Section: Dua’s and adhkaar for protection against diseases and epidemics

Firstly: There are many saheeh (sound) hadiths which urge the Muslim to recite du‘aa’s and adhkaar for protection from harms and ills, the general meaning of which includes protection from being stricken by various diseases and epidemics. These du‘aa’s include the following:1. It was narrated that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Whoever says:بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِيْ لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُTransliteration: ‘Bismillaahil-lathee laa yadhurru ma'as-mihi shay'un fil-'ardhi wa laa fis-samaa'i wa Huwas-Samee 'ul- 'Aleem.Translation: In the name of Allah with Whose name nothing can harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.three times, will not be stricken with a sudden affliction until morning comes, and whoever says them when morning comes will not be stricken with a sudden affliction until evening comes.” [Sahih (Albani). Abu Dawud: 5088]Also narrated by at-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh, as follows: “There is no one who says in the morning of every day and the evening of every night:بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِيْ لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُTransliteration: ‘Bismillaahil-lathee laa yadhurru ma'as-mihi shay'un fil-'ardhi wa laa fis-samaa'i wa Huwas-Samee 'ul- 'Aleem.Translation: In the name of Allah with Whose name nothing can harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.three times but nothing will harm him.”2. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that he said: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: O Messenger of Allah, I was stung by a scorpion last night. He said: “If you had said, when evening came,أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَTransliteration: ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allah at-taammaaati min sharri ma khalaq.Translation: I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of that which He has created.It would not have harmed you.” [Narrated by Muslim (2709)]3. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Khubayb (RA) said: We went out on a rainy and very dark night, looking for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to lead us in prayer. We found him and he said: “Did you pray?” But I did not say anything. He said: “Say,” but I did not say anything. Then he said: “Say,” but I did not say anything. Then he said: “Say,” and I said: What should I say, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Say: Qul huwa Allaahu Ahad and al-Mu’awwidhatayn, in the evening and in the morning, three times, and they will suffice you against all things.” [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (3575) and Abu Dawood (5082)]Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (Ra) said:One of the means of attaining security, well-being, peace of mind and safety from all ills is to seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of that which He has created, three times every morning and evening, by saying: أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَTransliteration: ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allah at-taammaaati min sharri ma khalaq.Translation: I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of that which He has created.There are hadiths which indicate that this is one of the means of attaining well-being. Similarly, one may say:بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِيْ لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُTransliteration: ‘Bismillaahil-lathee laa yadhurru ma'as-mihi shay'un fil-'ardhi wa laa fis-samaa'i wa Huwas-Samee 'ul- 'Aleem.Translation: In the name of Allah with Whose name nothing can harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.three times every morning and evening, because the Prophet (ﷺ) stated that whoever says it three times in the morning, nothing will harm him until evening comes, and whoever says it three times in the evening, nothing will harm him until morning comes.All of these adhkaar and prayers seeking refuge with Allah, that come from the Qur’an and Sunnah, are among the means of attaining protection, safety and security from all ills.Every believing man and woman should recite them at the appropriate times, and do so regularly, with certainty, trusting in their Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, Who is in control of all things, Who has knowledge of all things, Who is able to do all things; there is no god but He and no lord except He; in His hand is the control of all things, the power to withhold, cause harm and bring benefit, and He is the Sovereign of all things, may He be glorified and exalted. [Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (3/454, 455)]4. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never failed to say these supplications when evening came and when morning came:اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِيْ وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِيْ، وَمَالِيْ، اَللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِيْ، وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِيْ، اَللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِيْنِيْ وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِيْ وَأَعُوْذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِيْTransliteration: “Allaahumma 'innee 'as'alukal-'afwa wal'aafiyata fid-dunyaa wal'aakhirah, Allaahumma 'innee 'as'alukal-'afwa wal'aafiyata fee deenee wa dunyaaya wa 'ahlee, wa maalee, Allahum-mastur 'awraatee, wa 'aamin raw'aatee, Allahum-mahfadhnee mim bayni yadayya, wa min khalfee, wa 'an yameenee, wa 'an shimaalee, wa min fawqee, wa 'A'oodhu bi'adhamatika 'an 'ughtaala min tahtee.Translation: O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in this life and the next. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religious and worldly affairs, and my family and my wealth. O Allah, veil my weaknesses and set at ease my dismay. O Allah, preserve me from the front and from behind and on my right and on my left and from above, and I take refuge with You lest I be swallowed up by the earth. [Sahih (Albani). Abu Dawud: 5074]Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan al-Mubaarakfoori (RA) said:“O Allah, I ask You for well-being” means: Safety from anything that could undermine my faith and from worldly hardships. It was also said that what is meant is safety from sicknesses and calamities; or not being tested by them, and being granted patience in bearing them and acceptance of the divine decree. The word ‘aafiyah (well-being) refers to when Allah preserves a person and protects him from that which is disliked, and grants him well-being and protection from troubles and calamities.“O Allah, I ask You for pardon” means: I ask You to erase my sins and overlook them.“and well-being” means: being free from faults.“in my faith and my worldly affairs” means” and everything that isconnected to them.Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh (8/139).5. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) said: One of the du‘aa’s of the Prophet (ﷺ) was:اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ، وَتَحَوُّلِ عَافِيَتِكَ، وَفُجَاءَةِ نِقْمَتِكَ، وَجَمِيعِ سَخَطِكَTransliteration: “Allaahumma inni a'udhu bika min zawaali ni'matika, wa tahawwuli 'aafiyatika, wa fuja-aati niqmatika, wa jami'i sakhatik.Translation: O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the withdrawing of Your blessing, and the loss of the well-being that You granted me, and the sudden onset of Your wrath, and anything that may lead to Your displeasure.” [Narrated by Muslim (2739)]An-Nawawi (RA) said: [The word translated here as] loss refers to a change in something and disconnection from something. It is as if he was asking for continual well-being, which is protection from pain and sickness. [Fayd al-Qadeer (2/140)]Al-‘Azeemabaadi (RA) said: “the loss of the well-being that You granted me” refers to health being replaced with sickness, and independence of means being replaced with poverty.‘ [Awn al-Ma‘bood Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood (4/283)]6. It was narrated from Anas (RA) that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say: اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبَرَصِ وَالْجُنُوْنِ وَالْجُذَامِ وَمِنْ سَيِّئِ الْأَسْقَامِTransliteration: Allaahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-barasi wal-jununi wal-judhaami, wamin sayy'il-asqaamTranslation: O Allah, I seek refuge with you from leprosy, and from insanity, and from paralysis, and from evil diseases.” [Narrated by Ahmad (12592), Abu Dawood (1554) and an-Nasaa’i; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani]At-Teebi said: The reason why he did not seek refuge with Allah from sicknesses in general terms is that some sicknesses may be easy to bear but bring a great deal of reward if one bears them with patience and they are not chronic, such as fevers, headaches and inflammations of the eye. Rather the hadith is seeking refuge with Allah from chronic sickness, which can lead a person into a situation where a close friend will flee from him and he will not have many people around him to comfort him and take care of him, and – moreover – may carry a great deal of stigma. [Narrated by al-‘Azeemabaadi in ‘Awn al-Ma‘bood]