Which prayer helps in times of illness?

The prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) for the sick is especially to be recommended. In it one asks the Lord of mankind to remove the suffering and to grant a complete cure that leaves no trace of the illness behind.

Anyone who is ill looks for support. Islam encourages people in this situation to pray to God, both for themselves and for others who are sick. Prayer does not replace the doctor and the treatment. But it puts both in the right context, because in the end all healing comes from God.

Among all the prayers for the sick, one stands out. It is the prayer the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said when he visited a sick person. It can be said in Arabic or in one’s own language. In it one asks the Lord of mankind to take away the suffering and to heal, for He alone heals. Without His healing there is no healing. One asks for a complete and quick cure that leaves no trace of the illness behind.

This prayer is so perfect because it contains everything a sick person needs. It acknowledges that God is the true healer. It asks not only for relief but for full recovery. And it is short enough to be said again and again, even when one feels weak.

The verses above show that prophets, too, prayed in this way in illness and suffering. Abraham (as) says simply that when he is ill, it is God who heals him. Job (as) brings his pain before God and calls Him the Most Merciful of all who show mercy. So a prayer in illness does not need to be long or elaborate. It may simply come from the heart.

It is good, too, to pray for others who are ill and not only for oneself. Whoever visits a sick friend and prays for them follows the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw).