13 supplications
Ayat ash-Shifa: the Healing Verses and Qur’anic Ruqyah
The Qur’an describes itself as healing for the hearts and for the believers. Scholars gathered the six verses that mention healing (shifa’) and the verses about the defeat of magic, and they recite them in ruqyah alongside al-Fatihah and Ayat al-Kursi, which are confirmed by the Sunnah.
The Qur’an is healing
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Wa nunazzilu minal-qur’ani ma huwa shifa’uw-wa rahmatul-lil-mu’minin.
And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers.
Source: Qur’an 17:82
Healing for what is in the hearts
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Ya ayyuhan-nasu qad ja’atkum maw‘idhatum-mir-rabbikum wa shifa’ul-lima fis-suduri wa hudan wa rahmatul-lil-mu’minin.
O people, there has come to you instruction from your Lord, healing for what is in the hearts, guidance and mercy for the believers.
Source: Qur’an 10:57
Guidance and healing
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ
Qul huwa lilladhina amanu hudan wa shifa’.
Say: It is, for those who believe, guidance and healing.
Source: Qur’an 41:44
Honey, healing for people
يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ
Yakhruju mim-butuniha sharabum-mukhtalifun alwanuhu fihi shifa’ul-lin-nas.
From their bellies comes a drink of varying colours, in which there is healing for people.
Source: Qur’an 16:69
Healing the breasts of believers
وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Wa yashfi sudura qawmim-mu’minin.
And He will heal the breasts of a believing people.
Source: Qur’an 9:14
Ibrahim’s praise of his Lord
الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
Alladhi khalaqani fahuwa yahdin, walladhi huwa yut‘imuni wa yasqin, wa idha maridtu fahuwa yashfin, walladhi yumituni thumma yuhyin, walladhi atma‘u an yaghfira li khati’ati yawmad-din.
He who created me, and He guides me; He who feeds me and gives me drink; and when I am ill, He heals me; He who will cause me to die and then bring me to life; and He who, I hope, will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement.
Source: Qur’an 26:78-82
Surah al-Fatihah, the ruqyah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim. Alhamdu lillahi rabbil-‘alamin. Ar-rahmanir-rahim. Maliki yawmid-din. Iyyaka na‘budu wa iyyaka nasta‘in. Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim. Siratal-ladhina an‘amta ‘alayhim ghayril-maghdubi ‘alayhim wa lad-dallin.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path, the path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned anger nor of those who went astray. “How did you know it is a ruqyah?”
Source: Qur’an 1:1-7; Sahih al-Bukhari
The last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ … رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Amanar-rasulu bima unzila ilayhi min rabbihi wal-mu’minun … rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa‘fu ‘anna waghfir lana warhamna, anta mawlana fansurna ‘alal-qawmil-kafirin.
The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers… Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear; pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people. Whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him.
Source: Qur’an 2:285-286; Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
Allah will nullify magic
مَا جِئْتُم بِهِ السِّحْرُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُبْطِلُهُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُصْلِحُ عَمَلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ وَيُحِقُّ اللَّهُ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ
Ma ji’tum bihis-sihr, innallaha sayubtiluh, innallaha la yuslihu ‘amalal-mufsidin, wa yuhiqqullahul-haqqa bi-kalimatihi wa law karihal-mujrimun.
What you have brought is magic. Allah will surely nullify it. Allah does not set right the work of corrupters, and Allah establishes the truth by His words, even if the criminals dislike it. Musa to the magicians; often recited in ruqyah.
Source: Qur’an 10:81-82
The magician will not succeed
وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا ۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ ۖ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ
Wa alqi ma fi yaminika talqaf ma sana‘u, innama sana‘u kaydu sahir, wa la yuflihus-sahiru haythu ata.
Throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have made. What they have made is only a magician’s trick, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is.
Source: Qur’an 20:69
The truth prevails over sorcery
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ فَغُلِبُوا هُنَالِكَ وَانقَلَبُوا صَاغِرِينَ
Wa awhayna ila musa an alqi ‘asak, fa-idha hiya talqafu ma ya’fikun, fa-waqa‘al-haqqu wa batala ma kanu ya‘malun, fa-ghulibu hunalika wanqalabu saghirin.
We inspired Musa: “Throw your staff,” and at once it swallowed what they were falsifying. So the truth was established and what they were doing was nullified. They were defeated there and became debased.
Source: Qur’an 7:117-119
The verses of the evil eye
وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
Wa iy-yakadul-ladhina kafaru la-yuzliqunaka bi-absarihim lamma sami‘udh-dhikra wa yaquluna innahu la-majnun, wa ma huwa illa dhikrul-lil-‘alamin.
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say: “Indeed, he is mad.” But it is nothing except a reminder to the worlds. Many scholars recite them in ruqyah for the evil eye.
Source: Qur’an 68:51-52
Look again at the heavens
الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ۖ مَّا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ مِن تَفَاوُتٍ ۖ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍ ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ
Alladhi khalaqa sab‘a samawatin tibaqa, ma tara fi khalqir-rahmani min tafawut, farji‘il-basara hal tara min futur, thummarji‘il-basara karratayni yanqalib ilaykal-basaru khasi’an wa huwa hasir.
He created seven heavens in layers. You do not see any inconsistency in the creation of the Most Merciful. Look again: do you see any flaw? Then look again and again; your sight will return to you humbled and weary.
Source: Qur’an 67:3-4
What is confirmed and what is practice
The Sunnah confirms ruqyah with al-Fatihah (al-Bukhari), Ayat al-Kursi, the last verses of al-Baqarah and the three Quls. The six “verses of healing” and the verses against magic are not assigned to ruqyah by a specific hadith; scholars such as Ibn al-Qayyim recommended them because of their meaning, and many raqis use them.
Ruqyah has three conditions agreed by scholars: it must be with the words of Allah or His names, in understandable words, and with the belief that only Allah heals. It is combined with lawful medicine, since the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah has not sent down a disease without sending down its cure” (al-Bukhari).
Ayat ash-Shifa: the Healing Verses and Qur’anic Ruqyah: questions and answers
Can I read the healing verses over water?
Many scholars allow reciting over water or oil and drinking or applying it, based on the practice of the Salaf; it is not reported as a fixed Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
Which verses are for the evil eye?
Al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi and the Quls are confirmed; scholars also recite 68:51-52 and 67:3-4 for their meaning.
Related duas
- Duas for the Sick
- Ruqyah Shar‘iyyah: Qur’anic Verses and Prophetic Duas for Healing
- All the Rabbana Duas of the Qur’an, with Meaning
- Rabbi Duas: Supplications Beginning with “My Lord” in the Qur’an
- Praising Allah in the Words of the Qur’an: Tasbih and Tahmid
- Verses of Tawhid and the Names of Allah for Remembrance
- Qur’anic Verses of Tawakkul: Words of Reliance on Allah
- Verses of Hope and Comfort for Hard Times