I have a friend. Even though she does not pray or read the Quran so frequently, she is still a good person. She refrains from the little things that are great sins in Islam like lying, cheating, inappropriate thoughts etc. Her only sin is backbiting/gossiping. Since last week she has started seeing ppl in her home, a maid cleaning the floor an upper class boy in her room. These apparitions disappear after 2-4 seconds. The boy was looking at her, but they never talk and she has never attempted to talk to them. As a Muslim our first assumption was that she is haunted but she is the only one who sees them. Then we thought that it was black magic as she has enemies in her family, but in modern times we know it could be a sickness of the mind as well. So what is the best course of action here other than seeing a psychologist? because obviously while that is necessary, even more necessary is the Muslim course of action but we are not sure of what the best thing to do is in this situation. She agreed to do istikhara and ask if she should bless her house or get mental help. A lot of people I know don't pray but something like this never happens to them, so why her?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The fact that your friend avoids lying, cheating and inappropriate thoughts is a good thing for which she is thanked, but at the same she is committing a number of grave major sins and devastative acts, like backbiting, and the most serious of which is abandoning the prayer which is the relationship between her and her Lord. Some scholars are of the view that abandoning the prayer is an act that takes a person out of the fold of Islam as clarified in Fataawa 84235 and 85264.

Therefore, one should advise her and remind her of Allaah.

Since she is negligent (about her religious obligations), it is most likely that she may be afflicted with devils and possessed by jinn. The sins are one of the most causes of this kind of affliction. Nonetheless, this does not necessarily happen to all sinners. The matter in this regard is in the Hands of Allaah. Allaah Says (what means): {Say, “Never will we be struck except by what Allaah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allaah let the believers rely.}[Quran 9:51]

However, it is not a good conduct to complain about Allaah as to why he afflicted such and such person and he did not afflict another person.

However, it might be that your female friend is affected by magic, but it is not permissible to accuse any of her family members or anyone else of having done magic to her without evidence because it is a sin and an injustice to do so. It is with Ruqyah that we treat a person who is possessed by jinn or affected by magic; for more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 85500 and 88705.

It is also possible that she is psychologically ill, so you should consult specialist doctors regarding her treatment.

In any case, Ruqyah is beneficial, so she should perform Ruqyah regularly even if some medicine was prescribed to her. There is no need for Istikhaarah in this case, as there is no contradiction between Ruqyah and seeking treatment so that a person would decide which one is better.

Anyway, we advise your female friend to repent and return to Allaah by observing the obligatory prayers and avoiding prohibitions and reciting the (morning and evening) mention of Allaah along with supplicating Him, and keeping company with righteous women, and other acts that bring her closer to Allaah, because it is by doing so that she will be better in regard to her Hereafter, and this may even be good for her worldly life. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 86527.

Allaah Knows best.