Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

assalamo alaikum Mr Burhan

For my small kid i recite ayatul kursi and 4 kuls and blow on my kid or on his food to prevent from bad nazar, my friend told me our prophet PBUH said it is makhroo as when we blow our bad breath comes out which is not good. at night i recite and blow on myself also. am i doing wrong, what does the sunnah / hadith say in regard to this?

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Answer:

Blow after reciting qul

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.331         Narrated by Aisha

Whenever Allah's Messenger (saws) went to bed, he (saws) used to blow on his hands while reciting the Mu'auwidhat ( i.e. Suratal-Falaq 113 and Surat-an-Nas 114) and then pass his hands over his body.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.631         Narrated by Aisha

During the Prophet's (saws) fatal illness, he (saws) used to recite the Mu'auwidhat (Surat An-Nas and Surat Al-Falaq) and then blow his breath over his body. When his illness was aggravated, I used to recite those two Surahs and blow my breath over him and make him rub his body with his own hand." (Ma'mar asked Az-Zuhri: How did the Prophet use to blow? Az-Zuhri said: He used to blow on his hands and then passed them over his face.)

Al-Muwatta Hadith 50.10

Yahya related from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (saws) when he had a (physical) complaint, would recite the last three surahs of Quran, over himself and blow. She said, "When his pain was great, I would recite it over him and wipe him with his right hand hoping for its blessing."

When retiring for the night, or when one has a physical ailment, to recite the last two/three Surahs (112 Al-Ikhlaas, 113 Al-Falak, 114 An-Naas) and blow over one’s hands and rub one’s body is indeed from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

But to blow one’s breath over food or drink was strictly forbidden by the Messenger of Allah (saws):

Abu Said al Khudri (r.a.) said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade them from blowing over (drinking) water.

Related by Tirmidhi.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (r.a.) said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade them from breathing while drinking water or to blow into (drinking) water.

Related by Tirmidhi.

Abdullah ibn Abi Qatada (r.a.) said that he heard the  Messenger of Allah (saws) say: ‘One who drinks water should not breathe into the vessel (while drinking).”

Related by Tirmidhi.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan