Dua for Visiting Sick: What to Say in Islam

When someone you care about falls ill, the helplessness can be overwhelming. You want to ease their pain, to bring peace to their room, to do something meaningful. Islam turns that instinct into an act of worship: visiting the sick is a prophetic practice with specific words — words that carry comfort, sincerity, and real supplication before Allah.

These duas are not empty phrases. They come from the Prophet ﷺ himself, taught through authentic hadith, and generations of Muslims have recited them at the bedsides of the ill.

What Is the Dua for Visiting the Sick in Islam?

The core dua when visiting someone sick is lā ba'sa ṭahūrun in shā' Allāh — "No harm, this is a purification, if Allah wills" — which the Prophet ﷺ would say while visiting the ill (Sahih al-Bukhari 5656). A second longer supplication asks Allah to remove all harm as the only true Healer. A third dua, recited seven times, directly petitions Allah the Almighty to cure the person. Together, these three supplications cover comfort, intercession, and hope.

The Duas: Arabic Text, Transliteration, and Translation

Dua 1: The Purification Dua (Short Visit)

لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Lā ba'sa ṭahūrun in shā' Allāh

"No harm [to you]; this [illness] is a purification, if Allah wills." — (Sahih al-Bukhari 5656)

When to say it: Say this as a greeting of comfort when you first arrive. It reframes illness not as punishment, but as a means of spiritual purification.

Dua 2: The Healing Dua (Full Supplication)

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

Allāhumma adh-hibi al-ba's, rabba al-nās, washfi anta ash-shāfī, lā shifā'a illā shifā'uk, shifā'an lā yughādiru saqamā

"O Allah, remove the harm, Lord of mankind, and heal — You are the Healer. There is no cure except Your cure, a cure that leaves no illness behind." — (Sahih al-Bukhari 5675)

When to say it: Place your right hand gently on the sick person if appropriate, and recite this supplication. The Prophet ﷺ would do this for his companions.

Dua 3: The Seven-Times Dua

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

As'alullāhal-'aẓīma rabbil-'arshil-'aẓīmi an yashfiyak

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

When to say it: Recite this seven times during your visit. Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet ﷺ promised: if a person is not yet at the point of death, this dua said seven times will lead to their recovery by Allah's will.

The Prophetic Context: Why Visiting the Sick Matters

The Prophet ﷺ considered visiting the sick one of the most significant acts a Muslim could perform for another Muslim. He listed it as one of six rights:

"The rights of a Muslim upon a Muslim are six... when he is sick, visit him." — (Sahih Muslim 2162)

This was not a casual recommendation. The Prophet ﷺ personally visited his companions when they fell ill, including Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, whom he visited when Sa'd feared he would die far from his homeland. The Prophet prayed for him, and Sa'd recovered to live for many years after.

He also visited a young Jewish boy who had been serving him. When the boy lay dying, the Prophet ﷺ sat beside him, invited him to Islam, and the boy embraced the faith before he passed. The Prophet emerged from that visit saying, "All praise is for Allah who saved him from the Fire" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1356).

Illness, in the Prophet's view, was not something to avoid discussing or visiting — it was a time when a believer's presence and dua carried the most weight.

Making the Dua for the Sick Part of Your Daily Life

Illness is unpredictable. Building the habit of visiting the sick — and knowing what to say — takes intentional practice before the moment arrives.

You can also make these duas at a distance. The Prophet ﷺ confirmed: "The dua of a Muslim for their absent brother is answered" (Sahih Muslim 2733). Send a message, think of the person during your salah, and raise your hands in dua — that is a genuine act of care and worship.

One practical step: keep the Arabic text of these duas saved somewhere accessible — a note on your phone, a card by your desk. That way you always have them ready when someone you love needs them.

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 Spiritual Reward of Visiting the Sick

The hadith literature is unusually generous about this practice. The Prophet ﷺ described visiting the sick in almost luminous terms:

"Whoever visits a sick person, a caller from the heavens announces: You have done well, and your walking is blessed, and you have prepared a place for yourself in Paradise." — (Ibn Majah 1443)

Each step toward a sick person's bedside, according to this hadith, is itself an act of worship that builds your standing in the next life. The visit need not be long. The Prophet ﷺ taught that a short, sincere visit is better than a prolonged one that tires the patient.

For more on the broader etiquette of visiting the sick, see our guide on Islamic etiquette of visiting the sick. If you want to understand the spiritual concept of shifa (healing) in Islam, read what is shifa in Islam. For making dua in general, our article on how to make dua properly covers the conditions and etiquette of supplication.

Related: If someone is gravely ill, you may also benefit from Ruqyah in Islam — the Quranic recitation for healing.

The scholars have documented these duas precisely so that every believer has access to the prophetic tradition. You can verify the source hadiths directly at Sunnah.com — Sahih al-Bukhari 5656 and Sunnah.com — Abu Dawud 3106, and read the Quranic verse on the healing of Prophet Ayyub at Quran.com — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:83. For a broader exploration of how Islamic teachings guide us when someone we love falls ill, DeenBack's article on visiting the sick in Islam covers the community dimension of this practice. And for the inner spiritual work — preparing your heart to serve others in their hardest moments — see this reflection from DemiManifest on making dua for those who are suffering.

Related Duas for the Sick

Beyond the visit itself, the following duas from the Quran and Sunnah are relevant for illness and healing:

• Prophet Ayyub's dua (when afflicted with serious illness): Rabbī annī massaniya al-ḍurru wa anta arḥamu al-rāḥimīn — "My Lord, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful" (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:83). Allah responded and restored his health.
• Dua for the sick person in your own words: After reciting the prophetic duas, you may add personal words in any language asking Allah specifically for the person's recovery.

The Quran affirms that Allah is Ash-Shāfī — the One who heals — and that healing belongs to Him alone (Surah Ash-Shu'ara, 26:80). This gives the duas their foundation: you are not asking medicine, a hospital, or a healer — you are addressing the source of all recovery.

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

Common Questions

Can I visit someone of another faith when they are sick? Yes — the Prophet ﷺ himself visited non-Muslim patients. Human compassion crosses religious lines, and your presence and dua are still meaningful acts.

What if I cannot visit in person? Calling, messaging, and making dua remotely all count. The Prophet ﷺ confirmed that dua for an absent brother is answered (Sahih Muslim 2733).

Is it permissible to bring food when visiting the sick? Yes. Bringing something light and appropriate is consistent with the spirit of care the Prophet ﷺ encouraged in visiting the ill.

For more duas connected to health and healing, see dua for healing and dua for sick person on this site.

The duas for visiting the sick are a reminder that Islam is a complete way of life — one that teaches us exactly what to say and do in our most human moments. When you sit beside someone who is unwell and recite lā ba'sa ṭahūrun, you are following the precise example of the Prophet ﷺ. That continuity across fourteen centuries is itself a form of comfort.

May Allah grant shifa to all who are ill, and make our visits a source of peace for those we love.