Chapters on Medicine

“I saw the Bedouins asking the Prophet (ﷺ): ‘Is there any harm in such and such, is there any harm in such and such?’ He said to them: ‘O slaves of Allah! Allah has only made harm in that which transgresses the honor of …

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: ‘Do you think that the medicines with which we treat ourselves, the Ruqyah by which we seek healing, and the means of protection that we seek, change the decree of Allah at all?’ He …

“Allah does not send down any disease, but He also sends down the cure for it.”

“Allah does not send down any disease, but He also sends down the cure.”

“What do you desire?” He said: “I want wheat bread.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever has wheat bread, let him send it to his brother.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When a sick person among you desires something, give it to …

“The Prophet (ﷺ) went to visit a sick person, and said: ‘Do you want anything? Do you want cake?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ So they looked for some for him.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon us, and with him was ‘Ali bin Abu Talib, who had recently recovered from an illness. We had bunches of unripe dates hanging up, and the Prophet (ﷺ) was eating from them. ‘Ali …

“I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and in front of him there were some bread and dates. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Come and eat.’ So I started to eat some of the dates. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Are you eating dates when you have …

“Do not force your sick ones to eat or drink. Allah will feed them and give them to drink.”

“If any of his family members became ill, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would order that some broth be made. And he would say: ‘It consoles the grieving heart and cleanses the ailing heart, as anyone of you cleanses her …

“You should eat the beneficial thing that is unpleasant to eat: Talbinah,” meaning broth. If any member of the family of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sick, the cooking pot would remain on the fire until one of two …

“In black seed there is healing for every disease, except the Sam.” "Sam means death. And black seed is Shuwniz

“I heard Salim bin ‘Abdullah narrating from his father that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘You should eat this black seed, for in it there is healing from every disease, except the Sam (death).’”

“We went out and with us was Ghalib bin Abjar. He fell sick along the way, and when we came to Al-Madinah he was sick. Ibn Abu ‘Atiq came to visit him and said to us: ‘You should use this black seed. Take five or seven …

“Whoever eats honey three mornings each month, will not suffer any serious calamity.”

“Some honey was given as a gift to the Prophet (ﷺ), and he shared among us spoonful by spoonful. I took my spoonful then I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, can I have another?’ He said: ‘Yes.’”

“You should take the two that bring healing: Honey and the Qur’an.”

“Truffles are a type of manna, and their water is a healing for eye (diseases). And the 'Ajwah* are from Paradise, and they are healing for possession.”** Another chain from Abu Sa'eed from the Prophet (ﷺ) with similar …

“I heard Sa’eed bin Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail narrating from the Prophet (ﷺ) that: ‘Truffles are a type of manna that Allah sent down to the Children of Israel, and their water is a healing for eye (diseases).’”

“We used to narrate from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and mention truffles, and they said: ‘(It is) the smallpox of the earth.’ When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was told of what they were saying: he said: ‘Truffles are a …

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Ajwah and the rock* are from Paradise.’”

“I heard Abu Ubayy bin Umm Haram, who had prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) facing both the Qiblah, saying: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “You should use senna and the Sannut, for in them there is healing …

“The Prophet (ﷺ) set out in the early morning and I did likewise. I prayed, then I sat. The Prophet (ﷺ) turned to me and said: ‘Do you have a stomach problem?’* I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Get up and …

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade treating illness with foul things (Khabith), meaning poison.”

“Whoever drinks poison and kills himself, will be sipping it in the fire of Hell forever and ever.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: ‘What do you use as a laxative?’ I said: ‘The Shubrum (spurge – Euphorb).’ He said: (It is) hot and powerful.’ Then I used senna as a laxative and he said: ‘If anything were to …

“I brought a son of mine to the Prophet (ﷺ), and I had pressed on an area of his throat due to tonsillitis. He said: ‘Why do you poke your children with this pressing?’ You should use this aloeswood, for in it there are …

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: ‘The cure for sciatica is the fat from the tail of a Bedouin sheep (or wild sheep), which should be melted and divided into three parts, one part to be taken each day on an …

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was wounded on the Day of Uhud. His molar was broken and his helmet was crushed on his head. Fatimah was washing the blood from him and ‘Ali was pouring water on him from a shield. When …

“On the Day of Uhud, I recognized the one who wounded the face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), the one who was washing the blood from the face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and treating him, and the one who was bringing …

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever gives medical treatment, with no prior knowledge of medicine, is responsible (for any harm done).’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prescribed Wars (memecyclon tinctorium), Indian aloeswood and olive oil for pleurisy, to be administered through the side of the mouth.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘You should use Indian aloeswood for it contains seven cures, including (a cure for) pleurisy.’”

“Mention of fever was made in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and a man cursed it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Do not curse it, for it erases sin as fire removes filth from iron.’”

“Be of good cheer, for Allah says: ‘It is My fire which I have causes to overwhelm My believing slave in this world, to be his share of the Fire in the Hereafter.”

“Fever is from the heat of the Hell-fire, so cool it down with water.”

“Intense fever is from the heat of Hell-fire, so cool it down with water.”

“I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: ‘Fever is from the heat of the Hell-fire, so cool it down with water.’ He entered upon a son of ‘Ammar and said: ‘Take away the harm, O Lord of mankind, O God of mankind.’”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Cool it down with water,” and he said: “It is from the heat of Hell-fire.”

“Fever is one of the bellows of Hell, so avert it from yourselves with cold water.”

“If there is any good in any of the remedies you use, it is in cupping.”

“On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey (Isra’), I did not pass by any group of angels but all of them said to me: ‘O Muhammad, you should use cupping.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘What a good slave is the cupper. He takes away the blood, reduces pressure on the spine, and improves the eyesight.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey (Isra’), I did not pass by any group (of angels) but they said to me: “O Muhammad, tell your nation to use cupping.”

It was narrated from Jabir that Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for permission to be cupped, and the Prophet (ﷺ) told Abu Taibah to cup her

“I heard ‘Abdullah bin Buhainah say: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was cupped in Lahyi Jamal,* in the middle of his head, while he was a Muhrim.”

“Jibra’il came down to the Prophet (ﷺ) with (the recommendation of) cupping in the two veins at the side of the neck and the base of the neck.”

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) was cupped in the two veins at theside of the neck and the base of the neck

“Whoever lets blood from these places, it does not matter if he does not seek treatment for anything else.”

“Meaning that the Prophet (ﷺ) was cupped because of that for bruising.”

“Whoever wants to be cupped, let him seek out the seventeenth, nineteenth or twenty-first (of the month); and let none of you allow his blood to rage so that it kills him.”

“O Nafi’! The blood is boiling in me, find me a cupper, but let it be someone gentle if you can, not an old man or a young boy. For I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Cupping on an empty stomach is better, and in …

“Ibn ‘Umar said: ‘O Nafi’! The blood is boiling in me. Bring me a cupper and let him be a young man, not an old man or a boy.’ Ibn ‘Umar said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Cupping on an empty stomach is …

“Whoever seeks treatment by cauterization, or with Ruqyah, then he had absolved himself of reliance upon Allah.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade cauterization. I had myself cauterized and I have not prospered or succeeded.”

“Healing is in three things: A drink of honey, the glass of the cupper, and cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my nation to use cauterization.” And he attributed it to the Prophet (ﷺ)

“I heard my paternal uncle Yahya – and I have not seen a man among us like him – tell the people that Sa'd bin Zurarah, who was the grandfather of Muhammad through his mother, was suffering from pain in his throat, known …

“Ubayy bin Ka’b fell sick, and the Prophet (ﷺ) sent a doctor to him who cauterized him on his medical arm vein.”

It was narrated from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cauterized Sa’d bin Mu’adh on his medial arm vein, twice

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘You should use antimony, for it improves the eyesight and makes the hair (eyelashes) grow.’”

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘You should use antimony when you go to sleep, for it improves the eyesight and makes the hair (eyelashes) grow.’”

“The best of your kohl is antimony, for it improves the eyesight and makes the hair (eyelashes) grow.”

“Whoever applies kohl, let him do it an odd number of times. Whoever does that has done well, and whoever does not, it does not matter.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) had a kohl container from which he would apply kohl three times, to each eye.”

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, in our land there are grapes which we squeeze (to make wine). Can we drink from it?’ He said: ‘No.’ I repeated the question and said: ‘We treat the sick with it.’ He said: ‘That is not a …

“The best remedy is the Qur’an.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) did not suffer any injury or thorn- prick but he would apply henna to it.”

“Why don’t you go out to a flock of camels of ours, and drink their milk and urine.” And they did that

“On one of the wings of a fly there is a poison and on the other is the cure. If it falls into the food, then dip it into it, for it puts the poison first and holds back the cure.”

“If a fly falls into your drink, dip it into it then throw it away, for on one of its wings is a disease and on the other is a cure.”

“The evil eye is real.”

‘The evil eye is real.”

‘Seek refuge with Allah, for the evil eye is real.”

“ ‘Amir bin Rabi’ah passed by Sahl bin Hunaif when he was having a bath, and said: ‘I have never seen such beautiful skin.’ Straightaway, he (Sahl) fell to the ground. He was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) and it was said: …

“Asma’ said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! The children of Ja’far have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall I recite Ruqyah* for them?’ He said: ‘Yes, for if anything were to overtake the Divine decree it would be the evil …

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to seek refuge from the evil eye of the jinn and of mankind. When the Mu’awwidhatain* were revealed, he started to recite them and stopped reciting anything else.”

It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to recite Ruqyah to treat the evil eye

“There is no Ruqyah except for the evil eye or from the sting of a scorpion.”

It as narrated from Abu Bakr bin Muhammad that Khalidah bint Anas, the mother of Banu Hazm As-Sa’idiyyah, came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and recited a Ruqyah to him, and he told her to use it

“There was a family among the Ansar, called Al ‘Amr bin Hazm, who used to recite Ruqyah for the scorpion sting, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade Ruqyah. They came to him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! You have …

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed Ruqyah for the scorpion’s sting, the evil eye, and Namlah (sores or small pustules ulcers or sores on a person’s sides)

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) allowed Ruqyah for snakebites and scorpion stings.”

“A scorpion stung a man and he did not sleep all the night. It was said to the Prophet (ﷺ): ‘So- and-so was stung by a scorpion and he did not sleep all the night.’ He said: ‘If he had said, last night: A’udhu …

“I recited the Ruqyah for snakebite to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), or it was recited to him, and he commanded that it be used.”

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to a sick person, he would make supplication for him, and would say: Adhhibil-bas, Rabban-nas, washfi Antash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka shifa’an la yughadiru saqama (Take away …

“Bismillah, turbatu ardina, biriqati ba’dina, liyushfa saqimuna. Bi’dhni Rabbina (In the Name of Allah, the dust of our land mixed with the saliva of one of us, to cure our sick one by the permission of our Lord).”

“I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and I was suffering pain that was killing me. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me: ‘Put your right hand on it and say: Bismillah, a’udhu bi’izzatil-lahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhiru. (In …

“O Muhammad, you are ill. He said: ‘Yes.’ He said: Bismillahi arqika, min kulli shay’in yu’dhika, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘aynin aw hasidin. Allahu yashfika, bismillahi arqika (In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah …

“The Prophet (ﷺ) came to visit me (when I was sick), and said to me: ‘Shall I not recite for you a Ruqyah that Jibra’il brought to me?’ I said: ‘May my father and mother be ransomed for you! Yes, O Messenger of Allah!’ …

“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek refuge for Hasan and Husain and say: A’udhu bi kalimatil-lahil- tammati, min kulli shaitanin wa hammah, wa min kulli ‘aynin lammah (I seek refuge for you both in the Perfect Words of Allah, …

“Bismillahil-kabir, a’udhu billahil-‘Azim min sharri ‘irqin na’ar wa, min sharri harrin- nar (In the Name of Allah the Great, I seek refuge with Allah the Almighty from the evil of a vein gushing (with blood) and the …

“I heard ‘Ubadah bin Samit say: ‘Jibra’il (as) came to the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was suffering from fever and said: ‘Bismillahi arqika, min kulli shay’in yu’dhika, min hasadi hasidin, wa min kulli ‘aynin, Allahu yashfika …

It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to blow when performing Ruqyah

“Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill, he would recite the Mu’awwidhat and blow, and when his pain grew worse, I would recite over him and wipe his hand over him, hoping for its blessing.”

“There was an old woman who used to enter upon us and perform Ruqyah from erysipelas: Contagious disease which causes fever and leaves a red coloration of the skin. We had a bed with long legs, and when ‘Abdullah entered …

“What is this ring?” He said: “It is for Wahinah.”* He said: “Take it off, for it will only increase you in weakness.”

“I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stoning the ‘Aqabah Pillar from the bottom of the valley on the Day of Sacrifice, then he went away. A woman from Khath’am followed him, and with her was a son of hers who had been …

“The best remedy is the Qur’an.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) enjoined killing Dhit-Tufytain* for it takes away the sight and causes miscarriage.” *That means a wicked snake

“Kill snakes, and kill Dhit-Tufytain* and the Abtar**, for they take away the sight and cause miscarriage.” *A snake that has two white stripes on its back. **A snake with a short or mutilated tail

“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to like good signs and hate bad omens.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘There is no ‘Adwa* and no omen, but I like Al-Fa’l As-Salih.”

“The omen is polytheistic deed and anyone of us may think he sees an omen but Allah will dispel it by means of relying upon Him.”

“There is no ‘Adwa, no omen, no Hamah and no Safar.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘There is no ‘Adwa, no omen, and no Hamah.’ A man stood up and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what if a camel has mange and another camel gets mange from it?’ He said: ‘That is the Divine …

“A man with sick camels should not let them graze or drink alongside healthy ones.”

“Eat, with trust in Allah and reliance upon Allah.”

“Do not keep looking at those who have leprosy.”

“There was a leper among the delegation of Thaqif. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent word to him: ‘Go back, for we have accepted your oath of allegiance.’”

“A Jew from among the Jews of Bani Zuraiq, whose name was Labid bin A’sam, cast a spell on the Prophet (ﷺ), and the Prophet (ﷺ) began to imagine that he had done something when he had not. One day, or one night, the …

“O Messenger of Allah, every year you are still suffering pain because of the poisoned meat that you ate.” He said: “Nothing that happens to me, but it was decreed for me when Adam was still at the stage of being clay.’”

“If anyone of you, when he stops to camp (while on a journey), says A’udhu bi kalimatil-lahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq (I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah from the evil of that which He has created), then …

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed me as governor of Ta’if, I began to get confused during my prayer, until I no longer knew what I was doing. When I noticed that, I travelled to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and …

“I was sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) when a Bedouin came to him and said: ‘I have a brother who is sick.’ He said: ‘What is the matter with your brother?’ He said: ‘He suffers from a slight mental derangement.’ He said: …