Why Didn’t the Prophet Object to Spitting for Healing a Scorpion Sting?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Why did the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) not object to Abu Sa‘id’s use of spitting when reciting Surat al-Fatiha over a scorpion sting, given potential health concerns with spitting on wounds?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Blowing with a bit of spittle, known in Arabic as tafl, is not a deep or full spit but a symbolic gesture often used in spiritual healing (ruqya). It seeks the blessing from the moisture, air, and breath of the recitation, like in the case of the blessed words of Fatiha in the hadith. Consider it a gentle breath with slight moisture, not something unhygienic or medically problematic.
Sh. Tahir al-Fatani (Allah have mercy on him) writes in the entry of (تفل) as follows:
“(He spat) in it: ‘He spat’ (yatfilu- yatfulu)—the verb can be pronounced with a kasra (yatfilu) or a dhamma (yat-fu-lu). From this is: each time he completed it (i.e., Surat al-Fatiha), he would gather his saliva and then ‘spit’ it — seeking blessing through that moisture, air, or breath that directly accompanied the recitation and the good remembrance (dhikr), just as people seek blessings from the water used to wash the names of Allah (al-asma’ al-husna).” [Tahir al-Fatani, Majma‘ Bihar al-Anwar]
The hadith is as follows:
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that some of the companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came across a tribe amongst the tribes of the Arabs, and that tribe did not entertain them.
While they were in that state, the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion). They said, (to the companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Have you got any medicine with you or anybody who can treat with Ruqya?” The Prophet’s companions said, “You refuse to entertain us, so we will not treat (your chief) unless you pay us for it.” So they agreed to pay them a flock of sheep.
One of them (the Prophet’s companions) started reciting Surat al-Fatiha, gathering his saliva and spitting it (at the snake bite). The patient got cured, and his people presented the sheep to them, but they said,
“We will not take it unless we ask the Prophet (whether it is lawful).” When they asked him, he smiled and said, “How do you know that Sura al-Fatiha is a Ruqya? Take it (flock of sheep) and assign a share for me.” [Bukhari] [Ibn Adam al-‘Atyubi, al-Bahr al-Muhit al-Thajjaj Fi Sharh Sahih al-Muslim; Tahir al-Fatani, Majma‘ Bihar al-Anwar]
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
