Part 10

Moreover, in another narration:

I forbid cauterizing for my Nation."

Further, [At-Termezey, Abu Dawood and Ahmad] narrated that one of the Companions said that the Prophet b has disallowed cauterizing, "But we were tested (i.c., with various ailments) and we did have cauterization, so we neither were successful nor did we acquire an advantage."

Al-Khattabi commented, "The Prophet b only cauterized Sa'd to stop the bleeding, because he feared that bleeding would not stop until Sa'd died. Cauterization is usually used in drastic cases, such as when a hand or a leg is amputated. As for prohibiting cauterizing, it might be specifically directed at whoever was seeking a cure with it (not to close an open wound). In early times, the people used to superstitiously believe that whoever did not have cauteriz:tion would certainly die and this is why the Prophet b disallowed it. It was In addition said that the Prophet b disallowed "Imran bin Husayn in particular from using cauterization because he was suffering from a sore in a delicate place. That is why the prohibition could be specific to cases where cauterizing is dangerous. Allah knows best.

Further Ibn Qutaybah said that cauterizing is of two types. The first type entails a healthy person using cauterization to fend off illness and it is this type that is referred to by the statement, "Whoever reverts to

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cauterizing would not have practiced Tawakkul (depending on Allah).' as such people seek to fend off whatever is destined for them in the future. The second type entails cauterizing infected wounds and amputated limbs, and cauterization is effective in these cases. As for the type of cauterization that might or might not work, it is apparently disliked.

There is a Hadith narrated in the Shahihan [A] Bokhary and Moslem] about the seventy thousand Muslims who will enter Paradise without reckoning, describing them as:

"They are those who do not seek prayer formulas (Rugqyah literally incantations}, nor cauterization, nor are they superstitious, and they depend on their Lord (for each and everything).” {In addition narrated by AtTermezey and Ahmad].

In short. the Ahadeeth that discussed the subject of cauterization fall under four categories: practicing it, disliking it, praising those who do not revert to it and disallowing it. There is no contradiction between these categories. When the Prophet s, had someone cauterized, he indicated that practicing it is allowed. Further, the Prophet's disliking cauterization for his Ummah (Muslim Nation) does not indicate that it is prohibited. In addition, the Prophet's pi ising those who avoid cauterization indicates that avoiding it is better. Finally, disallowing

cauterization can be explained that in general, cither cauterization is disliked, or that it is directed at those who revert to cauteriving to fend off a future illness. Allah knows best.*

There is another point that needs to be claritied and that concerns the word prayer. What we cal! prayer in English has two different words to describe it in Arabic. Sallat, the formal prayer with specific movements and D"O"AA, the informal prayer in which one asks the Creator for what they want in their own words or according to formulas set by the Prophet 8 or the Qura'an. One of the pillars of Islam is the five daily prayers. This is a formalized system of praying that has specific movements and times. In Arabic this is called Salatt. The other form of prayer, when we ask Allah for anything, in our own words or in prayer formulas set by the Prophet b or by the Qura‘an, is called D'ouaa. This form of praver is sometimes referred to as supplication in English, which is a very good word to describe this form of prayer. The only problem with translating D"O"AA as "supplication" is that the word "supplication" is very formal and rarely used in verbal communication. Suppiication is used constantly throughout the day. Any English Speaking person who is continuously calling on God, will describe

what they are doing as praying, which is the simple common way to describe this act. When we call Ruqyah (literally incantations) Islamic prayer formulas, we are

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using the word prayer in its informal meaning (Doaa) and not the formal meaning (Salatt).

The Prophet's guidance _on_ treating epilepsy and spiritual possession*

In the Sahihan it is narrated that 'Ata bin Raba’h said, "Ibn Ab'ass said to me, ‘Should | tell you about a woman from among the people of Paradise?’ [ said, 'Yes.' He said, ‘That black woman, who came to the Prophet b and said, ‘I suffer epileptic fits during which | inadvertently take off my clothes. So invoke Allah on my behalf.' He said,

‘If you wish, be patient and you will acquire Paradise; and if you wish, I will supplicate to Allah to cure you."

She said, ‘Rather, I will observe patience.’ She then said, 'I keep taking off my clothes during these fits, so supplicate to Allah for me that I do not do so, The Prophet b supplicated (to Allah) on her behalf."

Epilepsy is two kinds, one that results from negative forces and the second type is physical that results from bad mixtures (chemical and material imbalance). The doctors often talk about the second type and explain its causes and how to cure it.

As for the epilepsy that results from negative forces, the best doctors and the wise ones among them affirm that it exists. They In addition confirm that curing this type of disease occurs by the support of the righteous, exalted souls so that they neutralize the effect of the evil and render its efforts harmless. When Hippocrates explained the cures for epilepsy he stated that, "These cures are effective in treating the epilepsy that results from chemical and material causes. As for the epilepsy that results from negative forces, these remedies (that he explained and detailed) do not cure it."

As for the most ignorant, unknowing and immoral doctors, and those who consider heresy a virtue, they deny the type that occurs by negative forces and deny that it has any effect on the body. They have only ignorance to support them, because the medical authorities cannot actually disprove the epilepsy that is caused by these negative forces. Fact and experience assert and prove the existence of this type of epilepsy. That is why when the doctors explain the reason behind epilepsy as being natural or physical, their statement is true regarding some types of epilepsy but not all of them.*

The doctors of old used to call epilepsy, The divine disease’, stating that it is caused by negative forces. On the other hand, Galinus and other doctors misinterpreted the term divine ailment, saying, "They

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called it divine because it attacks the head and thus causes harm to the apparent divine organ where the brain resides." This explanation, however, resulted from their ignorance of the soul and its effects.

As for the heretical doctors, they only confirm the kind of epilepsy that results from physical causes. Whoever has a sound mind and good knowledge of the soul and its effect, will laugh at the ignorance shown by these doctors and at their weak minds.

Curing the type of epilepsy caused by negative forces has two parts, a part that involves the person afflicted with epilepsy and a part that involves those who treat them.

The part that the person afflicted with epilepsy plays in his treatment involves strengthening his heart and being sincere in repentance to the Creator from the negative forces and seeking sincere refuge with Him both by heart and tongue. This is a type of wartare that the person afflicted with epilcpsy engages in against evil. To defeat the enemy, warfare requires the warrior to acquire beneficial, suitable weapons and to have a strong arm. When one of these two elements does not exist, the effort will not be very effective. The situation becomes more difficult when the person is missing both essential requirements, in this case, the heart will be lacking Towhid (Oneness of Allah), Tawakil (trusting in Allah),

Taqwa (righteousness), and Tawajhu (awareness of Allah's Presence), plus the person does not have sufficient material armament.

The second part of epilepsy treatment involves the person who is treating the ailment and who is In addition required to have the same necessary weapons mentioned above. When these weapons are ready, one sometimes merely needs to say (to the evil spirit), 'Get out of him,’ or, ‘In the Name of Allah,’ or, There is no power nor strength except with Allah."

The Prophet b used to say in such cases:

"O enemy of Allah, Depart! I am the Messenger of Allah."

I once witnessed cur Shaikh (Ibn Taymiyyah, the renown Imam of Islam) send someone to speak to an evil spirit that had possessed a person, saying, "The Shaikh says this to you: get out of this body for you are not allowed therein." The person afflicted with epilepsy (possession) then woke up from his seizure. Sometimes, our Shaikh would even speak to the evil spirit directly, or would use physical punishment to repel the rebellious evil spirit. When the patient would wake up, he would not feel any pain, as we have ourselves witnessed on numerous occasions. The Shaikh would sometimes read the following Ayah, verse, in the ear of the person afflicted

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with epilepsy (possession),"Did not think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?"

The Shaikh once told me that he read this Ayah, verse, in the ear of the person afflicted with epilepsy and that the evil spirit that possessed him answered by saying, ‘Indeed,’ extending her voice (mocking the Qura’an). So the Shaikh said. "So I took a stick and beat the sick person on his neck with it until my hands became tired. Those present did not doubt that the patient would die from this severe beating.

While beating the patient, the she-devil said ‘I love this person.’ I said, ‘But he does not love you.' She said, "I want to accompany him to perform Hajj. I told her, 'He does not want to go to Hajj with you.’ She said, ‘I will leave him in your honor.’ | said, "No, but as an obedience to Allah and His Messenger b She said, 'Then, I will leave him alone.’ The patient then woke up and started looking around, saying, 'What brought me to the presence of the Shaikh?’ They asked him, "What about the beating you took’ He said, ‘Why would the Shaikh beat me while I have not done anything wrong?’ He had no idea that he had been beaten."

Further. the Shaikh used to recite Ayatil kors'ey[2:255] and would order those who suffer from and those who cure epilepsy (possession) to recite it along