My father has cancer and I found on a website how to treat a cancer patient with the Quran. So, I want your advice on the ruling for applying the following Ruqyah. This method comprises listening to the Quran and taking a bath and drinking from the water over which the Quran has been recited. Then, we should rub the organ affected by cancer with olive oil over which the Quran has been recited as well. The recited verses are as follows:
- Chapter Al-Faatihah
- The first five verses of Chapter Al-Baqarah
- Verses no.163, 164,165, 255, 256 and 257 of the same Chapter
- The first five verses of Chapter Aal ‘Imraan
- Verses no.18, 26, 27, 54, 55 and 56 of the same Chapter
- Verses no.117,118,119 of Chapter Al-'A‘raaf
- Verses no. 79, 80, 81, 82 of Chapter Yoonus
- Verses no.65, 66, 67, 68, 69 of Chapter Ta Ha
- Verses no.115, 116, 117, 118 of Chapter Al-Mu'minoon
- Verses no. 21, 22, 23, 24 of Chapter Al-Hashr
- The first fifteen verses of Chapter As-Saaffaat
- Verses no. 31, 32, 33, 34 of Chapter Ar-Rahmaan
- Verses no. 3, 4 of Chapter Al-Mulk
- Verses no. 51, 52 of Chapter Al-Qalam
- Verse no. 3 of Chapter Al-Jinn
- Chapter Al-Kaafiroon, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and An-Naas
1- As for the method, the verses stated above are to be recited seven times over water that is enough for taking a bath plus the drinking of three cups daily for one week.
2- The verses are to be recited on some olive oil that is enough for rubbing the afflicted organ for 21 days.
3- After reciting the above verses, the following supplications are to be read on the water and oil:
- "Allaahumma Rabban-naas, athhibil-baas,washfeehi/washfeehaa. (O Allaah, the Lord of mankind, remove this disease and cure (him or her))” seven times
- "As'alu Allaaha al-‘Atheem Raab al‘rshil-al‘aatheem an yashfiyak (I ask Allaah the Great, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you.)” seven times
- "'A‘uthu bikalimaatillaahi ‘ataammaati min ghadhabih (I seek refuge with the perfect Words of Allaah from His wrath.)” three times
- "Bismillaahi ash-shaafi allaahuma ishfi ‘abdaka wa-saddiq rasoolak (In the Name of Allaah, the Curer. Cure Your slave and affirm the words of Your Messenger).”
After reading these verses and supplications according to the specified number of times over the water and the oil, the person should take a bath daily and drink a cup of the water in the morning, at noon and in the evening, along with rubbing the afflicted organ with the olive oil. He should take a bath daily for 21 days, along with rubbing the organ with the oil. This Ruqyah should be recited once a week. Afterwards, the patient will recover – Allaah willing.

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

After checking the Ruqyah in question, which the website claimed that it helps cure cancer, we say the following:

1-    Undoubtedly, the Quran is a cure and mercy for believers, and this cure is general for all physical and psychological diseases.

2-    In principle, it is permissible to perform Ruqyah with the Quran and authentic Sunnah, and using every supplication that does not include any prohibited words. In a Hadeeth on the authority of ‘Awf ibn Maalik the Companions used to give Ruqyah in the pre-Islamic era and asked the Prophet about this. He ordered them to present their Ruqyahs to him and stated that there is no harm in giving Ruqyah as long as it does not involve Shirk (polytheism) [Muslim]

3-    There is no harm in reading the Ruqyah over water or oil, or using them to take a bath, drink or rub the body, because the righteous predecessors, may Allaah have mercy upon thme, are reported to have done so.

4-    There is no harm in benefiting from past experiences in this field, such as rubbing specific areas of the body, knowing that a treatment that was useful for one person might not be useful for another. This may be due to a weakness in his faith or certainty, or a delay to his recovery as a trial and test from Allaah the Almighty.

5-    There is no need to abide by this number of days; rather, the patient should use such Ruqyah until he recovers. He should recite or listen to the verses from the Ruqyah once or several times, without a specific number, in one week. This is because Islam did not set such a limit, and in order to avoid the misconception that such a period will affect his recovery.

6-    It should be known that such Ruqyah is useful for treating all diseases, magic spells and the evil eye. It is not meant for treating cancer only. This is because it is comprised of general Quranic verses and Hadeeths, which are not limited to a particular disease.

7-    We would like to add some useful supplications that are narrated in authentic Sunnah to this Ruqyah. For example:

·        The patient should put his hand over the pain and say: "Bismillaah" (In the name of Allaah) three times and then say "'A‘oothu bi‘izatillaahi wa qudratihi min shari ma ajidu wa uhaathir (I seek refuge in the Might and Power of Allaah from the evil of what I experience and expect.)” [Muslim]

·        "Athhib al-baas rabbanaas biyadika ash-shifaa’ la kaashifa lahu Illa ant ((O) Lord of the people, remove this disease, recovery is in Your Hand and You Alone are able to remove the disease).” The Prophet used to give Ruqyah using this supplication. [Muslim]

·        "Bismillaahi yubreek, min daain yushfeek, wa min sharri haasidin itha hasad wa shari kulli thi ‘ayn (In the name of Allaah, Who cures you from the disease and from the evil of an envier when he envies and every evil-eye.)” Jibreel (Gabriel) used to give such a Ruqyah when the Prophet had any complaints. [Muslim]

·        "Bismillaahi arqeeka min kulli shayin yu'theek wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘ayni hasid, Allaahu yashfeek bismillaahi arqeek. (In the Name of Allaah. I give you a Ruqyah to treat you from all that troubles you, and from the evil of every soul and from the evil of the eyes of an envier. Allaah will cure you; and in the Name of Allaah, I give you a Ruqyah).”  This was another type of Ruqyah that Jibreel (Gabriel) gave the Prophet . [Muslim]

In conclusion, there is no harm in using this Ruqyah, taking note of the modifications set forth in this Fatwa.

Allaah Knows best.