Sidr(lote-treeleaf)bath

The sidr bath is probably the best-known “recipe” for sihr in the Muslim world, so it is important to be accurate about where it comes from. It is not a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. It is a report from the Tābi‘ī Wahb ibn Munabbih, recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim in his tafsir and quoted by Ibn Kathir under verse 2:102 of al-Baqarah. Wahb said: take seven green leaves of the sidr tree, crush them between two stones, put them in water, recite over the water Āyat al-Kursī and the Quls, then have the afflicted person drink three sips and wash with the rest — “and it will remove what is in him, by Allah’s permission, and it is good for a man who is prevented from his wife.”

Later scholars, including Shaykh Ibn Baz, recommended it and added the verses of sihr to the recitation. The reason it is accepted is that its ingredients are all permissible means: the Quran, water, and sidr — a leaf the Prophet ﷺ himself ordered used for washing (Bukhari, Muslim). Nothing in it depends on the jinn, on unknown words, or on anything forbidden. So it is a lawful, tried remedy that experienced people have found beneficial — not a Sunnah, and not something anyone is obliged to do.

The Quran verses on sihr that are recited over it include:

فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا قَالَ مُوسَىٰ مَا جِئْتُم بِهِ السِّحْرُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُبْطِلُهُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُصْلِحُ عَمَلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

Fa-lammā alqaw qāla Mūsā mā ji’tum bihi s-siḥr, inna Llāha sa-yubṭiluh, inna Llāha lā yuṣliḥu ‘amala l-mufsidīn

And when they had thrown, Moses said, 'What you have brought is [only] magic. Indeed, Allah will expose its worthlessness. Indeed, Allah does not amend the work of corrupters.'

1. 1

   Get the leaves

   Seven fresh green leaves of the sidr tree (Ziziphus spina-christi, also sold as “lote”, “nabq” or “ber” leaves) are the original method. If fresh leaves are unavailable — as they usually are outside hot countries — dried leaves or sidr leaf powder from a herbal or Islamic shop is acceptable; a heaped tablespoon of powder stands in for seven leaves. The number seven follows the report; it is not a magic number.

2. 2

   Crush and steep

   Crush the fresh leaves between two stones or in a mortar until they are bruised and green juice shows. Put them in a bucket or large bowl of clean water — enough to wash the whole body. Powder can simply be stirred in. Leave it a few minutes; the water goes slightly cloudy and soapy.

3. 3

   Recite over the water

   With wudū’, sit close to the water and recite: Āyat al-Kursī, al-Kāfirūn, al-Ikhlāṣ, al-Falaq and al-Nās, then the verses of sihr — al-A‘rāf 7:117–122, Yūnus 10:81–82 and Ṭā Hā 20:69 — and, if you wish, al-Fātiḥa and 2:102 with them. Blow lightly over the water at the end. Anyone can do the recitation: the person themselves, a spouse, a parent, or a raqi.

4. 4

   Drink three sips

   Before washing, take three small sips from the water — a mouthful, not a glass. Say “Bismillāh”. If the taste is unpleasant, a very small sip is enough; the point is drinking, not quantity.

5. 5

   Wash the whole body

   Stand in the shower or on a washable floor and pour the rest over the head and down over the whole body, saying “Bismillāh”. Do not rinse it off straight away; wait a few minutes, then a normal rinse is fine. The used water can go down the drain — the scholars do not require it to be poured in a special place. Do not do this in the toilet itself.

6. 6

   Follow with the normal routine

   After the bath, do your adhkār, recite or listen to ruqyah, and drink recited water. The sidr bath is a stronger form of the ordinary wash with recited water; it does not replace daily recitation and prayer.

How often / how long

The report of Wahb describes it as a single treatment. In practice raqis repeat it — once a day for three or seven days, or once a week for a few weeks — depending on the case. Follow your raqi’s guidance; if you are treating yourself, one bath every few days for two to three weeks is a reasonable pattern, alongside your normal ruqyah routine.