Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمُتَوَكِّلِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ رَهْطًا، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم انْطَلَقُوا فِي سَفْرَةٍ سَافَرُوهَا، حَتَّى نَزَلُوا بِحَىٍّ مِنْ أَحْيَاءِ الْعَرَبِ فَاسْتَضَافُوهُمْ، فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يُضَيِّفُوهُمْ، فَلُدِغَ سَيِّدُ ذَلِكَ الْحَىِّ، فَسَعَوْا لَهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُهُ شَىْءٌ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَوْ أَتَيْتُمْ هَؤُلاَءِ الرَّهْطَ الَّذِينَ قَدْ نَزَلُوا بِكُمْ، لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عِنْدَ بَعْضِهِمْ شَىْءٌ. فَأَتَوْهُمْ فَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّهْطُ إِنَّ سَيِّدَنَا لُدِغَ، فَسَعَيْنَا لَهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ، لاَ يَنْفَعُهُ شَىْءٌ، فَهَلْ عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ شَىْءٌ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ نَعَمْ، وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَرَاقٍ، وَلَكِنْ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدِ اسْتَضَفْنَاكُمْ فَلَمْ تُضَيِّفُونَا، فَمَا أَنَا بِرَاقٍ لَكُمْ حَتَّى تَجْعَلُوا لَنَا جُعْلاً. فَصَالَحُوهُمْ عَلَى قَطِيعٍ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ، فَانْطَلَقَ فَجَعَلَ يَتْفُلُ وَيَقْرَأُ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ} حَتَّى لَكَأَنَّمَا نُشِطَ مِنْ عِقَالٍ، فَانْطَلَقَ يَمْشِي مَا بِهِ قَلَبَةٌ. قَالَ فَأَوْفَوْهُمْ جُعْلَهُمُ الَّذِي صَالَحُوهُمْ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمُ اقْسِمُوا. فَقَالَ الَّذِي رَقَى لاَ تَفْعَلُوا حَتَّى نَأْتِيَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَنَذْكُرَ لَهُ الَّذِي كَانَ، فَنَنْظُرَ مَا يَأْمُرُنَا. فَقَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرُوا لَهُ فَقَالَ " وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةٌ أَصَبْتُمُ اقْسِمُوا وَاضْرِبُوا لِي مَعَكُمْ بِسَهْمٍ ".
A group of the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) proceeded on a journey till they dismounted near one of the Arab tribes and requested them to entertain them as their guests, but they (the tribe people) refused to entertain them. Then the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and he was given all sorts of treatment, but all in vain. Some of them said, "Will you go to the group (those travelers) who have dismounted near you and see if one of them has something useful?" They came to them and said, "O the group! Our leader has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and we have treated him with everything but nothing benefited him Has anyone of you anything useful?" One of them replied, "Yes, by Allah, I know how to treat with a Ruqya. But. by Allah, we wanted you to receive us as your guests but you refused. I will not treat your patient with a Ruqya till you fix for us something as wages." Consequently they agreed to give those travellers a flock of sheep. The man went with them (the people of the tribe) and started spitting (on the bite) and reciting Surat-al-Fatiha till the patient was healed and started walking as if he had not been sick. When the tribe people paid them their wages they had agreed upon, some of them (the Prophet's companions) said, "Distribute (the sheep)." But the one who treated with the Ruqya said, "Do not do that till we go to Allah's Apostle and mention to him what has happened, and see what he will order us." So they came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and mentioned the story to him and he said, "How do you know that Surat-al-Fatiha is a Ruqya? You have done the right thing. Divide (what you have got) and assign for me a share with you."