Sihr - Protection & Cure

Apr 18 / Sh. Ammar Shahin & Zidni Institute Team

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Beneficent.

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and the evil consequences of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, there is none to misguide him. Whoever Allah leads astray, there is none to guide him. I testify there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone, without any partners, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and His Messenger.

Allah Almighty said, “O you who have faith, fear Allah as it is His right to be feared and do not die except as Muslims,” (3:102)

And Allah Almighty said, “Fear Allah, from whom you ask each other, and in your family ties, for Allah is ever watchful over you,” (4:1)

And Allah Almighty said, “Fear Allah and speak words as befitting. He will amend your deeds for you and forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has achieved a great triumph.” (33:70-71)

The truest speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ. The most evil matters are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation. Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.

To proceed:

Shaykh Ammar Shahin has published a video recently on Sihr (magic) and Jinn possession and we ask Allah to reward the shaykh abundantly, Ameen!

That being said, many Muslims have reached out seeking help and we ask Allah to help all the Muslims in all affairs, Ameen! Shaykh Ammar is not able to keep up with the messages, hence we have decided for the time being to publish this post on how you can help yourself to prevent Sihr and steps on what you can do yourself in sha’a Allah.

Sihr - A Known Path to Jahannam

Sihr has existed since ancient times and is clearly affirmed in Islam, as mentioned in the Qur’an and the authentic teachings of the Prophet ﷺ. In earlier generations, the people had a stronger connection to knowledge of the religion, so they were more aware of the reality of sihr and its signs. They understood that harm and benefit are only by the permission of Allah, and they would immediately turn to Him for protection. They guarded themselves with the prescribed adhkar, recitation of the Qur’an—especially Surah Al-Baqarah—and sought refuge in Allah through the authentic du‘as that the Prophet ﷺ taught, thereby strengthening their protection against such harm.

In our time, although sihr still exists, many people have become distant from authentic knowledge. Some deny it completely, while others fall into exaggeration and confusion, unable to distinguish between real affliction and natural problems. Because of this ignorance, people often neglect the proper means of protection, such as daily remembrance, reliance upon Allah, and reciting the legislated ruqyah. Instead, some turn to untrustworthy sources or practices that have no basis in Islam. The correct path is to return to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, to seek protection through sincere tawheed, consistent worship, and the authentic methods of ruqyah, trusting fully that cure and protection come only from Allah.

Is Everything Sihr?

The short answer is, no. Not everything that we may think is caused by sihr. At times there may be some underlying medical conditions and this is why it is always good to first go to a doctor and see whether it is a medical condition or not.


Sometimes it is a physical illness or a mental illness and there is and should be no shame to seek help, especially if a person has traumatic experience or problems with anxiety. This is why it is important to seek medical help as well.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Verily, Allah sent down the disease and the cure, and for every disease He made a cure. Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment by the unlawful.” [Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3874]

Prevention Before Cure

This part is often not talked about properly and many people are not aware of it. As sad as it is, one has to keep in mind that especially online, but not exclusively online, one cannot know what anyone wishes for someone. Hence Muslims end up posting their pictures freely, pictures of their family members, their wealth etc. All this can open a few doors:

  • People who are envious can give someone the evil eye
  • Pictures can be taken to harm a person
  • Verbal abuse that can worsen a mental illness etc.


This is why the first step to avoid these things is to prevent before anything happens. Keep in mind, no one has to see you, we are commanded to lower our gaze anyways, no one has to know what we have. And this is not to say that everything will be caused maliciously, not at all, but sometimes the wish to have something that someone else has can harm another person.

It was narrated that Abu Umamah bin Sahl bin Hunaif said: “‘Amir bin Rabi’ah passed by Sahl bin Hunaif when he was having a bath, and said: ‘I have never seen such beautiful skin.’ Straightaway, he (Sahl) fell to the ground. He was brought to the Prophet ﷺ and it was said: ‘Sahl has had a fit.’ He said: ‘Whom do you accuse with regard to him?’ They said: “ ‘Amir bin Rabi’ah.’ He ﷺ said: ‘Why would any of you kill his brother? If he sees something that he likes, then let him pray for blessing for him.’ Then he called for water, and he told ‘Amir to perform ablution, then he washed his face and his arms up to the elbows, his knees and inside his lower garment, then he told him to pour the water over him.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 3509]

In this example we can clearly see that nothing evil was intended but the mere fact that someone admired what their brother had caused harm.

This hadith teaches us many things:

  1. Someone will always wish something we have even if we do not know
  2. When we see something we like that our brothers or sisters have we must ask Allah for blessings for our brother or sister and this is a prevention before cure. One can do that by saying ‘Barak Allah Feekum’
  3. The reason why this happened is because something was visible, so what cannot be seen unless you show it will protect you from this scenario, so do not post everything
  4. The way the ‘ayn (evil eye) was treated is by the person who is suspected to have given the evil eye performing ablution and the water that falls off of that person to be used to wash the person affected by evil eye. Question here, how do you think you would do that if someone is on a different continent? Important, do not post things and save yourself the headache.


Another thing that can for example cause problems within homes is RIba (usury, interest). Allah says:

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. (2:275)

Jaabir رضي الله عنه said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same.” [Sahih Muslim 1598]

Ibn Kathir mentions in his tafsir that there is no barakah in riba. He quotes the report by Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه : “Riba will end up with less, even if it was substantial.” [Musnad Imam Ahmad & others]

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه : “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah the Almighty is Good and accepts only that which is good. And verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers. So the Almighty has said: “O (you) Messengers! Eat of the tayyibat [all kinds of halal (legal) foods], and perform righteous deeds.” [23:51] and the Almighty has said: “O you who believe! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you.” [2:172]” Then he ﷺ mentioned [the case] of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying “O Lord! O Lord!,” while his food is haram (unlawful), his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished with haram, so how can [his supplication] be answered?” [Sahih Muslim]

The consequences of Riba are not only in the akhirah, but there are also consequences in the dunya. One of the most devastating ones is not getting one’s du’a answered, and du’a is a foundation when it comes to our lives. Everything we do in life has a du’a accompanied with it. This is why every Muslim must seek to refrain from haram income because the haram food and clothes is not necessarily something that is haram on the apparent, like eating pork or wearing inappropriate clothing, but the means by which one gets them also affects what one gets.

Those who are involved in Riba should give it up and seek the pleasure of Allah.

فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged. (2:279)

And how can anything be successful when one is in war with Allah and His Messenger ﷺ? All barakah is stripped away and this can cause many problems within the homes. And we ask ALlah to protect us from that, Ameen!

Is Anyone Safe From It?

The simple answer is, no. However, there are some people who can be easier affected than others due to the lack of worship. This is why it is important to make sure to worship Allah as He has the right to be worshiped.

Allah says:
وَأَن لَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاءً غَدَقًا
And [ Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant provision (72:16)

لِّنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَن يُعْرِضْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِ يَسْلُكْهُ عَذَابًا صَعَدًا
So We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord He will put into arduous punishment. (72:17)

The key lesson we learn from these ayat is that those who abandon the worship of Allah will get punished. Many times people forget that punishment is not only in the grave or Jahannam, but this can also be in this world.

Allah says:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ
And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind." (20:124)

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim A-Jawzeeyah [رحمه الله] said: “When the heart is agitated and has anxiety then there is nothing that will make it tranquil other than the Dhikr [remembrance] of Allaah.” [Madarij As-Salikeen, (3/72)]

The same goes for the opposite, if one turns away from the remembrance of Allah, then anxiety, stress, and depression increase.

This is why it is important to be in a state of dhikr, and there are many adhkar one can do, but one can start with doing the morning and evening adhkar regularly.

Here is a link for an application you can download to help you with the adhkar:


  • For Android you can Download the App by clicking HERE.
  • For iOS you can Download the App by clicking HERE.


This is where one starts. And one can increase slowly step by step in sha’a Allah.
An important takeaway is doing istighfar asking forgiveness from Allah.

Allah says:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah , We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning." (7:96)

And Allah says:
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ لَوْلَا تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
He said, "O my people, why are you impatient for evil instead of good? Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allah that you may receive mercy?" (27:46)

It is as simple as 1+1, if we want something, we must do something first. It is for us to do the first step:

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks of Me when he remembers Me.' By Allah! Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than one of you who unexpectedly finds in the desert his lost camel. 'He who comes closer to Me one span, I come closer to him a cubit; and he who comes closer to Me a cubit, I come closer to him a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running". [Agreed Upon]

What if it is Sihr?

If it is sihr, then one can do the following steps:

  • Make sure to not just know the information, but to let it settle in the heart that Allah is the Only One Who can cure. We do our part, but ultimately it is Allah Who cures.
  • Make du’a seeking help from Allah
  • Stay in the state of ablution for the day as much as you can and perform it before the evening
  • Recite the Qur’an & listen to it. If you do not know many chapters, then recite surah Al-Fatihah as it is a cure, and the whole Qur’an is a cure:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
 O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers. (10:57)

  • Many people think that they need to have some special person reciting for them, but rather the Qur’an is for everyone and everyone can recite it. Do not be discouraged. Do your part.
  • Recite the last chapters from the Qur’an:
    Narrated 'Aishah رضي الله عنها: “Whenever the Prophet ﷺ went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 5017]
  • If you decide to seek someone out for ruqiyah, then make sure the person is not doing anything that goes against Islam. If they write something down, ask for the name of your mother and the likes, then this is not from Islam. Rather ruqiyah is done by reciting the Qur’an, there are du’as related to it, and one can use Zamzam water or water over which the Qur’an was recited to wash oneself and drink it. Make sure to inform yourself about a reliable raqi (person performing ruqiyah)
  • When you seek out someone to perform ruqiyah, start locally. While one can seek help online, the best is to seek someone locally as one can never know how it can affect a person. One can faint during the recitation and no one may be there to help so it can be very dangerous.
  • Make sure to follow the steps you are told, be patient and persistent. Do not act based on assumptions or what you think is right. Do what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have instructed. This is the way.


We hope this post helps you all and will direct you to what is needed in sha’a Allah. We ask Allah to cure all those who are sick and to protect all the Muslims, Ameen!
Empty space, drag to resize

إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

“Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and what you compelled us [to do] of magic. And Allah is better and more enduring. ”

—[Qur’an 20:73]

Empty space, drag to resize