Prophetic medicine from Qurʾān & Sunnah

• •Digestive complaints & stomach ailments
• •Coughs and sore throat
• •Wound care (antibacterial)

UseA spoonful on an empty stomach, or dissolved in warm water.

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'My brother's abdomen is upset.' He said, 'Let him drink honey.' The man returned twice more, and each time the Prophet ﷺ said the same. He came a fourth time and said it did not help. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Allah has spoken the truth and your brother's abdomen has lied. Give him honey to drink.' So he did, and he was cured.

• •Immune support
• •Respiratory complaints
• •General tonic — 'cure for every disease except death'

UseWhole seeds ground and mixed with honey, or the pressed oil (a few drops daily).

إِنَّ فِي الْحَبَّةِ السَّوْدَاءِ شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ إِلَّا السَّامَ

'In the black seed there is healing for every disease except as-sām.' They said, 'And what is as-sām?' He said, 'Death.'

• •Skin & hair
• •Digestive & cardiovascular health

UseConsume with food and anoint the skin and hair.

كُلُوا الزَّيْتَ وَادَّهِنُوا بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Eat olive oil and anoint yourselves with it, for it is from a blessed tree.'

• •Protection from poison & sorcery when taken in the morning
• •Nourishment; blood sugar stability

UseSeven ʿAjwah dates in the morning on an empty stomach, per the hadith.

مَنْ تَصَبَّحَ بِسَبْعِ تَمَرَاتٍ عَجْوَةً لَمْ يَضُرَّهُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ سُمٌّ وَلَا سِحْرٌ

'Whoever eats seven ʿAjwah dates in the morning, neither poison nor sorcery will harm him that day.'

• •Nourishment; only drink of which the Prophet ﷺ asked for more

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ يُجْزِئُ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ إِلَّا اللَّبَنُ

The Prophet ﷺ said upon drinking milk: 'O Allah, bless it for us and give us more of it, for there is nothing that suffices in place of food and drink except milk.'

• •Soothes grief and lightens sadness
• •Gentle on the stomach of the sick

UseBarley flour cooked with milk and sweetened, served warm.

التَّلْبِينَةُ مُجِمَّةٌ لِفُؤَادِ الْمَرِيضِ تَذْهَبُ بِبَعْضِ الْحُزْنِ

ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها used to command talbīnah for the sick and the bereaved, and would say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, Talbīnah gives rest to the heart of the sick and removes some of the sorrow.'

• •Natural laxative; digestive relief

عَلَيْكُمْ بِالسَّنَا وَالسَّنُّوتِ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمَا شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ إِلَّا السَّامَ

'You must use senna and sannūt, for in them is a cure for every disease except as-sām — and as-sām is death.'

• •'For whatever it is drunk for' — nourishment, healing, or duʿāʾ

UseDrink while sitting, in three breaths, making duʿāʾ before each sip.

مَاءُ زَمْزَمَ لِمَا شُرِبَ لَهُ

'The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.'

• •General healing; back pain, headache, circulation

UseThe Prophet ﷺ favoured cupping on the 17th, 19th, and 21st of the lunar month (Ibn Mājah 3486).

الشِّفَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ: شَرْبَةِ عَسَلٍ، وَشَرْطَةِ مِحْجَمٍ، وَكَيَّةِ نَارٍ، وَأَنْهَى أُمَّتِي عَنِ الْكَيِّ

'Healing is in three things: a drink of honey, cupping, and cauterisation by fire — but I forbid my Ummah from cauterisation.'

• •Cleanses the mouth
• •Pleases the Lord
• •Sunnah before every prayer and wuḍūʾ

السِّوَاكُ مَطْهَرَةٌ لِلْفَمِ مَرْضَاةٌ لِلرَّبِّ

'The siwāk is a purification for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord.'

• •Reducing fever

الْحُمَّى مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّمَ فَأَبْرِدُوهَا بِالْمَاءِ

'Fever is from the heat of Hell, so cool it with water.'

• •Sharpens vision; strengthens the eyelashes

UseApplied to the eyes at bedtime — odd number of strokes (three each).

خَيْرُ أَكْحَالِكُمُ الْإِثْمِدُ يَجْلُو الْبَصَرَ وَيُنْبِتُ الشَّعْرَ

'The best of your kohl is ithmid — it clears the sight and makes the hair (of the lashes) grow.'

• •For pain in any part of one's own body

UsePlace the hand on the site of pain and say the words 7 times.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ (ثَلَاثًا) — أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ (سَبْعًا)

The Prophet ﷺ instructed ʿUthmān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ to place his hand on the pain and say: 'Bismillāh' three times, then seven times: 'Aʿūdhu billāhi wa qudratihi min sharri mā ajidu wa uḥādhir' — I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and fear.

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ (سَبْعًا)

The Prophet ﷺ would visit the sick and say seven times: 'Asʾalu Allāha al-ʿAẓīm, Rabba al-ʿArshi al-ʿAẓīm, an yashfiyaka' — I ask Allah the Mighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you. Whoever says it seven times to a sick person whose time has not come, Allah will cure him.

UseWipe the sick person with the right hand while reciting.

أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

The Prophet ﷺ would say: 'Adhhib al-baʾs, Rabba an-nās, ishfi wa Anta ash-Shāfī, lā shifāʾa illā shifāʾuk, shifāʾan lā yughādiru saqamā' — Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind. Heal, for You are the Healer; there is no cure but Your cure — a cure that leaves no illness behind.

• •Comforts the grieving heart
• •Gentle nourishment for the ill
• •Digestive ease

UseCook barley flour with milk and a touch of honey; serve warm.

التَّلْبِينَةُ مَجَمَّةٌ لِفُؤَادِ الْمَرِيضِ، تُذْهِبُ بَعْضَ الْحُزْنِ

ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Talbīnah gives rest to the heart of the sick person and takes away some of the grief.'

• •Complete nourishment
• •The only food-drink for which a specific duʿāʾ is taught

UseDrink and follow with the sunnah duʿāʾ.

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever is given milk to drink should say: Allāhumma bārik lanā fīhi wa zidnā minhu — O Allah, bless it for us and give us more of it. For there is nothing that suffices in place of both food and drink except milk.'

• •Light on the stomach
• •Cooling in nature

UseAdd to broths and stews.

Anas ibn Mālik said: 'A tailor invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to a meal he had prepared… I saw the Prophet ﷺ picking out the pieces of pumpkin from around the dish, and I have loved pumpkin ever since.'

• •A blessed condiment
• •Aids digestion when taken with food

UseUse as a light dressing with olive oil and bread.

نِعْمَ الْإِدَامُ الْخَلُّ

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'What an excellent condiment is vinegar.'

• •Natural laxative for constipation

UseSteep leaves briefly in warm water; use sparingly and not habitually.

عَلَيْكُمْ بِالسَّنَا وَالسَّنُّوتِ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِمَا شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ إِلَّا السَّامَ

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'You must use senna and sannūt, for in them is a cure for every disease except as-sām — death.'

• •Sore throat and tonsillitis (dhāt al-janb)
• •Respiratory support

UseTraditionally ground and inhaled, or applied as directed by a herbalist.

عَلَيْكُمْ بِهَذَا الْعُودِ الْهِنْدِيِّ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِ سَبْعَةَ أَشْفِيَةٍ

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'You must use this Indian ʿūd (costus), for in it are seven cures: it is inhaled for pleurisy and given by the mouth for sore throat.'

• •Reduces high fever

UseSponge or bathe with cool water; drink cool water in moderation.

الْحُمَّى مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّمَ فَأَبْرِدُوهَا بِالْمَاءِ

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Fever is from the heat of Hell, so cool it with water.'

• •Prevents the diseases of overindulgence

UseOne-third food, one-third drink, one-third breath.

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The son of Ādam fills no vessel worse than his stomach. Sufficient for the son of Ādam are a few morsels to keep his back straight. But if he must, then a third for food, a third for drink, and a third for his breath.'

• •Physical rest for the digestive system
• •Strengthens self-restraint

UseThe three white days of every month (13th, 14th, 15th) and Mondays & Thursdays.

صُومُوا تَصِحُّوا

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Fast, and you will be healthy.'

UseRecite when hearing of an epidemic and observe the sharʿī quarantine instruction.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبَرَصِ وَالْجُنُونِ وَالْجُذَامِ وَمِنْ سَيِّئِ الْأَسْقَامِ

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'If you hear of a plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave it.' Add the duʿāʾ: 'Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min al-baraṣ wa'l-junūn wa'l-judhām wa min sayyiʾ al-asqām' — O Allah, I seek refuge in You from leprosy, insanity, elephantiasis, and evil illnesses.