2 supplications
The Dua of Prophet Ayyub (Job) for Healing
Ayyub is the Qur’an’s model of patience. He lost his wealth, his children and his health over long years, yet he never complained of Allah, only to Allah. When he finally called on his Lord, he did so with the gentlest words, and Allah restored to him his health and his family and doubled them.
The du‘a of Ayyub in illness
أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Anni massaniyad-durru wa anta arhamur-rahimin.
Harm has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful. “So We answered him and removed the harm that afflicted him.”
Source: Qur’an 21:83
Ayyub calls on his Lord
أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ بِنُصْبٍ وَعَذَابٍ
Anni massaniyash-shaytanu bi-nusbin wa ‘adhab.
Satan has touched me with hardship and suffering.
Source: Qur’an 38:41
The patience of Ayyub
Ayyub was a prophet blessed with wealth and a large family. Allah tested him with the loss of his property, then of his children, then with a long illness, while most people abandoned him except his faithful wife. Throughout, he remained grateful and patient, and the Qur’an praises him: “Indeed, We found him patient; an excellent servant; he constantly turned back to Allah” (38:44).
His du‘a is a model of courtesy with Allah. He does not demand or complain; he simply describes his state, “harm has touched me”, and mentions Allah’s mercy, “and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful”. He leaves the rest to his Lord. Allah answered at once: “So We answered him and removed the harm that afflicted him, and We gave him his family and the like of them with them, as a mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers” (21:84).
How the sick can use this du‘a
Patients and their families recite it in hospitals, before treatment and in long illnesses. Like Ayyub, one may describe one’s pain to Allah, take medication and seek care, as he struck the ground with his foot at Allah’s command and found healing water (38:42). Complaining to Allah is not impatience; complaining about Allah is.
What Ayyub teaches the sick and their families
His wife stayed by his side throughout his illness, serving him with loyalty; the Qur’an honours that loyalty by giving him back his family. For caregivers, his story is a reminder that caring for the sick is worship. For the sick, it shows that one can be both in pain and close to Allah, and that relief may come in a single moment after years of waiting.
Scholars also note that Ayyub did not ask Allah directly to cure him; he mentioned his harm and Allah’s mercy. This indirect way of asking, called ta‘rid, is a sign of deep courtesy: the servant shows his need and trusts his Lord to know what is best.
Putting this dua into practice
- Say it during illness, before treatment and while waiting for results.
- Teach it to sick relatives and recite it with them.
- Describe your pain to Allah honestly, as Ayyub did.
- Keep taking medicine and following your doctor’s advice.
- Thank Allah for what remains of your health and blessings.
The Dua of Prophet Ayyub (Job) for Healing: questions and answers
Is it allowed to say “I am in pain” to Allah?
Yes. Ayyub said “harm has touched me” and was called an excellent servant; the forbidden complaint is objecting to Allah’s decree, not asking Him for relief.
How long was Ayyub tested?
The Qur’an does not specify; some reports mention many years. The lesson is in his constancy, not in the number.