Is Habatus-Saudaa a cure for CoronaVirus?

Q&A Telephone conversation with Dr Sharaafudeen Gbadebo Raji (May ALlaah preserve him upon goodness.)

Questioner: I want to ask.. just as it has been reported in an Hadith of the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) that Habatus Sauda (Black seed) is a cure for all illness. And we have seen some (persons) even swearing in the name of ALlaah that they know the cure to Corona Virus and are using the hadith as evidence. So how do we understand the Hadith. Should we accept it in its entirety?

Answer

The hadith about Habatus Sauda (having cure for all illness) is authentic and there is no doubt about it. But truly, we should not misunderstand the sayings (Hadith) of the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam), especially for one whose understanding is not based on scholarly position. Because if one decided to understand an Hadith without the position of the scholars, it would lead to grave misunderstanding and misrepresentations being spread.

When the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) said Habatus Sauda is a cure for all illness and diseases, and we have seen various sickness and diseases in the world today, in which (some) of them, man have been able to find a cure (for) it and some they have not found (cure).

So Nobody would say why can’t we use Habatus Sauda for the ones that (cure) have not been found. For example, the one that have cancer or any illness from the various ones we have in the world today, and such person said he has used Habatus Sauda continuously, yet not cured.

So the scholars have said the meaning of (“a cure for all diseases”) in the Hadith, is that, it is a cure for all diseases and illnesses that ALlaah has destined it to be a (cure) for.

Its just like the saying (Qur’an) of our Lord about the story of Musa (Peace be upon him) and Khidr (Peace be upon him). When Khidr decided to cause defect to the ship (of the needy) with his axe, Prophet Musa asked why he wanted to destroy the ship so as to make it sink. But Khidr answered that, the ship is owned by the needy, so he only wants to cause a defect to it, as there is a king that forcefully take good ship from people. And we are well aware that there are many good ship in the world, good ship that the king is not aware of, talk-less of taking them forcefully. So this means, the ayah is talking about whenever he is passing through his kingdom, and not all (good) ship of the world.

Also, when ALlaah wanted to destroy some of the disbelievers, when He (ALlaah) send tornado unto them, ALlaah said it (tornado) destroys all things on sight, and there was nothing (left) except for their houses.

He said the tornado destroys all things, yet He still said there was not a thing that was remaining except their houses.

So when the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) said “its a cure for all diseases”. During the lifetime of the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam), he was poisoned, and from what has been said, the poison had a long term effect on him up till the time he died. And there was Habatus Sauda at that time, Why was it not used then?.

Also, on the woman that came to complain to the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) that she get attacked by epilepsy and she falls down and faint most of the time. So she asked the Prophet to supplicate to ALlaah on her behalf. The Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) answered that, if you wish, you can be patient and enter Paradise as a result of it. if you wish, I can supplicate to ALlaah on your behalf. The women then said, (whenever) she falls down, she get uncovered, so she asked the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) to supplicate to ALlaah on her behalf that she does not get uncovered. Why didn’t the woman use Habatus Sauda and should not bother coming to the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam).

So this means that Habatus Sauda is a cure for that which ALlaah has destined that it would cure. So we need to understand Hadith like this very well because if we do not understand it the way it ought to be (understood) it would ..(inaudible).

Because, If anything is wrong with us and we use Habatus Sauda as a medicine, and such thing don’t get cured, such person would be doubting the authenticity of the Prophet’s (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) word and if they tell him that he (Prophet) said it, he would be tempted to call the Prophet a liar (AudhubiLlaah.)

Or like the one who came to complain to the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) about stomach ache and he (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) told him to go and lick honey. He did but said the pain is still there, the Prophet told him to repeat it (lick the honey), he did again and said the pain is still there, thereafter, the Prophet (SalaLlaahu Alaayhi WaSalaam) said, the word of ALlaah is truth, it is the stomach of your brother that has lied.

That is the case of Habatus Sauda, it can be a cure for many diseases, but there would be some in which ALlaah would destined that it would not to cure.

So whoever is swearing with ALlaah that Habatus Sauda is a cure for the current pandemic (CoronaVirus), it is advised that such person should be very careful with swearing, because according to the Shariah, we do not swear unnecessarily and carelessly. Be careful on your swearing! That’s it.

Transcribed by: Sulaiman Olayinka Saddiq