Dua for Sick Person: Arabic Text, Transliteration and Meaning

When someone you love falls ill — or when illness comes to you — words can feel inadequate. Yet Islam provides exactly the right words: a set of Prophetic supplications addressed directly to the One who heals.

This guide gives you every major dua for a sick person in full Arabic script, with phonetic transliteration so you can recite the authentic wording even if you do not read Arabic fluently, alongside a clear English rendering of what each word means.

What Are the Islamic Duas for a Sick Person?

The Islamic duas for a sick person are a set of Prophetic supplications from authenticated hadith that address illness from multiple angles: seeking Allah's healing, comforting the patient during a visit, performing ruqyah (spiritual remedy), and asking for well-being in body and senses. The primary source is Sahih al-Bukhari 5750, which records the dua the Prophet ﷺ recited for those who were ill. Together these duas affirm that ash-Shaafi — the Healer — is one of Allah's 99 names, and that no cure comes except through Him.

The Main Healing Dua: Allahumma Rabba Al-Naas

The most complete dua for a sick person in the Prophetic tradition comes from 'Aa'ishah رضي الله عنها, who reported that when anyone fell ill the Prophet ﷺ would recite this supplication and blow gently over the person.

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Transliteration:

Allahumma rabba al-naasi, azhibi al-basa, washfi anta al-shaafi, laa shifaa-a illa shifaa-uk, shifaa-an laa yughaadir saqamaa.

English meaning:

"O Allah, Lord of people, remove the illness and heal. You are the Healer — there is no healing except Yours, a healing that leaves no disease behind." — (Sahih al-Bukhari 5750)

Pronunciation tips:

• azhibi — the "zh" is soft, like the "s" in "measure"; think "az-hibee"
• al-shaafi — the "aa" in shaafi is a long vowel; stress the first syllable: "SHA-fee"
• shifaa-a — four syllables: "shi-FAA-a"
• yughaadir — the "gh" is a soft guttural, like a gentle gargle; "yugh-AA-dir"
• saqamaa — "sa-QA-maa"; the final "aa" is a long vowel, held for two counts

Recite this over the sick person three times, with light breath blown toward them after each recitation.

The Visiting Dua: What to Say When You Arrive

When the Prophet ﷺ entered the room of a sick person, his first words were a gift of reassurance alongside a reminder that illness carries spiritual reward.

Arabic:

لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Transliteration:

Laa ba-sa, tahoorun in sha Allah.

English meaning:

"No harm — it is a purification, if Allah wills." — (Sahih al-Bukhari 5656)

The word tahoor (طَهُور) goes beyond simple cleansing. It carries the meaning of complete purification — the same root used for ritual purity. Illness, the Prophet ﷺ taught, can expiate sins just as a tree sheds its leaves (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641). Saying these words aloud to a sick person delivers that reminder with his authority.

Quick Reference: Sick Person Dua Transliteration Table

The Ruqyah Dua: Spiritual Remedy

Ruqyah is the Prophetic practice of reciting specific Quranic verses and duas over a sick person. The Prophet ﷺ performed ruqyah for his Companions, and 'Aa'ishah رضي الله عنها narrated that he also recited it for himself. This authenticated ruqyah supplication is one of the most complete forms.

Arabic:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ

Transliteration:

Bismillahi arqeek, min kulli shay-in yu-zeek, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw ayni haasidin, Allahu yashfeek.

English meaning:

"In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, and from the evil of every soul or envious eye — may Allah heal you." — (Sahih Muslim 2186)

Recite this three times while placing your right hand gently on the area of pain, if appropriate.

The Seven-Times Dua: A Specific Prophetic Promise

Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Prophet ﷺ taught a dua to be recited exactly seven times when visiting a sick person, with a specific promise attached to its consistent recitation.

Arabic:

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

Transliteration:

As-alu Allaha al-azeema rabba al-arshi al-azeemi an yashfiyak.

English meaning:

"I ask Allah the Mighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to heal you." — (Abu Dawud 3106, Tirmidhi 2083)

How to recite it: Say this exactly seven times while sitting with the sick person. The narration records the Prophet ﷺ as saying: "If it is not his appointed time (of death), Allah will relieve him of his sickness." Seven is not approximate — the count is part of the Sunnah.

Do you feel your duas are unanswered?

Have you read the dua properly? Learn authentic duas, understand their meanings, and call upon Allah with greater confidence through DeenUp.

Take the Dua Quiz

The Well-Being Dua: Body, Hearing, and Sight

Abu Dawud records a comprehensive morning dua that the Prophet ﷺ taught, which is especially relevant to offer for those whose illness affects their senses.

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَدَنِي اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي سَمْعِي اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَصَرِي

Transliteration:

Allahumma aafi-ni fi badani, Allahumma aafi-ni fi sam-i, Allahumma aafi-ni fi basari.

English meaning:

"O Allah, grant me health in my body. O Allah, grant me health in my hearing. O Allah, grant me health in my sight." — (Abu Dawud 5090)

This dua — recited three times each — acknowledges that well-being (aafiyah) in Islamic understanding covers the whole person: physical health, sensory capacity, and the mental clarity that sight and hearing enable.

The Quranic Foundation for Healing

The Quran itself addresses illness and healing directly. Surah Al-Isra 17:82 states:

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

"We send down of the Quran that which is healing and mercy for the believers."

Based on this verse and authenticated hadith, scholars across all four madhabs agree that reciting specific surahs over a sick person — especially Al-Fatiha, Al-Falaq, An-Naas, and Ayat al-Kursi — constitutes valid and recommended ruqyah. The Prophet ﷺ described Al-Fatiha specifically as a healing: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه recited it over a man bitten by a scorpion, and the man recovered (Sahih al-Bukhari 5736).

For a broader collection of duas for illness and recovery, see the site's guide on dua for sick person and dua for health and healing. For the specific visiting supplication and its etiquette, dua for visiting sick covers the full Sunnah protocol. If you are searching for the shifa supplication specifically, most powerful dua for shifa and speedy recovery dua for shifa expand on what is taught here.

Deen Back's guide on visiting the sick in Islam covers the complete Sunnah etiquette beyond the duas — timing, length of visit, what to bring, and what to avoid saying. DemiManifest's piece on caring for the sick in Islam connects the act of visiting and praying for the sick to the broader Islamic framework of communal care and mercy. For the Arabic of Surah Al-Isra verse 82 and its scholarly translations, quran.com hosts Al-Isra in full. The complete hadith text for the healing dua is at sunnah.com.

How to Use These Duas When Visiting a Sick Person

At the door: Begin with your intention — visiting the sick (ziyaaratu al-mareedh) is one of the rights of the Muslim over their fellow Muslim, and the Prophet ﷺ described its reward as walking through a garden of paradise (Sahih Muslim 2568).

Upon entering: Greet with Laa ba-sa, tahoorun in sha Allah before asking about symptoms or offering advice. The spiritual gift comes first.

During the visit: Recite the seven-times dua quietly or audibly — scholars prefer audible recitation so the patient can hear and find comfort. Follow it with the main healing dua from Bukhari 5750.

If performing ruqyah: Recite Al-Fatiha, Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, Al-Falaq, and An-Naas, with the ruqyah dua from Muslim 2186 in between or at the end. Blow gently toward the patient after each recitation.

At departure: Leave the sick person with a reminder of Allah's mercy. A short reminder that illness carries expiation — kaffarah — is the closing gift of the visit.

Common Questions About Duas for the Sick

Does the person being prayed for need to be present? No. The main healing dua and the well-being dua can be recited for an absent sick person. The Prophet ﷺ made dua for Companions who were not present, asking Allah to heal them. Distance does not limit supplication.

Should I recite in Arabic if I do not speak it? Yes, using the transliteration. The transliteration preserves the authentic Prophetic wording in a way an English paraphrase cannot. Learning the Arabic text phonetically is itself an act of devotion. Scholars permit dua in your native language when Arabic is not accessible, but recommend learning the Arabic with time.

How often should I recite these duas for someone who is seriously ill? There is no specified limit for the frequency of dua. Scholars encourage persistence in supplication — the Prophet ﷺ taught that Allah loves when a servant asks repeatedly (Tirmidhi 3604). Reciting daily, in the morning adhkar or after each prayer, is well-established practice.

Do you feel your duas are unanswered?

Have you read the dua properly? Learn authentic duas, understand their meanings, and call upon Allah with greater confidence through DeenUp.

Take the Dua Quiz