JEDDAH: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a) is cracking down on illegal practitioners of “ruqya” – healing through Qur'anic recitation – and is working with women to ensure the practice follows Shariah Law and is not used to exploit the public. “The Hai'a uses different methods to monitor practitioners of ruqya,” said Abdullah Al-Jarba, head of the Hai'a General Presidency's Cases and Honor Circuit. “Committees send undercover representatives to houses and other locations, and collaborate with female members of security bodies and members of the Hai'a.” Hai'a field committees met last week with Abdul Aziz Al-Humayen, General President of the Hai'a, to discuss the monitoring of ruqya practitioners. According to Al-Jarba, the meeting looked at the unification and distribution of work, and verification that the Prophet's Sunnah is correctly followed in ruqya practice. “Al-Humayen wants to ensure that ruqya practitioners are not violating the Prophet's Sunnah and are not financially exploiting people who seek treatment,” he said. “Violations include collective recitation, recitation over oils, and overcharging for items and materials used in treatment.” Persons arrested and then again return to the same activity upon their release, Al-Jarba warned, face re-arrest and trial before a Shariah Court. “The basic objective of ruqya is to benefit people and expect reward from Allah. The intention should not be to make money. A law is needed to regulate the practice, and the Hai'a is finding it difficult to monitor because practitioners are always on the move, making it hard to track them down. Some use rest houses and public places, which are not suitable and do not comply with hygiene standards,” he said.
