A strange cure for piles

Question

Question: Zayd says that if a paisa (a small copper coin, a fraction of a rupee) is put into the mouth of a sacrificial animal, or that paisa is fed to the animal, and it is slaughtered, and then that paisa is put on a person suffering from piles, the illness will go away. Zayd did exactly this at the time of his sacrifice. Has this caused a corruption of belief (‘aqida), or is it shirk?

Answer

The sacrificial animal has not been spoiled by this; and its being beneficial for piles is not a question of fiqh: if its benefit is established by medicine or by experience, there is no harm in it. If it is merely a superstitious remedy, it should be avoided.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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