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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
nasai-kubra:10015 – Ibrāhīm b. Yaʿqūb > ʿAffān > ʿAbd al-Wāḥid > ʿUthmān b. Ḥakīm > Jaddatī al-Rabāb > Sahl b. Ḥnayf

[Machine] A flood passed by us, so we went to bathe in it. I emerged feverish and this reached the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who said, "Take Abu Thabit as a healer." So I said, "Oh my master, what about Ruqyah (healing through recitation)?" He replied, "There is no healing except through three things: fever, sighing, and snakebites."  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٠٠١٥ – أَخْبَرَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتِي الرَّبَابُ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ حنَيْفٍ قَالَ

مَرَّ بِنَا سَيْلٌ فَذَهَبْنَا نَغْتَسِلُ فِيهِ فَخَرَجْتُ مَحْمُومًا فَنَمَى ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «مُرُوا أَبَا ثَابِتٍ يَتَعَوَّذُ» فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي وَالرُّقَى صَالِحَةٌ؟ قَالَ لَا رَقْيَ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ مِنَ الْحُمَّى وَالنَّفْسِ وَاللَّدْغَةِ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
abudawud:3888 – Musaddad > ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. Ziyād > ʿUthmān b. Ḥakīm > Jaddatī al-Rabāb > Sahl b. Ḥunayf

I passed by a river. I entered it and took a bath in it. When I came out, I had fever. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed about it. He said: Ask AbuThabit to seek refuge in Allah from that I asked: O my Lord, will the spell be useful? He replied: No, the spell is to be used except for the evil eye or a snake bite or a scorpion sting. Abu Dawud said: Humah means the biting of snakes and sting of the poisonous insects.  

أبو داود:٣٨٨٨ – حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتِي الرَّبَابُ قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ سَهْلَ بْنَ حُنَيْفٍ يَقُولُ مَرَرْنَا بِسَيْلٍ فَدَخَلْتُ فَاغْتَسَلْتُ فِيهِ فَخَرَجْتُ مَحْمُومًا فَنُمِيَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا ثَابِتٍ يَتَعَوَّذْ قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي وَالرُّقَى صَالِحَةٌ فَقَالَ لاَ رُقْيَةَ إِلاَّ فِي نَفْسٍ أَوْ حُمَةٍ أَوْ لَدْغَةٍ  

قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْحُمَةُ مِنَ الْحَيَّاتِ وَمَا يَلْسَعُ
tabarani:5615 – Muʿādh b. al-Muthanná > Musaddad ḥ

[Machine] We passed by a flood, so I entered it, and I took a bath, then I came out soaking wet. That was reported to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said, "Tell Abu Thabit to seek refuge (in Allah from evil)." I said to him, "O my master, is reciting ruqyah beneficial?" He said, "Only in three situations: for the nafs (psychological issues), al-hummah (fever) and al-laddah (bitter sting)."  

الطبراني:٥٦١٥ – حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ثنا مُسَدَّدٌ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصُّوفِيُّ ثنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَائِشَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حُصَيْنٍ الْقَاضِي ثنا يَحْيَى الْحِمَّانِيُّ قَالُوا ثنا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ ثنا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ حَدَّثَتْنِي الرَّبَابُ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ حُنَيْفٍ قَالَ

مَرَرْنَا بِسَيْلٍ فَدَخَلْتُ فِيهِ فَاغْتَسَلْتُ فَخَرَجْتُ مَحْمُومًا فَنَمَى ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مُرُوا أَبَا ثَابِتٍ أَنْ يَتَعَوَّذَ» قُلْتُ لَهُ يَا سَيِّدِي أَوَصَالِحَةٌ الرُّقَى؟ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ النَّفْسِ وَالْحُمَّى وَاللَّدْغَةِ  

nasai-kubra:10806 – ʿAmr b. Manṣūr > al-Muʿallá b. Asad > ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. Ziyād > ʿUthmān b. Ḥakīm > Jaddatī al-Rabāb > Sahl b. Ḥunayf

I passed by a river. I entered it and took a bath in it. When I came out, I had fever. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed about it. He said: Ask AbuThabit to seek refuge in Allah from that I asked: O my Lord, will the spell be useful? He replied: No, the spell is to be used except for the evil eye or a snake bite or a scorpion sting. Abu Dawud said: Humah means the biting of snakes and sting of the poisonous insects. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3888)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٠٨٠٦ – أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعَلَّى بْنُ أَسَدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتِي الرَّبَابُ قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ سَهْلَ بْنَ حُنَيْفٍ يَقُولُ مَرَرْنَا بِسَيْلٍ فَاغْتَسَلْتُ فِيهِ فَخَرَجْتُ مَحْمُولًا مِنْهُ مَحْمُومًا فَنَمَى ذَلِكَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مُرُوا أَبَا ثَابِتٍ يَتَعَوَّذُ» قُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي وَالرُّقَى صَالِحَةٌ؟ قَالَ «لَا رُقْيَةَ إِلَّا فِي نَفْسٍ أَوْ حُمَةٍ أَوْ لَدْغَةٍ»