‘O Messenger of Allah, what should I say?’ He said, ‘Recite “Say: He is Allah, One” and the two surahs of refuge three times in the evening and morning; they will suffice you against everything.’”

Al-Tirmidhī said, “This is a sound and authentic hadith.”

Also in al-Tirmidhī’s collection, al-Jurayrī narrated from Abū Hurayrah, from Abū Sa‘īd, who said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to seek refuge from the jinn and the human evil eye until the two surahs of refuge were revealed. Once they were revealed, he adopted them and left aside everything else.” Al-Tirmidhī said, “There is also a narration on this subject from Anas. This is a singular hadith.”

In the two Sahīh collections, ‘Ā’ishah narrated: “When the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he would recite ‘Say: He is Allah, One’ and both surahs of refuge, blowing lightly into his palms, then wipe his face and whatever his hands could reach of his body.” ‘Ā’ishah said, “When he became ill, he would instruct me to do that for him.”

I say: This is how Yūnus narrated it from al-Zuhrī, from ‘Urwah, from ‘Ā’ishah. Al-Bukhārī recorded it.

Mālik narrated from al-Zuhrī, from ‘Urwah, from her: “When the Prophet ﷺ was ill, he would recite the surahs of refuge over himself and blow lightly. When his pain grew severe, I would recite over him and wipe him with his own hand, hoping for its blessing.”

Likewise, Ma‘mar narrated from al-Zuhrī, from ‘Urwah, from her: “During the illness in which he passed away, the Prophet ﷺ would recite the surahs of refuge and blow lightly over himself. When his illness grew severe, I would recite them and blow lightly over him, wiping him with his own hand because of its blessing. I asked Ibn Shihāb, ‘How did he blow?’ He replied, ‘He would blow lightly onto his hands, then wipe his face with them.’” Al-Bukhārī also recorded this.

This is the correct account: ‘Ā’ishah would do this, while the Prophet ﷺ neither instructed her to do it nor prevented her. As for his having sought ruqyah and asked her to recite over him, no. Perhaps one of the narrators related it according to its meaning and assumed that, because she had done so and the Prophet ﷺ had approved it, he