Q: Is REIKI permissible in Islam?
A: According to our research the practice of Reiki contravene some basic Islamic principles and must be abstained from.
For e.g. the website www.reiki.org/reikipractice/practicehomepage.html reads "there are higher sources of help you can call on. Angels, beings of light, and reiki spirit guides as well as your own enlightened self are available to help you"
For e.g. the website www.reiki.org/reikipractice/practicehomepage.html reads "there are higher sources of help you can call on. Angels, beings of light, and reiki spirit guides as well as your own enlightened self are available to help you"
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Shafiq Jakhura
Iftaa Department, Darul Ihsan Islamic Services Centre
Title
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Is Energy Therapy Permissible?
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Topic
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Medicine
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Question
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Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum. A TV program hosted a specialist in the field of energy therapy. In the program, the specialist said that energy therapy is a Japanese exercise called (Reiki Jin-Kei-Do). According to her, it is not a new science, as it is practiced in Islam under the name of ruqyah, which can be considered a variety of energy therapy. The concept of energy therapy revolves around treating the electromagnetic field of the body. She also gave the address of a Web site that gives more information on this. How do you view this type of treatment? And what is the Islamic ruling on it? Jazakum Allah khayran.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear sister in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.
Generally speaking, energy therapy involves two different branches. The first is offered in special hospitals with certain methods that are free of polytheist rituals and phrases. There is no harm, as far Islam concerned, in practicing and undergoing this type of therapy.
Generally speaking, energy therapy involves two different branches. The first is offered in special hospitals with certain methods that are free of polytheist rituals and phrases. There is no harm, as far Islam concerned, in practicing and undergoing this type of therapy.
The other branch, however, includes prohibited practices. The type mentioned in the question belongs to this prohibited branch of energy therapy since it is composed of Buddhist rituals. The advocates of this kind of therapy try to deceive people by claiming that it is merely another form of Islamic ruqyah. This is a big lie. Islamic ruqyah depends only on the noble verses of the Qur’an and the authentic hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
In his response to your question, Dr. Abdullah Al-Faqih, Supervisor of Fatwa Center at Islamicweb.com, states:
The energy therapy mentioned in the question is definitely prohibited. Such kind of therapy is no more than polytheist rituals which are performed in East Asia. As the questioner said, it is a Japanese practice called Reiki Jin-Kei-Do.
Visiting the Healing Touch Web site, one realizes that it propagates Buddhism, a polytheist religion based on worshiping others than Allah. The site admits that one who seeks this kind of therapy must be a Buddhist to attain the highest level of benefit. If one wants to make use of this kind of therapy, one should swear allegiance to Buddha and his teachings. The apparent minor details of this therapy are available and attainable, but the principal facts and details are available only for Buddhists.
According to the Web site, this kind of therapy involves daily tasks that include practicing yoga exercises, reading Buddhist books, and repeating the oath of allegiance. Such acts, in fact, arekufr(disbelief in Allah), which must be denounced and rejected no matter what title or name they come under. The world today witnesses a wave of calls for Buddhism, especially in the areas of medication and sports. Thus, Muslims must be on the alert.
To claim that such therapy is known in Islam under the name of ruqyah is brazen lying. In Islam,ruqyah means reciting parts of the Qur’an or some supplications mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They are based on belief in the Oneness of Allah, not in Buddha and his teachings. This fact draws a demarcation line between monotheism and polytheism, belief and disbelief.
So, we warn Muslims against such programs and new polytheist calls that corrupt the faith and damage Muslims creeds.
Yoga is not simply a physical exercise, it is rather a form of worship to the sun instead of Allaah.
Collins defines yoga as: 'A Hindu system of philosophy aiming at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being:- a state of complete awareness and tranquility through certain physical and mental exercises'.
It is widespread and well known in India since early ages. The original name of this sport in Sanskrit is (Sastanga Soria Namaskar) which means "prostrating for the sun on eight places of the body". This sport has 10 known states among which the fifth stage where the person lays face down on earth touching the ground with his: both hands, the nose, the chest, both knees and the toes. By this one realizes prostrating for the sun on eight organs of the body.
The yoga exercises start with the first state which constitutes a bowing to the worshipped, i.e. the sun. These exercises must be accompanied by a number of words and phrases, which state clearly the worshipping of the sun and the orientation towards it. This is called (Mantra). It is said in a soft voice and regular tone and pitch. These expressions include the 12 names of the sun and here are some of the things they say:
1) Mitraya Nama which means: I bow my head for you O! Friend of everyone.
2) Rafayer Nama which means: I bow my head for you who is glorified by everybody.
3) Suria Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Guider of everyone.
4) Maritchay Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Forcer of the disease out.
5) Safitir Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Giver of life.
6) Bhasakaria Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Source of light.
Some of them add other expressions like:
Um Hram, Um Hraim, Um Hrum, …etc. This means: O! God.
When the Muslims were fighting Hindus, they used to say: Allaahu Akbar and the Hindus used to say: Um Hram (seeking Help from their idol). Longman dictionary defines "Mantra" as "a word or sound that is repeated as a prayer or to help people Meditate in the Hindu or Buddhist religion".
So, we conclude that yoga is not a kind of sport, it is rather an atheist form of worship that the Muslim should not indulge in under any circumstances. Some might wonder: what if the person practices the physical exercises without facing the sun or repeating the mentioned expressions?
The answer is: "If this sport becomes free of atheist expressions and free of facing the sun, bowing for it and greeting it, it is no longer yoga. It becomes some simple physical exercises practiced by all people and there is no harm to practice it provided two things are met:
First, re-ordering the exercises in a way different than the one in yoga and introducing some new situations in it to avoid similarity with yoga.
Second, avoiding practising these exercises in the times the Hindus observe it like at sunrise. The evidence for these two conditions is the narration in which the Prophet said: "Pray the morning prayer and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Satan. That is when the unbelievers prostrate to it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
So, since it is forbidden to perform the prayer at sunset or sunrise to avoid imitating the disbelievers, then doing some other practices that disbelievers devote themselves to do at fixed times is more entitled to be done in different times.
Know also that what some people advertise that yoga brings tranquility and calm is not peculiar to yoga. It is general to anyone who keeps on repeating innovative, polytheist expressions or words with the presence of mind and the concentration on something like a picture.
The scholars mention that the devils land on these people filling their minds and hearts with imaginations and illusions, making them feel a false tranquility which some followers of innovative ways and forms of worship, publicize.
In fact, the true tranquility of the soul and its purity are attained by following the Sunnah and adhering to it as well as remembering Allaah in the way He mentioned in His Book and in the books of Sunnah.
Collins defines yoga as: 'A Hindu system of philosophy aiming at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being:- a state of complete awareness and tranquility through certain physical and mental exercises'.
It is widespread and well known in India since early ages. The original name of this sport in Sanskrit is (Sastanga Soria Namaskar) which means "prostrating for the sun on eight places of the body". This sport has 10 known states among which the fifth stage where the person lays face down on earth touching the ground with his: both hands, the nose, the chest, both knees and the toes. By this one realizes prostrating for the sun on eight organs of the body.
The yoga exercises start with the first state which constitutes a bowing to the worshipped, i.e. the sun. These exercises must be accompanied by a number of words and phrases, which state clearly the worshipping of the sun and the orientation towards it. This is called (Mantra). It is said in a soft voice and regular tone and pitch. These expressions include the 12 names of the sun and here are some of the things they say:
1) Mitraya Nama which means: I bow my head for you O! Friend of everyone.
2) Rafayer Nama which means: I bow my head for you who is glorified by everybody.
3) Suria Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Guider of everyone.
4) Maritchay Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Forcer of the disease out.
5) Safitir Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Giver of life.
6) Bhasakaria Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Source of light.
Some of them add other expressions like:
Um Hram, Um Hraim, Um Hrum, …etc. This means: O! God.
When the Muslims were fighting Hindus, they used to say: Allaahu Akbar and the Hindus used to say: Um Hram (seeking Help from their idol). Longman dictionary defines "Mantra" as "a word or sound that is repeated as a prayer or to help people Meditate in the Hindu or Buddhist religion".
So, we conclude that yoga is not a kind of sport, it is rather an atheist form of worship that the Muslim should not indulge in under any circumstances. Some might wonder: what if the person practices the physical exercises without facing the sun or repeating the mentioned expressions?
The answer is: "If this sport becomes free of atheist expressions and free of facing the sun, bowing for it and greeting it, it is no longer yoga. It becomes some simple physical exercises practiced by all people and there is no harm to practice it provided two things are met:
First, re-ordering the exercises in a way different than the one in yoga and introducing some new situations in it to avoid similarity with yoga.
Second, avoiding practising these exercises in the times the Hindus observe it like at sunrise. The evidence for these two conditions is the narration in which the Prophet said: "Pray the morning prayer and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Satan. That is when the unbelievers prostrate to it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
So, since it is forbidden to perform the prayer at sunset or sunrise to avoid imitating the disbelievers, then doing some other practices that disbelievers devote themselves to do at fixed times is more entitled to be done in different times.
Know also that what some people advertise that yoga brings tranquility and calm is not peculiar to yoga. It is general to anyone who keeps on repeating innovative, polytheist expressions or words with the presence of mind and the concentration on something like a picture.
The scholars mention that the devils land on these people filling their minds and hearts with imaginations and illusions, making them feel a false tranquility which some followers of innovative ways and forms of worship, publicize.
In fact, the true tranquility of the soul and its purity are attained by following the Sunnah and adhering to it as well as remembering Allaah in the way He mentioned in His Book and in the books of Sunnah.
Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {… Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.}[13:28]. Allaah knows best.
IslamWeb has also issued a similar Fatwa on Reiki, the Japanese spiritual healing practice on the 21st of April 2005:
Reiki is similar to yoga, it is based on what they call 'Universal life force energy'. They claim that this force runs freely through every living thing when one is healthy, positive and well. However, during particularly stressful periods in our lives, the tension we experience slows down or restricts this energy flow in various parts of our body adversely affecting our health. The role of the practitioner is to direct the healing energy to the body in order to cure the patient.
In contrast, the cure is not certain at 100%. Furthermore, it is known that believing in this universal life force energy which runs through every living being and that it heals and affects our health is disbelief, because when believing so, one is attributing the dominion of this universe and life to other than Allaah. Allaah says (which means): {And whatever you have of favour, it is from Allaah.}[Qur'an 16:53]. Allaah further says speaking about the Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) (which means): {And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.}[Qur'an 26:80]. Allaah also says (which means): {And if Allaah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good — then He is over all things competent.}[Qur'an 6:17].
Another verse reads (which means): {Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allaah? If Allaah intended me harm, are they removers of His Harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His Mercy?"}[Qur'an 39:38].
In addition to this, it is certain that the practitioner is practicing pagan rites in order to make this 'Universal life force energy' run through the body of the patient, and the patient may be ordered to perform some of these rites. Therefore, it is forbidden to practice this or to go to one of its practitioners.
Allaah knows best.
In contrast, the cure is not certain at 100%. Furthermore, it is known that believing in this universal life force energy which runs through every living being and that it heals and affects our health is disbelief, because when believing so, one is attributing the dominion of this universe and life to other than Allaah. Allaah says (which means): {And whatever you have of favour, it is from Allaah.}[Qur'an 16:53]. Allaah further says speaking about the Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) (which means): {And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.}[Qur'an 26:80]. Allaah also says (which means): {And if Allaah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good — then He is over all things competent.}[Qur'an 6:17].
Another verse reads (which means): {Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allaah? If Allaah intended me harm, are they removers of His Harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His Mercy?"}[Qur'an 39:38].
In addition to this, it is certain that the practitioner is practicing pagan rites in order to make this 'Universal life force energy' run through the body of the patient, and the patient may be ordered to perform some of these rites. Therefore, it is forbidden to practice this or to go to one of its practitioners.
Allaah knows best.
Question
I have a question regarding people who practice Reiki. Is it permissible in Islam to marry someone who practices Reiki, which includes Chinese words chanting and drawing Chinese symbols on body? What should a husband do if he finds out that his wife practices and believes Reiki feverishly and does it even after she prays Salat?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
We have already issued Fatwa 89819 clarifying that it is not permissible to practise this spiritual sport called ''Reiki'', and that it is based on disbelief. However, this does not mean that every person who does this sport goes out of the fold of Islam. Some Muslims may practise it while not knowing that it is linked to some un-Islamic ideologies, so one has to inform them about this, then if they stop practising it, they are Muslims, and they have the same rights and obligations like all other Muslims. In this case it is permissible to marry their women and marry off Muslim women to them. However, if they insist on this after the people who have enough knowledge clarify the truth to them and establish the evidence against them, then it is not permissible give Muslim women to them in marriage or marry their women. The same thing applies to the wife, if she believes in these un-Islamic ideologies which this spiritual sport involves, and did not repent from them after establishing the evidence against her, then it is not permissible to keep her as a wife. Allaah Says (what means): {Likewise, hold not the disbelieving women as wives.}[Quran 60:10].
Nonetheless, it appears that this description does not apply to the wife in question as she performs the prayer, because she might be from the first category of people who do not know that this sport involves disbelief. So, one should explain to her the matter, then if she is not convinced with what her husband tells her, she may ask the scholars whom she trusts to rid her misconceptions.
Allaah Knows best.
Important Note:
For those interested in delving further into this research regarding this parallel energy etc, you can read below and visit the provided link. Though I feel compelled to warn that when reading this material and content, in a certain way one is attracting this creepy energy towards oneself, and it can leave you feeling spiritually drained and affect you adversely. Thus, if you must satisfy your curiosity etc, then kindly do yourself a favour, continue to recite the Ayat-al-kursi before and after and seek Allah-SWT’s protection from all that is evil. Ameen!
JazakAllah Khair:
Dangers of Eastern & New Age Spiritualism :- Chi, Ki, Prana, Mana, Kaa, Shiatsu, Orgone, Kundalini, Yoga, Meditation, Healing, Psi balls, Reiki, tantra
Meditators whose experience could be described in this manner were to check this item. Significantly, it received the highest "loading score" of all 16 items in the category of "Intensification and Change of Consciousness." Ibid., p. 127. The method used was the Verimax Orthogonal Factor Analysis: the loading score was .66
Experiencing a "great surge of energy" was therefore a dominant characteristic of meditative experience. cf. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, "Energy," Sannyas, no. 1, January/February 1978 and the kundalini issue (no. 2, 1976), Rajneesh International Foundation.
The authors related this to the spiritistic mana of Polynesian shamanism and the occult prana, or kundalini, of Hinduism. Osis, et al., "Dimensions of the Meditative Experience," pp. 132-133
Consider other characteristic descriptions: "The force went through and through my body…. It was absolutely wild and intense…. I felt possessed by the energy." This and dozens of similar reports are given in Bubba Free John, Garbage and the Goddess (Lower Lake, DA: Dawn Horse Press, 1974), pp. 69-100 and passim.
One woman described the supernatural power as "entering me and taking over my being.... I was completely possessed…. [It was] taking me over completely…. There was nothing left of the person I thought to be Marie." Ibid., p. 76.
The experience of a surge of energy or power is also related to the cultivation of altered states of consciousness.Osis, et al., "Dimensions of the Meditative Experience," pp. 132-133.
We are convinced that the mysterious, dramatic energy experienced in New Age meditation is characteristically the result of spiritistic influence. That meditation produces energy manifestations clearly associated with primitive shamanism, the occult, and Eastern or Western spiritism, is undeniable. Meditation-induced "energy manifestations" are so often associated with spiritism, that we have no doubt that this energy is not human, and certainly not divine, but demonic. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, "Energy," Sannyas, no. 1, January/February, 1978; see the kundalini issues, Sannyas, no. 2, 1976; also Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, "Suicide or Sannyas," Sannyas, no. 2, 1978; Tal Brooke, Riders of the Cosmic Circuit: Rajneesh, Sai Baba, Muktananda… Gods of the New Age (Batavia, IL: Lion, 1986). (1039/1040/249).
What is called "intensification," or possession by energy, is a core experience in the historical literature of meditation and many occult practices. This "energizing" is experiences as a dramatic and even overwhelming influx of spiritual power. It can be wild or uncontrollable, even deadly. And, irrespective of the interpretation placed on it, it shares characteristics with spirit possession. Abundant literature illustrates this, such as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s The Book of the SecretsBhagwan Shree Rajneesh, The Book of the Secrets, Volume 1: Discourses on Vigyana Bhairava Tantra (New York: Harper Colophon, 1977.;
The above was taken from the following website: http://www.moizhussain.com/reiki-the-healing-touch.html. On reading simply these few paragraphs, coming to the last one, which read "While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not. Because Reiki comes from God, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it." the question that instantly arose was, "Which God?" ... who do these people consider God? ... If it is the same Allah-SWT we are talking about, and this is supposedly spiritual healing we are receiving from Allah-SWT, then why did the Prophet-SAAW not teach this to the Sahabah-RAU and why was it never mentioned in the Quran? ...
6 comments:
I have been practicing Reiki and now put a break because of confusion that is it forbidden in Islam.
Appropriate answer for the above question may be guiding me to take a correct decision to continuing with Reiki.
Reiki is not spiritual, it is scientific in nature. When I started doing reiki, everytime I would close my eyes the word ALLAH would come in front of my eyes. We ask for reiki power from Allah the highest being. As far as the symbols are concerned, I tried reciting darood shareef instead of symbols and it worked perfectly. It is because, the symbols are nothing in hemselves, the meaning of the symbols count which is " i have the power" , "i have the key" and so on. which isnt satanic or anything else.Moreover, you can us ereiki for positive purposes only, if you try todo something engative with it, it simply doesnt work. If it was staanic it would have been otherwise. As far as this thing is concerned that why this wasnt taught to sahaba e karam, well it does run in sufism and besides, because it is truly scientific in nature when you wnat something really badly and focus with your heart and mind, you achieve it. its just that. the reiki practitioner focuses his mind on the solution of the given problem and it disappears.
@ Bushra Sikander
I believe when a fatwa is derived for a particular subject that does not leave room for a lay person to object, reject or comment on the fatwa. If he/she for some reason believes that there is room for further debate they must challenge a Mufti on the particular providing proper references etc.
Also to make random statements like Reiki was practiced by Sufis without providing any authentic reference to your statement is absolutely incorrect.
Lastly, if you are to create your own version of reiki etc the authentic Reiki masters would not accept it as "Reiki" per se. You may as well give it another name and then bring this new form of practice into debate by the Fuqaha etc. However just because you on a personal level had brought about your own twists to reiki etc while practicing it, does not generally make "Reiki" halaal, what it does imply is that what you were practicing was not authentic "Reiki" and hence that practice is not the point of reference or topic under debate.
Jazakillah Khair
REKKI - Healing Power of the Hands - REKKI in Islamic Way is JA'IZ.
I am a Certified REEKI Healer from Karachi, Pakistan.
After Learning REKKI from my REKKI Master, I felt un-easy with the Symbols & Codes conveyed to me during my training. I had doubts that they may be UN-Islamic (KUFRIA-KALIMAT).
So, I altered the Symbol with the image of the word "ALLAH", and altered the Code with the Kalimah "LA E'LAHA IL'ALLAH", and with Zikr-Allah during the REKKI sessions.
Alhamdulillah, I received Astonishing results after these changes.
I have downloaded a FATWA stating that, "As long as there is no Non-Shara'e act performed, and as it is Benificial to Humanity, it is JA'IZ.
In my point of view, Practicing REKKI in a Islamic Way, starting with the name of ALLAH, and NOT using their Original doubted Symbols & Codes, REKKI is perfectly HALAL and JA'IZ, and worth learning and practicing for the Benifit of Mankind.
JAZAKUM'ALLAH KHAIR.
Search REKKI on Google to learn of this Amazing Science.
Syed Khursheed Ali you must share the Fatwa or the online link so that one can see and verify for themselves that what you are claiming is authentic. Also it will depend on which Fiqh has given the following Fatwa, as "Islamic Jurisprudence" is derived through Fiqh and each individual is tried in the court of Shariah Law depending on the Fiqh they follow.
People learn Reiki and try and make it Islamic by substituting the words with Arabic islamic prayers. If you want to help people heal then learn Ruqya. Why do you call it Reiki if you are actually doing ruqya. By calling it Reiki, you give honor to the polytheists. Do it properly and islamically. The Quraan is healing so why do we learn from Buddhists?
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