Duas for the sick and for healing
What to say when visiting someone who is ill, and what the sick person says when the trial weighs heavy.
When visiting someone who is ill, you wish that the illness be a purification; you ask healing for them, seven times, in the name of Allah the Almighty. The sick person entrusts their state to Allah when the trial becomes heavy. These duas are worship and support: they accompany treatment, they do not replace it.
The duas
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When visiting a sick person
لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ
Lâ ba'sa tahûrun in shâ'a Llâh
No harm: it is a purification, if Allah wills.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3616 · grade: sahih (authentic), graded by al-Bukhari -
Asking for the sick person's cure (seven times)
أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ
As'alu Llâha l-'Azhîma Rabba l-'arshi l-'azhîmi an yashfiyak
I ask Allah the Magnificent, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to cure you.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3106 · grade: sahih (authentic), graded by al-Albani Say it 7 times
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When feeling pain in the body
Place your hand on the painful spot and say: In the name of Allah (three times), then: I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and what I fear (seven times).
Arabic text awaiting verification: we show it only once it is found word for word in the cited hadith. -
When the illness becomes very heavy
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى
Allâhumma-ghfir lî, wa-rhamnî, wa alhiqnî bi-r-rafîqi l-a'lâ
O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, and join me to the Highest Companionship.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5674 · grade: sahih (authentic), graded by al-Bukhari -
To repeat during your illness
There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah, alone. There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. There is no god but Allah; to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise. There is no god but Allah, and there is no power and no strength except by Allah.
Arabic text awaiting verification: we show it only once it is found word for word in the cited hadith. -
When hardship weighs so heavily that you wish for death
اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي، وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي
Allâhumma ahyinî mâ kânati l-hayâtu khayran lî, wa tawaffanî idhâ kânati l-wafâtu khayran lî
O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and take me to You when death is better for me.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5671 · grade: sahih (authentic), graded by al-Bukhari -
Passing the hand over the pain, to ask for healing
أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
Adh-hibi l-ba'sa Rabba n-nâs, ishfi wa anta sh-shâfî, lâ shifâ'a illâ shifâ'uk, shifâ'an lâ yughâdiru saqamâ
Take away the affliction, Lord of mankind. Heal — for You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5675 · grade: sahih (authentic), graded by al-Bukhari
| Collection | Duas | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Sahih al-Bukhari | 4 | sahih (authentic) · al-Bukhari |
| Sunan Abi Dawud | 1 | sahih (authentic) · al-Albani |
When to say them
The healing dua is said near the sick person, with the hand passed over the place of pain for one of them, as described in the hadith.
They always accompany a doctor’s care: the Sunnah encourages seeking treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Which dua should I say for someone who is sick?
The request for healing from Sunan Abi Dawud, said seven times, and the one from Sahih al-Bukhari, “Lord of people, remove the harm”: both are on this page.
Do these duas replace treatment?
No. They are worship and comfort. The Sunnah encourages seeking treatment; always ask a doctor’s advice.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error