The Name of Allah, the Healer
In the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, one of the beautiful names of Allah is Al-Shafi (The Healer). It is through this name that the sick seek divine healing. This healing encompasses both physical ailments and the purification of hearts from desires, malice, and doubts. Allah alone possesses the power to heal and relieve us from afflictions, whether they be physical or mental. It is important to note that healing may sometimes be delayed for a wisdom known only to Allah, such as atoning for the patient’s sins or elevating their rank.
Supplications for Healing from the Quran and Sunnah
Several healing supplications have been reported in the Sunnah, including the following:
- A man complained to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about pain in his body. The Prophet instructed him: “Place your hand where it hurts on your body and say: ‘In the name of Allah’ three times, then say seven times: ‘I seek refuge in Allah’s power from the evil of what I feel and fear.'”
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Remove the affliction, O Lord of mankind, and heal. You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.” In Abu Bakr’s narration, it states: “He prayed for him and said: ‘And You are the Healer.’
- Reciting Surah Al-Fatihah over the patient. Allah says: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us on the straight path, the path of those who have received Your grace; not the path of those who have brought down wrath upon themselves, nor of the misguided.”
- Reciting the two protection surahs over the patient: Surah Al-Falaq, where Allah says: “Say, ‘I seek refuge with (Allah), the Lord of daybreak. From the evil of that which He created, and from the evil of the darkening when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.'” And Surah An-Nas, which states: “Say, ‘I seek refuge with (Allah), the Lord of mankind. The King of mankind. The God of mankind. From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws, who whispers in the breasts of mankind, of jinn and of mankind.’
Supplications for Healing
Patients are encouraged to make supplications, as Allah is the Healer. Here are some of the recommended prayers:
- O my God, remove the affliction, Lord of mankind, heal for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind. Remove the affliction, Lord of mankind; healing is in Your hands, and none can reveal it except You, O Lord of the worlds.
- O Allah, we ask You by Your beautiful names, by Your supreme attributes, and by Your mercy that encompasses all things, to bestow upon us swift healing. Do not leave in us a wound without healing it, nor any pain without soothing it, nor any illness without curing it.
- O Allah, I ask You for Your immense kindness, generosity, and beautiful protection, to grant healing and restore him to health and well-being. There is no refuge nor escape from You except to You; indeed, You are capable of all things.
- O Allah, clothe us with the garment of health and wellness, promptly and without delay. Cure us, grant us safety, and pardon us. Surround us with Your compassion and forgiveness, and embrace us with Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
- I ask Allah, the Most Great, Lord of the Great Throne, to heal you. This prayer should be recited seven times.
- O Allah, by the number of those who have prostrated and given thanks, we ask You to heal every sick person with healing that leaves no illness behind, and to compensate them for every moment of pain and suffering. O Allah, bring every patient back to their family safe and sound, untouched by harm or distress.
- In the name of Allah, I seek to cure you from the whispers of the heart and the confusion of the mind, from diseases and illusions, from the whispers of Satan, from ailments, from nightmares, and from disturbing dreams.
- O Allah, grant him healing that leaves no illness after it ever, hold his hand, guard him with Your watchful eye, protect him with Your unwavering support, and preserve him with Your invincible strength day and night. Have mercy on him by Your power; You are his trust and hope, O Responder to the distressed, O Reliever of hardships, O Answerer of the supplications of the needy.
- In the name of Allah, I seek refuge for myself from everything that harms me, and from the evil of every soul or envious eye. In the name of Allah, I seek refuge for myself, and may Allah heal me. Whatever Allah wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not occur; there is no strength or power except with Allah. I ask Allah, the Most Great, Lord of the Great Throne, to heal you and all ill Muslims.
- I ask You, O Allah, to heal him; there is no harm except from You, no benefit except from You, no trial except from Yours, and no restoration except from Yours. You are the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.
- I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from Satan the accursed, from his whispers, breaths, and urges.
- I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and fear.
References
- ↑ Amin bin Abdullah Al-Shaqawi (September 25, 2013), “Explanation of the Name of Allah, the Healer,” www.alukah.net, accessed on February 27, 2019. Edited.
- ↑ “Remembrances and Supplications for Healing from the Quran and Sunnah,” www.islamweb.net, July 26, 2002, accessed on February 27, 2019.
- ↑ Narrated by Shu’ayb Al-Arna’ut, in the authentication of Sahih Ibn Hibban, from Uthman ibn Abi Al-As Al-Thaqafi, Hadith number 2964, its chain of narration is authentic according to Al-Bukhari’s criteria.
- ↑ Narrated by Muslim, in Sahih Muslim, from Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, Hadith number 2191, authentic.
- ↑ Surah Al-Fatihah, verses 1-7.
- ↑ Surah Al-Falaq, verses 1-5.
- ↑ Surah An-Nas, verses 1-6.