Dua for a sick child, ruqyah from the Sunnah

For a sick child, place your hand gently on them and recite the ruqyah Jibril made for the Prophet ﷺ: Bismillahi arqik, min kulli shay'in yu'dhik.¹ Then say the Prophet's dua for healing and the words he used to protect his grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Seek medical care as well: treatment is part of the Sunnah.

Dua 1: Jibril's ruqyah

بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ، مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ، اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ

Bismillāhi arqīk, min kulli shayʾin yuʾdhīk, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ʿayni ḥāsid, Allāhu yashfīk, bismillāhi arqīk

In the name of Allah I recite over 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 recite over you. (For a girl: arqīki, yuʾdhīki, yashfīki.)

Sahih Muslim 2186

Dua 2: With your hand on the child

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِهِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Allāhumma rabban-nās, adhhibil-baʾs, ishfihi wa antash-shāfī, lā shifāʾa illā shifāʾuk, shifāʾan lā yughādiru saqamā

O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal him, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Yours, a healing that leaves no illness behind. (For a girl: ishfihā.)

Sahih al-Bukhari 5743; Sahih Muslim 2191

Dua 3: Over his grandsons

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ، مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ

Aʿūdhu bi-kalimātillāhit-tāmmah, min kulli shayṭānin wa hāmmah, wa min kulli ʿaynin lāmmah

I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and harmful creature, and from every evil eye. (The Prophet ﷺ said this over al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Many parents say u'idhuka, "I seek protection for you".)

Sahih al-Bukhari 3371

Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.

Guide

When and how to say it

How to make ruqyah for your child

Make wudu if you can, and sit close to the child.
Recite Al-Fatiha. A Companion recited it over a sick man, and the Prophet ﷺ approved of it as ruqyah.²
Recite Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, blow lightly into your hands and wipe them over the child. Aishah did this for the Prophet ﷺ when he was ill.²
Put your right hand on the child, or on the place of pain, and say Dua 1 and Dua 2.
Say Dua 3 for protection, morning and evening, while they recover.

For you as a parent

Watching your child suffer is one of the hardest tests. The Prophet ﷺ told a woman with a fever not to curse it, because it removes sins as a furnace removes the dirt from iron.³ The dua of a parent is one of three duas that are answered, so keep asking.⁴ The duas on dua for patience are for you.

See a doctor too

The Prophet ﷺ said Allah has not sent down any disease without sending down its cure.⁵ Taking your child to a doctor is part of trusting Allah, not a sign of weak faith. Seek urgent care for a baby with a fever, a child who is struggling to breathe, or one who is unusually drowsy. This page is not medical advice.

Sahih Muslim 2186.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5749, 5016.
Sahih Muslim 2575.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1536, graded hasan.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5678.
Sahih Muslim 2186
Sahih al-Bukhari 5743; Sahih Muslim 2191
Sahih al-Bukhari 3371

Questions

Good to know

What dua can I read for my sick child?

Bismillahi arqik, min kulli shay'in yu'dhik (Muslim 2186), Allahumma rabban-nas adhhibil-ba's (Bukhari 5743), and A'udhu bi kalimatillahit-tammah (Bukhari 3371).

Can I blow on my child after reciting?

Yes. Reciting the last three surahs, blowing lightly into the hands and wiping them over the sick person is from the Sunnah (Bukhari 5016).

Should I take my child to a doctor or rely on dua?

Both. The Prophet ﷺ taught that every illness has a cure, and seeking treatment is part of the Sunnah. Make dua while you get medical help.