FatwaFederal TerritoriesMedicine & Health
IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-931: HUKUM MINUM AIR REBUSAN PAKU DAN TAHI BURUNG UNTUK MERAWAT KANSER
What is the ruling on drinking water boiled with nails and bird droppings to treat cancer?
Short answer
Treating illness with impure substances is basically prohibited based on the hadith, and bird droppings are considered impure in the Shafi'i school according to its established position.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Medicine & Health
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Treating illness with impure substances is basically prohibited based on the hadith, and bird droppings are considered impure in the Shafi'i school according to its established position. Therefore a traditional remedy of water boiled with nails and pigeon droppings is not permitted, unless there is a case of necessity with no pure medicine available, or its effectiveness is proven by valid scientific study. Water boiled with nails also risks rust contamination and metal poisoning. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and immunotherapy, proven through clinical trials, should be the first choice for life-threatening cancer.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Hukum ramuan air rebusan paku dan najis burung merpati dipercayai mampu merawat kanser menurut petua tradisional adalah tidak dibenarkan.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-931: HUKUM MINUM AIR REBUSAN PAKU DAN TAHI BURUNG UNTUK MERAWAT KANSER”, 12 September 2025. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/6362-irsyad-hukum-siri-ke-931-hukum-minum-air-rebusan-paku-dan-tahi-burung-untuk-merawat-kanser. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-drinking-nail-bird-droppings-water-cancer/