Blessings of Water???

[taimur]

Asalaamwalaikum,
I know some people who beleive that if they recite so-so number of ayats, surahs, or other duas over water and then drink it..it will cure them of there sickness or evil that they have..
is this correct according the Quran and Sunnah?
or is this another bi'daah that has been implemented in our Islam??

walaikumAsalaam
- taimur

[Yusuf]

Wa 'Alaykum as-Salaam wa-Rahmatullahi wa-Barakatuhu,

Reciting Qur'an over water and washing with it is a form of ruqyah. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) states in his Fataawaa (1/107):

"Blowing into water is of two types:

1. If this is done with the intention of seeking barakah (blessing) from the saliva of the one who blows into it, this is undoubtedly haraam, because the saliva of any person is not a means of blessing and healing, and there is no one from whose relics blessing may be sought except Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam). Blessing cannot be sought from the relics of anyone else. Blessing was sought from the relics of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) during his life and after his death, if those relics remained. Umm Salaamah (radiyallahu 'anhaa) had a small bell-shaped vessel of silver in which she kept some hairs of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam), from which the sick sought healing. If a sick person came to her she would pour some water over these hairs and stir it, then give it to the sick person. But apart from the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam), it is not permissible to seek blessing from the saliva of anyone, or from his sweat or his garment, etc. Rather this is haraam and is a kind of shirk. If the blowing into the water is done for the sake of seeking blessings from the saliva of the one who blows on it, then it is haraam and is a kind of shirk. That is because everyone who attributes an effect to something with no evidence from sharee’ah or proof in reality, has committed a kind of shirk, because he is making his blowing as a cause of healing alongside Allah, and proving that something is a cause of something else is to be based on shar’i evidence. Everyone who follows a means that Allah has not made to be a cause, either according to reality or sharee’ah, has committed a kind of shirk.

2. If a person blows with saliva after reciting Qur’aan, such as al-Faatihah – which is a kind of ruqyah and is the greatest kind of ruqyah that may be recited over a sick person – so he recites al-Faatihah then blows into the water – there is nothing wrong with this. Some of the salaf did this, and it is effective and beneficial by Allah’s leave. The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) used to blow into his hands when going to sleep, after reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, and Qul A’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-Falaq and Qul ‘A’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-Naas, then he would wipe his hands over his face and whatever he could of his body. And Allah is the Source of strength."

Also Abu Daawood (rahimahullah) narrated with a hasan isnaad that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) recited into water for Thaabit ibn Qays ibn Shammaas, then he poured it over him. The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) said, "There is nothing wrong with ruqyah so long as it does not involve shirk."

Ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) also states (Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh, 55/121) that it is permissible for one to write aayaat of the Qur’aan then wash them and drink the water. He states:

"This action is permissible, i.e., if a person writes Qur’aan in a kind of “ink” that it is permissible to drink (e.g., saffron), then puts what he has written into water and shakes it, then drinks it. Some of the salaf used to do this, using vessels such as plates and the like. If someone does this, he has a precedent in the salaf or early generations of Islam. He may also take as evidence the general meaning of the aayah:

"And We send down from the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe…" [al-Isra’ 17:82]

If a person seeks healing from the Qur’aan in this manner and benefits from it (and there is no text to prove that doing so is haraam and no bad results occur), then it comes under the general meaning of this aayah."

[End of quote.]

Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh (rahimahullah) explains this in Fath al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed, under Baab Ma jaa'a fi'l-Nushrah. Also there is a wonderful book called al-Fataawaa adh-Dhahabiyyah fi-Ruqyaa ash-Shar'iyyah by Khaalid al-Jeraisy which has been translated into English.

And Allah knows best.

[taimur]

jazakhallaukairun,
for clearing it up and providing sources...