May a fee be agreed before performing lawful ruqyah?
2026-10-13
F188 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Full displayed answer
The whole answer addresses an agreed fee for Quranic recitation and supplication over a patient. It preserves the Companions’ example and the Prophet’s approval. The source’s retelling does not name al-Fatihah; that detail appears in the parallel hadith, separately identified below.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
رجل يقرأ على المرضى بالقرآن، والأدعية النبوية، وقبل القراءة يحدد المال الذي سيأخذه من المريض، فما هو رأي سامحتكم في هذا؟
الجواب
لا بأس بذلك إذا كان يقرأ ما تيسر من القرآن، ويدعو لهم بالدعوات، وينفث على المريض، لا بأس أن يحدد الأجر الذي له.
كما وقع لبعض الصحابة مع لديغ لدغ، وكانوا نزلوا بهم، ولم يضيفوهم، فجاءوا إليهم يطلبون من يرقي ليرقي هذا المريض، فقالوا: إلا أن تضربوا لنا سهما، فضربوا لهم شيئا قطيعا من الغنم، فرقوه حتى عافاه الله، وسلموا لهم نفس الأجرة، وبلغوا النبي ﷺ فأقرهم على ذلك.
English translation
English rendering prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic answer. Not an official translation.
Original question
A man recites Quran and Prophetic supplications over sick people. Before reciting, he specifies the money he will take from the patient. What is your view of this?
Answer
There is no harm in that if he recites what he can of the Quran, offers supplications for them and blows lightly upon the patient. There is no harm in specifying his fee.
This happened with some of the Companions and a person who had been stung. They had stopped among those people, who had not offered them hospitality. The people then came asking for someone to perform ruqyah for the sick person. The Companions said that they would do so only if a payment was agreed for them. The people agreed to give them something—a flock of sheep. They performed ruqyah until Allah restored the man’s health, and the people handed over the agreed payment. They told the Prophet ﷺ, and he approved what they had done.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website, fatwa 1362
الموقع الرسمي للشيخ ابن باز
Official website of Shaykh Ibn Baz
Arabic checked against the complete displayed answer on the official Ibn Baz page. Printed locator is the website’s own reference.