Seeking healing from mineral waters and slaughtering lambs at that spot

 

In the south of Jordan there are mineral waters at a place called the Well of Sulaymaan ibn Dawood. People go there to bathe and for healing, and they bring with them animals to slaughter when they get there. What is the ruling on slaughtering animals like this?

Praise be to Allaah. 

If the waters have been tried and tested, and they are
beneficial in the case of some diseases, then there is nothing wrong
with that, because Allaah has created some benefits for some sicknesses
in some waters. If it is known from experience that these waters ate
beneficial for those who are suffering from certain diseases, such as
rheumatism, etc., there is nothing wrong with that.

 With regard to slaughtering animals, this comes under
various categories: 

If the animals are slaughtered to meet the people’s need
for food, etc., or to feed any guests that come to them, there is nothing
wrong with that. If they are slaughtered for any other purpose, such
as to draw closer to the water or the jinn or the Prophets, or on the
basis of some false belief, then that is not permissible, because Allaah
says, addressing His Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say
(O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living,
and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn
and all that exists).

He has no partner. And of this
I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims’” [al-An’aam
6:162-163]

 “Verily,
We have granted you (O Muhammad) al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise);

Therefor turn in prayer to your
Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)”

[al-Kawthar :1-2]

 So
animals should be slaughtered only for Allaah and sacrifices should
be offered only to Allaah. The same applies to all other acts of worship
– they should be dedicated only to Allaah alone. It is not permissible
to do any of these things for anything other than Allaah, because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meanings):

 “And they were
commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none
but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)…” [al-Bayyinah
:5]

 “So
worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s
sake only.

Surely, the religion (i.e. the
worship and the obedience) is for Allaah only” [al-Zumar
39:2-3]

and because of the aayaat
quoted above and other similar verses. And the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed
those who offer sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah” (narrated by
Muslim in his Saheeh,
from the hadeeth of ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him).

 So no one is allowed to offer sacrifices to the jinn
or to a certain star or planet, or to certain waters, or to a certain
Prophet, or to any person, or to idols. Worship is only for Allaah,
and we should seek to draw closer to Him alone through sacrifices and
prayers, and all other kinds of worship, because Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):  

“You
(Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)”
[al-Faatihah
1:5]

 and because of the verses quoted above (interpretation
of the meanings);  

“And they were
commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none
but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)…” al-Bayyinah
:5]

 “So
worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s
sake only.

Surely, the religion (i.e. the
worship and the obedience) is for Allaah only” [al-Zumar
39:2-3]

and other aayaat.

Sacrifice is one of the most important and one of the best
acts of worship, so it must be done sincerely for Allaah Alone, because
of the aayaat that we have mentioned, and because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, as we quoted above,
“Allaah has cursed those who offer sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah.”