The Threshold of Cure in Ruqyah

Recently, in a conversation with Shaykh Abu Ubayd, one of the senior raqis (ruqyah practitioners) at Fitrah Centre, he addressed a common misunderstanding surrounding what it means to be “cured.” He stressed a point that both experienced ruqyah practitioners and healthcare professionals recognise: cure does not always mean the complete absence of all symptoms. It is this perspective on healing—where cure and recovery is not dependent on being entirely symptom-free—that I wish to convey to readers.

Misconception About Cure

A common expectation among ruqyah patients is that successful treatment must result in the complete disappearance of all symptoms. When this does not occur, patients may conclude that their condition is incurable or that the treatment has failed. While this expectation is understandable, it does not wholly align with how healing works in both spiritual and medical conditions.

A more accurate and practical framing is: cure does not always mean the total absence of symptoms. Often it means recovery to a level where a person can live and function normally without the condition constantly obstructing their life.

Impact of Misconception

Recognising this distinction protects patients from unnecessary disappointment and helps them interpret their healing journey more realistically.

For example, the assumption that cure must be absolute leads patients to seek repeated or excessive treatments in pursuit of a “perfect” state with zero symptoms. More importantly,  it can cause patients to overlook meaningful improvements in their daily functioning and overall wellbeing. The restoration of stability and the ability to return to normal life are among the clearest indicators that genuine healing has occurred.

For these reasons, ruqyah patients should be guided away from becoming psychologically or emotionally anchored to the illness.

Lessons from Medicine

In medicine, doctors often use terms such as:

• Remission – a reduction or disappearance of symptoms; the condition may still be present and symptoms can return in the future.

• Management – ongoing control of a condition through treatment or lifestyle so that its impact on daily functioning is minimised.

• Recovery – a return to normal or near-normal functioning, even if some symptoms or vulnerability remain.

For example, many people with diabetes live normally by managing diet, medication, and exercise. Similarly, asthma patients manage their condition through inhalers and avoiding triggers. This is not treatment failure—it is recovery with residual symptoms.

Treatments frequently aim for management rather than complete elimination.  The key question practitioners ask is not: “Is every symptom gone forever?” But rather: “Can the patient live normally without the illness constantly disrupting their life?”

Realistic View of Cure

In this framework, the threshold for ruqyah healing is achieved when the condition no longer overwhelms the patient’s life or prevents them from functioning normally. The focus shifts from the complete disappearance of every symptom to the restoration of a person’s ability to live with stability.

Indicators of such healing may include:

• Achievement of goals that the illness was previously preventing

• Removal of the primary obstruction that once disrupted the patient’s life

• Reduced frequency or intensity of symptoms

• Restoration of physical, psychological or emotional stability

• The absence of overwhelming distress related to the condition

Under this model, a patient may still experience occasional symptoms. However, these no longer obstruct their life. They are able to work, maintain relationships, worship, and pursue personal goals without constant disruption.

From a practical perspective, this state may represent the true objective of treatment: restoring a person’s ability to live fully where life is no longer controlled by the condition. 

Practically, that is recovery.

Understanding Residual Symptoms

At that point, whatever remains becomes a manageable part of life rather than a destructive force within it.

The residual symptoms are part of an individual’s trial in this life.

Life itself is a ibtilaʾ (test), and many forms of hardship carry reasons beyond what we immediately perceive.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm, or distress befalls a Muslim—even a thorn that pricks him—except that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

A believer may recover from the core harm of an illness yet still experience symptoms.

For example, in the context of relationships, a ruqyah patient who was previously unable to be around their family or spouse may now be able to sit, converse, and engage calmly without anger or conflict. While feelings of unwarranted irritation or negative inclinations may still arise, they are no longer disruptive; the individual is able to regulate these feelings and move past them within a short period. This reflects a restoration of emotional control and relational stability, even if traces of the original struggle remain.

What remains after recovery may therefore be:

• a regular means of purification

• a continuing source for reward

• a reminder to stay connected to Allah

• a cause of elevation in the Hereafter

All of which may not have been attained without [persevering through] the ibtilaʾ.

In this sense, a person may be healed enough to live fully and move forward with their life—even if they are not perfectly identical to how they were before the illness—while the remaining struggle serves a deeper purpose.

This, however, does not mean the remainder of the illness should be ignored, neglected, or left entirely unaddressed. Rather, any remaining symptoms should continue to be managed, and, when appropriate, treated by a professional raqi (such as if the condition intensifies). In this way, recognising recovery does not lead to complacency, but instead encourages a measured and responsible approach.