Jinn Possession & Evil Eye in the 21st Century?
We managed to ask Ustaz Salleh, Principal of SimplyIslam Weekend Islamic School, some questions about the popular course that he has taught since 2009 called Prophetic Healing. He also has 10 years of experience in the field.
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How has knowledge of Prophetic Healing benefited you?
I have to say the knowledge of Thibb Nabawi or Prophetic Healing is absolutely beneficial for me and my family. I can make some simple remedies to treat common ailments, I can perform Hijamah for my wife, I can make a simple mixture of honey and herbs to eliminate mucus and phlegm.
For Muslims, it is essential to have at least basic knowledge of Thibb Nabawi because of the practicality, simplicity and above all, because it is a legacy that our Beloved Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam left us.
Do jinn possession still happen these days?
There is a very thin line between jinn possession and mental issues. Most cases that I have attended are mental related issues like depression, schizophrenia, stress and many more which they failed to diagnose earlier, so most people easily jump to the conclusion that these symptoms are caused by Jinn. Living in a first world country like Singapore is undeniably stressful, the competition is fierce, I believe that is the cause of rising mental related issues in Singapore.
I don’t deny that there are genuine cases where the patients are disturbed by the spiritual beings. And it is not helping that our community still believe and goes to bomoh seeking help from them.
I sincerely believe that the key to solve this issue is knowledge and education. By having proper knowledge and education, one will be able to judge better and find proper solutions for his/her problems.
Some people think the old ones are just being superstitious when they talk about the Evil Eye. What has the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said about this and how can we protect ourselves from it?
The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said in a hadith related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih from Ibn Abbas: “The Eye is true, and could anything precede the divine decree, it would be the Eye”. The fact that our community loves spiritual/horror myths and legends, I was amazed by their lack of knowledge and understanding in this important matter.
There are numerous hadith on The Eye and the way to treat it. There are many ways to protect ourselves from The Eye,according to Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya in his famous work, Thibb Nabawi, one can protect himself from the Eye by remembering God (Dhikr) and reciting Al-Qur’an.
In the era of social media, we are exposing ourselves to the possibility of getting the Eye by posting our pictures online. If you ask me whether it is possible for someone to be affected just by having their pictures online, the answer is yes. To find out how, join me in the next Prophetic Healing course. Therefore, we have to increase our ‘amal by reciting Al-Qur’an and Dhikr, inshaAllah we will be protected.
The younger generation are probably unaware of hijamah or cupping. Could you tell us a bit about this practice and the benefits of it?
It is reported by Anas ibn Malik in the Sunan of Ibn Majah that the Messenger of God said: “On the night of my journey to Heaven, I did not pass by any group of people but they said: “O Muhammad! Order your community to practice cupping!”
In another Hadith, narrated by Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim: The Messenger of God said: “The best treatment you have is cupping”.