Salam alaykoum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu, I know people who practice roqya so weird: - They used a candle reading Surat al Fatiha over and pouring the wax on the bodies of people thinking it burn jinn - They use a verse of Surah al Baqarah verse 148 from "Wherever You May Be, Allah Will the bring you forth [for Judgement] all together Indeed, Allah is over all things competent..." They think it brings the jinn in the body of the person if the jinn flees. It is a form of abstraction - One communicates with the jinn who take the appearance of animals such as lions or seemingly pious men - They invited the jinns to dinner and prepare a meal and they served it to the jinns - They call this these jinns "rouhanis" and one of them say that this jinns are the equivalent of scholars but in the world of jinns I fled this environment of fear of falling into shirk. I accused these people but without success. Can you enlighten me on these points Baraka Allahu fikoum to help them out of this. Sorry for my English is not very good I'm from France

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.

You have done the right thing by leaving the environment of those people, because a person is affected by the environment that surrounds him.

As regards the matters which they do, then Ruqyah with al-Faatihah is permissible as evidenced by the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri and reported by al-Bukhari and others. It is permissible to recite al-Faatihah over water as Ibn al-Qayyim said and it is permissible for the affected person to drink from it. For more benefit, kindly refer to Fatwa 88705.

As regards using candles in treatment, then we have not come across any scholar who said that it helps burn the jinn. So, since there is no basis for using candles except what those people are doing, then it should not be accepted as they might have taken it from the jinn.

Also, we have not come across any text that indicates that verse 148 of Soorah al-Baqarah is special or that it catches the jinn when it tries to flee from the body.

However, it is generally permissible for a Muslim to recite the Quran to seek treatment and ask Allaah to fulfill one's needs, as the Hadeeth reported by At-Tirmithi reads: “Whoever recites the Quran, let him ask Allaah by it.”

As regards feeding the jinn, in principle it is permissible unless the intention is not permissible, like seeking to get closer to them.

As regards communicating with them and benefiting from them for matters that are permissible, then many scholars forbade it because most of the jinn are liars and cheaters and they endeavor to pervert the people and seduce them. It was the information and lies which the soothsayers and fortune tellers received from the jinn that misguided them and made them mislead the people. ‘Aa’ishah said: “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was asked about the magicians, and he replied: ‘They are of no account.’ Upon this they (the Companions) said to him, "O Messenger of Allaah! But they sometimes make true predictions." Thereupon the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinn snatches (from the angels) and whispers into the ears of his friend (the soothsayers) who will then mix more than a hundred lies with it.” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

As regards saying that these jinn are Roohaanis ("spirits"), then what is meant by spirits are the lives/souls that do not have bodies, such as the angels, the jinn and the like. Al-Azhari said: “This saying about the spirits is the correct and standard one.” [Excerpt from Lisaan al-‘Arab]

But this does not make them scholars to take knowledge from them; rather, it is an obligation to be cautious of them and avoid asking them or believing them.

In any case, if a person uses a method other than the usual method used by trustworthy people who perform Ruqyah according to the Sharee‘ah, then you should be cautious of him and warn people against him so that they know the truth about him.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 18831.

Allaah Knows best.