Prerequisites of writing Ruqyah and drinking its water
11-4-2011 | IslamWeb
Question:
- Is it permissible to write the verse of Al-Kursi, [Quran 2: 255], or any other chapter from the Quran on a piece of paper and then put this piece of paper in water and the patient drinks it?
- If it is permissible, is there evidence from the Quran supporting its permissibility?- Is it permissible to use supplications instead of Quranic verses in the same manner? According to the Sunnah, are there certain supplications that may be dissolved in water and then drunk?
Answer:
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.
Scholars have varying opinions regarding the permissibility of writing verses from the Quran on a piece of paper, tablet, dish or vessel and then washing it with water and giving this water to the patient to drink as a remedy. Some of them considered it an innovation in religion, such as the Maaliki scholar Ibn Al-‘Arabi 
whereas some of the righteous predecessors held that it was permissible and they quoted a narration on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas 
.
In this regard, the Hanbali scholar, Ibn Al-Qayyim mentioned on the authority of Mujaahid and Abu Qilaabah 
that a group of the righteous predecessors were of the view that it was permissible to write verses from the Quran, wash them with water and then let the patient drink it. Another scholar supporting this view was the Shaafi‘i scholar, An-Nawawi . He mentioned that Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Mujaahid, Abu Qilaabah and Al-Awzaa‘i held that it was permissible, whereas An-Nakha‘i considered it to be disliked. An-Nawawi added that it was permissible according to the requisites of the Shaafi‘i School of Fiqh, and that Al-Qaadhi Husayn, Al-Baghawi and others held it to be permissible.
Ibn Taymiyyah quoted the view of Ahmad and mentioned that it was permissible to write some verses from the Quran using permissible ink and wash them with water and then let the patient drink it. Referring to this, ‘Abdullaah ibn Ahmad reported on the authority of his father (i.e. Ahmad ibn Hanbal ) that Ibn ‘Abbaas said that when a woman faces difficulty in childbirth, the following may be written for her:
"Bismillaah. Laa ilaaha illa Allaah Al-Haleem Al-Kareem. Subhaanallaah Rabil-‘Arsh Al-‘Atheem. Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabil-‘Aalameen (In the name of Allaah, none is worthy of worship but Allaah, the Forbearing the Generous. Exalted is Allaah the Lord of the Great Throne. All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds).
{It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.} [Quran 79: 46]
{On the Day they see that which they are promised - as though they had not remained [in the world] except an hour of a day. [This is] notification. And will [any] be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people?} [Quran 46: 35]
He also reported on the authority of his father that it was permissible to write verses from the Quran on a clean vessel, wash it with water and let the patient drink it. Wakee' added to the narration of Ibn ‘Abbaas that the woman drinks from the water and the part of her body below the navel is sprinkled with it.
Consequently, we see that it is permissible to do this when the following prerequisites are satisfied: Using pure ink when writing the Quran and writing it on a pure object. One should not write the verses with blood, as some ignorant people do, because blood is impure and the Book of Allaah and His verses are not to be exposed to impurities.
The Hanbali scholar, Ibn Muflih mentioned that Ibn Taymiyyah used to write on the forehead of the patient in cases of nosebleeding: {And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished.} [Quran 11: 44] Ibn Muflih added that it was not permissible to write it with blood because blood is impure and the words of Allaah The Almighty must not be written with it.
Furthermore, it is better to drink the water than use it to perform Ghusl (ritual bathing). It was reported on the authority of Imaam Ahmad that it was disliked to use this water to perform Ghusl. The Hanbali Scholar, Ibn Muflih mentioned that Al-Khallaal explained that the reason behind this ruling was that the water used in Ghusl moves in sewers in dirty places, therefore, Quranic water must be safeguarded from this, whereas drinking it is not disliked since it is therapeutic.
Another prerequisite is that the written item must be from the Quran, Athkaar (remembrances and mentionings of Allaah) or comprehensible supplications. Using talismans, polytheistic spells or incomprehensible words are not permissible. It was reported on the authority of ‘Awf ibn Maalik that he asked the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, about the Ruqyahs of the pre-Islamic era, and the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, answered that they were permissible as long as they did not include any form of polytheism. [Muslim and Abu Daawood]
Quoting this Hadeeth, Ash-Shawkaani mentioned that it was permissible to make Ruqyah and seek remedy with things that bring no harm and do not contradict the Sharee'ah, even if they are not the Names of Allaah The Almighty or verses of the Quran. However, they must be comprehensible; otherwise, they might include polytheism.
As for the question whether there are certain chapters, verses or supplications to be used; there is no sound proof except the aforementioned Hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas that was compiled by Ibn As-Sunni .
Allaah Knows best.