Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:3420ʿUbaydullāh b. Muʿādh from my father > Shuʿbah > ʿAbdullāh b. Abū al-Safar > al-Shaʿbī > Khārijah b. al-Ṣalt > ʿAmmih

You have brought what is good from this man. Then they brought a lunatic in chains. He recited Surat al-Fatihah over him three days, morning and evening. When he finished, he collected his saliva and then spat it out, (he felt relief) as if he were set free from a bond. They gave him something (as wages). He then came to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned it to him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Accept it, for by my life, some accept it for a worthless charm, but you have done so far a genuine one.  

أبو داود:٣٤٢٠حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي السَّفَرِ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ الصَّلْتِ عَنْ عَمِّهِ

أَنَّهُ مَرَّ بِقَوْمٍ فَأَتَوْهُ فَقَالُوا إِنَّكَ جِئْتَ مِنْ عِنْدِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ بِخَيْرٍ فَارْقِ لَنَا هَذَا الرَّجُلَ فَأَتَوْهُ بِرَجُلٍ مَعْتُوهٍ فِي الْقُيُودِ فَرَقَاهُ بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ غُدْوَةً وَعَشِيَّةً كُلَّمَا خَتَمَهَا جَمَعَ بُزَاقَهُ ثُمَّ تَفَلَ فَكَأَنَّمَا أُنْشِطَ مِنْ عِقَالٍ فَأَعْطُوهُ شَيْئًا فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرَهُ لَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ كُلْ فَلَعَمْرِي لَمَنْ أَكَلَ بِرُقْيَةٍ بَاطِلٍ لَقَدْ أَكَلْتَ بِرُقْيَةٍ حَقٍّ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad
abudawud:3901[Chain 1] ʿUbaydullāh b. Muʿādh from my father [Chain 2] Ibn Bashhār > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > ʿAbdullāh b. Abū al-Safar > al-Shaʿbī > Khārijah b. al-Ṣalt al-Tamīmī > ʿAmmih

We proceeded from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and came to a clan of the Arabs. They said: We have been told that you have brought what is good from this man. Have you any medicine or a charm, for we have a lunatic in chains? We said: Yes. Then they brought a lunatic in chains. He said: I recited Surat al-Fatihah over him for three days, morning and evening. Whenever I finished it, I would collect my saliva and spit it out, and he seemed as if he were set free from a bond. He said: They gave me some payment, but I said: No, not until I ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He (the Prophet) said: Accept it, for, by my life, some accept it for a worthless charm, but you have done so for a genuine one.  

أبو داود:٣٩٠١حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي السَّفَرِ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ الصَّلْتِ التَّمِيمِيِّ عَنْ عَمِّهِ قَالَ

أَقْبَلْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْنَا عَلَى حَىٍّ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا أُنْبِئْنَا أَنَّكُمْ جِئْتُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ بِخَيْرٍ فَهَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ دَوَاءٍ أَوْ رُقْيَةٍ فَإِنَّ عِنْدَنَا مَعْتُوهًا فِي الْقُيُودِ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا نَعَمْ قَالَ فَجَاءُوا بِمَعْتُوهٍ فِي الْقُيُودِ قَالَ فَقَرَأْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ غُدْوَةً وَعَشِيَّةً كُلَّمَا خَتَمْتُهَا أَجْمَعُ بُزَاقِي ثُمَّ أَتْفُلُ فَكَأَنَّمَا نُشِطَ مِنْ عِقَالٍ قَالَ فَأَعْطَوْنِي جُعْلاً فَقُلْتُ لاَ حَتَّى أَسْأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ كُلْ فَلَعَمْرِي مَنْ أَكَلَ بِرُقْيَةِ بَاطِلٍ لَقَدْ أَكَلْتَ بِرُقْيَةِ حَقٍّ  

ahmad:21836Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > ʿAbdullāh b. Abū al-Safar > al-Shaʿbī > Khārijah b. al-Ṣalt > ʿAmmih

We proceeded from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and came to a clan of the Arabs. They said: We have been told that you have brought what is good from this man. Have you any medicine or a charm, for we have a lunatic in chains? We said: Yes. Then they brought a lunatic in chains. He said: I recited Surat al-Fatihah over him for three days, morning and evening. Whenever I finished it, I would collect my saliva and spit it out, and he seemed as if he were set free from a bond. He said: They gave me some payment, but I said: No, not until I ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He (the Prophet) said: Accept it, for, by my life, some accept it for a worthless charm, but you have done so for a genuine one. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3901)   

أحمد:٢١٨٣٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي السَّفَرِ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ الصَّلْتِ عَنْ عَمِّهِ قَالَ

أَقْبَلْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَتَيْنَا عَلَى حَيٍّ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ فَقَالُوا نُبِّئْنَا أَنَّكُمْ جِئْتُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ بِخَيْرٍ فَهَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ دَوَاءٌ أَوْ رُقْيَةٌ؟ فَإِنَّ عِنْدَنَا مَعْتُوهًا فِي الْقُيُودِ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا نَعَمْ قَالَ فَجَاءُوا بِالْمَعْتُوهِ فِي الْقُيُودِ قَالَ فَقَرَأْتُ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ غُدْوَةً وَعَشِيَّةً أَجْمَعُ بُزَاقِي ثُمَّ أَتْفُلُ قَالَ فَكَأَنَّمَا نَشِطَ مِنْ عِقَالٍ قَالَ فَأَعْطَوْنِي جُعْلًا فَقُلْتُ لَا حَتَّى أَسْأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ كُلْ لَعَمْرِي مَنْ أَكَلَ بِرُقْيَةِ بَاطِلٍ لَقَدْ أَكَلْتَ بِرُقْيَةِ حَقٍّ