Question

What is your advice to ruqyah patients who report being attacked, and even sexually assaulted by the jinn at night? Is this possible? If so, what can be done to prevent it?

Answer

Night attacks and sexual assault by the jinn is something which has been reported by a number of patients, and without doubt is one of the most distressing things that a patient can suffer. Although most patients who report this are female, there are also men who report attacks. These attacks are almost always at night while lying in bed, and most commonly when there is nobody present in the room. They are different from dreams, in the sense that the victim is often awake, as well as the fact that pain and physical effects consistent with rape and sexual assault are often present the following morning; however, some people experience the same feelings and images as part of a dream, either with or without the physical trauma, and this advice is appropriate for both cases.

In terms of Islamic belief, and that which the scholars have quoted regarding the jinn, there is no reason to deny that these attacks can take place, both through the medium of dreams and while awake. This is consistent with what we know of the jinn, and the reports that we have received are both numerous and trustworthy in nature.

In terms of preventative measures, there are a number of things that can be done, both general and specific. With regard to general measures, a good ruqyah programme in general is a means to stop the jinn from attacking and taking over a person, including stopping attacks of this nature. As for specific measures, then we recommend the following:

  1. Removing anything from the house which attracts the shayṭān, including TV, pictures, music, and the likes. If you don't have the ability to remove them from the house because of living in shared accommodation, then at least removing them from your own room is a start.
  2. Strictly performing the supplications and words of remembrance which protect you from the shayṭān, particularly those which are said in the morning and afternoon, and those which are said before going to sleep.
  3. The supplications which relate to overcoming an enemy, to be said when you are in fear of an attack taking place (such as before sleeping, or when waking suddenly at night), or during an attack.
  4. Taking a ruqyah bath, as described here, before going to sleep.
  5. Using ruqyah oil before going to sleep.
  6. Waking up for the night prayer, because if the shayṭān knows that you are responding to night attacks by doing one of the greatest voluntary forms of worship, then the incentive to attack you becomes considerably less; not to mention the general virtue of praying the night prayer, in terms of acceptance of supplications, and so on.
  7. The etiquettes of bad dreams and nightmares, for those who experience attacks as part of a dream. I would highly recommend the Dreamer's Handbook - please buy a copy and support the author, if you find it to be of benefit.
  8. It is possible that having someone else in the room at night may help. I've yet to see any confirmed evidence of this, and it doesn't seem to have any effect on the dreams, but it appears to me that people who report physical assault while awake are mostly people who sleep alone, so it's worth mentioning here, without giving too much importance to it.

I have given variations on this advice to a number of people, and a significant number of them reported a reduction in attacks, with some reporting that attacks stopped completely, and all praise is for Allāh.