Ruqyah Shar'iyyah

Healing with the Quran and the authentic supplications of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Ruqyah Shar'iyyah is healing by the Quran and authentic Sunnah alone, as practised by Ahlu Sunna wa al-Jama'ah. It contains no amulets, talismans, numbers, unknown words or calling upon anyone besides Allah.

The three conditions of valid ruqyah

It must be with the words of Allah, His names and attributes, or authentic prophetic supplications.
It must be in clear Arabic, or words whose meaning is fully understood.
It must be believed that the ruqyah itself has no power — Allah alone cures, and the recitation is only a means (Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 10/195).

Step by step — performing ruqyah on yourself

Purify your intention and make wudu

Ruqyah is worship. Intend healing from Allah alone — the words are a means, the cure is only from Him. Perform wudu and sit in a clean, quiet place, ideally facing the qiblah.

Begin with praise and blessings

Say Alhamdulillah, then send blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), then say A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim and Bismillah.

Recite in Arabic, with understanding

Recite al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses of al-Baqarah, then al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas — the last three repeated three times. Recite with presence of heart, not merely with the tongue.

Blow into your palms and wipe over yourself

After each set, cup your hands, blow lightly with a little moisture of breath, and wipe over your head, face and the front of your body — starting with the areas of pain. This is exactly what the Prophet (peace be upon him) did (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017).

Place your hand on the pain and supplicate

Put your right hand on the place of illness and say the prophetic duas above, repeating them as many times as you feel the need.

Repeat regularly

Do it morning and evening, and again before sleep. Consistency over days and weeks is part of the Sunnah approach — the Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated recitations rather than doing them once.

Support it with lawful means

Drink water or Zamzam over which you recited, use honey and black seed as the Sunnah encourages, keep to the five daily prayers, avoid sins and music, and continue any medical treatment your doctor has prescribed.

The official ruqyah recitations

Surah al-Fatihah (the opening)

Quran 1:1-7

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

The Prophet (peace be upon him) confirmed a companion who cured a man by reciting al-Fatihah and said, 'How did you know it was a ruqyah?' (Sahih al-Bukhari 5736, Sahih Muslim 2201)

Ayat al-Kursi

Quran 2:255

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Whoever recites it at night has a protector from Allah and no devil comes near him until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).

The last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah

Quran 2:285-286

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ۝ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

'Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him' (Sahih al-Bukhari 5009, Sahih Muslim 807).

Surah al-Ikhlas

Quran 112

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ۝ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ۝ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ۝ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Recited three times together with al-Falaq and an-Nas (Sunan Abi Dawud 5082).

Surah al-Falaq

Quran 113

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ۝ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used these two chapters as his ruqyah when he fell ill (Sahih al-Bukhari 5016).

Surah an-Nas

Quran 114

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ۝ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ۝ إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ ۝ مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ۝ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ ۝ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ

Recite, blow lightly into the palms, and wipe over the body — repeated three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017).

Prophetic supplications for healing

Placing the hand on the place of pain

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ (ثَلَاثًا) أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ (سَبْعًا)

Bismillah (three times). A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir (seven times).

In the name of Allah (three times). I seek refuge in Allah and in His power from the evil of what I feel and fear (seven times).

Sahih Muslim 2202

The ruqyah of Jibril for the Prophet (peace be upon him)

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 'aynin 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 cure you. In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.

Sahih Muslim 2186

Wiping over the sick person

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 cure — You are the Healer. There is no cure but Your cure, a cure that leaves no illness behind.

Sahih al-Bukhari 5743, Sahih Muslim 2191

Seeking healing seven times

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

As'alullahal-'Azima Rabbal-'Arshil-'Azimi an yashfiyak.

I ask Allah the Magnificent, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to cure you — said seven times over the sick person.

Sunan Abi Dawud 3106, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2083

Refuge in the perfect words of Allah

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ

A'udhu bi kalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq.

I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.

Sahih Muslim 2708

Important reminders

Ruqyah on yourself is encouraged and needs no practitioner — the Prophet (peace be upon him) did it for himself.
Never go to fortune tellers, "spiritual healers" who ask for your mother's name, or anyone who writes unknown symbols.
Ruqyah does not replace medicine. Seeking treatment is also from the Sunnah.
Healing may be immediate or gradual. Patience and steady worship are part of the cure.