Introduction of prayer:
Healing is from Allah Kareem, all medical cure is just instruments of the Healer. There are many prayers for healing and cure are mentioned in Qur’an & Sunnah. The above mentioned prayer is narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Imam Bukhari narrates in his Sahih, Book of Patients, Hadith: 5676;
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا أَتَى مَرِيضًا ـ أَوْ أُتِيَ بِهِ ـ قَالَ “ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ”.
Narrated `Aisha:
Whenever Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) paid a visit to a patient, or a patient was brought to him, he used to invoke Allah, saying, “Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people! Cure him as You are the One Who cures. There is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease.”
Explanation & virtues of prayer:
1- أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ(Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people!):
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite this prayer to cure the patients. He (pbuh) supplicated Allah Kareem by calling Him almighty as the Lord of people. He (pbuh) humbly requested the Lord to take away the disease. As the Prophet Ibrahim stated about the Lord;
وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ ٨٠
“And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara: 80)
2- اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ (Cure him as You are the One Who cures. There is no cure but Yours):
Shifa: means Cure, Healing, Satisfaction. Shifaa is used to indicate the cure or healing of a disease or ailment. Shifaa is also used for satisfaction, as Allah says about Qur’an;
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌۭ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ
We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers. (17: 82)
Ash-Shafee: the Healer
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) calls on Allah Kareem as Ash-Shafee: The Healer. Ash-Shafee is the One Who cures and Healer of all creation. He created the disease and also created the cure, but the element of healing in medicine comes with the Grace of Allah Kareem. Allah attested it with Himself by saying;
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّۢ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُۥٓ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍۢ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ ١٧
If Allah touches you with harm, none can undo it except Him. And if He touches you with a blessing, He is Most Capable of everything. (6:17)
So trust in Him first and foremost, and then make use of the lawful treatments He made available for you through medical and other sciences. However, never attribute healing to medicines or other means and always to Ash-Shaafee only.
3- شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا (a cure that leaves no disease):
The Prophet (pbuh) requested Allah Kareem to grant the sick such a cure that leaves no disease. Allah Kareem is the Controller and the Provider of the universe, He the exalted utters just one word “be” and “it is”. So, when any one is facing sickness, he should supplicate Allah Kareem for healing as He is the source of all cures. Ask Him total cure for good health by using all possible means and treatments. Call upon Him and also recite the prayers taught by the prophets in Qur’an and by our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
How to recite the prayer?
- Recite Salawat upon Sayyidna Muhammad (pbuh) at least three times
- Put your right hand on the affected area
- Recite the above mentioned prayer for seven times
- Recite Salawat again
- Blow it on the patient and medicine both
