By Kamarul Ismail, Sim Joon Hsien, Jonas Lim
Imagine this. What if you are feeling some kind of extreme pain in your body? You seek medical treatment from doctors and they found out that there was nothing wrong with you. Everything seems normal but the pain does not go away. How would you feel?
What would you do?
If your answer is to go for alternative healing treatments, don’t worry you are not alone. More can be seen experiencing sickness that cannot be debunked by medical trqeatments which leads them to seek alternative healing treatments like spiritual healing. At least that was what was noticed and expressed by Zul, a 46 years old security personnel, who practises Islamic Spiritual Healing for 7 years now to help people in need of this kind of treatment.
The unusual side of a Security Personnel
Working 6 days 12 hours shifts as security personnel, Mr Zul has been working across many security agencies for the last 15 years. Knowing the job of security personnel, it is tiring at times, considering the long hours of work.
‘As a security personnel of 15 years, I can say that sometimes, it gets too tiring even though I enjoyed it. But not because of the job but mainly because of the long hours. Like for me I would usually go to work early even before the sun rises and come home after the sun sets.’ sighs Mr Zul
Caption: Mr Zul, 46 recalls and retells his journey as a ‘Ruqyah’ practitioner. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
Many of his friends know that he is one who is dedicated to his job. But not many knew the unusual side of him. Apart from work, Mr does Islamic Spiritual Healing called ‘Ruqyah’ to help people who face problems related to witchcraft.
‘I view myself as more of a good Samaritan to help. I don’t call myself a healer but more of a practitioner of ‘Ruqyah’. This is because as a Muslim, I strongly believe that we are the middle man that God has sent to help people. For the person to be cured or not cured is totally up to God to decide”. Mr Zul humbly voiced out.
The remarkable journey
Having to deal with the problems relating to black magic Mr Zul had to find many alternative ways in solving this problem that is affecting his family. That was in 2015, when Mr Zul started his ‘Ruqyah’ journey. Having studied under ‘Rawatan Ruqyah Singapura’, one of the recognized organisations in Singapore that specialises in ‘Ruqyah’, Mr Zul managed to gain the knowledge of treating people through ‘Ruqyah’.
‘I still remember back in 2015 when one of my close friends recommended me to learn ‘Ruqyah’ after he listened to the problems I was facing at that point in time. So, I went to sign up for a 3-day course with ‘Rawatan Ruqyah Singapura’ at Geylang to learn more about ‘Ruqyah’. If I am not wrong, I paid $50 for it.’ said Mr Zul as he reminisced about his journey 7 years ago.
Fortunately for Mr Zul, his open-mindedness and understanding towards this bizarre thing of Black Magic are wide which made it easy for him to absorb all the knowledge during the lessons conducted by the experts. It was more than 30% theory and 70% practical as described by him. He also mentions how the lessons conducted were ‘straightforward’ and ‘doesn’t contradict' the Islamic teachings which make him feel more open-hearted and relieved in accepting the knowledge. At the end of the three-day course, Mr Zul and the other participants were given a certificate to mark that they are qualified in treating people.
All About ‘Ruqyah’
Ruqyah is not a new practice in Muslim society, even for Muslims living in a modern metropolis like Singapore. “If you are asking about the term ‘Ruqyah’, it is an Arabic word, which means “Mantra” if translated to the English Language. In the Malay language, we call it ‘Jampi', explained Mr Zul based on what he understands about the term “Ruqyah''.
According to the Ummah Welfare Trust (UK-based international relief and charity development) ‘Ruqyah’ is the practice of treating illnesses through Qur’ānic āyāt and invocations as prescribed by the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). Meaning that Ruqyah is a relatively ancient practice, which could be dated back to 1400 years ago, based on Islamic Historians.
Ruqyah provides a cure for evil eye, magic, and physical ailments. Recitation of certain Qur’anic verses, as well as other incantations and invocations, would increase a Muslim’s faith towards Allah according to Simply Islam Academy. The increased faith towards Allah then would be able to eventually help in healing affected individuals.
‘Ruqyah’ has 3 main conditions for it to be successful, firstly, there needs to be the correct intention, the intention should be to ask Allah to remove evil through the words of the Qur’ān. Secondly, the practitioner must have a firm conviction and belief in Allah. The third, is to practise patience and consistency when performing
The Spark
When asked what motivates Mr Zul to practise ‘Ruqyah’, he describes the question as really sensitive but he was still willing to share about it. “The question why I started was because one of my really loved ones has actually been facing this issue relating to witchcraft or I can say ‘disturbance’ by djinns for a very long time.” sigh Mr Zul. This motivates Mr Zul to practise and learn Ruqyah, as a form of protection for his loved ones. “I was really pissed off with all these djinns and I would always question myself up to this day why they always disturb people,” he added.
Djinn’s disturbance may come in many different forms. From small, seemingly harmless episodes like having sleepless nights, to having constant nightmares every single night. These usual signs of disturbance of djinns tend to disrupt one’s daily life and routines, eventually causing a person’s both mental and physical health to deteriorate, like the case of Mr Zul’s wife, Ms Zar a 43 years old full-time housewife.
Dealing with this illness for the past 20 years has not been easy for Ms Zar. There were a lot of sufferings that Ms Zar faced throughout the 20 years. Some of it includes not being able to sleep and eat properly and having constant nightmares every night. These had affected her mental and physical well-being.
However, the constant pain felt in certain parts of her body resulted in her seeking professional help. Whenever in pain, Mr Zul would bring her to consult the doctor. However, when examined closely by the doctors, they could not deduce what was wrong with her. This resulted in countless amounts of money being spent on treating Ms Zar.
“There was one time when I had really bad chest pain. So, I decided to go to the doctor to check what was wrong. But a normal clinic would not have the equipment to check my condition so they referred me to the hospital. At the hospital, they took my blood, did an X-Ray of my chest and even an ECG. But everything was fine.” said Ms Zar.
After doing the different medical tests, she was then hospitalised for further examination. Doctors prescribed her mainly painkillers to ease the pain. Ms Zar added that when she took the medicine, the pain did go away but only for a short time. Then it would come back.
This resulted in her seeking alternative healing treatments from medicine men as what Malays would call ‘Bomoh’. “Back then, I and my husband were still staying with my parents. As an older generation, they tend to know better about these things than us, so they actually suggested that I seek treatment via traditional methods. At first, I did not believe it but I had to because I just want to be cured you see”. Sigh Ms Zar.
However, the different treatments she went through eventually did cure her for a while but it came back after some time. That is when Mr Zul started his journey in ‘Ruqyah’ to mainly treat Ms Zar.
“Seeing me suffer and the amount of money that we spent in seeing the medicine man, seeing the doctor, made him quite frustrated and that's when he decided to learn ‘Ruqyah’ to treat me. Now I must say that I am feeling much better and much more confident after being treated by my husband even though I can say it has not cured me totally”. mentioned Ms Zar.
When asked what she feels when undergoing ‘Ruqyah’, she mentions that she could not remember anything at all. However, some videos were recorded that showed her mumbling things that are unrelated to her. “I am confident enough that it was not me doing that. I know I was unconscious at that point. I felt that I could not control my actions when the verses were recited.” described Ms Zar.
In this modern world, where medical science is at its peak, Mr Zul would always advise his potential patients to seek help medically first to deduce if it is a medical illness.
“From the experience that I had gained in dealing with this issue, especially from my wife’s, I would always recommend my patients to seek professional help first before even seeking help via alternative healing,” said Mr Zul.
Methodology of ‘Ruqyah’
Having the experience of treating people, Mr Zul shares with us how he conducts the process of ‘Ruqyah’.
A person would be told to sit down or even lie down depending on the situation. After that, the person would be instructed to close their eyes and relax. They are also told not to mimic what is being recited and to let loose. Meaning to say, if they feel like doing anything but can’t control themselves, they do not need to restrict themselves. Then that is when the practitioner would start to recite the Quranic verses to determine the disturbance or illness of the person being treated.
“There are some cases where I am required to touch a person during the ‘Ruqyah’ process. Like laying my hand on a person’s head and back while reciting the verses. So, I usually don’t use gloves when treating the same gender, but I would use one when treating women.” mention Mr Zul
‘Also, I would request for another lady to accompany the lady being treated as I am a man you see? So this is actually a safe measure to avoid any speculations. You know what I mean.” he added.
If there is any disturbance, patients would usually react when the verses are being recited. So, the person conducting the ‘Ruqyah’ process just needs to keep reciting the verses until the person stops reacting or the pain in certain parts of their body disappears. When this happens, it is usually a sign that the potential djinns that had been disturbing have already been ‘chased away’ or ‘taken out’ of the patient’s body as mentioned by Mr Zul.
Caption: The 4 main pieces of equipment that Mr Zul often use during a ‘Ruqyah’ session. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
It may seem that the ‘Ruqyah’ process mainly involves reciting Quranic verses. However, it does use some equipment too. Mr Zul mentioned scent oil (also known as Black Musk Oil) being used when treating patients. The scented oil is usually rubbed near the patient's nostrils.
“Djinns are not afraid of this musk oil but they actually do not like the smell of it. To humans it smells really nice but to them it's really disgusting”, explained Mr Zul.
Caption: A bottle of musk oil scent is used when conducting the ‘Ruqyah’ session. It would be rubbed near the patient's nostrils. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
“Apart from that, we also use coarse salt mixed with black pepper seed but that is usually more towards house cleansing. So, my way of cleansing the house is by putting it behind all the doors of the house. This is used to usually chase away and acts as a form of protection to your house from these djinns.” added Mr Zul.
Caption: Coarse salt mixed with black pepper seed is usually used for house cleansing. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
Caption: It would be sprinkled behind each door of the house as a form of protection from the disturbance of djinns. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
Another piece of equipment that is used in house cleansing is water. Quranic verses would be recited in the water and it would be put inside a water sprayer. ‘Bidara’ (Jujube plant) leaves would then be added to the water. “The sprayer is not for watering your plant but it is mainly for also cleansing the house”, joked Mr Zul. As described by Mr Zul, the water is sprayed from the main door of your house and circled until it reaches back the main door. As the water is being sprayed, quranic verses are usually read.
Caption: Bidara leaf also known as Jujube leaf, is commonly used to assist in the after-treatment of ‘Ruqyah’. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
However, Mr Zul had to reiterate the point of not including the toilet as part of the house cleansing process. “I would repeat many times when teaching patients how to cleanse the house. This is because the toilet is considered to be the djinns’ ‘headquarters’. If we cleanse the toilet, we might get into really big trouble. That is why I strongly discourage and warn them to not cleanse the toilet”, Mr Zul said with a serious tone.
Besides the ‘Ruqyah’ process being conducted on patients, there is also a post-healing process. After a patient is healed or feels much better, Mr Zul would usually give them some things to bring home.
Caption: A bottle of water for drinking that would be given to patients. Quranic verses would be recited into the water. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
‘Usually, I would give them two bottles of plain water, one for drinking and one for bathing. At times, I would also issue them ‘Bidara’ leaves for them to add to the water for bathing. Quranic verses have been recited in the water and they are to consume and bathe with the water respectively if at any point in time they feel weird or awkward. Just like how you would usually be prescribed medicines after seeing a doctor” explained Mr Zul as he laughed.
Sensational Moments
Different people from all walks of life have come to Mr Zul for healing, and although most people were somewhat cured, it was not always easygoing. Depending on the severity of the case, the afflicted would react and behave unusually and irrationally, going too far at times. Some even went to the extent of attacking Mr Zul.
Mr Zul recalls a time when a man suddenly started to open a martial arts pose when he was conducting the session. “The guy stands up and opens his silat as I was reciting the verses. He seems like he wants to attack me,” said Mr Zul, while remembering the shocking moment. His patient seems to be very angry with him, but slowly as more verses were recited, the possessed man began to calm down and the djinn managed to cast out from the man’s body.
But the most intense moment as described by Mr Zul was when he was treating a lady colleague of his. “She was complaining that her right ear keeps buzzing and that everyday, she would eat a whole packet of bread loaf and one big Pomelo fruit.” He was shocked to hear the story at first. It was ‘illogical’ for him. He mentions that even he, a big-sized guy could not eat that much.
Caption: Mr Zul talks about his experience and the potential dangers when treating patients. (PHOTO: Sim Joon Hsien)
So, the ‘Ruqyah’ session was eventually initiated by Mr Zul. “I still remember when the verses were recited, she suddenly fell to the ground from her seat and her body was shaking tremendously. So, I continued reciting,” mentioned Mr Zul. Out of nowhere, his colleague picked up a heavy metal chair with one arm and she wanted to throw it at him. As described by Mr Zul, the metal chair was ‘really heavy’ and it required at least two people to carry it.
“I was quick enough to dodge. If not, I could not even recognise my face after being hit by the chair”. Joked Mr Zul, as he laughed reminiscing on the intense moment.
For Mr Zul, he fairly knows what he does has high risks. Not only is it possible for his patients to attack him, but at times, it is also possible for these djinns to attack his family as well.
‘I may have my own fencing from these djinns, but my family may not have one.’ mentioned Mr Zul. He added that it is possible for these djinns to ‘follow him home’ and haunt him and his family members. With this in mind, he always reminds his family to stay vigilant and stay on guard against attacks from the hostile djinn.
It will come sometimes just to disturb you or even to take revenge. So, I always remind my family to keep reciting quranic verses every day for protection from these things.” said Mr Zul.
The beliefs of other faiths
Islam is not the only religion that practices faith and spiritual healing. Other common religions such as Christianity and Buddhism also practise their versions of faith healing as well as the type of ailments they cure.
In Christianity, the laying of hands and prayer are commonly practised in accordance with the Bible, with the belief that God will heal people through the power of the Holy Spirit. The laying of hands is an act where a person of the belief will lay one or both of their hands, palms down, on another person while saying a prayer or blessing.
According to the article “The Healing Buddha”, published in SAGE Journals, the Buddhists invoke the aid of the healing Buddha, also known as Bhaisajyagaru (Sanskirt name that directly translates to “Master of healing”) or medicine buddha. Followers will recite a mantra when seeking help in alleviating physical and spiritual suffering or ailments.
Though there are much other faith healing across most religions, its effectiveness has been commonly debated for years. With seeking medical help being the main option for healing, these alternative healing of different faiths and beliefs are still being considered as alternatives when medical science could not help.
Learning Point
Religion is an integral part of Singapore’s culture, with so many different people from different backgrounds sharing the same area. It is important that we respect each other’s freedom within the law to express our faiths and beliefs.
The process of ‘Ruqyah’ might seem unusual and strange to those, not of Islamic origin. However, there are similarities in the reasoning for our pursuit of these beliefs. The common ground that we share as well as the reason behind why they do what they do. ‘Ruqyah’ is the Islamic solution for certain ailments with the same intentions as other religions' methods of healing. No matter the method, even from other religions, the intention is to bring about good.
“I believe all religions teach us to be good, not to be bad, regardless of what religion you are. Everyone has their own faith, so use that faith to fight off evil,” advised Mr Zul.
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