Is there Shifa in the soil of Madinah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

There is a Hadith in Madinah that has be used as evidence for the soil of Madinah containing Shifa (healing). However, the majority of scholars said it is relevant to all soil. As for particular places in Madinah having healing soil, narrations for those are found in books of history not the well-known books of Hadith. So the authenticity is questionable.

Explanation

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا اشْتَكَى الْإِنْسَانُ الشَّيْءَ مِنْهُ، أَوْ كَانَتْ بِهِ قَرْحَةٌ أَوْ جُرْحٌ، قَالَ: النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ هَكَذَا، وَوَضَعَ سُفْيَانُ سَبَّابَتَهُ بِالْأَرْضِ، ثُمَّ رَفَعَهَا بِاسْمِ اللهِ، تُرْبَةُ أَرْضِنَا، بِرِيقَةِ بَعْضِنَا، لِيُشْفَى بِهِ سَقِيمُنَا، بِإِذْنِ رَبِّنَا

(Sayidah) Aishah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) narrated that when any person fell ill, had an injury or wound the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would do like this with his finger (Sufyan placed his index finger upon the ground) then lift it. (Reciting) In the name of Allah, the soil of our land with the saliva of one of us, may our sick be cured by the permission of our Lord. (Sahih Muslim, 2194 – 54).

In the Hadith narration above, we find our blessed Prophet ﷺ using soil as part of Ruqyah (cure through recital). It is assumed that this was the soil of Madinah Sharif. Therefore, some people say that there is Shifa in it. However, the Hadith is not limiting this Ruqyah practice to soil in Madinah.

Applicable to all soil?

According to Imam al-Nawawi, the majority of scholars say that the Ruqyah in the Hadith is not restricted to the soil of Madinah Sharif. However, a minority did hold that opinion. Therefore, according to the dominant view the Hadith does not prove that there is Shifa in the soil of Madinah. Rather there is Shifa in soil generally.

قَالَ جُمْهُورُ الْعُلَمَاءِ الْمُرَادُ بِأَرْضِنَا هُنَا جُمْلَةُ الْأَرْضِ وَقِيلَ أَرْضُ الْمَدِينَةِ خَاصَّةً لِبَرَكَتِهَا وَالرِّيقَةُ أَقَلُّ مِنَ الرِّيقِ وَمَعْنَى الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّهُ يَأْخُذُ مِنْ رِيقِ نَفْسِهِ عَلَى أُصْبُعِهِ السَّبَّابَةِ ثُمَّ يَضَعُهَا عَلَى التُّرَابِ فَيَعْلَقُ بِهَا مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ فَيَمْسَحُ بِهِ عَلَى الْمَوْضِعِ الْجَرِيحِ أَوِ الْعَلِيلِ وَيَقُولُ هَذَا الْكَلَامَ فِي حَالِ الْمَسْحِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. (المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج)

The majority of scholars said that what is meant by our land here is all land. However, it was said the land of Madinah specifically due to its blessings. And Reeqah is less than Reeq. The meaning of the Hadith is that he puts some of his own saliva on his index finger and then places it on the soil. Thereby picking up some of it. Then he wipes with it the wounded or afflicted area. And he says these words whilst wiping. And Allah knows best. (Imam Abu Zakariyah al-Nawawi 676H, Sharh Sahih Muslim).

As we see in the Nass (text) above, the Ruqyah found in the Hadith is to be done with any soil from the earth. It is not specific to the soil of Madinah Sharif. That is the majority position. In the following Nass Imam Ali al-Qari mentions a third view.

وَالْمُرَادُ بِأَرْضِنَا جُمْلَةُ الْأَرْضِ كَذَا قَالُوا، وَقِيلَ أَرْضُ الْمَدِينَةِ خَاصَّةً لِبَرَكَتِهَا. قُلْتُ: وَيُحْتَمَلُ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِأَرْضِنَا أَرْضَ الْإِسْلَامِ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)

What is meant by our land is all land. That is what they said. And it was said that the land of Madinah specifically due to its blessing. I say: It is possible that what is meant by our land is the land of Islam. (Imam Ali al-Qari 1014H, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).  

Thus we see that the third opinion is that the Hadith refers to all Muslim lands. Therefore, soil from any Muslim land can be used for Shifa. Nevertheless, the majority opinion remains that soil from anywhere can be used to carry out the Prophetic Ruqyah mentioned in the Hadith above.

The method

As for the method of carrying out this Ruqyah, it was mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi in his commentary (above). The following Hadith narration supports his explanation.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا رَأَى مَرِيضًا أَخَذَ تُرَابًا فَجَعَلَ فِيهِ مِنْ رِيقِهِ ثُمَّ جَعَلَهُ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: تُرْبَةٌ أَرْضِنَا بِرِيقَةِ بَعْضِنَا يُشْفَى سَقِيمُنَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّنَا

(Sayidah) Aishah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ saw a sick person, he would take soil and put some of his saliva in it. Then he ﷺ would put it on him. He ﷺ would say: The soil of our land with the saliva of one of us. Our sick will be healed, with the permission of our Lord. (Tabarani al-Dua, 1112).

Conclusion

There is Shifa in the soil of Madinah. However, that is because there is Shifa in all soil. It is not specific or limited to Madinah Sharif.  This is based upon the authentic Hadith from Sahih Muslim. That narration does not limit Shifa to the soil of Madinah.

As for narrations that do specify locations within Madinah Sharif they are found in books of history. Not the well-known books of Hadith. So, the authenticity is questionable.

Therefore, it would not be incorrect for someone to say that there is Shifa in the soil of Madinah. However, it would be important to clarify that such Shifa is not restricted to the soil of Madinah.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (09.02.2025)