What Is Ruqyah Bath? The Complete Guide to the Al-Roumi Golden Recipe

By Noor East Health & Wellness Team  |  Health & Wellness Blog

The ruqyah bath is one of the most well-known remedies in Islamic spiritual healing. It combines three natural ingredients — sidr (ground lote tree leaves), rock salt, and alum — dissolved in water, which is then used to wash the body as a treatment for spiritual afflictions including the evil eye (ayn), black magic (sihr), jinn possession (mass), and a range of physical and emotional conditions.

The most widely known formulation is the Al-Roumi Golden Recipe (الوصفة الذهبية), recorded by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Roumi, a well-known dream interpreter based in Riyadh, who described it in detail on an audio recording entitled "Al-Ruya al-Kharjiyya" (The External Visions). The recipe has been reviewed and endorsed by Sheikh Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Jibreen, one of Saudi Arabia's most respected scholars, in a formal written fatwa.

This guide explains what the Al-Roumi ruqyah bath is, the exact ingredients and quantities, the correct method step by step, who should and should not use it, and the scholarly basis for its permissibility.

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Who Is Sheikh al-Roumi and What Is the Golden Recipe?

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Roumi is a well-known Islamic dream interpreter (معبر الأحلام) based in Riyadh. He recorded the Golden Recipe on audio in a tape titled "Al-Ruya al-Kharjiyya" (The External Visions), from around the 35-minute mark onward. He named it "الوصفة الذهبية" — The Golden Recipe — and described it as a general remedy for a wide range of spiritual and physical afflictions.

The recipe has since circulated widely across the Muslim world, particularly in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Gulf communities in the UK, and has been independently endorsed by classical scholars as permissible under Islamic law. It is based on the combination of three natural substances (sidr, salt, alum) that have roots in Islamic prophetic medicine and are well established in traditional Arab healing.

What Conditions Does the Ruqyah Bath Treat?

According to Sheikh al-Roumi's own description of the recipe, the Golden Recipe ruqyah bath is used for the following conditions:

• Sihr (black magic) — one of the most common reasons people turn to ruqyah treatment
• Ayn (evil eye) — affliction caused by the gaze of envy or admiration, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) confirmed is real
• Mass (jinn possession) — spiritual harm involving jinn influence on a person
• Infertility — for both men and women (for women: use after the end of the monthly period)
• Vitiligo (البهاق) — a skin condition mentioned among the conditions the recipe is used for
• Depression and persistent sadness
• Anxiety and grief (الهم والغم)
• General illness — Sheikh al-Roumi described it as applicable to "all diseases"

It is important to note that ruqyah treatment addresses spiritual causes of conditions. If there is no spiritual affliction (no sihr, no ayn), the bath will not produce a supernatural cure — it works like a medicine for a diagnosed condition. If the problem has a purely physical or worldly cause, both medical treatment and other means such as du'a and patience should be sought.

Who Should NOT Use the Ruqyah Bath?

Sheikh al-Roumi specifically excludes the following people from using the recipe:

• Pregnant women — the recipe should not be used during pregnancy
• Anyone with open wounds or visible cuts on the body — the salt and alum in the mixture will cause irritation and pain on broken skin

For women who are menstruating: the recipe can be used during the monthly period, as it involves pouring water over the body rather than full immersion. However, women using it for infertility should begin their first course after the end of their period, not during it.

Exact Ingredients and Quantities

The Golden Recipe uses three ingredients in equal quantities. The full course for seven days is:

• 1 kg white alum (شب أبيض / شبة), ground — alum is a naturally occurring mineral with purifying and astringent properties, widely used in traditional Arab medicine. Available from Arabic grocery stores and herbal shops.
• 1 kg rock salt (ملح خشن), ground — rock salt (coarse salt), not fine table salt. Salt is mentioned in prophetic medicine as a purifying substance and is a core component of the ruqyah bath across traditional Islamic healing.
• 1 kg sidr (سدر / lote tree leaves), ground — dried and ground leaves of the Ziziphus tree. Sidr is referenced in the Quran (Surah An-Najm 53:14-16), mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim in the context of treating sihr, and is one of the most established natural ingredients in Islamic healing.

Mix all three thoroughly after grinding. Then divide the total mixture equally into seven bags, one for each day of the course.

How to Do the Ruqyah Bath: Step by Step

1. Prepare your daily bag. Take one bag (one seventh of the total mixture) and pour it into a container. Add 3 to 5 litres of clean water (tap water is fine). Mix well until the ingredients are dissolved and distributed through the water.
2. Go to your shower or bathroom. You should be able to pour the water over your entire body. You may wish to fill a large bowl or bucket to pour from.
3. Wash your entire body from head to toe. Pour the ruqyah water over your body starting from the head, working downward, ensuring every part of the body is covered. No Quranic recitation is required during the washing itself — the recipe is used without recitation at this stage, which distinguishes it from some other forms of ruqyah.
4. Rinse immediately with plain water. Directly after washing with the ruqyah water, rinse your body thoroughly with normal water. Do not leave the mixture sitting on your skin.
5. Give charity on the same day. This is a condition of the recipe: give something in charity each day you use the bath, even a very small amount. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Charity wards off an evil end." (Muslim).
6. Repeat for 7 consecutive days. Use one bag per day for seven days without interruption. If you miss a day, restart from day one to ensure the course is complete.

The Conditions: Charity and a Clean Home

Sheikh al-Roumi attached several conditions to the recipe for it to be effective. Alongside the daily charity requirement, he recommended removing the following from the home during the treatment period:

• Statues and three-dimensional figurines — these are generally discouraged in Islamic teaching and are specifically mentioned as a condition here
• Hung photographs and portraits — framed photographs and portraits displayed on walls

These conditions reflect the wider Islamic principle that a home in a state of spiritual cleanliness provides better conditions for ruqyah to take effect. Angels do not enter a home containing statues or images, and ruqyah treatment is understood to work in cooperation with divine assistance.

What Scholars Say: Sheikh al-Jibreen's Fatwa

The permissibility of this specific recipe was formally addressed by Sheikh Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him), one of the most respected Saudi Islamic scholars of the modern era.

A formal written question was submitted to the Sheikh describing the Al-Roumi recipe, asking whether it was permissible to use. The Sheikh responded in fatwa number 4298, dated 5/8/1422 AH:

This fatwa is significant because it comes from a mainstream classical scholar who examined the recipe and found no prohibited element in it. The ingredients themselves (sidr, salt, alum) are natural, well-established in Islamic and prophetic medicine, and involve no invocation of anything other than Allah.

Source: islamqa.info/ar/answers/145305 — Full scholarly discussion of the Al-Roumi Golden Recipe, including Sheikh al-Jibreen's written fatwa (#4298) and the IslamQA editorial ruling on its permissibility.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to recite anything over the water before using it?

The Al-Roumi Golden Recipe, as described by Sheikh al-Roumi, is used without recitation during the washing. This distinguishes it from some other forms of ruqyah water which require Quranic recitation over the water before use. If you wish to recite Al-Fatihah or Ayat al-Kursi over the water before washing, there is no harm in doing so — but it is not a requirement of this specific recipe.

Can I use the ruqyah bath if I am not sure whether I have sihr or ayn?

Yes. Sheikh al-Jibreen's fatwa describes it as something to "use on a trial basis." If there is no spiritual affliction, the bath will not cause harm — the ingredients are natural and safe. If there is an affliction, the treatment will work on it. Many people use it as a precautionary spiritual cleanse even when they are not certain of a specific affliction.

Can a woman use it during her monthly period?

Yes. The ruqyah bath involves pouring water over the body, not immersion, and can be performed during menstruation. However, women using it specifically for infertility should start the course after the end of their period, as instructed in the recipe.

What if I miss a day during the 7-day course?

The 7 days should be consecutive. If you miss a day, the standard guidance is to restart the course from day one. This is why it is best to plan the 7 days in advance to ensure you can complete the course without interruption.

Is the ruqyah bath the same as ghusl?

No. Ghusl is the Islamic ritual full-body wash performed for purification (after intercourse, after menstruation, etc.) and has its own specific intention and method. The ruqyah bath is a separate treatment used for spiritual healing. You may perform ghusl separately as normal, and use the ruqyah bath as a distinct act for its intended therapeutic purpose.

How long before I notice a result?

Many people report noticing changes during or after the 7-day course. Some feel a sense of relief or lightness from early in the course. For more entrenched conditions, the recipe recommends repeating after a 7-day break. Ruqyah healing is understood to work through divine permission (bi-idhnillah), so results vary between individuals.

Is sidr the same as lote tree?

Yes. Sidr (سدر) is the Arabic name for the Ziziphus spina-christi, also called the lote tree or Christ's thorn jujube. It is the tree mentioned in the Quran in Surah An-Najm. Ground sidr refers to the dried leaves of this tree, powdered for use in ruqyah preparations.