Saudi recruits women to streamline ruqya

Saudi Arabia is recruiting security women as part of an intensifying crackdown against ruqya, a type of treatment by the Quran practiced extensively in the Gulf Kingdom, local newspapers reported on Friday.

The drive followed the arrest of some authorised raqis (healers) for indulging in illegal activities, including overcharging and illegitimate relations with women.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most feared Islamic group in Saudi Arabia, is undertaking the drive that involves stricter rules for licensing raqis and monitoring of their activities.

“The Commission has launched a drive to crack down on illegal practitioners of ruqya and is working with women to ensure the practice follows Shariah Law and is not used to exploit the public,” Okaz newspaper reported.

It quoted Abdullah Al-Jarba, head of the Commission’s General Presidency’s Cases and Honor Circuit, as saying various methods would be used to monitor the raqis’ activities.“Committees will start sending undercover representatives to houses and other locations, and collaborate with female members of security bodies and members of the Commissions,” he said.

“We want to ensure that ruqya practitioners are not violating the Prophet’s Sunnah and are not financially exploiting people who seek treatment….. violations include collective recitation, recitation over oils, and overcharging for items and materials used in treatment.”

He said persons arrested and then again return to the same activity upon their release face re-arrest and trial before a Shariah Court, he added.

“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 Commission 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.
 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.