The entire Quran is a cure, and it is mostly a spiritual cure. There are a few verses in the Quran which can be recited when we are sick physically, or on children who are sick and Allah will bring cure to the ailment through the blessing of those verses.
‘O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.’
Quran [10:57]
Why do we get ill?
Illnesses and diseases remind us of how weak we really are. Despite our extremely well protected body systems, we fall ill quite often. This should make us surrender to Allah much more easily. Illnesses help mankind see and understand his weakness, for we are ever forgetting the blessings being showered upon us every second. But Allah has not left us in these conditions without hope and expectation in Him.
Allah has not sent down an illness without sending down its cure, whether we know of the cure, or discovered the cure or not. The Prophet (SAW) has also said ‘for every illness there is a cure.’ The illness could be of a spiritual nature such as jealousy or greed, or a physical nature.
A person should understand first and foremost that it is Allah who has the power of healing and no one has this power except Him. In addition, the Prophet (SAW) urged us to recite some supplications in case one falls victim to illness. He used to say every morning and night, ‘I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah (the Quran) from evil of what He has created.’ (Muslim). Aishah (RA) said, ‘When a member of the Prophet’s family got ill, the Prophet (SAW) would blow over his body by reciting the two protective surahs (Al-Falaq and An-Nas, No.113 and 114) and would rub him with his hand.’ (Muslim)
The Quran is not itself a book of medicine but rather it is a book of guidance for mankind and one of its greatest miracles is the concepts that it contains. The Quran is a healing for believers and this includes healing the heart whether it’s a mental or spiritual disease as well as physical healing. Allah also mentions in the Quran the benefit of preserving good health and guarding against sickness.
Verses indicating healing in the Quran
Surah al Fatihah (No.1)
The first chapter of the Quran has with it physical as well as spiritual remedy, as seen from the following hadith found in Bukhari;
It was narrated that Abu Saeed (RA) said: ‘Once a group of the companions of the Prophet (SAW) set out on a journey and travelled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the non Muslim Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them. Some of them said, ‘Why don’t you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.’ So they went to them and said, ‘O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?’
One of them said, ‘Yes, by Allah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.’ Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.’ Then he went and spat dryly and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen [Surah al-Fatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, ‘Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet (SAW) and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.’ So they went to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) asked, ‘How did you know that it (al-Fatihah) is a ruqyah?’ Then he added, ‘You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.’ And the Messenger of Allah (SAW) smiled.’
Surah Baqarah (No. 2)
This is the longest surah of the Quran and the Prophet (SAW) said that its recitation in a house keeps the Satan away. As most of the spiritual ailments such as evil eye, jinn possession, and black magic are satanic in nature, keeping Satan away can help both in the treatment of such conditions and as a preventive measure. Abu Hurairah (RA) reports that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘Do not make your houses like graves, for the Satan runs away from a house in which Surah Baqarah is recited.’ (Muslim)
The Mua’wadhatain (No. 113 & 114)
Mua’wadhatain refers to the last two Surahs of the Quran, Surahs Falaq and Naas. The Prophet’s ahadith tell us that these two Surahs were revealed to seek protection from various types of evils.
Other Verses regarding healing
‘O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.’
Quran [10:57]
Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (commentary) on the Quran writes that the healing is from suspicion and doubts. The Quran removes all the filth and shirk (ascribing partners to Allah) from the hearts.
‘And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.’
Quran [17:82]
The Quran is cure and mercy to the believers, so that it takes away whatever is in their hearts of doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, confusion and inclination towards falsehood. The Quran cures all of that. It is also from these that most physical ailments originate so the Quran gets to the root of the problem to heal the person.
It is also a mercy through which one attains faith and wisdom and seeks goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and accept it as truthful. As for the disbeliever, when he hears the Quran, it only makes him increase in his disbelief, because of the problem within the person himself, not the Quran.
The above verses from the Quran clearly show the power of healing from the Quran. Other pious persons have also found healing through these and other verses read together from different parts of the Quran. One such compilation is called Manzil put together by Shaykh Zakaria from Saharanpur in India, comprising of 33 verses of the Quran.
Other forms of treatment
It is also clear from Islamic teachings that the use of all other forms of treatment be it medicinal or surgical is allowed due to the principle that Allah has sent a cure along with the illness. Some cures are found one way and others are found another way. The Prophet’s (SAW) guidance further inspired Muslims to search and discover effective medicines. The only stipulation being that the method of treatment has to be halal i.e. not contradictory to Islamic law in terms of ingredients or methods and procedures.
Hadith regarding illnesses and diseases
It should be said that it is through Allah’s wish and command that we fall ill and there are also benefits in this. For example, a hadith Qudsi states: Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA) that with Allah’s Messenger (SAW) he visited a patient suffering from fever, The Prophet (SAW) said to the patient: Rejoice with the good news that Allah says: I shall afflict My faithful slave in the world with My fire (fever) so that he may be saved from his share of fire in the Hereafter. (Tirmidhi)
Also when a Muslim is sick, he gets reward to his credit according to the deeds he was doing when he was healthy. In another hadith Qudsi narrated by Uqba bin Aamir (RA): The Prophet (SAW) said: Every deed of a day is sealed up. When a believer falls ill, the angels say: O our Lord, Your slave so-and-so has fallen ill. The Lord says: Note down to his credit the same deeds he was doing before illness, until he heals up or dies. (Ahmad)
Another hadith Qudsi regards the loss of sight. Narrated Anas bin Malik (RA): I heard the Prophet (SAW) saying: Allah said: If I deprive My slave of his two beloved things (i.e. his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise in compensation for them. (Bukhari)
So, if we fall ill, as well as trying everything in our power to find a cure, we should try to remain patient and bear the trouble as best we can, for there is reward in this also.
‘And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.’
Quran [26:80]
