When it comes to children, ruqyah is often easier than for adults, and results can often be obtained more quickly. Having said that, we can divide ruqyah cases in children into three categories:

1. Concern over children, without confirmed symptoms. This can include medical problems that don't seem to have an answer, or a general feeling that they have been afflicted by the evil eye, or that they are "just not themselves." I do not recommend a full ruqyah programme for children at this stage; rather, I would recommend the 7 day programme, missing out the honey for children less than one year of age. The reading can be done by the parent, and the programme is generally well tolerated in people of all ages.

2. Confirmed symptoms, without a strong reaction from the child, and without the jinn taking over. Symptoms can be as a result of treatment in the first case mentioned above, or when the child is displaying clear symptoms, but without a jinni/ manifesting itself. For these children, I recommend the full ruqyah programme, but the ruqyah can be performed in a very passive way. That means that the child doesn't have to sit like a statue, and there should be nothing that will scare the child, such as shouting. There is no need for the hijaamah section to be applied either. For the majority of children, I have found that this treatment is enough to get rid of all symptoms, without any discomfort to the child, and without any of the usual jinn-related antics.

3. Severe cases, in which the jinn takes over the child, and the child becomes either extremely vocal, and even violent. Once again, I would recommend the full ruqyah programme, without hijaamah, but it may be necessary to be a little more active, keeping the child near, and pushing the ruqyah a little more.

In all of the above cases, the following should be noted:

• At all times, the safety and comfort of the child is paramount. This child is not an adult, so don't treat them like one. The child should feel totally comfortable with the ruqyah, or as close to that as can be achieved. Keep them relaxed and happy, smile, and regularly check that they are OK. You can also play with them, like asking them to read on you. If you are coming only for ruqyah, then try to be around the child for a little while outside of the ruqyah session, to help them feel more comfortable with you.

• NEVER hit a child. Ever. Hitting a ruqyah patient isn't a good idea at the best of times, and can lead to a rather long prison sentence, but hitting a child could cause them serious injury, and many children have died as a result of 'beating the jinn'. All you have done in this case is to do the work of the shayṭān for them. If the jinn is moving around in the body, a gentle massage of the affected area is more than enough. It will relax the child and put pressure on the jinn. It is also very 'forgiving' in the sense that if you get the wrong place, it will not cause any harm to the child at all.

• The hardest thing about ruqyah for children is that children are not able to explain their experiences and feelings like adults. They may naturally be fidgety and move around. This should not be misunderstood as a jinn problem. Take time to observe the child, both inside and outside of the ruqyah, to establish a baseline, in terms of the behaviour of the child, and what might be considered abnormal.

• If the child is old enough to understand, try to discuss with them, and most importantly, remove the fear of the shayṭān from them. Fear of the shayṭān can be much worse in children than adults, and we don't want the children scared to go to sleep. Make light of the issue, and tell them how weak the shayṭān is, and how he runs away from the Qur'an. Teach them simple things to say to protect themselves, like some of the things mentioned here. 

• As in all cases, if the jinn speaks, don't attempt to engage the jinn in conversation, just ask them to "accept Islam and leave, or if you refuse, then leave and don't come back." Don't accept any bargaining or agreement, and don't believe any of the stories.

• There isn't one best time to perform ruqyah, but if you notice the symptoms are bad at a certain time, such as after Maghrib, then do it when you feel the symptoms are strongest. Otherwise whenever the child is the most comfortable.

• Be willing to change the time and the method, depending on progress. At the same time, don't change too quickly, as this encourages the shayṭān to manipulate you.

Before beginning:

1. Humble yourself before Allah

2. Make du‘aa at the times when your du‘aa is accepted, like the time between the adhaan and the iqaamah, the last third of the night, between 'Asr and Maghrib on a Friday (because the Prophet - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him - said, "Indeed on the day of Jumu'ah there is a period of time, no believing servant encounters it, asking Allah for the good of this world and the next, except that he is given it."), and so on. {See: http://duas.com/tips.php}

You need to have the following things ready:

1. Water {I estimate you'll need 3-5 litres per person approximately} - ideally Zam Zam, because of the hadeeth "A food that satisfies and a cure from sickness", and the hadeeth "The water of Zam Zam is for whatever it is drunk for." If Zam Zam is not available, then rain water should be collected, because Allah said, "And We have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest" 50:9, and because the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to uncover part of his garment when it rained, and he would say, "It has just come from its Lord." If rain water is not available, then regular water is fine, but effort should be made to obtain rain water where Zam Zam is not available. {Please do not delay the programme excessively waiting for Zam Zam or rain water - you can always add it later in shaa' Allah}

2. Olive Oil {One whole bottle per person should be enough} - {this should be organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil - in other words, it should be greenish in colour, not yellow like vegetable oil. I recommend organic Palestinian extra virgin olive oil, if you can get it, because it comes from a land that Allāh tells us is blessed}. This is because Allah describes it as "lit from [the oil of] a blessed tree - the olive" 24:35, and the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Eat olive oil and oil yourselves with it, for it is from a blessed tree."

3. Honey {this should be raw & organic, and of good quality...not supermarket junk! You can get Sidr honey, also Manuka honey is well spoken of}. Allah said, "There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought." 16:69 and the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, There is a cure in three substances, a drink of honey…" [al-Bukhari]. The shaykh emphasised that a lot of people make a mistake in that they do not drink the honey, but they eat it, and the hadeeth is clear that the cure is in drinking it diluted in water.

4. Black Seeds {again this should be organic - the scientific name is Nigella Sativa}. This is because the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "It is a cure from every illness" [Bukhari and Muslim].

At the beginning of the week, you need to do the following:

1. Sit down with the water and olive oil open in front of you. Read the following:

   (a) al-Faatihah - seven times is best, or three if you wish, because the Prophet ﷺ approved of doing so. (b) al-Baqarah - once all the way through (If you are unable to read al-Baqarah, then read whatever is easy for you, or ask someone to read for you, if you struggle to read the Qur'an). (c) The last three surahs of the Qur'an: al-Ikhlaaṣ, al-Falaq, and an-Naas - three times each. (d) Aayat-ul-Kursi 2:255 - seven times is best, or three if you wish.

2. Blow {as though you are spitting but without spittle}, either at the end of each sūrah, or after each aayah, or whenever it is easy for you, into the water and the olive oil {You can use smaller bottles and blow in each from time to time, or in all of them after each aayah or each sūrah, it's up to you. Perhaps it would be even more beneficial to read 2 litres at a time during the week, to get the most out of the reading}. When you have completed all of the reading, you are now prepared to begin the programme.

How to use:

Take two tablespoons of honey and dissolve them in a cup of the water that you have read upon. Add seven seeds of black seed and drink. Do this three times per day.

1. Before sleep, anoint the entire body from head to foot with the olive oil that has been read upon.
2. Upon waking, wash the entire body with water and soap. Then, take half a cup of the water that has been read upon and add it to a bucket or other container. Fill up the bucket with water from the tap and wash the entire body.

Continue this for three whole days

On day 4-7:

1. Use olive oil that has been read upon to anoint any areas where pain is found, if any.
2. Take two tablespoons of honey and dissolve them in a cup of the water that you have read upon. Add seven seeds of black seed and drink. Do this three times per day.

What to Expect:

1. On the first day, you will most likely not feel anything.
2. On the second and third day, you may feel very ill. You may feel excessive tiredness, pain all over the body, or in certain places, or aches and pains as though you carried out strenuous exercise.
3. By the fourth day, you may feel completely refreshed, as though you have a lot of energy - with the permission of Allah.
4. The aches and pains will gradually go away, in shaa' Allah, over the course of the 7 days.
5. {If the patient does not feel better, or the 7 day programme has resulted in a worsening of symptoms, then we advise to move on to the full ruqyah programme, of which the 7 day programme is repeated 1-2 times a month, in addition to other ruqyah.}

Allāh knows best.

References:

http://muhammadtim.com/7dayrd , 

http://muhammadtim.com/posts/ruqyah-for-children