Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

dear burhan,

my brother is very ill these days and i would like to know is there a special prayer recommened in the quran that i could read and not have to blow on my brother or have to blow it on water this is because he is in a operation theatre and i cant blow it on him or do something simmilar. so my question to u is tht is there something in the quran tht recommened shifa or summin suitable for me to read on him.i hope u understand my situation and r able to solve my problem. thankyou and allah hafiz. ps. plz any person of any faith whoever see my mail plz pray formy brother his name is abdul ghani.may allah bless u for doing sucha great job in making life easier for muslims with problems.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Dua for Ill Brother

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Amongst the best dua and supplication for a sick or ill person, is the supplication that Prophet Ayyub (a.s.) made to the Merciful Lord when he was ill, as related by Allah Subhanah in the Glorious Quran.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verses 83-84:

83 And (remember) Ayyub, when he cried to his Lord "Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful."

84 So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration for all who serve Us.

Another supplication taught by Allah Subhanah in the Glorious Quran is the dua of Prophet Yunus (a.s.), when he invoked the Merciful Lord from the depths of the ocean:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter Anbiyaa verses 87-88:

87 And remember Zun-nun (Prophet Yunus (a.s.)) when he departed in wrath: he imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the depths of darkness "There is no god but Thou: Glory to Thee: I was indeed wrong!"

88 So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith.

It was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he would often recite the Muawwidhat (Surah Falaq and Surah An-Naas), thus seeking refuge in Allah Subhanah from all evil and its distress.

The above are some of the many supplications wherein one may invoke the Merciful Lord to help them in their times of distress.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) would supplicate the Lord thus when any of his family or noble companions fell ill:

'Uthman ibn Abu Al-'As relates that "once he complained of pain in his body to Allah's Messenger (saws). The Messenger of Allah (saws), said: 'Put your hand where you feel pain in your body and say, "Bismillah (in the name of Allah)," and say, "A 'udhu bi 'izzatillah wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhiru (I seek refuge in the might of Allah and in His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear)," seven times'." 'Uthman continued: "I did that a few times and Allah removed my pain. I always advised my family and others to do the same."

Related by Muslim.

Muhammad ibn Salim reported: "Thabit Al-Banani said to me: 'O Muhammad ! When you have any pain, put your hand where you feel pain, then say: “Bismallaha'udhu bi'izatillah min shari ma ajidu min waj'i hadha” (In the Name of Allah! I seek refuge in Allah's might from the evil of this pain.) Then remove your hand, and repeat the same for an odd number of times. Then he said to me that Anas ibn Malik had told him that Allah's Messenger (saws) had taught this to him."

Related by Tirmidhi.

Yahya related from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman from Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet (saws), that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "If a misfortune befalls some one and he says, as Allah has ordered, 'We belong to Allah and to Him we are returning. O Allah, reward me in my misfortune and give me better than it afterwards,' Allah will do that for him"

(Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. Allahumma' jurniy fi musiybatiy, wa a qibhiy khayran minha, illa faala 'llahu dhalika bihi.).

It would be best if the person who is ill recited these supplications himself and implore Allah Subhanah to cure him of his illness. If the person is too ill to make the supplications, there is no harm if one recites the supplications for him. There is absolutely no evidence in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby he blew his breath on water or any food or drink and made the ill drink or eat it to cure the illness. Reciting a supplication and blowing it on food or water to cure an illness is an innovation, and the believers must abstain from it.

The Prophet (saws) said: "When you visit a sick person, give him hope for a long life. This will not avert anything (from Allah’s Decree), but will please the patient and give him comfort." When the Prophet (saws) visited a sick person he used to say to him: "Do not worry! It is a means of cleansing (you) of sins, Allah willing."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.535 Narrated by Aisha

Whenever Allah's Messenger (saws) became sick, he would recite Mu'awwidhat (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) and then blow his breath over his body. When he (saws) became seriously ill, I (Aisha) used to recite (these two Suras) and rub his hands over his body hoping for its blessings.

Hadrat Aishah (r.a.) reports that the Prophet (saws) used to seek refuge in Allah for some of his family members. He used to touch them with his right hand, saying: “Allahahuma Rabbin nas adhhabal ba'sa, ashfi wa antashafi, la shifa' illa shifa'uka shifa' la yughadiru saqma” (O Allah! The Sustainer of mankind! Remove the illness, cure the disease. You are the One Who cures. There is no cure except Your cure. Grant (us) a cure that leaves no illness.)

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "When someone visits a sick person whose time of death has not come, and says seven times: ‘As'alu Allah al 'azim Rabbil 'arshil azim an yshfiaka’ (I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you), Allah will cure him of that illness."

Related by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmidhi.

May Allah Subhanah, The High and Exalted is He, bestow His Mercy on your brother, cure him of his illness, and from His Might and Power grant him a full recovery. Ameen.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother and sincere well wisher in Islam,

Burhan