Last week we established that Islam is open to all types of healing except what is expressly not allowed, thus, we can go forward in our discussion of the various types of healing that have been used by peoples throughout the ages. We have already said that anything that Allah (God) in His book, or the prophet (PBUH), in his sayings, hasn’t forbidden (made haram), is allowed (halal). So we need to set the baseline for the ruling on whether a type of healing is halal or haram, which is also done through Islamic jurisprudence. The prophet (PBUH) said: “Whatever Allah has made permissible is halal and whatever he has forbidden is haram and anything else not mentioned is excused.” (Abu Dawad). The prophet (PBUH) said: “Indeed Allah does not put your healing in what He has made haraam for you” narrated Al-Baihaqi and Ibn-Hibban.
So, as long as the healing doesn’t include any haram it would be allowed. The only way that a form of healing would be made “not allowed” would be if it used forbidden things in the process. So, for example, using the “jinn” or “spirits” in the healing method wouldn’t be allowed. Also using pork, alcohol, talismans, etc in the healing method wouldn’t be allowed as a general rule. Also, it’s not allowed to attribute the healing process to anyone or anything other than to God (Allah), so, for example, claiming that a spirit (jinn) healed a person, would be false, and claiming that a certain star, planet, crystal, “lesser god”, talisman, or person healed anything would be false as well. But, instead, we say that people, crystals, foods, medicines, operations, and other things (all created by God) can be channels through which healing is accomplished by Allah’s (God’s) power and will. Whereas talismans, “lesser gods” (idols), and other similar things would be completely not allowed in any form.
Quran: “Give glad tidings to the patient, those who, when afflicted with a calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allah we belong; truly to Him will we return.’ It is those who will be awarded blessings and mercy from their Lord; and it is these who are the guided ones.” (Surat al-Baqarah (2): 155)
Afflictions
Quran: “And (remember) Ayyub (the prophet Job), when he called to his Lord, ‘Verily, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the Merciful.’ So, We (Allah) answered his call, and removed all afflictions.” (Surat al-Ambiya (21): 83) The problem is that the whole subject is not as clear-cut as we would think or like it to be. Sometimes there are things that are understood by some and not by all, which affects the understanding of whether a healing method would be considered halal or haram. A case in point would be crystal healing.
Crystals
On the surface using crystals to heal seems like using talismans. But if you study the subject and come to understand it from a more scientific side, you quickly come to the realization that the crystals aren’t talismans at all, but simply another of the beautiful blessings that Allah (God) has placed on this earth for our benefit and all we have to do is learn how to use them properly. That every crystal has a certain vibration and energy, and that we, as humans, as well as animals, space (as in Feng Shui), etc, can use this energy for many types of healing and change. Thus, with a little knowledge we see that something that seemed to be un-Islamic actually is just fine in Islam. In Islam, it is also accepted that Allah (God) has the great wisdom of the creator of all things, so if a person does every type of healing method there is in the universe, and still doesn’t get better, there is a reason that Allah (God) has chosen not to heal him (or her), and that the reasoning has divine wisdom behind it. Thus, we as humans need to try our best to heal ourselves and others when we are ill, using every allowable method at hand, and to prevent illness before it comes to the best of our abilities, but ultimately, to surrender all responsibility for this to Allah (God).
Quran: “Perhaps you may dislike something which is really good for you or like something (which is actually) bad for you, but Allah knows (what is best for you) and you do not.” (Surat al-Baqarah (2): 216) So, whenever a new or different method of healing is brought in front of you, you have a simple method to determine whether or not it would be allowed. The problem sometimes is in knowing exactly how one method or the other works. Take, for example, Reiki. If you ask any Reiki master how this healing method works and if it is related to any religion they will tell you absolutely not, and they will also tell you that it doesn’t contradict any religion. And it doesn’t on the surface of things. But, when you get into it certain things will become apparent, but only for those who are well versed in the Quran and prophetic traditions.
In general the concept of Reiki is normal, with the usage of what is called “universal energy” (which is energy that Allah (God) has created anyway) for hands on healing. The problem with Reiki is that the method of healing is channeled through a spirit. It is the spirit (jinn) that helps with the healing. How this happens is that every Reiki healer must go through certain initiations at every level of study. It is during this initiation that the healing spirit is placed into the healer. This is done through certain incantations, the ringing of bells or a gong, and blowing by the Reiki master, which are all methods of calling spirits (jinn). Thus, although Reiki may work to heal people, it would not be allowed in Islam. But healing with universal (God created) energy through other hands-on methods, as long as they are not methods for channeling spirits, would be perfectly acceptable.
Another method of healing that was mentioned by the reader who wrote to me was Shamanism. Shamanism is a healing method that has been used by Native Americans and other tribal peoples for thousands of years. He is absolutely correct in his observation that Shamanism is indeed another method of healing and spirit channeling that would not be allowed in Islam in its pure form, since, again, as with Reiki, the healer or “Shaman” uses spirits (jinn) to channel the healing.
Spirits
Just as Reiki, when universal energy is used for healing, again, as long as spirits aren’t involved in the retrieval of this energy, then there is nothing wrong with that, and when Shamans use herbal medicaments (as the native Americans and other Shamanistic tribes do) there is nothing wrong with that in Islam either, but, because of the fact that most Shamans use spirit guides in order to heal, Islamically, Shamanism in its true form wouldn’t be considered “halal”. Thus, we have clear examples of healing methods that aren’t halal (allowed) in general, in Islam, but taken apart, only to use the allowed methods, would be. And, in the case of crystal healing, using the crystals as talismans would be completely not halal (allowed), because it would be considered setting up rivals with Allah (God), yet, if crystal healing is used the way it is meant to be done, then it is perfectly halal.
“Whoever wears an amulet has associated others with Allaah (shirk).” Narrated by Ahmad (16781); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (492). I won’t waste your time going into detail about every single method of healing (and I certainly don’t know all of them anyway!), but armed with a little common sense and understanding about how healing methods work, and a lot of Islamic knowledge, you are certain to be able to make your own good choices in this regard. So, next week we will talk about some of the various methods of healing that have been mentioned in the Quran and the prophetic traditions, in order to give you some further insight, but as mentioned before, in Islam, all things are halal unless expressly forbidden and made haram. Keep that in mind and go forward in your lives with good intentions, clean hearts, and be as healthy and happy as you can be!
Email me: miaponzo@yahoo.com
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By Mia Ponzo
Special to the Arab Times