Healing with energy and reiki

Question: 284674

Nowadays, what is known as alternative medicine has become widespread. One type thereof is what is known as energy healing, or is also known as reiki. In our country, it is taught to us in training courses which lead to the awarding of internationally recognized certificates. As I am interested in this field, I wanted to learn it, but then I found myself feeling uncomfortable about it, so I decided to research its origins, and I found that it is a kind of healing that is based on misguided beliefs. Moreover, what they call Buddhism is a religion, and unfortunately this healing will be of no benefit unless the person is a Buddhist, Allah forbid. In other words, this energy healing is haraam according to scholarly consensus, because it is a call to shirk first and foremost. But I wanted to be more certain. As I mentioned above, it is a kind of science that is currently being taught to us as a separate subject, and the one who takes this training will graduate with a certificate that is internationally recognized in this field. I wanted to ask the professor who teaches this course, and he responded to me by saying: “Wa ‘alaykum as-salaam, welcome. Do you think that if this was haraam or based on what you read about on the Internet that I would teach it to others? On the Internet there is a great deal of misinformation, and these branches of knowledge are not only one topic. Perhaps you know that one of these remedies, hijaamah (cupping), is not an Islamic invention. It is a kind of healing that is based on energy. Acupuncture is another form of healing that is based on energy, and it was recognized by the World Health Organisation in the seventies. What will be taught in December is based on the body’s energy and how we can use this energy for healing, just as the one who knows martial arts knows what he should do to conserve his energy in order to be able to fight or defend himself. I cannot explain everything here, but I wanted to give you an idea. If you feel comfortable, then attend the course as doctors, raaqis [those who perform ruqyah], shaykhs, professors, healers and others have attended it before you, and they did not see anything wrong with it.”

What is the ruling on that? Is it possible that if the cause of it being haraam is removed, one may learn it?

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Healing with vital energy is a new form of treatment that is based on lies and charlatanry in order to consume people’s wealth unlawfully. It is a kind of healing that has Buddhist origins and is based on myths.

Dr Fawz Kurdi – may Allah preserve her – has discussed many of these remedies and proven them to be baseless in her widely-read articles and on her personal website, then in her doctoral thesis which is entitled al-Madhaahib al-Falsafiyyah al-Ilhaadiyyah ar-Roohiyyah wa Tatbeeqaatuha al-Mu‘aasirah (Heretical, spiritual, philosophical views and their modern applications).

There you will find a discussion of healing with Reiki and healing with Qigong (Chi Kung), and a statement that these are idolatrous practices mixed with lies, charlatanry and magic, even though their practitioners claim that they promote human development or have psychological benefits.

You should understand that such matters are emphatically prohibited and are very dangerous, because in the world today there is a very active promotion of Buddhism that is concealed under the name of healing and exercise.

There can be no comparison between these idolatrous, charlatan practices and hijaamah (cupping), which is based on drawing blood, or acupuncture, which is subject to further discussion:

1.. If acupuncture is limited to inserting needles in certain parts of the body for which it has been proven through repeated experiments that insertion of needles is of benefit, then there is nothing wrong with that, provided that this treatment is done by a trustworthy doctor.

2.. But if the practitioner claims that the places where the needles are inserted are points on meridians along which life force energy (qi or chi) flows, which connects the created being to the Absolute Being, and that the needles treat the problems that are found on these meridians, this idea is connected to the false idolatrous beliefs of the Chinese, so it is not permissible to seek healing from those who claim that and promote these corrupt beliefs.

Unfortunately, acupuncture did not become popular in modern times except when the international esoteric movement adopted it in order to promote their beliefs, before it was used for health and healing.

No attention should be paid to what the trainers say, because some of them are ignorant and do not know, and some of them are blinded by the desire for wealth and fame. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.

For more information, please see:

1.. at-Tatbeeqaat al-Mu‘aasirah li Falsafat al-Istishfaa’ ash-Sharqiyyah: Diraasah ‘Aqdiyyah, by Dr. Haifa’ bint Naasir ar-Rasheed.

2.. al-Ihtisaab ‘ala Munkaraat at-Tibb al-Badeel, by Professor ‘Aa’ishah bint Muhammad ash-Shamsaan.

3.. Athar al-Falsafat ash-Sharqiyyah wa’l-‘Aqaa’id al-Wathaniyyah fi Baraamij at-Tadreeb wa’l-Istishfaa’ al-Mu‘aasirah. Dr. Fawz bint ‘Abd al-Lateef Kurdi.

And Allah knows best.

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