The Duas I Say For Illness
This is part 6 of my Dua Series. You can also read Part 1 - Why I Love Dua As A Muslim, Part 2 - How To Get Your Duas Accepted, Part 3 - How I Start And End My Day With Dua, Part 4 -The Duas I Say For Hardship, and Part 5 - The Duas I Say For Protection.
Many of us turn to medicine and doctors when we get sick. However, the first thing we need to do in times of illness is turn to the One Who Created us. Allah SWT is Ash-Shaafee - The One who cures, the Healer. He is the only one who can cure and heal us from a disease or ailment. His healing is perfect according to His Wisdom as He is the source from which all cures are derived.
The Prophet PBUH said:
“Allah has sent down the disease and the cure, and has made for every disease the cure.” - Abu Dawood
He also said:
“Treat sickness, for Allah has not created any disease except He has also created the cure, except for one disease… Old age.” - At-Tirmidhi
These are the duas I say when my family or I are sick, in pain, or in need of any medical or dental procedure. It has become part of our lives and the first thing I turn to before taking medicine or visiting a doctor. Aisha R.A. informed us:
“When Prophet Muhammedﷺ was in final illness, he used to recite Surat An-Nas and Surat Al- Falaq, and then blow his breath over his body. When his illness was aggravated, I used to recite those two suras and blow my breath over him and make him rub his body with his own hand for its blessings." (al-Bukhari)
It is also related that when someone fell ill, the Prophet ﷺ would recite one of these first four duas for them.
Dua For Illness #1
It is recommended to recite this dua while the ill person places their right hand on the area of pain. Recite "bismillah" three times, and then the entire supplication is recited seven times.
أعوذ بعزة الله وقدرته من شر ما أجدوأحاذر
A’udhu bi’izzatillahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa ‘uhadhiru
“I seek protection in the might of Allah and His power from the evil of what I am experiencing and of what I fear.”
If I say this for anyone, I mention their name/s and I will tell the one who is sick to repeat it as well.
Dua For Illness #2
It is recommended to touch the area of pain with the right hand while reciting this dua:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، مُذْهِبَ البَأسِ، اشْفِ أنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شَافِيَ إِلاَّ أنْتَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقماً
"Allahumma Rabban-nasi, adhhibil-ba'sa, washfi, Antash-Shafi, la shifa'a illa shifa'uka, shifaan la yughadiru saqaman
“Oh Allah! The Sustainer of Mankind! Remove the illness, cure the disease. You are the One Who cures. There is no cure except Your cure. Grant me a cure that leaves no illness.”
Dua For Illness #3
It is recommended to repeat the following dua seven times:
أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ
"As'alu Allah al 'azim rabbil 'arshil azim an yashifika"
“I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you.”
I will say these two duas over myself or the one who is ill and change the “you” to “me” or "me" to "us," depending on who is ill.
Dua For illness #4
It is good to say this dua, as it's all-encompassing. It surpasses receiving good not only in this life but in the afterlife as well. Scholars mention these types of dua as being excellent for our overall well-being.
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
"Rabbana 'atinaa fid dunyaa hasanat wafil aakhirati hasana taw wa qinaa azaaban naar"
“Oh Allah! Our Lord and Sustainer! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the Fire of Hell.”
Dua For Illness #5
Abu Darda (R.A) narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say,
مَنِ اشْتَكَى مِنْكُمْ شَيْئًا أَوِ اشْتَكَاهُ أَخٌ لَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ أَمْرُكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ كَمَا رَحْمَتُكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَاجْعَلْ رَحْمَتَكَ فِي الأَرْضِ اغْفِرْ لَنَا حُوبَنَا وَخَطَايَانَا أَنْتَ رَبُّ الطَّيِّبِينَ أَنْزِلْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ وَشِفَاءً مِنْ شِفَائِكَ عَلَى هَذَا الْوَجَعِ فَيَبْرَأُ
“If any of you is suffering from anything or his brother is suffering, he should say: Our Lord is Allah Who is in the Heaven, holy is Your name, Your command reigns supreme in the heaven and the earth, as Your mercy in the heaven, make Your mercy in the earth; forgive us our sins and our errors; You are the Lord of good men; send down mercy from Your mercy, and remedy from Your remedy on this pain so that it is healed up.” - Abu Dawud
Dua For Illness #6
This is a dua that Shaykh Yahya Rhodus describes as a “prayer for healing.” As we know, when we pray for the Prophet ﷺ and his family, we too are rewarded with the same.
اللهم صلي وسلم على سيدنا محمدين الهادي إلى طارق الملة. اللهم صلي وسلم على سيدنا محمد وبجههي أشرف عني كولا ماردين وألمين ووجهين وإيلا (ثم اذكروا المرض المعين) ، وعليه وصحبيح.Allahumma Salli wa sallim ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammadin al-Hadi ila tariq al-milla. Allahumma salli wa sallim ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa bi jahihi isrif ‘anni kulla maradin wa alamin wa waja’in wa ‘illa (then, mention the particular sickness), wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbih.
“Oh Allah bless and bestow peace upon Sayyidina Muhammed, the guide to the path of religion. Oh Allah bless and bestow peace upon Sayyidina Muhammed, and through his rank, remove from me every illness, pain, ailment, and disease, and upon his family and companions.”
Dua For Illness #7
This next dua is the supplication of Prophet Ayub (A.S.) when he was afflicted with leprosy for many years. He said this dua and Allah SWT cured him of his terrible disease - so imagine how powerful it will be for minor illness!
أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّـٰحِمِي
Annee massaniyad durru wa Anta arhamur raahimeen
“Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.
Dua For Illness #8
This dua is one that the Prophet ﷺ said when he felt any distress. He would call upon Allah using His Great Name of Ya Ḥayyu Ya Qayyum - O’ Living O’ Sustaining.
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum, bi-Rahmatika astagheeth
“O’ Living, O’ Sustaining, in Your Mercy I seek relief!” - Tirmidhi
A man prayed to Allah SWT saying:
“O Allah, I ask You as all praise is Yours. There is no god except You, You are the Bestower, the Originator of the Heavens and Earth, Possessor of Majesty and Honor. O’ Living (al-Ḥayy), O’ Sustaining (al-Qayyum).”
The Prophet ﷺ heard him and said:
“He has supplicated to Allah using His Greatest Name; when supplicated with this Name, He answers, and when asked with this Name, He gives.” (Abu Dawud)
I also love to call on Allah SWT by the name Ash-Shafee, The One Who Cures - The Healer, when I ask Him to cure any sickness or pain.
Dua For Illness #9
It is good to say this dua in case the illness is caused by hasad (envy). Especially if you are taking the necessary steps to get cured and you don't see improvement.
أُعِيْذُكُمَا (أُعِيْذُكَ) بِكَلِمَاتِ اللّٰهِ التَّامَّةِ ، مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَّهَامَّةٍ ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَّامَّةٍّّ
Uʿīdhukumā (Uʿīdhuka) bi-kalimāti-llāhi-t-tāmmah, min kulli shayṭāniw-wa hāmmah, wa min kulli ʿaynil-lāmmah
"I seek protection in the Perfect Words of Allah from every devil and every beast, and from every envious blameworthy eye." - Al-Bukhari
I will also play Sura Baqarah in our home if the illness goes on for a long time, along with Sura Yaseen and Sura Waqi'ah. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned,
“Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Quran is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Quran and honey.”
This life is a trial and tribulation. We are being tested, and Allah SWT seeks to raise our ranks through these tests and cleanse our hearts from the darkness of sin. We should constantly thank Him and see our state as indicative of His perfection.
The Prophetﷺ said,
“No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his mistakes by it.”(Bukhari, Muslim).
The Prophet ﷺ also said,
“When Allah desires good for someone, He afflicts him.” (Al-Bukhari)
In Part 7 of my Dua Series, The Duas of The Prophets and The Pious I will share the duas of the Prophets PBUT and the pious, who made these special duas during their tribulation.
My Recommended Read
The Book of Remembrance (Kitab Al-Adhkar) by Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi
This is a thick, in-depth book with a compilation of words of remembrance and glorification (dhikr), and a supplicatory prayer (du'a) to the Lord of the Universe as related from His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe being a wife, a mother, and making our homes a sanctuary for our families brings us tremendous blessings, fulfillment, and improves society. Since 2011, I've been committed to helping Muslimas find tranquility in their roles, take better care of themselves, and attain contentment within. Our journey is not an easy one, but I pray the resources and mentoring I offer, will assist in navigating you through your everyday challenges with mindfulness and gratitude, inshallah. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! READ MORE
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