Riqyah

Ruqyah, also spelled ruqya or ruqyah (Arabic الرقية), is an Islamic practice for seeking healing through prescribed supplications and the recitation of Qur'anic verses. The term derives from an Arabic root meaning to recite or seek cure. In traditional practice, a ruqyah is performed by a Muslim who recites selected verses and supplications, sometimes with the hands placed lightly on the patient, while the patient remains fully conscious.

Ruqyah shariah refers to the authorized form that relies on Qur'anic readings and authentic Sunnah, with emphasis on tawhid (the oneness of God) and reliance on God alone. Common elements include recitations from Surah Al-Fatiha, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas, Ayat al-Kursi, and verses from Surah Al-Baqarah, along with prophetic supplications. Practices that involve charms, talismans, or attributes that imply other beings or powers are generally rejected by mainstream scholars as shirk (idolatry).

Ruqyah may be used for conditions believed to have spiritual causes, such as possession, envy, or magic, but it is not intended to replace medically diagnosed illness. In many communities, ruqyah is performed by trained practitioners, sometimes within mosques or clinics, and some physicians work alongside ruqyah practitioners to ensure safe care.

Views on ruqyah vary. While many Muslims accept it as a legitimate spiritual therapy, others warn against unlicensed practitioners, coercive practices, or rituals that mix superstition with religion. It is widely practiced across the Muslim world and in diasporic communities, with regional variations in method and emphasis.