Medicine and Spells

In telling about the night when he was taken up to heaven God’s messenger said that he did not pass a company of angels without their ordering him to command his people to have themselves cupped. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a hasan gharlb tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone has himself cupped on the 17th, 19th, and 21st, it will be a remedy for every disease.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

“If anyone has himself cupped or smeared with something on a Saturday or a Wednesday, he must blame no one but himself if he gets leprosy.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Isa b. Hamza told that he went to visit ‘Abdallah b. ‘Ukaim* who was suffering from erysipelas and asked why he did not attach an amulet. He replied, “We seek refuge in God from that. God’s messenger said that if anyone hangs anything on himself he will be left to it.”**Abu Dawud transmitted it.* Mirqat, iv, 510 wrongly gives Hukaim. Cf. Tahdhib, v, 323 f.** If anyone puts his trust in a charm instead of seeking God’s help His help will be withheld from him.

Asma’ daughter of ‘Umais said, “Messenger of Go'd, Ja’far’s children are readily susceptible to the influence of the evil eye, so may I use a spell for them?” He replied, “Yes, for if anything could get ahead of the decree the evil eye could.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘A'isha told that God’s messenger asked her, “Have the mugharribun been seen among you?”She asked what that meant and he replied, “They are those in whom is a strain of the jinn.”* Abu Dawud transmitted it.* Mirqat, iv, 514, says this happens if a man neglects to mention God when he has sexual intercourse with his wife.

“If anyone licks honey three mornings every month, he will not be afflicted with any serious trouble.”

He reported God's messenger as saying, “There is no infection, no evil omen, no hama*, and no serpent in a hungry belly*; but flee from one who has tubercular leprosy as you would from a lion." Bukhari transmitted it.* The word means an owl, or a night-bird which frequents graves. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that when vengeance had not been taken for one who had been killed a bird called hama came forth from the dead and screeched demanding vengeance.** The word is safar. The pre-Islaraic Arabs used the word as meaning a serpent which bites a man from within when he is hungry and causes the sense of stinging a man feels when hungry. It was also used of a serpent within the belly which was believed to cause a disease more contagious than mange or scab.

'A’isha told that when God’s messenger was asked by some people about kahins he replied, “They are of no account.” They said, “Messenger of God, they sometimes tell a thing which is true.” He replied, “That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinni snatches and cackles into the ear of his friend as a hen does; then they mix more than a hundred lies with it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

“The angels descend in al-’anan, i e. the clouds, and mention a matter which has been decreed in heaven, then the devils listening by stealth and hearing it communicate it to the kahins who tell along with it a hundred lies of their own making.” Bukhari transmitted it.

“When God decrees a matter in heaven the angels move their wings in submission to His word which is like a chain on a smooth stone. Then when their hearts are delivered from fear they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ and receive the reply, ‘That which He said is the truth and He is the Most High and the Most Great.’ Then those who listen by stealth hear it, and they are thus, some above others (Sufyan* illustrating it with the palm of his hand, turning it and separating the fingers). Then one hears the word and passes it on to the one who is below him and the other passes it on to the one who is below him, and so on till one passes it on the tongue of the magician or the kahin. Often a flame catches him before he passes it on,** but often he passes it on before it catches him, and he tells a hundred lies along with it. People ask whether he did not say such and such on such and such a day, and he is believed because of that word which was heard from heaven." Bukhari transmitted it.* i.e, Sufyan b. ‘Uyaina through whom the tradition was transmitted.** Cf. Qur’an, 15: 18

“No spell is to be used except for the evil eye, or a scorpion sting, or bleeding.”*Abu Dawud transmitted it.* The text has dam (blood), but it is said that nose-bleeding in particular is what is meant here. Cf. Mirqat, iv, 5U.

“The stomach is the tank of the body and the veins go down to it. When the stomach is healthy the veins come back in a healthy condition, but when it is in a bad condition they return diseased.”

When God’s messenger was praying one night he placed his hand on the ground and was stung by a scorpion, so he struck it with his sandal and killed it. Then when he departed he said:“God curse the scorpion! It does not leave alone one who is praying or anyone else, or a prophet or anyone else.” He then called for salt and water, and putting it in a vessel he began to pour it over his finger where it had stung him and wipe it, seeking refuge in God by reciting the Mu’awwidhatan. Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Shu’ab al-iman.

“Cupping on Tuesday the 17th of the month is a cure for a year’s illness.” Harb b. Isma'il al-Kirmani, Ahmad’s companion, transmitted it, but his isnad is worthless. Thus it is stated in al-Muntaqa. Razin transmitted something to the same effect on the authority of Abu Huraira.

He reported God's messenger as saying, “There is no infection, no hama, and no serpent in a hungry belly." A nomadic Arab asked, “Messenger of God, how is it that when camels are in the sand as if they were gazelles* and a mangy camel comes among them it gives them mange?" God’s messenger replied, “Who infected the first one?" Bukhari transmitted it.* The comparison is used to indicate the clearness of their skin.

“There is no infection, no serpent in a hungry belly, and no ghoul.”* Muslim transmitted it.* I have used the English word derived from the Arabic ghul. It was used of a creature which was a type of jinni or devil which was believed to appear to people in various forms and lead them astray in the desert and cause their destruction.

"Eat with confidence in God and trust in Him." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Buraida told that the Prophet did not take omens from anything; but when he sent out an agent he asked about his name and if it pleased him he was glad about it and his cheerfulness on that account was visible in his face, but if he disliked his name his displeasure on that account was visible in his face. When he entered a village he asked about its name and if it pleased him he was glad about it and his cheerfulness on that account was visible in his face, but if he disliked its name his displeasure on that account was visible in his face. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Yahya b. ‘Abdallah b. Bahir said he was informed by one who had heard Farwa b. Musaik tell that he said, “Messenger of God, we have land called Abyan* which is the land where we have our fields and grow our crops, but it is very unhealthy.” He replied, “Leave it, for destruction comes from being near disease.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.* To the east of Aden some early riders held it was either a place on the rocks of Adea, or a name of Aden itself.