Du'a for Sickness

Here are four authentic aḥādīth from the Ahl al-Bayt (عليهم السلام) that tells us what to say when we are sick.

ḥadīth #1

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ الْمُهْتَدِي عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ زُرْبِيٍّ قَالَ مَرِضْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مَرَضاً شَدِيداً فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ قَدْ بَلَغَنِي عِلَّتُكَ فَاشْتَرِ صَاعاً مِنْ بُرٍّ ثُمَّ اسْتَلْقِ عَلَى قَفَاكَ وَ انْثُرْهُ عَلَى صَدْرِكَ كَيْفَمَا انْتَثَرَ وَ قُلِ

From Dawūd bin Zurbī said, I was sick in Madīnah, extremely sick, and Abā `Abd Allāh (عليه السلام) was informed about it. So he (عليه السلام) wrote to me: ‘I am been informed of your sickness, you (should) purchase a Sā`ā (about 3 kg) of wheat, then lie upon your back, and sprinkle it (the wheat) upon your chest, however, (when) you sprinkle it, say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِي إِذَا سَأَلَكَ بِهِ الْمُضْطَرُّ كَشَفْتَ مَا بِهِ مِنْ ضُرٍّ وَ مَكَّنْتَ لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ جَعَلْتَهُ خَلِيفَتَكَ عَلَى خَلْقِكَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَنْ تُعَافِيَنِي مِنْ عِلَّتِي

“O Allāh, I ask You by Your name with which when a helpless person asks You, You remove what is from the hardships, and empower him on the earth, and make him Your khalīfah over Your creations, and send salāh (prayers) upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and heal me from this sickness”

ثُمَّ اسْتَوِ جَالِساً وَ اجْمَعِ الْبُرَّ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ وَ قُلْ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَ اقْسِمْهُ مُدّاً مُدّاً لِكُلِّ مِسْكِينٍ وَ قُلْ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ دَاوُدُ فَفَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ فَكَأَنَّمَا نُشِطْتُ مِنْ عِقَالٍ وَ قَدْ فَعَلَهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ فَانْتَفَعَ بِهِ

Then you sit straight, and gather the wheat around you, and say like what you (just) said. And distribute a handful of it (the wheat), for every handful to the poor, say what you (just) said.’ Dawūd (bin Zurbī) said: ‘I did that, and it was as if I was free from a rope. And other did it and benefited from it’

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 564, hadeeth # 2

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 429

ḥadīth #2

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ نُعَيْمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ اشْتَكَى بَعْضُ وُلْدِهِ فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِنِي بِشِفَائِكَ وَ دَاوِنِي بِدَوَائِكَ وَ عَافِنِي مِنْ بَلَائِكَ فَإِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ

From al-Ḥussayn bin Nu`aym from Abī `Abd Allāh (عليه السلام) said: “One of his (عليه السلام) sons complained (of a sickness) So he (عليه السلام) said: ‘O my son, say:

اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِنِي بِشِفَائِكَ وَ دَاوِنِي بِدَوَائِكَ وَ عَافِنِي مِنْ بَلَائِكَ فَإِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ

‘O Allāh, cure me, with Your cure, and (provide) me medicine with Your Medicine, and relieve me from Your misfortune. For I am Your servant, and son of Your servant’

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 565, hadeeth # 3

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Hasan (Good)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 430

ḥadīth #3

عَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الثُّمَالِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ إِذَا اشْتَكَى الْإِنْسَانُ فَلْيَقُلْ

From al-Thumālī from Abī Ja`far (عليه السلام) said: “When a man complains (of a sickness), he should say:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَ أَعُوذُ بِقُدْرَةِ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ

“In the Name of Allāh, by Allāh and Muhammad the Messenger of Allāh, I seek protection with the glory of Allāh, and I seek protection with power of Allāh over what He wills from the evils of what I feel”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 567, hadeeth # 13

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Muwaththaq (Reliable)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 433

ḥadīth # 4

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ هِشَامٍ الْجَوَالِيقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَا مُنْزِلَ الشِّفَاءِ وَ مُذْهِبَ الدَّاءِ أَنْزِلْ عَلَى مَا بِي مِنْ دَاءٍ شِفَاءً

From Hishām al-Jawāliqī from Abī `Abd Allāh (عليه السلام) (said to say this if you are sick):

يَا مُنْزِلَ الشِّفَاءِ وَ مُذْهِبَ الدَّاءِ أَنْزِلْ عَلَى مَا بِي مِنْ دَاءٍ شِفَاءً

“O sender of cures, remover of sickness, send upon me what is from the cures of my sickness”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 567, hadeeth # 14

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Muwaththaq (Reliable)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 433