JEDDAH – The Mayoralty of Jeddah has clarified that it does not issue permits for faith healers, or Ruqyiah reciters, to practice in the city. Bashir Abu Najam, Director of Licenses and Trade Control at the Mayoralty, said this was because the activity does not fall under any commercial practice. He pointed out that the mayoralty, as a routine procedure, would not allow anyone without a proper permit to display signboards about their practice in public. “We normally advise people who provide such services to remove signs from their location. If they fail to respond, a complaint will be lodged in the administrative court,” Al-Hayat newspaper quoted Najam as saying. But many buildings hosting commercial offices in the city have their entrances filled with signboards of not only doctors and engineers but also faith healers who perform Ruqyiah reciting and family counseling. In one such prominent building in Jeddah, the signboard of a well-known faith healer is displayed. The man sees patients at his clinic after Asr prayers and visits are only by appointments. Shehab Mohiuldeen, the building's administrator, told Al-Hayat that the there was no fixed fee for the sheikh. He accepts whatever amount paid by the patients, which usually is between SR200 and SR300. “The course generally involves recital of the Qur'anic verses, but if the case requires treatment, the sheikh prescribes honey and black cinnamon seed mixed with olive oil and Zamzam water packed in a small bag. He charges SR500 for this,” Mohiuldeen said. Dr. Muhammad Al-Humaid, a psychiatrist, said 90 percent of the cases he sees already have visited faith healers and they come to him when their conditions do not show signs of improvement. He attributed this to a lack of awareness in society about psychological diseases. Al-Humaid said most people who visit the Ruqyiah reciters are suffering from psychiatric diseases and they resort to this because of weak faith. “They don't realize the actual healer is Almighty Allah and not the sheikhs,” he said. – SG
