Dua for the sick and for visiting the sick

What to say when visiting someone who is ill.

1 Once

لا بأس؛ طَهُور إن شاء الله

Meaning and source

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited a Bedouin while he was sick, and whenever he visited a sick person he would say: "No harm, (it will be) purification (from sins) if Allah wills."

Narrated by Bukhari Grade: Authentic hadith

Explanation

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited a Bedouin while he was sick. Whenever he visited a sick person he would say: "No harm, it will be purification (from sins) if Allah wills." In other words, there will be no harm or hardship upon you, and your illness will be purification from your sins and expiation for your faults. Illness may also cause man's rank to be raised in the afterlife.

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2 7 times

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

Meaning and source

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person whose time of death has not yet come, and says seven times in his presence: 'As’alullāh al-‘azhīm Rabb al-‘arshi al-‘azhīm an yashfiyak (I ask Allah the Great, Lord of the great Throne, to cure you),' except that Allah will cure him of that sickness."

Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, At-Tirmidhi, and Ahmad Grade: Authentic

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that no Muslim visits a sick Muslim whose time of death has not yet come, then the visitor supplicates for the sick person, saying: (I ask Allah the Great) in His essence, attributes, and actions, (Lord of the great Throne, to cure you), and repeats it for him seven times except that Allah will cure him of that sickness.

Benefits

  • It is recommended to supplicate for a sick person by repeating this supplication seven times.
  • Healing is granted, by the permission of Allah Almighty, to the one for whom this supplication is said, provided that it is made with sincerity and righteousness.
  • This supplication can be said secretly or aloud, as both are permissible. However, if the sick person can hear it, that is preferable and better, as it brings him joy.

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3 Once

أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، رَبَّ النَّاسِ، وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Meaning and source

‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her), reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would visit a sick person, he would supplicate for him saying: "Adh-hib al-ba’sa rabb an-nās washfi anta ash-shāfi la shifā’ illa shifā’uk shifā’an la yughādiru saqama (Remove the harm, Lord of the people, and heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves behind no illness)."

Agreed upon Grade: Authentic

Explanation

Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited a sick person, he would supplicate for him saying: O Allah, (remove) and eliminate (the harm) and severe sickness, (Lord of the people), their Creator, and their Sustainer, (and heal) this sick person, (for You), may You be exalted, (are the Healer). I implore You by Your name, the Healer. (There is no healing) that can occur to the sick (except Your healing) and Your well-being, (a healing) that completely (leaves behind) and retains (no illness) or any other sickness.

Benefits

  • The Healer is Allah Almighty while the doctor and medicine are merely means that neither benefit nor harm except by Allah's permission.
  • Visiting the sick is one of the rights among Muslims, and it is even more deserving when it comes to family members.
  • Encouraging those who visit a sick person to supplicate for him with this blessed and transmitted supplication.
  • The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) practiced treatment through the Shariah-approved Ruqyah (faith-healing/incantation) with the Qur’an and good supplications. When he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) became ill, he would perform Ruqyah on himself, his family members, and others who were unwell.
  • Ibn Hajar said: There is confusion in supplicating for the recovery of the sick even though illness contains expiation for sins and a source of reward, as affirmed by the Hadīths. The answer is: Supplication itself is an act of worship and does not contradict the reward and expiation of sins, for these are obtained at the onset of illness and through dealing patiently with it. The supplicator is in a win-win position: either he attains his goal or is compensated with some benefit or protection from harm—all are from the grace of Allah Almighty.

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4 Once

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، مُذْهِبَ البَأسِ، اشْفِ أنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شَافِيَ إِلاَّ أنْتَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقماً

Meaning and source

Anas reported that he said to Thābit: "Shall I not perform for you the Ruqyah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)?" He said: 'Yes.' He (Anas) said: "Oh Allah, Lord of mankind, Remover of harm. Cure, You are the Curer. There is no curer but You. A cure that leaves behind no illness.”

Narrated by Bukhari Grade: Authentic hadith

Explanation

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) called Thābit al-Bunāni and said to him: “Shall I not perform for you the Ruqyah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)?” He used to supplicate his Lord on behalf of the sick person to remove the illness, its severity and pain, and to grant him a cure after which no trace of illness remains. Scholars unanimously agree on the permissibility of using Ruqyah when three conditions are met: 1- It is made by reciting the words of Allah, or mentioning His Names or Attributes. 2- It is in Arabic or any other language whose meanings can be clearly identified. It is preferable to use expressions reported in Hadīths. 3- It must be believed that the Ruqyah in itself cannot be effective, rather it may be so only by the decree of Allah, the Exalted.

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5 Once

اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ سَعْداً، اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ سَعْداً، اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ سَعْداً

Meaning and source

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited me when I was ill and said: "O Allah, cure Sa‘d; O Allah, cure Sa‘d; O Allah, cure Sa‘d!"

Al-Bukhari and Muslim. This is the wording of Muslim Grade: Authentic hadith

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) visited Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās, when he was sick and said three times: "O Allah, cure Sa‘d." This Hadīth indicates that it is from the Sunnah to visit a sick Muslim. It also indicates the Prophet's exemplary character, and his good manners with his companions, as he used to visit the sick and make supplication for them. This Hadīth serves as proof that it is desirable to make supplication saying: "O Allah, cure so and so," and one should name the person and repeat this supplication three times. This could be a reason for the person's recovery.

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Questions

What is on this page?

Dua for the sick: each one in Arabic, with its meaning, the hadith it comes from, its grade and an explanation.

Where do the translations come from?

From HadeethEnc.com, the Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths. Each hadith is shown exactly as they publish it, with its source and grade, and links to the original.

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