115- Ruling on those who claim to be mediators between mankind and Jinn for the sake of treating incurable diseases
Q: I heard that there is a woman who deals with Jinn (creatures created from fire). She was told by Jinn that she will be a good mediator between mankind and Jinn in order to treat incurable diseases that physicians failed to treat. The woman is only a mediator, while the Jinn are the ones who will prescribe medicines and perform operations. But people cannot see them. What is the ruling on this regard?
A: There is no basis for what you mentioned and such statements can not be relied upon. The tales of Jinn, very old women and those who serve the Jinn are unauthentic and can not be relied upon. It is not permissible to deem as authentic the sayings of old women, old men, youth or any other person who reports from the Jinn. One should guard himself against using or serving them. This is because if the Jinn use him, they will draw him to Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) if they are unbelievers. Moreover, there is no certain way whereby we can distinguish the believer from the unbeliever. They may be hypocrites who deceive Mu’mins (believers) by these acts. This is because one can not discern their affairs or deal with them openly in order to know their status and morals from authentic sources to distinguish between the reliable and the unreliable ones.
Briefly, there is great ambiguity and difference in morals and attributes between us and them whereby we can not know their realities. Whoever is a believer among them, we supplicate to Allah (Exalted be He) to grant him success and guidance. But we can not trust or rely upon them in treating patients, counseling with them or any thing else as this leads to claiming to know the Ghayb (the Unseen). Man may be tried by dealing with the Jinn and thinks that he knows the Ghayb through the Jinn. He will be, in this case, like those people about whom Allah (may He Glorified and Exalted) says: ‘And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression’. Man will be in great danger if he deals with the Jinn. They may lead him to commit Shirk, Bid`ah (innovation in religion) and sins. Thus, man can cause harm to himself or to others unknowingly. Consequently, it is not permissible to deal with them for the sake of curing or any other purpose.
If one knows or deals with any one of the Jinn, he has to call him to worship Allah alone, teach him goodness, call him to Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah) and obedience to Allah (Exalted be He). One should also advise him to teach others goodness and obedience to Allah (Exalted be He). But man should not trust them or ask them anything for people because they may give him something that brings harm to people. They may give him something good and then deceive him. Briefly, he who deals with them faces great danger because one cannot certainly discern their affairs because they see you and you cannot see them. They may conceal many things from you. They may also claim to be Muslims while they are hypocrites. They may deal with you in order to achieve certain purposes and then do whatever they desired when their purposes are achieved. If you deal with them, you will be in danger. Therefore, you have to avoid them except for the sake of calling them to Allah (Exalted be He), informing, and guiding them to the truth.
Q: There is a woman called Masasah (sucker) who lives in a village. Men and women used to visit her for treatment especially those who suffer diseases in their abdomens, back or chest. Every one pays her one hundred Riyals. If a man suffers pains in his abdomen, she makes him lie down on his back and sucks his abdomen with her mouth. This means that she puts her mouth on the place of pain and sucks like the process of cupping without using anything. Then, she ejects from her mouth a pebble, vein or anything else. Is it permissible to do this? May Allah reward you well!
A: It seems that this woman is a sorcerer who deceives people by these acts. People think that she has knowledge and extraordinary abilities that are unknown to physicians as she sucks a man’s abdomen and then ejects pebbles and the like from her mouth. This woman may use the Jinn in order to trick people by showing them that she brings something out of their abdomens while there is nothing. She only deceives people’s sight as was done by the sorcerers during the confrontation between Musa (Moses) and Pharaoh. She might also have something in her mouth like pebbles upon visiting the patient. Then, she ejects it when she sucks his abdomen in order to convince people that this thing comes out of his abdomen. We believe that it is not permissible to visit or seek treatment with this woman and others like her. This is because this woman and those like her are sorcerers who deceive people with lies or with using Jinn and things that were prohibited by Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) as Shirk and other evil things that she does with patients for the sake of curing them. Briefly, it appears that this woman is a liar and a sorcerers who uses Jinn. Therefore, it is not permissible to visit her or those like her.
It was authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He who visits a diviner and asks him about anything, his Salahs (Prayers) extending to forty nights will not be accepted. This Hadith was reported by Muslim in his Sahih.
It was reported in another narration: He who visits a diviner or a fortuneteller and believes him in what he says disbelieves what was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
This women and those like her lie and invent things that are baseless. These false things are told by Jinn in order to deceive people and lead them astray without knowing the truth. Allah is the One sought for help.
Q: I have a story that I desire to tell you about in order to give me an interpretation or advice about it. My neighbor’s daughter who is eighteen years old was sick. She had a psychological disorder. Her father brought her to physicians, but they did not achieve any progress. Then, he brought her to diviners and sorcerers who told him that she was touched by Jinn and they would treat her. The girl stayed with them for one day only. Then, she returned home as she had completely recovered from her disease. She now leads a normal and tranquil life with her father. What is the ruling on this regard? May Allah reward you well!
A: This may be done by Jinn and their supporters. They may cause harm to a woman or a man in order to make him feel sick. Then, if the guardian of the patient visits them and asks them for help, they will help him and remove the causes of diseases they have done. They do this in order to deceive people and lead them to Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and glorifying, resorting, seeking help and invoking Jinn and devils. All these acts are from evil acts and the machinations plotted by devils. Therefore, a Muslim should not be deceived by these things. He should not visit, resort or ask those people.
It was authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He who visits a diviner and asks him about anything, his Salah (Prayer) extending to forty nights will not be accepted. And: He (peace be upon him) said when he was asked about diviners: “Do not visit them!” He said: “They are nothing.” And: He who visits a diviner or a fortuneteller and believes him in what he says disbelieves what was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him). And: He is not from us; who performs sorcery or has it performed for him, performs divination or has it performed for him or sees an evil omen or has it seen for him. All these acts, machinations and deception do not give people an excuse to visit them.
People should avoid them and seek cure from these diseases through legal remedies which includes reciting the Qur’an. Reciting the Qur’an is a remedy for diseases caused by Jinn and others. A Mu’min (believer) should recite for the patient and supplicate to Allah (Exalted be He) to grant him cure and recovery. Then, harm will be removed by Allah’s Will. This remedy was tried by the Imams (initiator of a School of Jurisprudence) and scholars in past and modern ages and was a cause of cure and remedy.
If one died because of this disease, it would be his moment of death. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) predestined for him to die because of this disease that they think to be the handwork of sorcerers and Jinn. Therefore, one should not prefer his temporal desire for obtaining a cure at their hands through something that causes harm in his religion and incurs Allah’s wrath upon him to what pleases Allah (Exalted be He) and brings about His satisfaction. Therefore, one should follow legal instructions and remedies. If he dies, he will die according to his appointed moment of death. This is what should man think and do. He is not permitted to visit sorcerers or diviners out of fear of death. All these acts are great falsehoods, mischief in the earth, defiance of religion and aggression against what is legislated by Allah (Glorified be He). Allah is the One sought for help.
Fatwas of Nur `Ala Al-Darb: alifta.com – Volume 3 > Chapter on fortunetellers and their likes
AbdurRahman.Org 