By Kamal Ghazal
In many parts of the Arab world, religious beliefs and folk traditions often merge, forming a complex social fabric where spiritual healing-particularly “Ruqya Shar’iyya” (Islamic exorcism) holds a significant place, especially for women. Promoted as a remedy for psychological distress, physical ailments, or possession by evil spirits, ruqya is seen by many as a divine path to recovery.
But behind the sacred verses and whispered prayers, a disturbing truth emerges: ruqya sessions are increasingly being used as a front for sexual abuse. Women in emotionally vulnerable states are being manipulated into non-consensual acts - all under the guise of expelling what is believed to be a demonic lover: the “jinn al-‘ashiq”, or the loving jinn.
Who Is the “Loving Jinn” ? An Arab Incubus
In Islamic folklore, the “jinn al-‘ashiq” is a spiritual entity believed to fall in love with a human - most often a woman - and possess her body. Victims are said to suffer from insomnia, depression, infertility, or chronic misfortune. In many ways, this myth parallels the Western idea of the incubus, a male demon that assaults women in their sleep.
To expel the jinn, people often turn to a “raqi” - a religious healer who recites specific Quranic verses in what is known as ruqya, or Islamic exorcism. These sessions are typically conducted in private and involve physical proximity, touch, and in some cases, substances believed to have purifying properties.
While many ruqya practitioners adhere to ethical standards, some exploit the trust placed in them. They tell women that the jinn will only leave through physical confrontation, even going so far as to suggest that sexual intercourse is the only way to expel it. In more "mild" cases, they touch intimate areas of the body, claiming the jinn resides in the womb, the thighs, or the chest.
This isn’t a fringe phenomenon. Investigative reports - most notably by BBC Arabic - have documented at least 85 cases in Morocco and Sudan alone, where 65 so-called raqis were accused of sexual harassment, assault, or outright rape. The justification? “This was necessary to remove the loving jinn.”
Ruqya as a Cover for Rape
In Morocco, high-profile scandals have emerged in cities like Berkane and Casablanca, where “religious healers” were found to have raped and secretly filmed their victims during ruqya sessions. In one infamous case, a man known as the “Berkane Raqi” was discovered to possess hundreds of explicit videos of unconscious women. He later claimed to have had sexual relations with over 1,500 women, many of whom were seeking relief from so-called jinn possession.
In Sudan, women recounted how respected community sheikhs offered them “cleansing sessions” that involved sexual innuendo, genital touching, or outright intercourse, under the pretext that “bodily fluids are necessary to expel the jinn.”
One woman from Khartoum, named Sawsan, said that after her husband left her, she turned to a raqi for help. He told her that to win her husband back, he needed to have sex with her and use the resulting fluids to concoct a magical potion.
These stories are not isolated. They reveal a consistent pattern: the exploitation of ruqya and the myth of the loving jinn to justify sexual violence.
Why Don’t Victims Speak Up? Shame, Fear… and Superstition
Many women never report these assaults. In deeply conservative societies, the blame often falls on the victim, not the perpetrator. Survivors fear public shame, social ostracism, or being labeled as seductresses. And for some, the fear is even more spiritual: they believe that exposing the raqi could lead to revenge by the jinn itself.
In the BBC report, several victims said they were drugged or tricked—one woman woke up to find herself naked after inhaling what she thought was musk. When she confronted the raqi, he calmly said the act was “necessary” because “the jinn only leaves through force.”
This spiritual gaslighting leaves victims confused, ashamed, and often paralyzed by guilt - feeling embarrassment instead of rage, and choosing silence over justice.
Legal Vacuum and Institutional Complicity
Despite the gravity of these offenses, countries like Morocco and Sudan do not regulate ruqya as a profession. There are no licensing systems, no ethical oversight, and no laws that define boundaries for religious healing.
In Morocco, authorities treat ruqya as a “religious matter” best left to moral preaching. In Sudan, the Ministry of Religious Affairs admitted that ruqya has become “a profession for the unemployed,” but no meaningful legislation has been introduced to police it.
The result ? Unless there is solid physical evidence - a video, a witness, or a confession - the raqi walks free. Many victims lack the legal support or courage to file a complaint, and in some cases, they themselves are accused of entrapment or consent.
Breaking the Silence: Media and Civil Society Respond
Were it not for brave journalism and grassroots activism, much of this abuse would remain hidden. Investigative reports, social media campaigns, and women’s rights groups have played a key role in exposing the dark side of ruqya, and the use of sex as an exorcistic tool.
In some cases, such as the Berkane Raqi, media pressure forced authorities to act, leading to arrests and court trials. But these victories remain rare, and the structural issues - blind reverence for raqis, lack of oversight, and a culture of victim blaming - remain firmly in place.
What Can Be Done ? Regulation, Accountability, and Alternatives
The goal is not to outlaw ruqya, which in Islam is a legitimate spiritual practice involving Quranic recitation for healing. Rather, the aim is to purge it of corruption and abuse.
Here are five critical steps:
- Licensing and Oversight: Require all ruqya practitioners to obtain both religious and medical qualifications, under official supervision.
- Gender-Specific Centers: Establish women-only ruqya centers run by qualified female healers to reduce the risk of abuse.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate women that ruqya does not involve touch, seclusion, or sex- and that “expelling the loving jinn through intercourse” is not only un-Islamic, but criminal.
- Mental Health Services: Provide free psychological support to low-income women, so that their first resort is a qualified therapist—not a potentially predatory raqi.
- Religious Institutions Must Act: Scholars and religious authorities should issue explicit fatwas (legal opinions) criminalizing any form of sexualized ruqya, and supporting victims who speak out.
There Is No Sacred Justification for Sexual Exploitation
Ruqya, in its truest Islamic form, is a spiritual act rooted in compassion and healing. But when it becomes a cover for sexual manipulation, it ceases to be religious - it becomes predatory.
If a raqi tells a woman that the jinn will only leave through sex, he is not a spiritual healer - he is a predator in a turban, using scripture as a shield for rape.
It’s time to confront this silent crisis not just with condemnation, but with reform, education, and legal action. Between the myths of the loving jinn and the abuse cloaked as divine healing, women are being raped, families torn apart, and lives ruined - all in the name of God.
And there is no greater blasphemy than using the word of God to commit injustice.
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