Dua for the Sick: Islamic Prayers for Healing

When Someone We Love Is Ill

Illness strips everything back. When you or someone you love is sick, the instinct is to do something — and for a Muslim, that something begins with dua.

The prophetic tradition is rich with specific supplications for healing: words the Prophet ﷺ taught us, words the Quran records from earlier prophets, and a complete framework for how to make dua both over yourself and over those you care for. Islam does not separate spiritual healing from physical care — both flow from the same source, Allah الشافي (Ash-Shāfī), the Healer.

This guide gives you the authenticated duas for the sick, rooted in Quran and hadith, with Arabic text, transliteration, translation, and guidance on when and how to recite each one.

What Is the Primary Dua for the Sick?

The central prophetic supplication for healing is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 5675 and Sahih Muslim 2191. It asks Allah — by one of His greatest names, Ash-Shāfī — to remove the harm and grant complete healing. This dua was used by the Prophet ﷺ and is recommended to recite over the sick person with the hand placed gently on the affected area, in odd numbers — three or seven times is the established prophetic practice.

The Core Duas for Healing

The Prophetic Shifa Dua

This is the primary hadith-authenticated dua for healing the sick, narrated by Aisha (RA) in Sahih al-Bukhari 5675:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Allāhumma Rabba n-nāsi adhhib il-ba'sa, ishfi, wa anta sh-Shāfī, lā shifā'a illā shifā'uka shifā'an lā yughādiru saqamā

"O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease."

— (Sahih al-Bukhari 5675, Sahih Muslim 2191)

Place your right hand gently on the sick person and recite this three or seven times. If you are reciting for yourself, place your hand on the area of pain.

The Ruqyah Dua for Physical Pain

This dua comes from Sahih Muslim 2202, where the Prophet ﷺ taught a companion whose physical pain had persisted:

أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ

A'ūdhu bi 'izzatillāhi wa qudratihi min sharri mā ajidu wa uḥādhir

"I seek refuge in the might of Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and what I fear."

Begin by saying "بِسْمِ اللَّهِ" (Bismillāh) three times, then recite this dua seven times. The Prophet ﷺ stated that doing so brought complete relief to the companion who had been suffering.

The Dua When Visiting the Sick

When you visit someone who is ill, the Prophet ﷺ taught this short but powerful supplication (Sahih al-Bukhari 5662):

لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Lā ba'sa, ṭahūrun in shā'a llāh

"No need to worry, it will be a purification, if Allah wills."

This dua serves both as reassurance for the sick person and as a reminder that illness in Islam carries spiritual reward — it purifies the believer from sins through patience.

What the Quran and Sunnah Teach About Illness and Healing

The Dua of Prophet Ayyub (AS)

Prophet Ayyub (AS) is the prophetic model of illness met with patience and trust. Afflicted for years, he did not despair — instead, he made a dua that Allah preserved in the Quran:

أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Annī massaniya d-ḍurru wa anta arḥamu r-rāḥimīn

"Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful."

— (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:83)

Allah responded immediately: "So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We restored his family to him and the like thereof with them" (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:84). This dua is recommended for anyone facing illness, hardship, or prolonged suffering.

Surah Al-Fatiha as Ruqyah

One of the companions recited Surah Al-Fatiha over a tribal leader who had been stung, and the man recovered. When the Prophet ﷺ heard this, he approved it and said: "And how did you know that it is a ruqyah?" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5736). Scholars widely include Surah Al-Fatiha in ruqyah for the sick, recited over the patient with a gentle breath.

Illness as Spiritual Purification

The Prophet ﷺ taught that illness is not only a test but also a mercy: "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641). For the sick believer, every moment of difficulty — endured with patience — is a means of drawing closer to Allah.

How to Make Dua for the Sick: Practical Guidance

Whether you are ill yourself or caring for someone who is, here is a sustainable approach to integrating healing duas into daily life:

If you are the sick person:

• Begin each day with the intention to accept the illness as a test and a purification
• Recite the main shifa dua three times morning and evening, placing your hand on the area of pain
• Recite the ruqyah pain dua (Sahih Muslim 2202) as needed — seven times over the affected area
• Recite the dua of Prophet Ayyub (21:83) as a personal supplication throughout the day

If you are making dua for someone else:

• Visit them and recite the shifa dua over them directly (Sahih al-Bukhari 5675)
• Say lā ba'sa, ṭahūrun in shā'a llāh (Sahih al-Bukhari 5662) as part of your visit
• Make dua for them by name in your night prayers — the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that duas for an absent Muslim are answered (Sahih Muslim 2732)

Combining dua with medicine: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it" (Abu Dawud 3855). Seeking medicine and making dua are not in tension — both reflect reliance on Allah as the One who heals through every means.

Our dedicated guide to dua for health and healing goes deeper into the relationship between specific physical conditions and the supplications recommended for them. For duas specifically addressing pain, see our dua for the pain guide.

The DeenBack guide to daily dhikr habits explores how consistent daily remembrance supports a grounded, spiritually healthy life. For reflections on trusting Allah through prolonged hardship — the condition many sick people face — the Demi Manifest piece on trusting Allah through hardship offers a thoughtful perspective.

Healing Duas: A Quick Reference

Common Questions About Duas for the Sick

What is the etiquette when visiting a sick Muslim? The Prophet ﷺ said visiting the sick is one of six rights a Muslim has over another Muslim (Sahih Muslim 2162). Visit in person, keep the visit short and comfortable, make dua for them, and say encouraging words. Our guide on Islamic etiquette of visiting the sick covers the full sunnah of hospital and home visits.

Can I recite the dua for a non-Muslim who is sick? Scholars generally hold that making dua for a non-Muslim's healing is permissible — you are asking Allah to heal someone, not praying for their salvation. The concern arises specifically around praying for forgiveness for someone who died as a non-believer (Surah Al-Tawbah, 9:113). Dua for a living person's recovery is a separate matter and reflects Islamic mercy.

What if the person is very ill and all duas seem unanswered? Dua is answered in one of three ways: granted immediately, stored for the hereafter, or used to avert a greater harm (Musnad Ahmad 11149). Prolonged illness met with patience is a profound spiritual station. The model of Prophet Ayyub (AS) is the Quranic answer to this question — patience through long trials, combined with sincerity in supplication, is itself a form of closeness to Allah.

Is there a specific dua for a person about to undergo surgery? Scholars recommend the dua of Prophet Ayyub (21:83) and the general shifa dua (Sahih al-Bukhari 5675). The morning adhkar before surgery can serve as a comprehensive supplication. See our guides on dua for sick person and dua a shifa for additional authenticated options.

Closing: Trust the Healer

Every authentic healing dua points to the same truth: Allah is الشافي (Ash-Shāfī) — the only true Healer. The duas the Prophet ﷺ taught us are acts of tawakkul, placing what we cannot control entirely in Allah's hands.

Begin with the shifa dua from Sahih al-Bukhari 5675, recited three times. Say it for yourself, for someone you love, for anyone who is suffering. Let it be a daily reminder that all healing flows from the One who knows every cell of the body He created.