It seems that in the busy world of today, headaches and migraines have become some of the most common health complaints. Some may consider it simply a mild discomfort, but for others, it can even mount to an overwhelming pain that starts affecting life’s daily workings. Medicine has provided many contemporary methods of treatment, but as beautifully taught in Islam, healing is truly from Allah ﷻ. Muslims, therefore, seek spiritual remedies along with medical ones, and one of the most potent weapons at our disposal is dua.
Guaranteed Relief for Headache
For headaches, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us certain supplications that bring relief. These duas are short, easy to memorise, yet full of aura when recited with belief and conviction. In one of the famous narrations, it was said that when a person is afflicted by pain, he should place his hand upon the area where pain is felt and recite:
“Bismillah” (In the name of Allah) three times, and then say seven times:
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
Transliteration: A‘udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir
Meaning: I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against.
Example Dua for Headaches
- Arabic: أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
- Transliteration: Adhhib il-ba’sa Rabb an-naas, washfi Anta ash-Shaafi, la shifaa’a illa shifaa’uka shifaa’an la yughaadiru saqama
- Meaning: Remove the pain, O Lord of mankind, and grant healing, for You are the Healer. There is no cure except Your cure, a cure that leaves no illness.
Prayers for Alleviation of Pain from Migraines
Any migraine is probably a hundred times stronger than the pain of a headache, and therefore, one could resort to appropriate strong duas from Allah to that effect. The Prophet ﷺ instructed his companions to invoke duas for any pain, many of which fit very well to work against migraines.
Example Dua for Migraine
- Arabic: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
- Transliteration: Bismillahi arqeeka min kulli shay’in yu’dheeka, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘aynin hasidin Allahu yashfeeka, bismillahi arqeeka
- Meaning: In the name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul and envious eye. May Allah cure you. In the name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah for you.
One due is that of pain relief which is recited more often during the attack. Also, it is said that reciting Surah Al-Fatiha is meant to be a healing chapter: Ash-Shifa.
This dua is a sort of Ruqyah and can be recited for someone suffering from a migraine or recited for oneself.
Quranic Verses for Healing Pain
The Qur’an is an important source of guidance, comfort and healing. Allah Himself words it as a healing for believers:
“And We send down of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe…” (Surah Al-Isra, 17:82).
Reciting some ayats known as the ayat ash-shifa (the verses of healing) during complaints of headaches and migraines brings relief. It serves as a reminder for the believer that healing comes from Allah. Reciting them with full sincerity puts a believer in a better place spiritually and emotionally.
Ayat Ash-Shifa (The Verses of Healing)
Here are six well-known verses commonly recited for healing:
- Surah At-Tawbah (9:14) – “…Allah shall heal the breasts of a believing people.”
- Surah Yunus (10:57) – “O mankind! There has come to you an instruction from your Lord, and a healing for what is in the breasts, and guidance and mercy for the believers.”
- Surah An-Nahl (16:69) – “…There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for mankind…”
- Surah Al-Isra (17:82) – “And We send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers…”
- Surah Ash-Shu’ara (26:80) – “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.”
- Surah Fussilat (41:44) – “…Say: It is, for those who believe, a guidance and a healing…”
These verses could be recited over water and later consumed, or recited with the hand placed on the afflicted area.
Conclusion
Headaches and migraines can be very discomforting, but through Islam, every difficulty is an opportunity to draw closer toward Allah. Dua, Quranic verses, and Sunnah remedies not only give relief to a believer on a physical level but also soothe the believer on a spiritual plane. Thus, the crux is to blend between medical treatments and spiritual healing, knowing that ultimate shifa (healing) comes from Allah alone.
FAQs
1. Does dua alone suffice in curing a migraine?
If Allah wills, then yes, dua certainly could treat any ailment. However, Islam encourages a patient to seek both medical care and spiritual healing in tandem.
2. How many times should I read the healing duas?
There are no fixed measures. If you need to recite them, recite them along with sincere and constant practice if not more.
3. Should I blow on the water or the oil while reading dua?
Yes, there is a Sunnah to read Quranic verses and duas over water or oil and then take it by drinking, massaging, or anointing the head.
4. Can Ruqyah be done at home to relieve headache?
Absolutely. The Ruqyah can be done by the person looking for it or done for another family member by reading Qur’an and duas, sincerely and depending on Allah.