Allahumma Rabban Nasi Adhhibil Ba’s — Full Dua for Healing (Arabic, Translation & Hadith)

Allahumma Rabban Nasi Adhhibil Ba’s, Ishfi Anta Ash-Shafi (Arabic: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي) is the most famous prophetic supplication for healing — the dua the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) used to recite while wiping over a sick member of his household with his right hand. It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 5742, Sahih Muslim 2191 and Riyad as-Salihin 902 on the authority of Aisha (RA), and is graded Sahih (authentic) by the consensus of hadith scholars.

This complete guide gives you the full Arabic text with tashkeel and a copy-friendly version, the correct transliteration, the Dar-us-Salam English translation, a word-by-word breakdown, the source hadith with chain and grading, the story of how the Prophet (ﷺ) practised it, the lesser-known variation in Sunan Ibn Majah 3520, the seven-times companion dua from Riyad as-Salihin 906, the six Ayat ash-Shifa from the Quran, the Sunnah etiquette of visiting the sick, and answers to the questions people most often search.

What Is Allahumma Rabban Nasi?

Allahumma Rabban Nasi Adhhibil Ba’s (also spelled Allahumma Rabban Nas Adzhibil Ba’sa, Allahumma Rabbanas Athhibil Ba’s, or Allahumma Rabban Naas in different romanisations) is the canonical Sunnah dua for healing. It opens with three powerful theological statements packed into a single breath: Allah is addressed as Rabb an-nas (the Lord and Sustainer of all people), He is asked to remove the harm (adhhibil ba’s), and He alone is named as ash-Shafi (the Healer) — one of the names by which He acts in His creation.

What sets this particular supplication apart from the many duas for the sick in the Sunnah is the way it was practised. Aisha (RA), the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), reports that whenever any member of his family fell ill, the Prophet (ﷺ) would touch the sick person with his right hand while reciting these words. The dua was not a recitation done at a distance — it was a deliberate, physical act of compassion paired with Allah-centred speech. That combination of bodily presence, hopeful words, and absolute attribution of healing to Allah is the prophetic model for visiting the sick.

The dua is recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari (the most authentic hadith collection) and Sahih Muslim, and Imam an-Nawawi placed it as hadith 902 in his curated Riyad as-Salihin — in the Book of Visiting the Sick. There is no scholarly disagreement about its authenticity or wording.

The Full Dua in Arabic, Transliteration & English

Arabic with tashkeel (diacritical marks):

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Arabic without tashkeel (copy-friendly):

اللهم رب الناس، أذهب البأس، اشف أنت الشافي، لا شفاء إلا شفاؤك، شفاء لا يغادر سقماً

Transliteration:

Allahumma Rabban-nasi, adhhibil ba’s, ishfi Anta ash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman.

English meaning (Dar-us-Salam translation of Riyad as-Salihin 902):

“O Allah, the Lord of mankind, remove the affliction and grant healing, for You are the Healer. There is no cure but Your cure, a cure that leaves behind no ailment.”

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Understanding each phrase makes the dua easier to memorise and more meaningful to recite with presence of heart:

Two linguistic notes worth pausing on. First, the word al-ba’s (الْبَأس) carries a wider meaning than physical illness alone — it covers distress, hardship, affliction, severity. When the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed for the removal of al-ba’s, he was asking Allah to lift the totality of what the sick person was facing: the disease, the pain, the fear, the weakness. Second, the closing clause shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman (a cure that leaves behind no ailment) is a request for complete recovery, not partial relief — the kind of healing that does not return a few weeks later.

Source Hadith — Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 & Riyad as-Salihin 902

The primary source for this dua is hadith number 5742 in Sahih al-Bukhari, in the Book of Medicine (Kitab al-Tibb), narrated on the authority of Aisha (RA). The same dua is recorded in Sahih Muslim 2191 in the Book of Salam, and Imam an-Nawawi listed it as hadith 902 in Riyad as-Salihin, in the chapter on Visiting the Sick.

Aisha (RA) reported: When the Prophet (ﷺ) visited any member of his family who was ill, he would wipe the sick person with his right hand and supplicate: “Allahumma Rabban-nasi, adhhibil ba’s, ishfi Anta ash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman” — “O Allah, the Lord of mankind, remove the affliction and grant healing — You are the Healer. There is no cure but Your cure, a healing that leaves behind no illness.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 5742; cross-referenced in Sahih Muslim 2191 and Riyad as-Salihin 902.

The hadith appears in multiple major collections with consistent wording, which is part of what gives it its evidentiary weight. Cross-references include:

• Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 — Kitab al-Tibb (Book of Medicine), chapter on the dua of the visitor for the sick.
• Sahih Muslim 2191 — Kitab al-Salam, chapter on what is said to a sick person and the dua of the visitor.
• Riyad as-Salihin 902 — Imam an-Nawawi’s classical curation, Book of Visiting the Sick.
• Sunan Ibn Majah 3520 — in the Book of Medicine, with a slightly shorter wording (covered below).

Both Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH) and Imam Muslim (d. 261 AH) recorded the dua with the same chain — from Hisham ibn Urwah, from his father Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, from his maternal aunt Aisha (RA). When a hadith is reported by both Shaykhayn (Bukhari and Muslim) through a Companion as close to the Prophet (ﷺ) as Aisha (RA), it is treated as the highest grade of authenticity in Islamic scholarship.

The Story Behind the Dua — Aisha (RA) and the Prophet’s (ﷺ) Right Hand

The detail that gives the hadith its emotional weight is small but deliberate: the Prophet (ﷺ) would touch the sick person with his right hand while reciting the dua. Aisha (RA) does not say he stood at a distance, did not say he simply prayed for them — she specifies the right hand and the act of wiping. This is the prophetic method of visiting the sick: presence, touch, and prayer together.

The right hand carries special significance in Islamic practice. The Prophet (ﷺ) used it for eating, drinking, dressing, and acts of kindness — reserving the left for cleanliness. When he wiped a sick family member with his right hand, he was doing more than recite words: he was extending honour and compassion through the physical gesture itself. The dua and the touch worked as a single act.

During the Prophet’s (ﷺ) final illness, this same model was reversed and applied to him. Aisha (RA) reports that as his condition worsened, she would take his own right hand and wipe it over his body while reciting the very same dua he had taught her — using his hand because, as she said, it was more blessed than her own. That memory, preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari 5743, is one of the most tender details from his last days, and it is the proof-text scholars cite for the permissibility of using the dua on oneself or someone else with physical contact.

Pronunciation

The following video walks through the dua word by word, with slow recitation suitable for memorisation:

A few common pronunciation points to be aware of. The opening Allahumma stresses the doubled m — “Al-la-HUM-ma,” not “Al-la-hu-ma.” The word adhhibil contains an Arabic letter dhal (ذ) which is pronounced like the English “th” in that, not like z. Many English transliterations write Adzhibil, Azhibil or Azhibil to approximate this sound — they are romanisation choices, not errors. The Arabic spelling does not change.

The word al-ba’s ends with a hamza (ء), a glottal stop. In careful recitation it is pronounced “al-BA’s” with a brief pause — not “al-baas” (long vowel) and not “al-baz” (with a z sound). Listen to the audio above for the model.

When and How to Recite It

The dua is not bound to a specific time, place or ritual condition. Scholars and the standing committee of major scholars highlight five contexts where it is especially appropriate:

• Visiting a sick person. Sit close, place your right hand on their head or the affected area, and recite the dua. This is the original prophetic practice. Match the verb endings to the patient when appropriate, though the wording can also be left as-is when quoting the hadith verbatim.
• For yourself. Wipe the painful area with your right hand and recite the dua. Aisha (RA)’s practice of using the Prophet’s (ﷺ) right hand on himself in his final illness establishes the precedent.
• For a sick child. Especially before sleep or when the child has a fever, recite the dua over them while gently wiping their forehead or chest.
• Three or seven times. Odd-number repetition is a recognised Sunnah pattern for ruqyah, drawn from the seven-times dua in Riyad as-Salihin 906 (covered below). Three or seven times is common; once with full presence of heart is also valid.
• Pair with Quranic ruqyah. The strongest documented combination is the dua plus Surah al-Fatihah, Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas.

Wudu (ritual ablution) is preferred but not required. The dua can be recited in any language internally if Arabic is difficult, though the prophetic wording itself should be learned and recited in Arabic when possible — that is the form Aisha (RA) preserved and the form scholars cite.

The Variation in Sunan Ibn Majah 3520

A shorter, equally authentic variation of the same dua is preserved in Sunan Ibn Majah 3520 — also narrated by Aisha (RA), graded Sahih. The Arabic begins with adhhibil-ba’s rather than Allahumma:

أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Adhhibil-ba’s, Rabban-nas, ishfi wa Antash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman.

The meaning is identical. The minor structural difference — opening with the verb of request (adhhibil ba’s) instead of the vocative Allahumma — is the kind of variation hadith scholars treat as riwayah bi-l-ma’na (transmission by meaning) or as the Prophet (ﷺ) having recited it both ways on different occasions. Both forms are valid Sunnah. Some find the shorter Ibn Majah wording easier to memorise; that is a legitimate reason to choose it. The longer Bukhari/Muslim form is the more commonly cited.

The Companion Dua — Seven Times “As’alullahal-‘Azim” (Riyad 906)

A separate but closely related Sunnah dua for the sick is recorded in Riyad as-Salihin 906, narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA) and reported in Sunan Abi Dawud 3106 and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2083. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever visits a sick person whose appointed time (of death) has not yet come, and recites with him seven times: ‘As’alullahal-‘Azim Rabbal-‘Arshil-‘Azim an yashfiyak’ — Allah will heal him of that illness.”

Riyad as-Salihin 906; Sunan Abi Dawud 3106; Jami at-Tirmidhi 2083 (graded Hasan Sahih).

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

As’alullahal-‘Azim Rabbal-‘Arshil-‘Azim an yashfiyak.
“I ask Allah the Mighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to heal you.”

The hadith specifies a particular condition: “whose appointed time has not yet come.” This is the prophetic acknowledgement that not every illness ends in recovery — some illnesses are the means by which Allah takes a soul. The dua does not override divine decree; it asks, with humility, for healing when healing is part of what Allah has written. Recite it seven times alongside the longer Allahumma Rabban Nasi dua for a strong Sunnah combination.

Ayat ash-Shifa — The Six Quranic Verses of Healing

Classical scholars identify six verses in the Quran that mention healing (shifa) directly, collectively known as Ayat ash-Shifa (the Verses of Healing). They are often recited alongside Allahumma Rabban Nasi as part of a complete ruqyah session. The six verses are:

• Surah At-Tawbah 9:14 — “…and He will heal the breasts of a believing people.”
• Surah Yunus 10:57 — “O mankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts…”
• Surah An-Nahl 16:69 — “…there comes out of (the bees) a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for mankind…”
• Surah Al-Isra 17:82 — “And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe…”
• Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:80 — Prophet Ibrahim (AS) said: “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.”
• Surah Fussilat 41:44 — “Say, ‘It (the Quran) is, for those who believe, a guidance and a healing.'”

The verse most frequently cited in the context of personal illness is Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:80 — Ibrahim’s (AS) statement “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.” It is the Quranic statement of the same theology the dua expresses: illness is real, treatment is permissible, and the cure itself belongs to Allah alone.

The Prophet’s (ﷺ) Personal Ruqyah — Last Three Surahs

Beyond Allahumma Rabban Nasi, Aisha (RA) describes a separate self-ruqyah practice the Prophet (ﷺ) used when he was unwell. She reported:

Whenever Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over them after reciting Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas, then he would wipe whatever he could reach of his body with them, starting from the head, face, and the front of his body. He used to do that three times.

Sahih al-Bukhari 5017.

The same three surahs — collectively known as the Mu’awwidhat (the surahs of seeking refuge) — are the strongest Quranic addition to any ruqyah session. When someone is seriously ill, the recommended Sunnah pattern is: recite Allahumma Rabban Nasi while wiping the affected area, then recite the three Mu’awwidhat into cupped hands, blow lightly into them, and wipe over the body. Repeat three or seven times.

Islamic Etiquette of Visiting the Sick

Reciting the dua is one part of visiting the sick (iyadat al-marid) in Islam — a Sunnah act with its own detailed etiquette. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When one of you visits a sick person, let him say something that gives him hope and consoles him — for that does not avert anything (of the decree), but it cheers the heart of the sick person” (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2087, graded Hasan). Recommended Sunnah practices include:

• Keep the visit short. The Prophet’s (ﷺ) own visits were brief unless the patient wanted company. Long visits exhaust the sick.
• Say “La ba’sa, tahurun in sha Allah.” When visiting a Bedouin with a fever, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “No harm, may it (the illness) be a purification, if Allah wills” — a phrase that reframes illness as expiation of sins (Sahih al-Bukhari 5662). It is recommended to say this to any Muslim patient.
• Bring words of hope. Avoid speaking about death, worst-case prognoses or other patients who fared badly. The visit should leave the patient with hope, not anxiety.
• Recite the dua aloud over them. Place the right hand on the affected area or the head, then recite Allahumma Rabban Nasi. If they are conscious and able, they can recite along with you.
• Encourage patience and tawakkul. Remind them of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) saying: “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim — even the prick of a thorn — but Allah expiates some of his sins for that” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641).
• Make general dua before leaving. Brief, sincere, and ending with words like “shafakallahu shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman” (“May Allah grant you a healing that leaves no illness”) echo the dua itself.

Benefits and Virtues

The benefits of Allahumma Rabban Nasi trace directly to what the dua actually says — not to a list of unrelated promises, but to its embedded theology and practical effects:

• Comprehensive request for healing. The dua asks for the removal of al-ba’s (all forms of affliction), names Allah as ash-Shafi (the Healer), and requests complete cure that leaves no residue. It is one of the most encompassing healing duas in the Sunnah.
• Pure tawhid. The clause la shifa’a illa shifa’uk (“no cure but Your cure”) makes the dua an explicit declaration of Allah’s monopoly on healing. Reciting it strengthens the heart against attributing cure to doctors, medicine, or treatments — treating them all as means, with Allah as the cause.
• Established Sunnah for the family. The Prophet (ﷺ) recited it specifically when a family member was ill. Practising this dua over your spouse, children, parents, and siblings revives a daily Sunnah of the household.
• Reward of iyadat al-marid. Visiting the sick is itself a Sunnah with major reward — the Prophet (ﷺ) said the angels pray for the visitor for as long as they sit with the patient, and the visitor walks in a khurfah (a fruit-laden garden) of Paradise.
• Comfort and dignity for the patient. The combination of touch, recitation in their hearing, and the words “there is no cure but Your cure” brings emotional and spiritual comfort that medical care alone cannot provide. The Prophet (ﷺ) modelled compassion as part of treatment.
• No conditions or restrictions. The dua can be recited anywhere, at any time, in any state, on yourself or others, for any illness — physical, psychological, or spiritual.

Common Mistakes When Reciting Duas for Healing

A few avoidable mistakes appear repeatedly in how people understand and apply this dua:

• Treating the dua as a substitute for medical treatment. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “O servants of Allah, treat (your illness), for Allah has not sent down a disease without also sending down its cure” (Sunan Abi Dawud 3855). Dua and medicine are complementary, not alternatives.
• Expecting instant cure. The dua is a request, not a guaranteed outcome. Aisha (RA) recited it over the Prophet (ﷺ) in his final illness — he passed away. The dua is always answered, but the form of the answer is Allah’s decision: cure, expiation, or reward.
• Attributing healing to the reciter. Some treat ruqyah as a personal power. The dua explicitly says la shifa’a illa shifa’uk — no cure except Allah’s. The reciter is a means; Allah is the Healer.
• Adding wording not in the hadith. Phrases like “and may you never suffer illness again, ever” or “and forgive all the sins of the patient” sometimes get appended online. The authentic wording ends at shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman. Stick with the Sunnah text.
• Reciting only at the deathbed. The dua is for all illness, not only terminal cases. The Prophet (ﷺ) recited it during everyday family illness — fevers, headaches, minor ailments — not only in critical situations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Allahumma Rabban Nasi Adhhibil Ba’s” mean in English?

The full dua Allahumma Rabban-nasi, adhhibil ba’s, ishfi Anta ash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman translates as “O Allah, the Lord of mankind, remove the affliction and grant healing — You are the Healer. There is no cure but Your cure, a cure that leaves behind no ailment.” It is the prophetic dua taught by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and narrated by Aisha (RA) in Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 and Riyad as-Salihin 902.

How many times should I recite the dua for a sick person?

There is no fixed obligatory number. The hadith of Aisha (RA) does not specify a count — the Prophet (ﷺ) recited it while wiping the sick person. However, an associated Sunnah pattern from Riyad as-Salihin 906 and Sunan Abi Dawud 3106 prescribes seven times for the related dua “As’alullahal-‘Azim Rabbal-‘Arshil-‘Azim an yashfiyak.” Many scholars recommend reciting Allahumma Rabban Nasi three or seven times with presence of heart. Quality of recitation matters more than the count.

Who narrated the dua for healing — Aisha (RA) or Anas ibn Malik (RA)?

The most frequently cited narrator of this exact wording is Aisha (RA), the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), and her narration is the one recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 5742, Sahih Muslim 2191 and Riyad as-Salihin 902. A related but distinct hadith on ruqyah practice is also narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA), in which the Companion Thabit (RA) asks Anas to perform ruqyah on him using a similar dua (Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 in some numbering systems). Both narrations support the practice; the canonical wording quoted in this article is Aisha’s (RA).

Can I recite this dua for myself, or only for others?

Yes, you can recite it on yourself. Aisha (RA) explicitly reports that during the Prophet’s (ﷺ) final illness, she would take his own right hand and wipe it over his body while reciting this dua — using his hand because it carried more blessing than her own (Sahih al-Bukhari 5743). Scholars including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Imam an-Nawawi cite this as proof that self-ruqyah with this dua is well-established. Wipe the painful area with your own right hand while reciting.

What is the difference between Allahumma Rabban Nasi and As’alullahal-‘Azim?

They are two separate Sunnah duas for the same context. Allahumma Rabban Nasi (Sahih al-Bukhari 5742) was the Prophet’s (ﷺ) own dua when visiting any sick family member — recited while wiping with the right hand. As’alullahal-‘Azim Rabbal-‘Arshil-‘Azim an yashfiyak (Riyad as-Salihin 906; Sunan Abi Dawud 3106) is a separate prophetic dua specifying seven repetitions, with the conditional promise “if their appointed time has not come, Allah will heal them of that illness.” The two are complementary: recite both during a single ruqyah session for the strongest Sunnah combination.

Is it permissible to combine this dua with medicine and doctor’s treatment?

Not just permissible — required by the Sunnah. The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly commanded: “O servants of Allah, treat (your sickness), for Allah has not sent down any disease without sending down for it a cure” (Sunan Abi Dawud 3855, graded Sahih). The Prophet (ﷺ) himself accepted medical treatment, used honey, used cupping, sought the advice of physicians, and combined those with dua and ruqyah. Reciting Allahumma Rabban Nasi and following your doctor’s instructions are not in conflict — one addresses the means, the other addresses the Cause.