Sunan Abu Dawud #3898

Medicine (Kitab Al-Tibb)
Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي السَّفَرِ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ الصَّلْتِ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، أَنَّهُ مَرَّ - قَالَ - فَرَقَاهُ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ غُدْوَةً وَعَشِيَّةً كُلَّمَا خَتَمَهَا جَمَعَ بُزَاقَهُ ثُمَّ تَفَلَ فَكَأَنَّمَا أُنْشِطَ مِنْ عِقَالٍ فَأَعْطَوْهُ شَيْئًا فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ مَعْنَى حَدِيثِ مُسَدَّدٍ ‏.‏
He recited Surat al-Fatihah over him for three days morning and evening. Whenever he finished it, he collected some of his saliva and spat it out, and he seemed as if he were set free from a bond. They gave him something as payment. He then came to the Prophet (ﷺ). He then transmitted the rest of the tradition to the same effect as Musaddad narrated.
Narrated by Kharijah b. al-Salt quoted his parental uncle as saying that he passed (some people) :

Context

This hadith narrates an incident where a man recited Surah al-Fatihah over a person who was considered mentally ill for three days. The act of recitation, combined with the man's saliva, is described as having a healing effect, showcasing the power of prayer and the recitation of the Quran in seeking help for those in distress. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) later affirmed the legitimacy of accepting payment for such acts, highlighting the balance between spiritual practice and worldly compensation.

Modern Application

In modern life, this principle can be applied through the practice of seeking help through prayer and spiritual means when facing challenges. It also reminds us that while spiritual acts can be selfless, it is acceptable to receive compensation for services rendered, as long as they are rooted in genuine intention.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Conduct because it illustrates the Prophet's (ﷺ) approval of using Quranic recitation as a means of healing and the acceptance of compensation for such acts.

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And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you to believe [completely] in Allah and His Messenger; and those are the limits [set by] Allah. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
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So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allah] in the morning and afternoon.
وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُۥ بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ مَرْضِيًّۭا
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About Sunan Abu Dawud

This hadith is #3898 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Medicine (Kitab Al-Tibb). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Kharijah b. al-Salt quoted his parental uncle as saying that he passed (some people) :.

About This Hadith