Short answer
Hanafi muftis who have addressed it advise Muslims not to practise or receive reiki. It rests on a belief in a universal life energy passed on through 'attunements' from a master, and on sacred symbols, which brings it close to forbidden charms and spiritual rituals, and its healing claims are unproven. Lawful massage, ruqyah and medicine are open to you.
Reiki as practised, with its attunements, symbols and claims of channelling a spiritual energy, is not permitted, because treatment and ruqyah must be free of unknown spiritual means and of beliefs that conflict with tawhid. Simple touch or relaxation without those elements is a different matter.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Reiki was developed in Japan in the early twentieth century. Practitioners say they channel a universal life energy (ki) through their hands. To become a practitioner, you receive 'attunements' from a reiki master and learn sacred symbols that are drawn or visualised during a session.
Islam allows any treatment whose means are known and lawful, and ruqyah whose words are understood and contain no shirk. When the Companions asked about the ruqyah they had used before Islam, the Prophet ﷺ asked to hear it first, then said there was no harm in ruqyah that has no shirk in it. Reiki fails this test on several points:
- its power is said to come from an unseen energy passed on by initiation, not from a known cause Allah created
- it relies on symbols and rituals with spiritual meanings taken from other traditions
- it claims to heal emotional and spiritual states as well as the body
- there is no reliable evidence that it heals anything
So it is safest to stay away from reiki sessions and training, even when they are offered free in a hospital or wellness centre. If you want relaxation, a lawful massage by someone of the same sex, breathing exercises, or resting while someone recites the Quran over you gives the benefit without the problem. The Prophet ﷺ also warned that whoever practises medicine without knowledge is liable for the harm he causes.
If you have done reiki without knowing this, stop and ask Allah's forgiveness, and do not dwell on the past. For other alternative therapies, see prophetic medicine and is ruqyah allowed.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Israa 17:36
وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًۭا ﴿٣٦﴾
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
Treatments based on unknown, unproven spiritual forces should be avoided.
Sahih Muslim 2200
Sahih... اعرضوا على رقاكم لا بأس بالرقى ما لم يكن فيه شرك ...
"Show me your ruqyahs. There is no harm in ruqyah as long as there is no shirk in it."
Spiritual treatment must be checked and free of shirk.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4586
Grading to be checked... من تطبب ولا يعلم منه طب فهو ضامن ...
"Whoever practises medicine without being known for medicine is liable."
Unqualified healers are responsible for the harm they cause.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha, discussion of ruqyah and amulets. Forbids ruqyah and treatment that use unknown words or means whose meaning is not known.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on treatment and remedies (al-tadawi wa al-mu'alajat). Treatment is permitted through lawful, known means.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.