Does Prophetic Saliva Healing Apply To Others Too?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Was the practice of using saliva and soil for healing wounds unique to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), or is it applicable to others despite medical concerns?

Furthermore, if scientifically and logically rubbing saliva on a wound is a terrible idea due to infection risk, what is the solution to this problem?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

The practice of using saliva for healing a wound is an established practice of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), and it is permissible for others to adopt it as a means of following the Prophet.

In the following narration, a Companion of the Prophet (Allah be pleased with him) does just that:

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a group of the Companions was travelling through an area. Once they came to the lands of some nomadic Arab tribes, they asked the tribes to host them, but the tribes refused. At the same time, the leader of the tribe was stung by a venomous scorpion, and they took every means they could to heal him, to no avail. Among themselves, they decided to catch up with the group of Companions that had asked to be hosted. Perhaps they can help in some way. So they caught up to the Companions and said,

“O people, our leader was stung, and we tried everything. Nothing is working. Is any of you a healer?” One of the Companions said, “Yes. But we asked to be hosted, and you refused. So we will not come to heal him unless you grant us a wage.”

So they made a deal that they would pay some sheep in exchange for healing. The Companion began spitting and reciting Surat al-Fatiha until the leader was healed as though freed from a hobble, and he began to walk about unharmed. So they paid them the wage, and they went on their way.

One of them said, “Divide up the sheep.” The one who healed said, “Not yet, until we come to the Messenger of Allah and tell him what occurred and what he commands.” When they arrived at the Messenger of Allah and mentioned to him the story, he (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“How did you know that it (Surat al-Fatiha) is a means of healing? You were, indeed, correct. Divy it up and set aside a portion for me.” [Bukhari]

Imam Bukhari relates this narration under the chapter “the chapter of blowing (or spitting)”. The word nafth means to blow such that there is a little bit of spittle. [Ibn Hajat, Fath al-Bari]

This is a Prophetic practice (Sunna) affirmed in many narrations.

Infection risk

Infection, contagiousness, contamination, etc, are medical assertions based on a scientific method that yields probability, not certainty. In reality, there is no harm or benefit from the causal world except that which Allah Most High decrees. In this light, the following Prophetic narrations bring clarification:

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“There is no contagiousness, no bad omens, no owl, no animal. Flee from the leper as you would from a lion.” [Bukhari]

The statement “No owl” refers to a pre-Islamic belief that when someone was killed and no revenge was taken, they became an owl that wanders the desert, misguiding travellers.

The statement “No animal” is regarding a pre-Islamic belief that when someone was very hungry, they had a creature in their stomach that was awakened and could lead to their death.

Understanding this Narration

The scholars understood this narration in two ways, as the beginning and the end outwardly seem in conflict with one another:

The first negated the belief of contagiousness as an inherent part of nature independent of Allah’s will. This is based on the belief that nothing in creation has an inherent natural ability to effect change; rather, only Allah is the sole effector of change in the world. If Allah wills, He will cause sickness to the next person, and if He will, He will not.

The second was affirming that approaching a sick person may lead to one being sick, but not as an inherent effect of nature, but based on the norm upon which Allah acts in the world. Thus, the first part of the narration negates a false belief, whereas the last part affirms how we should act regarding cause and effect as a norm that Allah has chosen to run the affairs upon.

The Saliva of the Righteous

The saliva of the righteous or saliva from a tongue that remembers Allah Most High has a spiritual blessing that Allah Most High often uses as a means of healing. This is an established practice of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) and those who followed, starting with the Companions.

Understanding this, in light of the belief that Allah Most High is the only cause of causes and effector of effects, makes it clear that sickness and health are only by Allah’s decree, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught this method as a means of attaining Allah’s decree of cure.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.