Powerful Dua for Shifa, Pain & Good Health: 8 Authentic Duas with Hadith Sources

When illness strikes, the Sunnah pairs medical treatment with prophetic supplication. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught his Companions specific duas for shifa (healing), pain relief, general good health, and visiting the sick — each preserved with full chains of narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud and the Quran itself. This guide gathers eight authentic duas for shifa, pain and good health, every one of them with Arabic text, transliteration, English meaning, and the exact hadith reference scholars cite.

The Prophet’s Dua for Shifa (Allahumma Rabban-naas)

This is the canonical Sunnah supplication for healing — the one Google’s AI Overview cites first and the one every accessible scholar agrees on. Aisha (RA) narrates that whenever any member of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) family fell sick, he would wipe over them with his right hand while reciting it. The dua opens by addressing Allah as Rabb an-naas (Lord of mankind), names Him as ash-Shafi (the Healer), and declares that there is no real cure except His cure.

Arabic

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ، اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Transliteration

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

Meaning

“O Allah, 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 sickness.”

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 (Kitab al-Tibb, Book 76 of Medicine) and Sahih Muslim 2191 — narrated by Aisha (RA), graded Sahih by consensus. A shorter variation appears in Sunan Ibn Majah 3520: “Adhhibil-ba’s, Rabban-naas, ishfi wa antash-Shafi.” Both wordings carry the same meaning, and Imam an-Nawawi placed the longer form as hadith 902 in Riyad as-Salihin. For a deep-dive into this single dua — word-by-word breakdown, the story behind it, and its variations — see our companion guide on Allahumma Rabban-naas.

The Pain Relief Dua — Bismillah & A’udhu billahi

Uthman ibn Abi al-’As Al-Thaqafi (RA) once complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) about a pain he had felt in his body since the day he embraced Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him to place his hand on the painful spot, say Bismillah three times, and then recite the following dua seven times. Uthman tried it — and reported that Allah removed the pain entirely. The hadith is recorded in Sahih Muslim 2202.

Arabic

أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ

Transliteration

(Bismillah, Bismillah, Bismillah)
A’udhu bi’izzati Allahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir. — recited 7 times.

Meaning

“I seek refuge in the might and power of Allah from the evil of what I find and what I fear.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2202, Book 39 (Greetings), Hadith 91 — narrated by Uthman ibn Abi al-’As al-Thaqafi (RA). This is the most specific prophetic dua for localised physical pain — headaches, back pain, joint pain, chest pain — and the procedure is precise: hand on the spot, Bismillah three times, then this dua seven times.

Bismillahi Arqika — Jibreel’s Ruqyah for the Prophet

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reports a striking detail: when the Prophet (ﷺ) himself fell ill, the angel Jibreel (AS) came and performed ruqyah over him using the following words. Because the words were taught to the Prophet (ﷺ) by Jibreel (AS) directly, scholars rank this among the most powerful supplications for any kind of harm — physical illness, the evil eye, envy. The hadith is recorded in Sahih Muslim 2186.

Arabic

بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ، مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ حَاسِدٍ، اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ

Transliteration

Bismillahi arqika, min kulli shay’in yu’dhika, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ’aynin hasidin, Allahu yashfika, bismillahi arqika.

Meaning

“In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah over you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye — may Allah heal you. In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah over you.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2186, Book 39 (Greetings), Hadith 54 — narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA). Because this dua was Jibreel’s own ruqyah on the Prophet (ﷺ), it is recited over a sick person while gently placing the right hand on their head or the affected area. We have a full word-by-word study of this prophetic ruqyah on our companion page on Bismillahi Arqika.

Quranic Duas for Healing — Ibrahim & Ayyub

The Quran preserves two of the most moving healing supplications in scripture — one from Ibrahim (AS), who attributes every cure exclusively to Allah, and one from Ayyub (AS), whose patience under decades of illness made his words the prophetic template for praying through prolonged sickness. Both verses are recited by Muslims today as Sunnah duas for shifa.

1. Ibrahim’s healing verse — Quran 26:80

وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ

Wa idha mariḍtu fa-huwa yashfin.

“And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.”

Source: Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:80 — spoken by the Prophet Ibrahim (AS). The verse is part of a longer passage in which Ibrahim publicly declares that Allah alone creates, guides, feeds, gives drink, cures, gives life and gives death. Reciting it during illness is a Sunnah-aligned reaffirmation of tawhid at the very moment one’s body feels weakest.

2. Ayyub’s dua of distress — Quran 21:83

أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Anni massaniya-ḍ-ḍurru wa anta arḥamu r-raḥimin.

“Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

Source: Surah Al-Anbya 21:83 — spoken by the Prophet Ayyub (AS) after eighteen years of illness, the loss of his wealth, and the loss of his children. The very next verse records Allah’s response: He removed the harm, restored his family, and doubled what he had lost. Reciting this dua is for moments when illness has dragged on and patience is wearing thin.

Hasbunallahu wa Ni’mal Wakeel

When the Companions were warned that a large army had gathered against them and they were urged to fear, their faith only increased and they responded with seven words that the Quran preserves as the believer’s response to every form of trial — including illness.

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Ḥasbunallahu wa ni’mal-wakeel.

“Sufficient for us is Allah, and the best Disposer of affairs.”

Source: Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:173. Ibn Abbas (RA) reports in Sahih al-Bukhari 4563 that this was the dua of Ibrahim (AS) when he was thrown into the fire, and of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his Companions at the Battle of Uhud. Scholars classify it as a dua of tawakkul (reliance on Allah) — recite it during chronic illness, before surgery, when waiting for test results, or whenever a Muslim feels overwhelmed. Our full guide on this dua is at Hasbunallahu wa Ni’mal Wakeel.

Dua for Good Health (Body, Hearing, Sight)

This dua is a preventive supplication — recited three times in the morning and three times in the evening to ask Allah for ongoing wellness in the body, hearing and sight. It was practised by the Prophet (ﷺ) himself and is preserved in Sunan Abi Dawud 5090 and Musnad Ahmad on the authority of Abu Bakra (RA).

Arabic

اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَدَنِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي سَمْعِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَصَرِي، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Transliteration

Allahumma ‘afini fi badani, Allahumma ‘afini fi sam’i, Allahumma ‘afini fi basari, la ilaha illa Anta.

Meaning

“O Allah, grant me well-being in my body. O Allah, grant me well-being in my hearing. O Allah, grant me well-being in my sight. There is no god but You.”

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 5090, Musnad Ahmad 20430 — narrated by Abu Bakra (RA), graded Hasan (good) by Al-Albani. Recite three times morning, three times evening. The dua is included in Hisnul Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim) and many scholars consider it part of the daily Sunnah adhkar for preserving health before illness arrives. Compare with our explainer on the meaning of saying Allah yashfeek when wishing healing on others.

The Three Quls and Surah Al-Fatihah for Healing

Aisha (RA) reports a remarkable nightly practice: when the Prophet (ﷺ) would lie down to sleep — and especially during his illness — he would cup his hands, blow into them, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (Quran 112), Surah Al-Falaq (Quran 113), and Surah An-Nas (Quran 114), and then wipe his hands over every part of his body he could reach, beginning with the head and face. He would do this three times.

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5017 (Kitab Fada’il al-Quran) — narrated by Aisha (RA). Read each surah in full on our Next.js Quran pages: Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas.

Surah Al-Fatihah as ruqyah: a separate companion hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 2276 records that a Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) recited Surah Al-Fatihah over the bitten chief of a desert tribe — the chief recovered immediately. When the incident was reported to the Prophet (ﷺ), he affirmed: “How did you know it is a ruqyah?” Al-Fatihah, recited with intention, is among the strongest healing recitations.

Dua When Visiting a Sick Person

When visiting a sick Muslim, the Sunnah is to recite two specific duas — both with full hadith sources — rather than offering generic well-wishes.

1. As’alullah al-azim — 7 times

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

As’alullah al-‘Azima Rabbal-‘Arshil-‘Azimi an yashfiyak.

“I ask Allah the Magnificent, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to heal you.”

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 3106 (Book 21, Hadith 18) and Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2083 — narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA), graded Sahih by Al-Albani. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever visits a sick person whose appointed time has not come, and says it seven times, Allah will cure him of that illness.” Recite seven times at the bedside.

2. La ba’sa tahurun in sha Allah

لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

La ba’sa, tahurun in sha Allah.

“No harm. (May this illness be) a purification, if Allah wills.”

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5656 (Kitab al-Marda, Book 75 of Patients) — narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA). The Prophet (ﷺ) visited a sick Bedouin and reassured him with these words, framing illness as a means by which Allah expiates sins. It is a kind, theologically rich phrase to say at the bedside before or after the seven-times dua above.

When and How Often to Recite These Duas

The Sunnah does not impose rigid counts for most healing duas, but several have specific instructions preserved in the hadith:

• Allahumma Rabban-naas: no fixed count. Recite while wiping the painful area with the right hand. Many scholars suggest 3 or 7 times with presence of heart.
• Bismillah + A’udhu billahi: Bismillah 3 times, then the dua 7 times, with the hand placed on the spot of pain (Sahih Muslim 2202).
• Bismillahi arqika: recite over the sick person while placing the right hand on their head or the affected area.
• As’alullah al-azim: 7 times at the bedside (Sunan Abi Dawud 3106).
• Allahumma ‘afini fi badani: 3 times in the morning, 3 times in the evening (Sunan Abi Dawud 5090).
• Three Quls + blowing into hands: at bedtime, 3 times, wiping over the body (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017).
• Quran 26:80, 21:83 and 3:173: no fixed count — recite whenever the heart turns to Allah for relief.

Two overarching rules apply to every healing dua in the Sunnah. First, recitation is paired with seeking medical treatment, never substituted for it — the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “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). Second, conviction matters more than count — recite with full belief that Allah hears, and with the recognition expressed in Surah Al-Anbya 21:83 that He is arḥamu r-raḥimin, the Most Merciful of the merciful. For more on patience and gratitude through illness, see our guides on La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah and Alhamdulillah ‘ala kulli haal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most powerful dua for shifa (healing)?

The most authentic and widely cited dua for shifa is the Prophet’s own healing supplication “Allahumma Rabban-naas, adhhibil-ba’s, ishfi anta ash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman” — narrated by Aisha (RA) in Sahih al-Bukhari 5742 and Sahih Muslim 2191. The Prophet (ﷺ) recited it while wiping over a sick member of his household with his right hand. There is no scholarly disagreement about its authenticity or wording.

What did the Prophet recite when he felt pain in his body?

The Prophet (ﷺ) taught Uthman ibn Abi al-’As (RA) the following procedure for localised pain: place your hand on the spot that hurts, say Bismillah three times, and then recite “A’udhu bi’izzati Allahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir” seven times. Uthman reported that Allah removed his pain. The hadith is recorded in Sahih Muslim 2202.

Can I recite a dua for shifa for someone else who is sick?

Yes. The strongest Sunnah dua for visiting the sick is “As’alullah al-‘Azima Rabbal-‘Arshil-‘Azimi an yashfiyak” recited seven times at the bedside — recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud 3106 and graded Sahih. The Prophet (ﷺ) said whoever visits a sick person whose time has not come and says it seven times, Allah will cure them of that illness. You can also recite Allahumma Rabban-naas while gently placing your right hand on them, and conclude with “La ba’sa, tahurun in sha Allah” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5656).

Which surahs of the Quran are recited for healing?

Four surahs are explicitly used as ruqyah in the Sunnah: Surah Al-Fatihah (used by a Companion to heal a tribal chief, Sahih al-Bukhari 2276), and the three Quls — Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas — which the Prophet (ﷺ) recited every night, blew into his hands, and wiped over his body (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). In addition, two Quranic verses are recited as direct duas for shifa: Quran 26:80 (Ibrahim’s “wa idha mariḍtu fa-huwa yashfin”) and Quran 21:83 (Ayyub’s “anni massaniya d-durru”).

How many times should I recite the dua for shifa?

The Sunnah preserves specific counts for some duas but not all. The clearest counts are: Bismillah three times followed by A’udhu bi’izzati Allah seven times for pain (Sahih Muslim 2202); As’alullah al-azim seven times when visiting the sick (Sunan Abi Dawud 3106); Allahumma ‘afini three times in the morning and three times in the evening (Sunan Abi Dawud 5090); and the three Quls three times at bedtime (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). For Allahumma Rabban-naas the hadith does not specify a count — presence of heart matters more than repetition.

Is it permissible to take medicine along with reciting healing duas?

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, and sought the advice of physicians — while also reciting duas and Quranic ruqyah. The two work together: medicine addresses the means, dua addresses the Cause.