The Islamic Ruling on Visiting a Healer Who Claims to Identify Witchcraft by Touch

QUESTION ❓

Assalamu Alaikum, respected scholar. There is a traditional healer who claims that he can identify whether someone is affected by witchcraft or has malaria simply by touching the person. Is it permissible to visit him, or should Muslims avoid going to him?

ANSWER ❗️

Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

This question requires distinguishing between legitimate medical treatment, permissible Islamic spiritual healing (ruqyah), and claims involving fortune-telling, divination, or supernatural knowledge.

A person who claims to diagnose witchcraft or identify hidden spiritual causes merely by touching someone should not automatically be accepted as a reliable healer. The method he uses, the claims he makes, and whether his practices involve prohibited acts must be examined.

1. Can Someone Know the Unseen Merely by Touching a Person?

In Islam, knowledge of the unseen belongs to Allah. A person cannot legitimately claim independent knowledge of hidden matters simply because he touches another person.

Allah, the Most High, says:

Arabic:

﴿قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ﴾

Transliteration:

Qul lā yaʿlamu man fī as-samāwāti wa al-arḍi al-ghayba illā Allāh.

English translation:

“Say, ‘None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.’”

Reference: Surah al-Naml, 27:65.

However, this does not mean that every diagnosis made through touch is forbidden. Medical professionals can use physical examinations and other legitimate methods to identify certain illnesses. The concern arises when someone claims supernatural knowledge without a valid basis or uses divination and prohibited practices.

2. What Does Islam Say About Visiting Fortune-Tellers and Diviners?

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) warned Muslims against visiting people who claim to disclose hidden matters through fortune-telling and divination.

Safiyyah bint Abi Ubayd reported from one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:

Arabic:

«مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلَاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً»

Transliteration:

Man atā ʿarrāfan fa-saʾalahu ʿan shayʾin lam tuqbal lahu ṣalātun arbaʿīna laylah.

English translation:

“Whoever goes to a diviner and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.”

Reference: Sahih Muslim, 2230.

This warning concerns visiting a diviner and asking about hidden matters. Scholars explain that the wording about prayers not being accepted does not mean that a person should stop praying. The five daily prayers remain obligatory.

A separate and more serious warning concerns believing claims that contradict what Allah has revealed. Nevertheless, scholars distinguish between merely visiting or asking a diviner and affirming claims that involve disbelief. A specific judgement about an individual's faith should not be made without establishing the facts and consulting qualified scholars.

3. Is Every Traditional Healer a Fortune-Teller or Practitioner of Witchcraft?

No. It is not correct to declare every traditional healer a fortune-teller, a practitioner of witchcraft, or a disbeliever merely because the person uses traditional methods of treatment.

Traditional medicine may involve herbs, physical examination, and other treatments that require assessment according to their methods and effects. Some practices may be permissible, while others may involve deception, divination, invocations to other than Allah, or prohibited rituals.

Therefore, the correct approach is to examine what the person actually does and claims rather than make a blanket judgement about everyone who practises traditional healing.

If a healer uses fortune-telling or prohibited spiritual practices, Muslims should avoid those practices and seek legitimate treatment instead.

4. What Is the Permissible Alternative?

A Muslim who suspects witchcraft or experiences unexplained symptoms should not rely on unverified claims made by someone who says he can detect hidden causes by touch.

There are two important avenues of treatment:

Medical assessment: If the person may have malaria or another illness, they should consult a qualified healthcare professional and obtain appropriate testing. Malaria should not be diagnosed solely through an unsupported supernatural claim.

Islamic spiritual healing (ruqyah): A Muslim may recite the Qur'an and authentic supplications seeking Allah's protection and healing. Such treatment must avoid shirk, invocations to other than Allah, and prohibited practices.

The Prophet's guidance encourages seeking permissible treatment while placing one's trust in Allah.

5. What Should a Muslim Do About the Healer Described in This Question?

If the healer claims to identify witchcraft through supernatural means, engages in fortune-telling, invokes spirits, or uses prohibited rituals, a Muslim should avoid consulting him for those purposes.

However, the information provided in the question is not enough to establish conclusively that the individual is a practitioner of witchcraft or that he is outside Islam. Such serious judgements require reliable evidence and qualified scholarly assessment.

It is also not appropriate to call for someone's expulsion from a town merely on the basis of an unverified accusation. Concerns about fraud, abuse, or harmful practices should be addressed through appropriate lawful channels.

Conclusion

Islam prohibits fortune-telling and divination, and Muslims should not seek hidden knowledge from people who claim supernatural powers. At the same time, traditional healing should be assessed according to its actual methods rather than condemned indiscriminately.

If someone claims to identify witchcraft by touching a person, do not automatically accept the claim. Seek qualified medical assessment for physical symptoms and use permissible Islamic spiritual healing where appropriate.

May Allah protect us from deception, guide us to beneficial treatment, and grant healing to those who are ill.

Wallāhu Taʿālā Aʿlam — And Allah knows best.

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