anyone among you who can perform ruqyah?” A man from among us went with her—though we never thought he knew how to perform ruqyah—and he recited Surah al-Fātihah over him, and the man was healed. They gave him sheep, and they offered us milk to drink. We asked him, “Did you know how to perform ruqyah?” He replied, “I only recited the Opening of the Book (Sūrah al-Fātihah) over him.” I said, “Do not touch anything (from the reward) until we go to the Prophet ﷺ.”
So we went to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned this to him. He said, “How did he know it was a ruqyah? Distribute (the sheep) and give me a share with you.”[2]

In Islamic teachings, the Qur’an is described as a source of healing (shifā’). The Prophet ﷺ not only encouraged seeking healing through the Qur’an but also approved of his Companions using it for this purpose. Although the Prophet ﷺ did not teach them to use the Fātiḥah in this way, they came across this shifā’ through intuition and trial. This practice known as ruqyah has been a commonly used practice with specific parameters, which are beyond the scope of this paper.

Likewise, Imam Ibn Qayyim wrote in Zād al-Maʻād that Imams Aḥmad and Ibn Taymiyyah prescribed writing verses as ruqyah and narrated it from the Salaf:

Book for Fever:

Al-Marwazī said, “It reached Abu ‘Abdullah (Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal) that I had a fever, so he wrote for me a note against the fever, in which was written, ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. In the name of Allah, and by Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. (It is said): “O fire, be cool and peaceful for Ibrāhīm” (Al-Anbiyā’ 69), “And they intended for him harm, but We made them the greatest losers” (Al-Anbiyā’ 70). O Allah, Lord of Jibrīl, Mīkā’īl, and Isrāfīl, heal the bearer of this note by Your power, strength, and majesty. O true God, āmīn.’”

Al-Marwazī said, “And Abu ‘Abdullah recited in my presence while I listened. Abu al-Mundhir ‘Amr ibn Majma’ narrated to us: Yūnus ibn Hibbān said, ‘I asked Abu Jaʻfar Muḥammad ibn ʻAlī if I could wear a taʻwīdh, and he said, “If it is from the Book of Allah or from the words of the Prophet of Allah, then wear it and seek healing with it as much as you can.’ I asked, ‘Can I write this for quartan fever: In the name of Allah, and by Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ until the end? He said, ‘Yes.’”

Aḥmad mentioned from Sayyidah ‘Ạ’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and others that they were lenient in this matter.

Ḥarb said, “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was not strict about it.” Imam Aḥmad said, “Ibn Masʻūd disliked it strongly.” Imam Aḥmad was asked about the taʻwīdh being worn after the calamity had befallen, and he said, “I hope there is no harm in it.”

Al-Khallāl said, “Abdullah ibn Aḥmad narrated to us, ‘I saw my father (Imam Aḥmad) writing a taʻwīdh for someone who was terrified, and for fever after the calamity had struck.’”

Book for Difficult Childbirth:

Al-Khallāl said, “Abdullah ibn Aḥmad narrated to me, ‘I saw my father (Imam Aḥmad) writing for a woman who was experiencing difficulty in childbirth, on a white ceramic or a clean item. He would write the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with him: There is no deity but Allah, the Most Forbearing, the Most Generous. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Great Throne. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Then he would write: As if they had only tarried for an hour of a day. This is a notification’ (Al-Aḥqāf 35), As if they had only tarried for an afternoon or a morning thereof (An-Nāziʻāt 46).’”

Al-Khallāl said, “Abu Bakr al-Marwazī informed us that a man came to Abu ‘Abdullah and said, ‘O Abu ‘Abdullah! Will you write for a woman who has been in labor for two days?’ He replied, ‘Tell him to bring a wide bowl and some saffron.’ I saw him writing for more than one person.”

He would narrate from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said, ‘ʻĪsā, peace be upon him, passed by a cow whose calf was stuck in her womb, and she said, ‘O Word of Allah! Pray to Allah for me to be relieved from what I am in.’ So he said, ‘O Creator of the soul from the soul, O Deliverer of the soul from the soul, O Ejector of the soul from the soul, relieve her.’ So she gave birth to her calf, and she stood up and began to sniff it.’” He said, “If a woman is having difficulty in childbirth, write this for her. And all that has been previously transmitted of ruqya is beneficial to write.”

A group from the Salaf permitted the writing and drinking of some verses of the Qur’an, considering it a form of healing that Allah has placed therein.

Another Note for the Same Purpose – it is to be written in a clean container, “When the sky is split asunder, and listens and obeys its Lord, and it must do so; and when the earth is stretched out, and has cast out all that was in it and is empty” (Al-Inshiqāq 1-4). The pregnant woman drinks from it, and it is sprinkled on her belly.

Ibn al-Qayyim continues by narrating from Ibn Taymiyyah:

“When a person has a nosebleed,” he said, “Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, would write on his forehead: And it was said: ‘O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, cease [your rain].’ And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished (Hūd: 44). I heard him say, ‘I wrote it for more than one person, and they recovered.’ He also said, ‘It is not permissible to write it with the blood of the one who is bleeding, as some ignorant people do, because blood is impure, and it is not permissible to write the words of Allah, the Exalted, with it.’”[3]

Summary: Imam ibn Qayyim narrates from Imam Aḥmad and Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, who took the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥīn as a precedent, that they wrote ruqyahs and prescribed taʻwīdh by writing verses of the Qur’an and, at times, placed it in water to be drank or sprinkled. These practices are not explicitly narrated from the Prophet ﷺ, but like the Fātiḥah, they came to know of its effect by trial.

Similarly, in his book, A’māl-e-Qur’ānī, Shaykh Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī describes the effect of various verses and their uses as ruqyah to assist with difficulties and illnesses. Immediately after a section in which it is described that verse 54 of Sūrah al-Mā’idah creates reconciliation between two individuals, he writes about the ruqyah to separate two individuals on page 20 of the Bayt al-Kutub Karāchī printing:

For Love:

“He loves them, and they love Him, humble toward the believers, stern toward the disbelievers.” (Al-Ma’idah: 54)

Attribute: Recite this verse over something sweet, and then give it to someone to eat. In shā’ Allāh, they will develop love for you.

For Enmity and Separation:

“And We cast among them enmity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection.” (Al-Ma’idah)

Attribute: If you wish to create separation and enmity between two people, write this verse on a piece of birch bark (Bhojpatra), and then draw the following symbol <picture> beneath it. Below this symbol, write the phrase that separation should occur between [name of the first person] and [name of the second person]. Then, make a taʻwīdh of it and bury it between two old graves.

However, do not do this without just cause, as doing so unjustly would be sinful.[4]

Those of good faith (ḥusn al-ẓann)and academic honesty – particularly considering the life of extreme piety, calling towards the Sharīʻah, and extraordinary mastery of the Islamic sciences – can now understand his passage appropriately. Just as there are times when creating reconciliation between individuals (e.g., brothers, spouses, and children) is called for by the Sharīʻah, there are times when separating individuals (e.g., ḥarām relationships or an alliance of oppressors, a harmful bond created by magic) is also called for. Just as a ruqyah was found to ease childbirth when sprinkled upon the abdomen of a pregnant woman, a ruqyah was found to seek benefit in relationships.

Siḥr

Siḥr is an entirely different entity. A prescribed ruqyah uses the Qur’an for benefit in line with the Sharīʻah. In contrast, the words of siḥr oppose the Qur’an and the Sharīʻah in service to and seeking help from the shayāṭīn.

A related question was posed to the Saudi Shaykh ibn Bāz about the narration in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Imam al-Bukhārī:

Qatādah said, “I asked Saʻīd ibn al-Musayyib, ‘If a man is afflicted with magic or is prevented from approaching his wife, can the spell be undone?’ He replied, ‘There is no harm in it. They only intend to bring about reconciliation, and as for anything that benefits people, it has not been prohibited.’”[5]

Shaykh ibn Bāz responded:

All praise is to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon Allah’s Messenger and his family, companions, and those who follow his guidance.

To proceed:

This chapter deals with al-nushrah. Since this calamity was widespread during the time of the author and others, [Imam al-Bukhārī] dedicated this chapter to clarifying the Sharʻī ruling on al-nushrah, which is the act of undoing siḥr from the afflicted. It is said nashara ‘anhu meaning to undo it from him. Al-tanshīr is the undoing of siḥr from the afflicted. Regarding this there is the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ was asked about al-nushrah, and he said, “It is from the work of Shayṭān.” Imam Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd recorded this with a good chain of narration.

Imam Aḥmad was asked about this, and he said, “Ibn Masʻūd disliked all of this,” meaning he disliked the undoing of siḥr from the afflicted with anything whose meaning is not known.

In the Ṣaḥīḥ of Al-Bukhari, it is reported that Saʻīd ibn al-Musayyib was asked about a man afflicted with siḥr or something that made him unable to approach his wife. He replied, “There is no harm in it, as they only intend to bring about reconciliation, and as long as it is beneficial, it is not prohibited.”

It was narrated from the noble Tābiʻī, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (may Allah have mercy on him), that he said, “Only a practitioner of siḥr can undo siḥr. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Al-nushrah is the undoing of siḥr from the afflicted, and it is of two types:

1. undoing it with similar siḥr, which is from the work of the Shayṭān, and this is what the hadith of Jabir refers to when it is undone with similar siḥr through seeking nearness to the shayāṭīn, invoking them, and the like.
2. undoing it with a Sharīʻah-compliant ruqyah, taʻwīdh, permissible supplications, and good medicines; there is no harm in this.

In summary: If al-nushrah is done using permissible supplications, lawful medicines, and the legitimate ruqyah, then there is no harm in it, and it does not fall under the Prophet’s ﷺ statement, “It is from the work of Shayṭān,” because this is not from the work of Shayṭān. Medicine, the legitimate ruqyah, lawful medicines, and good supplications are not from the work of Shayṭān, and there is no harm in them. The Prophet ﷺ said, “O servants of Allah, seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with what is unlawful.” He also used to perform ruqyah on himself with the Muʻawwidhāt and Sūrah Al-Ikhlāṣ, and he said, “No one seeks protection with anything better than these two.” But if the undoing is done with something else from various forms of siḥr and unlawful medicines, then this is what is from the work of Shayṭān, and it is what is mentioned in the hadith and is forbidden.

As for what is done with the legitimate ruqyah and good supplications, there is no harm in it, and this is how we understand the statement of Saʻīd ibn al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) that the ruqyah intended for reconciliation is the legitimate ruqyah, and lawful medicine is not prohibited. However, al-nushrah (that is from the work of Shayṭān) involves unlawful medicines, forbidden supplications, and seeking nearness to the shayāṭīn, which is forbidden.

Most of those who claim to practice al-nushrah are those who work in the way of Shayṭān, engage in the service of jinn, and seek their assistance. These people must be prevented, and one should not go to them.

We ask Allah for safety.[6]

Summary

This text provides a defense of Shaykh Ashraf ʻAlī Thānwī against accusations that he taught siḥr in his book. The response clarifies that what is described is ruqyah, a legitimate form of spiritual healing endorsed by Islamic tradition and used by many respected scholars, including Imam Aḥmad and Ibn Taymiyyah. The text also references the views of renowned scholars like Ibn Bāz, who similarly distinguished between lawful ruqyah and prohibited siḥr, reinforcing the legitimacy of the Shaykh’s practices. The text draws a clear distinction between ruqyah, which involves permissible Qurʻanic verses and supplications for healing and reconciliation, and siḥr, which is prohibited and involves invoking shayāṭīn. A mere resemblance in some aspects does not equate one with the other. Otherwise, the disbelievers would have been justified in saying about the Prophet ﷺ, “Indeed, this is an obvious magician.” (Yūnus 2) Shaykh Thānwī’s recommendations aligned with Islamic teachings and aimed at lawful healing and reconciliation, not at practicing forbidden magic.

Finally, if a pious scholar’s writings seem to conflict with the principles of Islam, the way of the ahl al-sunnah wa al-jamāʻah is to interpret them with good faith (ḥusn al-ẓann) in a manner that aligns with Islamic teachings. In contrast, the way of sectarianism is to interpret such writings in a way that distances them from Islam. May Allah taʻālā protect us from this divisive mindset.

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[1] عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “‏ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالشِّفَاءَيْنِ الْعَسَلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ ‏”‏ ‏. (ابن ماجه)

‏ فقد صح عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: عليكم بالشفاءين العسل والقرآن. رواه الحاكم وصححه ووافقه الذهبي.

[2] وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَخِيهِ، مَعْبَدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ نَزَلْنَا مَنْزِلاً فَأَتَتْنَا امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ سَيِّدَ الْحَىِّ سَلِيمٌ لُدِغَ فَهَلْ فِيكُمْ مِنْ رَاقٍ فَقَامَ مَعَهَا رَجُلٌ مِنَّا مَا كُنَّا نَظُنُّهُ يُحْسِنُ رُقْيَةً فَرَقَاهُ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ فَبَرَأَ فَأَعْطَوْهُ غَنَمًا وَسَقَوْنَا لَبَنًا فَقُلْنَا أَكُنْتَ تُحْسِنُ رُقْيَةً فَقَالَ مَا رَقَيْتُهُ إِلاَّ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لاَ تُحَرِّكُوهَا حَتَّى نَأْتِيَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ فَأَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ مَا كَانَ يُدْرِيهِ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةٌ اقْسِمُوا وَاضْرِبُوا لِي بِسَهْمٍ مَعَكُمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

[3] https://shamela.ws/book/197/2778

[4] محبت کیلئے

يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَفِرِينَ (مائده: 54)

خاصیت: اس آیت کو شیرینی پر دم کر کے جس کو کھلائے ان شاء اللہ تعالی اس سے محبت ہو جائے گی۔

عداوت و تفریق کیلئے

وَالْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ (مائده)

خاصیت: اگر دو آدمیوں میں تفریق وعداوت ڈالنا چاہئے تو اس آیت کو بھوج پتر پر لکھ کر اس کے نیچے یہ نقش لکھے <> اور اس نقش کے نیچے یہ عبارت لکھے کہ درمیان فلان فلان کے تفریق واقع ہو فلاں کی جگہ دونوں کا نام لکھے اور تعویذ بنا کر درمیان پرانی دو قبروں کے دفن کر دیوے مگر ناحق کے لئے نہ کرے ور نہ گناہگار ہوگا۔

[5] وقال قتادة: قلت لسعيد بن المسيب: رجل به طب، أو: يؤخذ عن امرأته، أيحل عنه أو ينشر؟ قال: «لا بأس به، إنما يريدون به الإصلاح، فأما ما ينفع الناس فلم ينه عنه»

تعليق مصطفى البغا: [  ش (طب) سحر. (يؤخذ. .) يحبس عن مباشرتها ولا يصل إلى جماعها (يحل عنه) يرقى ويعوذ ويعالج حتى يذهب ما به من سحر ونحوه. وينشر من التنشير وهو من النشرة وهي كالرقية والتعوذ. (لا بأس) لا مانع من معالجته حيث إن في ذلك إصلاحا له ونفعا

[6] https://binbaz.org.sa/audios/2042/33-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A9#:~:text=%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AD%D8%B1%20%D8%A5%D9%84%D8%A7%20%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%B1.-,%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%20%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%85%20%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%87%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87%3A%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A9%20%D8%AD%D9%84%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AD%D8%B1%20%D8%B9%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B1,%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9%D8%8C%20%D9%87%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D9%84%D8%A7%20%D8%A8%D8%A3%D8%B3%20%D8%A8%D9%87.