Tuesday 19 March 2019

Explanation of Allaah's Name Ash-Shaafee



  Ash Shaafee   الشَّافِي The One who Cures (Summarized version)

Taken from the book ‘Mukhtasir Fiqhul Asmaa al Husnaa’ by Shaykh ‘AbdurRazzaaq ‘Abdul Muhsin al Badr.[1]

The Shaykh’s Summarized Version:

Ash-Shaafee The One who Cures is from the Names found authentically in the Prophetic Sunnah. It is authentically recorded in the two Saheehs from ‘Aa’ishah رضي الله عنها who said:
The Prophet () used to treat some of his wives by passing his right hand over the place of ailment and used to say, "O Allah, Lord of the people! Remove the harm and heal the patient, for You are The Healer. There is no cure except Your cure; healing that will leave behind no ailment."[2]
 
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُعَوِّذُ بَعْضَ أَهْلِهِ، يَمْسَحُ بِيَدِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَيَقُولُ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِه وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ‏"‏‏.‏

The meaning of Ash-Shaafee is the One from whom comes the cure - cure the chests from doubt, uncertainties, envy, jealously and other than those from the diseases of the heart. Cure the body from illnesses and defects and no-one else is able to do this. There is no cure except His cure and no-one can cure except Him. As Ibraaheem al Khaleel عليه السلام said,

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me. [Shu’araa 26:80]

This means He alone is the One to cure, without partners. Due to this it is a must upon every adult to have firm belief that there is no-one to cure except Allaah.

Due to this, from the best ways to Allaah جل وعلا in seeking a cure from illnesses and diseases is seeking nearness tawassul by singling Him out alone for Lordship and that the cure is in His Hand alone. There is no cure for anyone except by His permission. The command is His command, the creation is His creation. Everything is by His direction. What He willed happened and what He did not will, did not happen and there is no might nor strength except from Him.

This, the servant’s belief and faith that The Shaafee The One to cure is Allaah alone and that the cure is in His Hand, does not prevent him from seeking beneficial means of therapy, treatment or taking beneficial medicines. There are many ahaadeeth from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم regarding treatment with the mention of beneficial good medicines and that does not negate reliance tawakkul upon Allaah or the belief that the cure is in His Hand.
Bukhaaree relates in his Saheeh from Aboo Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet () said,
"There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment."[3]
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً ‏"‏‏.‏

In the Musnad Usaamah bin Shareek  رضي الله عنه said, the Messenger of Allaah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said,
“Allaah did not send down a sickness except that He sent down its cure, whether a person knows it or not or is ignorant of it or not.”[4]
" مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ دَاءً، إِلَّا قَدْ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً، عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ، وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَه "

I ask Allaah the Mighty, the Lord of the people, the remover of harm, the One who cures without whom there is no cure except His, to cure our sick and the Muslims who are sick.

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[1] Translated by Umm ‘AbdirRahmaan Tara Hashim 1440/2019.  www.Allaahsbeautifulnames.blogspot.com
[2] Saheeh al-Bukhari 5743
[3] Sahih al-Bukhari 5678
[4] Ahmad recorded it 4/278; Aboo Daawood 3855; Ibn Hibbaan 486; Al-Haakim 1/121 and others with an authentic chain. 




  Ash Shaafee   الشَّافِي The One who Cures (Full version)[1]

Taken from the book ‘Fiqhul Asmaa al Husnaa’ by Shaykh ‘AbdurRazzaaq ‘Abdul Muhsin al Badr.

Ash-Shaafee The One who Cures is from the Names found authentically in the Prophetic Sunnah. It is authentically recorded in the two Saheehs from ‘Aa’ishah رضي الله عنها who said:
The Prophet () used to treat some of his wives by passing his right hand over the place of ailment and used to say, "O Allah, Lord of the people! Remove the harm and heal the patient, for You are The Healer. There is no cure except Your cure; healing that will leave behind no ailment."[2]

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُعَوِّذُ بَعْضَ أَهْلِهِ، يَمْسَحُ بِيَدِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَيَقُولُ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِه وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ‏"‏‏.‏

In another narration by her she said, the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ whenever any of us would be ill, he would wipe him with his right hand then say (and she mentioned the du’aa).

In a narration she said, ‘Indeed the Messenger of Allaah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ would make ruqyah with this ruqyah… and she mentioned it.

It is authentic in Saheeh al Bukhaaree that ‘Abdul `Aziz bin Suhayb رضي الله عنه said,
Thabit and I went to Anas bin Malik. Thabit said, "O Abu Hamza! I am sick." On that Anas said, "Shall I treat you with the Ruqyah of Allah's Messenger ()?" Thabit said, "Yes," Anas recited, "O Allah! The Lord of the people, the Remover of harm! Heal! For You are The Healer. None brings about healing but You; a healing that will leave behind no ailment."[3]

عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، قَالَ دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَثَابِتٌ، عَلَى أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ فَقَالَ ثَابِتٌ يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ اشْتَكَيْتُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَنَسٌ أَلاَ أَرْقِيكَ بِرُقْيَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ مُذْهِبَ الْبَاسِ اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شَافِيَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ‏"‏‏.‏

The meaning of Ash-Shaafee is the One from whom comes the cure - cure the chests from doubt, uncertainties, envy, jealously and other than those from the diseases of the heart. Cure the body from illnesses and defects and no-one else is able to do this. There is no cure except His cure and no-one can cure except Him. As Ibraaheem al Khaleel عليه السلام said,

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me. [Shu’araa 26:80]

This means He alone is the One to cure, without partners. Due to this it is a must upon every adult to have firm belief that there is no-one to cure except Allaah. The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ made this clear by saying لاَ شَافِيَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ There is none to cure except you.

Due to this, from the best ways to Allaah جل وعلا in seeking a cure from illnesses and diseases is seeking nearness tawassul by singling Him out alone for Lordship and that the cure is in His Hand alone. There is no cure for anyone except by His permission. The command is His command, the creation is His creation. Everything is by His direction. What 
He willed happened and what He did not will, did not happen and there is no might nor strength except from Him.

The Prophet’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ saying اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ   ‘O Allaah, Lord of the people’ contains tawassul seeking nearness to Allaah through His Lordship over all peoples, by their creation, managing their affairs and directing them. In Allaah’s Hand is life and death, health and sickness, wealth and poverty, strength and weakness.

His saying أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ ‘remove the harm’ harm means sickness, difficulty and illness.
In the hadeeth of Anas رضي الله عنه the wording is اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ مُذْهِبَ الْبَاسِ O Allah! The Lord of the people, the Remover of harm! In this is tawassul seeking nearness to Allaah سبحانه that He alone is the One to remove harm and the harm cannot be removed from a servant except by His permission and will سبحانه.

His saying, اشْفِه وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي ‘Heal! For You are The Healer’ contains a request for Allaah to cure which is wellness and security from sickness. It is seeking nearness to Allaah عز وجل using this great Name indicating that He alone is singled out for cure and that the cure is in His Hand.

His saying لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ،  ‘there is no cure except Your cure’ is reinforcement of the previous statement and emphasis that treatment will not occur unless it is from Allaah عز وجل. If treatment and medicine do not correspond to permission from Allaah for well-being and cure it will not benefit or be useful.

His saying  شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ‘healing that will leave behind no ailment’. Meaning it does not leave behind sickness or disease.

It is authentically reported in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Sa'eed رضي الله عنه reported that Jibreel came to Allaah's Messenger () and said:

O Muhammad, have you fallen ill? Thereupon he said: Yes. He (Jibreel) said: "In the name of Allaah I make ruqyah over you from everything that may harm you and from the evil of every person or eye of the jealous one. Allaah cure you in the name of Allah I make ruqyah over you." [4]

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ صُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ اشْتَكَيْتَ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ ‏.‏

This, the servant’s belief and faith that The Shaafee The One to cure is Allaah alone and that the cure is in His Hand, does not prevent him from seeking beneficial means of therapy, treatment or taking beneficial medicines. There are many ahaadeeth from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم regarding treatment with the mention of beneficial good medicines and that does not negate reliance tawakkul upon Allaah or the belief that the cure is in His Hand.

Jaabir رضي الله عنه  reported Allah's Messenger () as saying:

There is a remedy for every sickness, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.[5]
 
عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءٌ فَإِذَا أُصِيبَ دَوَاءُ الدَّاءِ بَرَأَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Bukhaaree relates in his Saheeh from Aboo Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet () said,

"There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment."[6]
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً ‏"‏‏.‏

In the Musnad Usaamah bin Shareek  رضي الله عنه said, the Messenger of Allaah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said,

“Allaah did not send down a sickness except that He sent down its cure, whether a person knows it or not or is ignorant of it or not.”[7]

" مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ دَاءً، إِلَّا قَدْ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً، عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ، وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَه "

These ahaadeeth contain affirmation of the means and the causes, the order to seek treatment and that it does not negate putting your trust in Allaah عز وجل. The reality of putting your trust tawakkul in Allaah is the heart relying upon Allaah to attain what benefits the servant in his religion and his worldly life and repelling what harms him in his religion and his worldly life. It is necessary along with reliance to take beneficial means. Just how hunger and thirst is repelled by eating and drinking and that does not negate faith in Allaah’s saying

And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink. [Shu’araa 26:79]

The same applies to repelling sickness with beneficial treatment and useful medicines and that does not negate faith in Allaah’s saying

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me. [Shu’araa 26:80]

Indeed the reality of tawakkul putting trust in Allaah is not complete until the means have been taken which Allaah has placed to realise the causes that are predestined and legislated and which if they are not used there is a defect in tawakkul itself.

In the saying of the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‘for every sickness there is a cure’ is a support for the patient himself and the doctor. There is an encouragement to seek out that medicine and search for it. From the Prophetic guidance is that he used to treat himself and order the one who fell sick from amongst his family and companions to do so. Look at his guidance in this issue in detail in the chapter entitled ‘Prophetic Medicine’ in the book ‘Zaad al Ma’aad fee Hadee Khayril ‘Ibaad’ by the Allaamah Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله.

A servant must know about three matters in relation to taking the means:

  1. Not to take it as a means unless it is proved to be a means in the legislation or by decree.
  2. That the servant does not depend upon the means, rather he relies upon the One who makes it a means and decrees it alongside establishing what is legislated from it and being careful to seek the benefits from them.
  3. That he knows that the means, however great and strong, are tied to Allaah’s Predestination and perfect precision in execution and they cannot go beyond that. Allaah does what He wills with them – if He wills, the means will take effect and if He wills, He changes them however He wishes. So the servant does not rely upon them and so he knows the perfection of His Ability. To Allaah alone belongs absolute action and will as was previously mentioned in the saying of the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‘You are Ash-Shaafee the One to cure and there is no cure except Your cure.’

I ask Allaah the Mighty, the Lord of the people, the remover of harm, the One who cures without whom there is no cure except His, to cure our sick and the Muslims who are sick.

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[1] Translated by Umm ‘AbdirRahmaan Tara Hashim 1440/2019.  www.Allaahsbeautifulnames.blogspot.com
[2] Saheeh al-Bukhari 5743
[3] Saheeh al-Bukhari 5742
[4] Saheeh Muslim 2186.
[5] Saheeh Muslim 2204
[6] Sahih al-Bukhari 5678
[7] Ahmad recorded it 4/278; Aboo Daawood 3855; Ibn Hibbaan 486; Al-Haakim 1/121 and others with an authentic chain. 

full version




summarized version