The Book of Greetings

Umm Salama, the wife of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to a small girl in the house of Umm Salama that he had been seeing on her face black stains and told her that that was due to the infiluence of an evil eye, and he asked that she should be cured with the help of incantation (hoping) that her face should become spotles.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) granted sanction to the family of Hazm for incantation (in mitigating the effect of the poison of) the snake, and, he said -to Asma' daughter of 'Umais:

What is this that I see the children of my brother lean? Are they not fed properly? She said: No, but they fall under the influence of an evil eve. He said: Use incantation She recited (the words of incantation before him), whereupon he (by approving them) said: Yes, use this incantation for them.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) granted a special sanction for incantation in case of the snake poison to a tribe of 'Amr. Abu Zubair said:

I heard Jabir b. 'Abdullah as saying that the scorpion stung one of us as we were sitting with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). A person said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , I use incantation (for curing the effect. of sting), whereupon he said: He who is competent amongst you to benefit his brother should do so.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Juraij with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported I had a maternal uncle who treated the sting of the scorpion with the help of incantation. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade incantation. He came to him and said:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , you forbade to practise incantation, whereas I employ it for curing the sting of the scorpion, whereupon he said: He who amongst you is capable of employing it as a means to do good should do that.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited incantation. Then the people of Amr b. Hazm came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said:

We know an incantation which we use for curing the sting of the scorpion but you have prohibited it. They recited (the words of incantation) before him, whereupon he said: I do not see any harm (in it), so he who amongst you is competent to do good to his brother should do that.

'Auf b. Malik Ashja'i reported We practised incantation in the pre-Islamic days and we said:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . what is your opinion about it? He said: Let me know your incantation and said: There is no harm in the incantation which does not smack of polytheism.

Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that some persons amongst the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) set out on a journey and they happened to pass by a tribe from the tribes of Arabia. They demanded hospitality from the members of that tribe, but they did not extend any hospitality to them. They said to them:

Is there any incantator amongst you, at the chief of the tribe has bgen stung by a scorpion? A person amongst us said: 'Yes. So he came to him and he practised incan- tation with the help of Sura al-Fatiha and the person became all right. He was given a flock of sheep (as recompense), but he refused to accept that, saying: I shall make a mention of it to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and if he approves of it. then I shall accept it. So we came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him and he (that person) said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) by Allah, I did not practice incantation but with the help of Sura al-Fatiha of the Holy Book. He (the Prophet) smiled and said: How did you come to know that it can be used (as incactation)? - and then said: Take out of that and allocate a share for me along with your share.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Abu Bishr with the same the same chain of transmitters (with these words):

That he recited Umm-ul-Qur'an (Sura Fatiha), and he collected his spittle and he applied that and the person became all right.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported:

We landed at a place where a woman came to us and said: A scorpion has bitten the chief of the tribe. Is there any incantator amongst you? A person amongst us stood up (and went with her). We had no idea that he had been a good incantator but he practiced incantation with the help of Sura al-Fatiha and the (the chief) was all right. They gave him a flock of sheep and served us milk. We said (to him): Are you a good incantator. Thereupon he said: I did not do it but by the help of Sura al-Fatiha. He said: Do not drive (these goats) until we go to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and find out (whether it is permissible to accept (this reward of incantation). So we came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: How did you come to know that this (Sura al-Fatiha) could be used as an incantation? So distribute them (amongst those who had been present there with him) and allocate a share of mine also.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters and he said:

There stood up with her a person amongst us whom we did not know before as an incantator.

Uthman b. Abu al-'As Al-Thaqafi reported that he made a complaint of pain to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that he felt in his body at the time he had become Muslim. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

Place your hand at the place where you feel pain in your body and say Bismillah (in the name of Allah) three times and seven times A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhiru (I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear).

Uthman b. Abu al-'As reported that he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , the Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting of the Qur'an and he confounds me. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:, That is (the doing of a) Satan (devil) who is known as Khinzab, and when you perceive its effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit three times to your left. I did that and Allah dispelled that from me.

'Uthman b. Abu al-'As reported that he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he narrated like this. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Salam b. Nuh there is no mention of three times,

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of 'Uthman b. Abu al-'As with a slight variation of wording.

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.

Jabir reported that he visited Muqanna' and then said:

I will not go away unless you get yourself cupped, for I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say: It is a remedy.

'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada reported:

There came to our house 'Abdullah and another person from amongst the members of the household who complained of a wound. Jabir said: What ails you? He said: There is a wound which is very painful for me, whereupon he said: Boy, bring to me a cupper. He said: 'Abdullah, what do you intend to do with the cupper? I said: I would get this wound cupped. He said: By Allah. oven the touch of fly or cloth causes me pain (and cupping) would thus cause me (unbearable) pain. And when he saw him feeling pain (at the idea of cupping), he said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: If there is any effective remedy amongst your remedies, these are (three): Cupping, drinking of honey and cauterisation with the help of fire. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said: As for myself I do not like cauterisation. The cupper was called and he cupped him and he was all right.

Jabir reported that Umm Salama sought permission from Allah's messenger (may Allah's peace upon him) tor getting herself cupped. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked Abu Taiba to cup her. He (Jabir) said:

I think he (Abu Taiba) was her faster brother or a young boy before entering upon the adolescent period.