Visiting and praying for the sick is one of the rights every Muslim has over another. The Prophet ﷺ taught a beautiful, comprehensive dua to recite when sitting beside someone who is unwell — whether a relative, a neighbour or a stranger in hospital. It can also be said by a person for themselves when they are ill.
The dua for the sick
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
Allahumma Rabban-nas, adhhibil-ba's, ishfi Antash-Shafi, la shifa'a illa shifa'uk, shifa'an la yughadiru saqama.
O Allah, Lord of the people, remove the harm, cure — for You are the Healer, there is no cure but Your cure, a cure that leaves no illness behind.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 — narrated by Aisha (RA))
How the Prophet ﷺ used to recite it
Aisha (RA), the Mother of the Believers, reported that when any member of his family fell ill, the Prophet ﷺ would touch them with his right hand while reciting this dua. The combination of physical touch and sincere supplication is a complete Sunnah of comfort: presence, prayer and tenderness.
A second dua taught for the sick
Ibn Abbas (RA) reported the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever visits a sick person whose time has not come and says seven times: As'alullaha al-'Azim Rabbal-'Arshil-'Azim an yashfiyak — I ask Allah the Mighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you — Allah will cure them' (Sunan Abi Dawud 3106, graded Sahih). Combine the two duas at the bedside.
When to recite — and what to remember
- Visit the sick early — the Prophet ﷺ said the angels pray for the visitor until the evening, and from evening until the morning.
- Touch the patient gently with the right hand if appropriate, and recite the dua quietly.
- Encourage them with hope — illness erases sins as leaves fall from a tree (Sahih al-Bukhari 5660).
- Make personal dua for them — they are themselves in a state of accepted dua.
Hadith reference
The first dua is in Sahih al-Bukhari (5742) and Sahih Muslim (2191) on the authority of Aisha (RA). The seven-time dua is in Sunan Abi Dawud (3106) and Jami at-Tirmidhi (2083) on the authority of Ibn Abbas (RA), graded Sahih by Imam al-Albani.