6 supplications
Ruqyah Shar‘iyyah: Qur’anic Verses and Prophetic Duas for Healing
Ruqyah is healing through the words of Allah and the duas of the Prophet ﷺ. It was performed by Jibril on the Prophet ﷺ, by the Prophet ﷺ on his family and by the Companions on others, and it remains open to every Muslim without intermediaries.
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
Ayat al-Kursi
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum, la ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm, lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard, man dhal-ladhi yashfa‘u ‘indahu illa bi-idhnih, ya‘lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bi-shay’im-min ‘ilmihi illa bima sha’, wasi‘a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard, wa la ya’uduhu hifdhuhuma, wa huwal-‘aliyyul-‘adhim.
Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth… His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great. Whoever recites it in the morning is protected until the evening, and whoever recites it in the evening is protected until the morning.
Source: Qur’an 2:255; al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim
The three Quls×3
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ — قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ … — قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ …
Qul huwallahu ahad … Qul a‘udhu bi-rabbil-falaq … Qul a‘udhu bi-rabbin-nas …
Surat al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and al-Nas, three times each. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Recite them in the evening and the morning three times; they will suffice you against everything.”
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
The ruqyah of Jibril
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ، مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ، اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
Bismillahi arqik, min kulli shay’in yu’dhik, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘ayni hasid, Allahu yashfik, bismillahi arqik.
In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye; may Allah heal you; in the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.
Source: Sahih Muslim
The Prophet’s ruqyah
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ، اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
Allahumma rabban-nas, adhhibil-ba’s, ishfi antash-shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uk, shifa’an la yughadiru saqama.
O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
For a pain in the body
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ (ثَلَاثًا)، أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ (سَبْعًا)
Bismillah (3×). A‘udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir (7×).
Place your hand on the place of pain and say “In the name of Allah” three times, then seven times: I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and fear.
Source: Sahih Muslim
Ruqyah in the Sunnah
When the Prophet ﷺ was ill, Jibril came and said “Bismillahi arqik…” (Muslim). The Prophet ﷺ would blow into his hands after reciting the three Quls and wipe over his body (al-Bukhari). A Companion recited al-Fatihah over a chief stung by a scorpion and he recovered; the Prophet ﷺ approved and asked: “How did you know it is a ruqyah?” (al-Bukhari).
He also said: “There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it does not contain shirk” (Muslim). Scholars therefore set three conditions: it must be with the words of Allah or His names and attributes, in understandable language, and with the belief that healing comes from Allah alone, not from the words themselves.
How to perform ruqyah on yourself
Place your hand on the place of pain, say “Bismillah” three times, then “A‘udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir” seven times (Muslim). Recite al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi, the end of al-Baqarah and the three Quls, blow lightly into your palms and wipe your body. Repeat over days with certainty and patience.
Ruqyah can also be recited over water and drunk, or over a sick person directly. There is no need for a special healer: the Prophet ﷺ praised those who do not ask others for ruqyah and rely on Allah (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Ruqyah and medicine
Ruqyah does not replace treatment. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah has not sent down a disease without sending down its cure” (al-Bukhari), and he used medicine himself. The believer recites ruqyah, takes medicine, and attributes healing to Allah. Be wary of anyone who asks for the mother’s name, uses unknown words, talismans or charges exaggerated fees: these are signs of sorcery, not ruqyah.
Practical tips
- Recite ruqyah on yourself rather than depending on others.
- Combine ruqyah with medical treatment.
- Recite the morning and evening adhkar for daily protection.
- Avoid anyone who uses talismans or unknown words.
- Be patient and repeat over several days.
Ruqyah Shar‘iyyah: Qur’anic Verses and Prophetic Duas for Healing: questions and answers
What does ruqyah treat?
The Sunnah mentions ruqyah for the evil eye, stings and bites, illness and pain; it is also used against magic and the harm of jinn, always alongside lawful medicine.
Can a woman in menstruation perform ruqyah?
She may say duas and dhikr; many scholars also allow her to recite verses as ruqyah, as it is a need.
Is paying a raqi permissible?
Taking a reasonable fee is allowed according to the hadith of al-Fatihah (al-Bukhari), but exploiting people’s distress is not.