Common Terms Used on This Blog

This page explains common terms you will see across Risālatul Khayr, especially in the ruqyah and spiritual healing content.

Core unseen terms

‘Ayn (Evil Eye)
Harm that occurs by Allah’s permission through envy, admiration, or an ill-intentioned gaze. ‘Ayn is real, but not every hardship is ‘ayn.

Hasad (Envy)
A disease of the heart where a person dislikes a blessing on someone else and wishes it to be removed. Hasad can remain internal, or it can lead to action. Hasad and ‘ayn overlap, but they are not identical.

Sihr (Magic / Witchcraft)
Intentional harm carried out through ritual practices that involve devils and disobedience to Allah. Sihr is not “energy work” or vague darkness. It has a real mechanism in revelation and is one of the major sins.

Jinn
A creation of Allah made from smokeless fire. Jinn are real, accountable to Allah, and not all jinn are harmful. Some jinn interfere with humans through whispering, disturbance, or other forms of harm.

Shaytan / Shayatin
Shaytan refers to the rebellious devils from jinn and humans who call to misguidance. “Shayatin” is the plural. Their main tools are whispering, deception, and pushing people toward sin and despair.

Waswas
Whispering thoughts that push a person toward fear, doubt, despair, obsession, or sin. Waswas can be a normal test for believers and does not automatically mean possession.

Qadar
Allah’s decree. Belief in qadar does not mean passivity. Islam teaches both: trust in Allah and taking the means.

Treatment and protection terms

Ruqyah
Recitation for healing and protection using the Qur’an, authentic du‘as, and permissible supplications, with correct belief that cure is only from Allah. Ruqyah is a Sunnah tool and the core treatment for unseen afflictions.

Adhkar
Daily remembrances and supplications taught in the Sunnah. This includes morning and evening adhkar, sleep adhkar, and other protective du‘as.

Mu‘awwidhat / Mu‘awwidhatayn
Refers to the protective surahs used for seeking refuge. Mu‘awwidhat often refers to al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, and al-Nas. Mu‘awwidhatayn usually refers specifically to al-Falaq and al-Nas.

Ayat al-Kursi
The verse (2:255) widely used for protection, especially after salah and before sleep.

Surah al-Baqarah in the home
A Sunnah-based practice that strengthens the home environment against shayatin. Many people use regular recitation of al-Baqarah as part of home protection.

Ruqyah water
Water over which Qur’an has been recited, used as a permissible means of treatment. It can be drunk, used for washing, and applied in practical ways, with the belief that cure is from Allah.

Ruqyah oil
Oil over which Qur’an and du‘as have been recited, used for massage and practical application. A supportive tool that does not replace ruqyah recitation.

Hijamah (Cupping)
Wet cupping, a Sunnah-based remedy that can support physical symptoms. It is a means, not a replacement for ruqyah.

Sadaqah
Voluntary charity. Many believers find that charity softens hardship and brings barakah. It is part of spiritual resilience and taking the means.

Key “boundaries” terms

Tawheed
Worshipping Allah alone without partners. This is the foundation of healing. Any treatment that compromises tawheed is not acceptable, even if it appears to “work.”

Shirk
Associating partners with Allah. This includes seeking help from the unseen in ways Allah did not permit, using amulets with unknown content, fortune-telling, or rituals involving devils.

Ta‘weez (Amulets)
Commonly used culturally for “protection.” Practices vary widely. In this blog, we emphasise safe, clear, Qur’an-and-Sunnah protection methods and warn against amulets with unknown content, symbols, or practices linked to shirk.

Fortune-telling / Soothsaying
Any attempt to access the unseen through methods Allah did not permit (reading cups, stars, birth calculations, “spiritual scans,” etc.). Islam warns strongly against this.

How to use this glossary

If you come across a term in a post and you are not sure what it means, return here. If you think we should add a term that appears frequently, contact us and we will include it.