7 Dua For Visiting The Sick in Arabic, Meaning and Hadith
The Prophet SAW made visiting the sick one of the rights of a Muslim on his brother. It is not befitting that the Muslims should know that their brother is ill and none of them visits him. This will amount to estrangement and a serious breach of ties!
There are several etiquettes and dua for visiting the sick, here are some of them in Arabic, their meaning and Hadiths.
Dua For Visiting The Sick in Arabic
From the Sunnah is that the visitor places his hand upon the body of the patient at the time when he intends to supplicate for him. You may say (Three times):
اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ فُلانًا
Transliteration
Allahummash-fi fulan(an)
Meaning
O Allah! Cure So-and-So.
Hadith
In the two Saheehs, it is recorded that when the Prophet (ﷺ) visited Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas RA, he placed his hand on his forehead, then wiped his hand over his face and his stomach.
Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ سَعْدًا
Allāhum-ma-sh-fi Sa’d(an)
O Allah! Cure Sa’d.
In the narration of Muslim it’s reported the Prophet (ﷺ) said it three times.
Saheeh al-Bukhāree, no. 5659, and Saheeh Muslim
In placing the hand upon the sick person is a means of putting him at ease, a means of coming to know the severity of his sickness or mildness of it, and gentleness towards him.
2. Dua Visiting Sick in Arabic
The Prophet visited a sick Bedouin and said to him:
لاَ بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ الله
Transliteration
La Ba’sa, Tahoorun, In Sha Allah
Meaning
[This is] not harmful. Rather, it is a means of purification, if Allah Wills.
Hadith
In Saheeh al-Bukhāree, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه): who said: the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon a bedouin to visit him due to his sickness. The narrator said: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon a sick person to visit him, he would say:
لاَ بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ الله
This sickness is not harmful. Rather, it is a means of purification, if Allāh Wills.
The sick bedouin responded saying: You said that it is a means of purification! No way! Rather, it is a fever boiling up inside an old man, causing him to visit the graves (i.e. causing his death). The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Then, yes (it is as you say).”
[Saheeh al-Bukhāree, no. 3616, 5656]
The saying of the Prophet (ﷺ): ‘it is a means of purification, if Allāh Wills…’ – means: It is a means of purification for you from your sins, i.e. that which purifies you from the evil effects or consequences of your sins.
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3. Dua For Visiting The Sick in Arabic
When the Prophet visited the sick, he would sit at their head and say seven times:
أَسْأَلُ الله الْعَظِيمَ، رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ
Transliteration
As-‘a-lul-lāhal-‘Adheem, Rabbal-‘Ar-shil-‘A-dheem, an -yash-fi-yak(a).
Dua For Visiting Sick in English
I ask Allah, the Supreme, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to make you well.
If it was not decreed for the person to die from this illness, he would be cured of his pain.”
It is from the Sunnah that the visitor sits at the head of the sick person. It is recorded in ‘al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhāree (رحمه الله), on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه), that he said: “Whenever the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) would visit a sick person, he would sit at his head. Then, he would say the dua seven times.
[Sunan at-Tirmidhee, no. 2083; Sunan Abi Dāwood, no. 3106. al-Albānee declared it to be Sabeeh (authentic) in Saheeh al-Jami’ as-Sagheer, no. 5766.]
4. Dua
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to treat some of his wives by passing his right hand over the place of ailment and used to say:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِهِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
Transliteration
Allāhum-ma Rab-ban-Nas, Adh-hibil-Ba-‘s, Ish-fi-hi, Anta-sh-Sha-fee, La Shi-fa-‘a il-la Shi-fa-‘u-k, Shi-fa-‘an La Yu-gha-di-ru saqaman.
Translation
Oh Allah! Lord of the people! Remove the affliction and cure him. You are the One Who cures and there is no cure except Your cure, a cure that leaves behind no sickness.
[Saheeh al-Bukharee, no. 5743]
5. Dua
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When a man comes to visit a sick person, he should say:
اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ عَبْدَكَ يَنْكَأُ لَكَ عَدُوًّا أَوْ يَمْشِي لَكَ إِلَى صَلاَةٍ
Transliteration
Allahummashfi ‘abdaka yanka’u laka ‘aduwwan aw yamshi laka ilas-salah.
Translation in English
O Allah, cure Your servant, who may then injure the enemy for Your sake or walk to the prayer for Your sake.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 3107, See As-Sahihah 1365]
Otherwise, the visitor may perform ruqyah by reciting (over the sick person) the ‘Opening’ chapter of the Qur’an (al-Fatihah), or the three chapters of Qur’an known as al-Mu’awwidhat (Soorah an-Nas (no. 114), soorah al-Falaq (no. 113) and soorah al-Ikhlās (no. 112)).
Ruqyah is a legislated means of seeking a cure, through recitations of Qur’ân or words authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam).
6. Dua
One might also perform ruqyah by reciting:
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
Transliteration
Bismillāhi Arqeek, Min kulli shay’in Yu’dheek, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘ainin Hāsidin, Allāhu Yash-feek, Bismillāhi Arqeek.
Meaning in English
In the Name of Allāh I perform ruqyah upon you, from everything which harms you, from the evil of every person or envious eye. May Allāh cure you. In the Name of Allah I perform ruqyah upon you.
[Saheeh Muslim, no. 2186]
This is the ruqyah which the angel Jibreel performed upon the Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam) when he was ill.
7. Dua
Alternatively, one might say that which is confirmed in the two Saheehs (i.e. Saheeh al-Bukhāree and Saheeh Muslim), on the authority of ‘A’ishah (RadiyAllahu an-hā), that the Prophet (SallAllāhu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to say to the sick person:
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ تُرْبَةُ أَرْضِنَا بِرِيقَةِ بَعْضِنَا لِيُشْفَى بِهِ سَقِيمُنَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّنَا
Transliteration
Bismillāhi Turbatu Ardinā, Bi Reeqati Ba’dinā, Yushfā saqeemunā, Bi-Idhni Rabbinā.
Meaning
In the Name of Allāh, with the surface soil of our land, (mixed) with the spittle (from the mouth) of one of us, our sick is healed, by the permission of our Rabb (Lord and Creator).
[Saheeh al-Bukhāree, no. 5745, and Saheeh Muslim, no. 2194]
It is upon those who have good health upon seeing those who are sick – to let it be an admonition and a lesson (for him), and that he praise Allah for the blessing of good health and well-being, and that he ask Allah, the One Free From All Imperfections, for protection [from every harm and evil].
We ask Allāh, the Generous, that He cure our sick, and all those who are sick from among the Muslims; and that He decree for all of us good health, safety and well-being. Indeed, He is the One Who Hears and Responds [to our supplications].
Virtue of Visiting the Sick
1) The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “There is no Muslim who visits a sick Muslim early in the morning except that seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until evening comes, and if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until morning comes, and he will have a garden in Paradise.” [Sahih at-Targhib 3476]
2) The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever visits a sick person or visits a brother in Islam, a caller cries out to him, May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you occupy a dignified position in Paradise.” [Sahih at-Tirmidhi 2008]
It is incumbent upon the visitor to advise the sick person that he supplicate (for himself), and that he (i.e. the visitor) not say in the presence of the sick person anything except that which is good.
In the Saheeh of Muslim, on the authority of Umm Salamah (رضى الله عنها), that she said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If you are in the presence of the sick or deceased, then you must say that which is good (khair), for indeed the angels say Ameen to whatever you say (i.e. they ask that your supplication be accepted).” [Saheeh Muslim, no. 919]
Likewise, it is incumbent upon the visitor to select the supplication which is most comprehensive, and to eagerly seek out those supplications which have been transmitted from the Prophet (ﷺ), since these are blessed supplications which encompass all good, and which are free from mistakes or errors.
Excerpt from the books ‘Etiquettes & Supplications of the Prophet (ﷺ) for Visiting the Sick & Prayer for the Deceased’ taken from Fiqh Al-Ad’iyah Wal-Adhkar Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq Ibn Abdul-Muhsin Al-Badr and ‘Sickness’ Regulations & Exhortations by Mohammad al-Jibaly.
Etiquettes of Visiting The Sick
Sheikh ibn Uthaimeen said in explanation of Riyadus Saliheen:
There are several etiquettes of visiting the sick, among which are:
- One should intend to obey the command of the Prophet SAW because the Prophet SAW had ordered it.
- One should intend to show kindness to his brother by his visitation. A sick person will experience great comfort and delight when visited by his brother.
- One should use the opportunity to direct the sick person to that which will benefit him. He should advise him to seek repentance and forgiveness, and to settle his liabilities.
- A sick person usually has difficulties with his purification, Salat and similar matters. If the visitor is a student of knowledge, then the sick person would benefit from him. He must necessarily inform the sick person of his obligations, such as purification and Salat, or the sick one may ask him.
- The person should evaluate whether it is better for him to enlongate his visit or to shorten it. This is the correct opinion. Some scholars opine that it is necessary to make the visit brief in order not to burden the sick. However, the correct opinion is that one should evaluate that which is more beneficial. If one sees that the sick person is enlivened, welcoming and happy and loves that one stays, then one should tarry a while as this makes the sick happy. If he observes thatthe sick longs for people to depart so that his family can come around to attend to him, he should leave quickly wihout further ado.
- One should remind the sick person of the favors of Allah upon him. He had granted him good health, but man does not grasp the scope of Allah’s favor. As the common saying goes: ‘By the (occurrence) of the opposite does the difference becomes apparent.’ So, you should praise Allah for the sound health and beseech Him to preserve that favor.
- One should encourage the sick person to supplicate for the visitor. The supplication of the sick is closer to acceptance because Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is with those who are heartbroken and hoping for Allah’s mercy. A sick person is one of the weakest at heart, particularly if the illness is prolonged and severe. Therefore, we have strong hope that the supplication of this sick person will be accepted. There are much more benefits than we have mentioned. Therefore, one must be keen to visit sick persons because of the abundant and tremendous reward attached to it.
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