Ash-Shaafee (The One Who Cures)

Source:

• An-Nahj Al-Asma Fii Sharh Asma’u-Allahul-Husna, by Shaikh Muhammad Al-Humoud Al-Najdi.

• Riyadh us-Saliheen, published by Dar-us-Salam.

This Name has been mentioned in the following narration reported by al-Bukhari in the Book of Patients:

’Aisha (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) narrated: Whenever Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) paid a visit to a patient, or a patient was brought to him, he used to invoke Allah, saying:

أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْس ربَّ النّاسِ ، اشْفِ وأَنْتَ الشّافي ، لا شِفاءَ إلّا شِفَاؤُكَ ، شِفاءً لا يُغَادِرُ سَقَماً

“Adh-hibil-baas Rabban-nass, Ishfi wa antash-Shaafee, laa shifaa’ illaa shifaa’ok, shifaa’an laa yughadiru saqama.”

“Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people. Cure him as You are the One Who cures. There is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease.” [Al-Bukhari]

The meaning of this Name:

Al-Haleemi said: “Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) is the One Who cures the breasts from doubts and suspicions, from envy and hatred. He is the One Who cures the bodies from sicknesses and blights. No one is capable of doing that except Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala), and no one can be called by this Name except Him (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala).

Ash-Shifaa’ in the Arabic language means the removal of that which harms or causes pain to the body. [Al-Asma’ by al-Baihaqi]

The impact of believing in this Name:

1 – To know that Allah, the Blessed and the Most High, is the Real Shaafee, Who cures every blight, sickness, or infirmity, in the body or in the self.

The statement of Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) in the Hadith: “Cure (him) as You are the One Who cures,” is a proof that the absolute Shaafee is Allah Alone and none else.

Al-Qurtubi (Rahimahullaah) said: “It is incumbent upon every adult to believe that there is absolutely no shaafee except Allah, Alone, as the Prophet  (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) clarified in his statement, ‘There is no Shaafee except You.’”

We must believe that the Shifaa’ (healing) is from and by Allah, and the medicine that is used does not have the power of healing; it is only the means which Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) has created to cause healing. Healing should not be attributed to medicines or other things. If Allah wills, He could create the healing without any means or cause. When Jibril (‘Alayhis-salaam) recited the Ruqya on the Prophet Muhammad  (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam), he  (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “In the Name of Allah, I recite Ruqya (i.e. Qur’an) to treat you from everything that harms you, and from the evil of every soul and of the eye of anyone who envies. O Allah! Heal him. In the Name of Allah, I recite Ruqya to treat you.” [Muslim]

His statement indicates that the Ruqya is from Allah which He  (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) has made as a means of healing.” [Al-Kitab al-Asma]

2 – To know that Allah  (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) is the One Who cures the souls and the bodies from their sicknesses. Allah  (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) revealed the Noble Qur’an as a healing and a mercy for His slaves; as He said in Surat al-Isra’ (17:82):

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَاراً

“And We send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Dhalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) in nothing but loss.”

Imam at-Tabari said: “Allah  (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) tells Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) that He has revealed to him the Qur’an which is a cure and a mercy for the believers; it takes away whatever is in their hearts of doubt, hypocrisy, Shirk, confusion, and ignorance. The Qur’an cures all of that. It is also a mercy through which one attains faith and wisdom and seeks goodness.

This is only for those who believe in it, accept it as truthful and act upon its commandments [by performing all what is good and lawful and abstaining from all the prohibitions]; accordingly, they will be admitted into Paradise, and saved from Hell-Fire. Therefore, the Qur’an is a mercy and a blessing bestowed by Allah upon them.

وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَاراً

“and it increases the wrong-doers in nothing but loss.”

He (At-Tabari) (Rahimahullaah) added: “As for the disbelievers (who are wronging themselves by their disbelief), the Qur’an does not increase them except in loss, because whenever a command or a prohibition from Allah is sent down, they disbelieve, do not act upon the commandment and do not abstain from the prohibitions. Therefore, it increases them in loss and it adds suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt.” [Tafseer at-Tabari 5/63]

As regards our bodies, Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) sent down the disease and sent down its treatment (or medicine). There are those who know it (the medicine) and there are those who ignore it.

Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “There is no disease that Allah has sent down, except that He also has sent down its treatment.” [Al-Bukhari]

He (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: “Every disease has a medicine, so if the medicine is used, one gets cured by the leave (power) of Allah.” [Muslim]

He (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: “Verily! Allah did not sent down a disease but He also sent down a cure for it; there are those who know it and there are those who ignore it.” [Ahmed, Ibn Majah and al-Hakim]

Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullaah) said, commenting on the Hadiths related to sickness and medicine in Sahih al-Bukhari: “One may conclude that:

a) One should not treat himself with unlawful medicines.

b) Ash-Shifaa’ (cure) is dependent on the right quantity and the right way. Any excessive amount or way of treatment will not be beneficial, on the contrary, it may cause another disease to come.

c) Not all medicines are known by everyone.

d) The means is affirmed. That is to say: one should take the means of healing and that does not negate or contradict the Tawakkul (i.e. one’s trust in Allah), especially if one believes that a cure is by Allah’s Leave and Decree and that the medicine will not cure by itself, but as Allah has decreed it to be.

e) Medicine could be turned into a disease if Allah has decreed that; this is what is pointed to in the aforementioned Hadith which states, “By Allah’s Leave.” Healing depends on Allah’s Will and Decree.

f) Taking medicine does not negate the Tawakkul (putting one’s trust in Allah) as one avoids the destructive matters and makes Du’aa asking for well-being and for the harms to be driven away.” [Al-Fat-h 10/135]