Healing by Dam
In Urdu, what we call “dam” is called رُقْيَةٌ in Arabic. In Islamic law the concept of dam is very clear. When a person is afflicted with any illness, pain, hardship, fever, the evil eye, sorcery, possession, the touch of a devil, or any similar condition, he should have dam performed on him, or perform it on himself.
Statements of the Prophet ﷺ about reciting dam over oneself, having it recited by someone else, and thus requesting dam are found in the books of hadith. The following hadiths provide guidance on this matter:
Reciting Dam on Oneself
During his final illness, the Prophet ﷺ used to recite the mu’awwidhat and blow over himself.
Having Dam Recited Over Oneself
When ill, one may also have dam recited over oneself by a righteous person. When the Prophet ﷺ was ill, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to perform dam over him.
Performing Dam by Reciting Surah al-Fatihah
If this surah is recited over the sick person as dam, healing comes from Allah, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ affirmed this dam.
Surah al-Fatihah
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 .
Translation: All praise is for Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who are astray.
Dam is permissible for every kind of illness, including the evil eye, fever, the bite of a snake or scorpion, pain, madness, insanity and sorcery.
Protection from Jinn, Sorcery and the Evil Eye
Recite the following surahs, blow onto the hands, and beginning from the head and face, pass the hands over the whole body three times. Insha Allah, healing will come from every spiritual ailment, including jinn, sorcery and the evil eye.
The Virtue of Visiting the Sick
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
When a person goes to visit his Muslim brother who is sick, he walks among the fruits of Paradise until he sits down. When he sits down, mercy envelops him. If it is morning, seventy thousand angels pray for him until evening, and if it is evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until morning.
Supplication for the Sick
لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورُاً انُ شَاءَ اللهُ –
There is no harm; it is a purification, if Allah wills.
Supplication to Recite in the Most Difficult Circumstances
اللهُمَّ لَا سَهُلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحُزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا –
O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy, and You make the difficulty easy when You wish.
Supplication for Deliverance from Poverty
إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ –
O Allah, whatever good You send down to me, I am in need of it.
Supplication for Increasing Good Deeds
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
There are two words that are very easy to utter with the tongue but very heavy in the scale of deeds, and most beloved to Allah. They are:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
Allah is free from every imperfection together with His praise; glorified is Allah, the Mighty.
Supplication for Removing Fear of an Opponent
اللهم انَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِي نحُورِهِمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُورِهِمْ –
O Allah, we place You before them (the opponents) and seek refuge in You from their evil.
The Sunnah Supplication for Treatment
Allah the Exalted said:
فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيْمُ
“So seek refuge in Allah; indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
The Sunnah Dam for Treatment
❀ The one who visits the sick should memorise this dam
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When a Muslim visits a sick person (whose death has not yet come, according to decree), and recites the following words over him seven times, Allah grants him recovery. The words are:
اسْأَلُ اللهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ
“I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, to grant you recovery.”
❀ Dam for Protection from Every Evil
Recite Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas three times each, morning and evening.
◈ Surah al-Ikhlas
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ﴿٤﴾
“Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born; He is no one’s father and no one’s son, nor is there anyone equal to Him.”
◈ Surah al-Falaq
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ﴿١﴾ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ﴿٣﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ ﴿٤﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥﴾
“Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak, from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of the darkness when it settles, and from the evil of those who blow on knots, and from the evil of the envier when he envies.”
◈ Surah al-Nas
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ﴿١﴾ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ ﴿٣﴾ مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ﴿٤﴾ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ ﴿٥﴾ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ ﴿٦﴾.
“Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the sneaking whisperer (who whispers into the hearts of people), who whispers in the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.”
❀ Dam for Boils, Wounds and the Like
Saying Bismillah, moisten the index finger of the right hand with saliva, then touch it to clean earth and apply the dust to the boil or the like, passing it gently over it while reciting this supplication:
بسْمِ اللَّهِ تُرْبَةُ أَرْضِنَا بِرِيقَةِ بَعْضِنَا يُشْفَى سَقِيمُنَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّنَا
“In the name of Allah. The dust of our earth, mixed with the saliva of one of us, by the command of our Lord, becomes a cure for our sick.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from various illnesses
اذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ رَب النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشافي لا شفَاءَ الْاشْفَاءكَ شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“O Lord of mankind, remove the harm and grant healing, for You are the Healer; there is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from the evil eye
بِسمِ اللهِ ارْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِن شَرِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْعَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ باسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
“In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or of an envious eye. May Allah grant you healing. In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from poisonous creatures, insects, and highway robbers
اعُوذُ بِكَلِمَتِ اللهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ –
“I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from sudden calamities and every kind of harm
بسمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْء في الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause harm.” (This dhikr is to be recited three times in the morning and evening.)
❀ Ruqyah for unbearable pain
Place your hand on the painful area, recite Bismillah three times, and then recite this supplication seven times:
’’أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ‘‘
“I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and what I am warned against.”
(Insha’Allah, relief will come.)
❀ Ruqyah for protecting children from various afflictions
اعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَّامَّةٍ
“I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil, every harmful creature, and every envious eye.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from vitiligo, madness, leprosy, and every disease
اللهم اني أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبَرَص وَالْجُذَامِ وَالْجُنُوْنِ وَمِنْ سَيِّ الْأَسْقَامِ
“O Allah, I seek Your refuge from vitiligo, madness, leprosy, and every evil disease.”
❀ Ruqyah for increasing hearing, sight, and vigour
اللهُم مَتَعُنَا بِأَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقوَاتِنَا مَا أَحْيَيْتَنَا
“O Allah, let us benefit from our hearing, our sight, and our other faculties for as long as You keep us alive.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from cowardice, miserliness, and old age
اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أَرَدَّ إلى ارُذَلِ الْعُمُرِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from cowardice, I seek refuge in You from miserliness, I seek refuge in You from being returned to the most abject age, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world and the punishment of the grave.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from restricted provision in old age
اللهُمَّ اجْعَلْ أَوْ سَعَ رِزْقِكَ عَلَى عِندَ كِبَرِ سنَى وَانْقِطَاءِ عُمري
“O Allah, make Your provision abundant for me in my old age and at the end of my life.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from deafness and muteness
اللهم اني أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الصَّمَم وَالْبَكَمِ
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from deafness and from muteness.”
❀ Ruqyah for protection from chest ailments
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to seek refuge from cowardice, miserliness, the evil eye, the punishment of the grave, and the trials of the chest (ailments). It may be said as follows:
اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الصَّدْرِ
“O Allah, I seek Your refuge from every ailment of the chest.”
❀ Ruqyah for fever
اكشف الْبَأْسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ الَهَ النَّاسِ.
“O Lord of mankind, O God of mankind, remove the fever.”
