What dua do I say when visiting someone who is sick?

What to say at the bedside

• "La ba'sa, tahurun in sha Allah": when the Prophet ﷺ visited a sick man, he said: "Don't worry, Allah willing, (your sickness will be) an expiation for your sins" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5662). It's short, comforting, and easy to remember.
• "As'alullahal-'Azim, Rabbal-'arshil-'azim, an yashfiyak" (7 times): the Prophet ﷺ said that if someone visits a sick person whose time has not come and says seven times, "I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the mighty Throne, to cure you," Allah will cure him from that disease (Sunan Abi Dawud 3106).
• "Adhhibil-ba's, Rabban-nas, washfi antash-shafi, la shifa'a illa shifa'uk, shifa'an la yughadiru saqama": the Prophet ﷺ used to say this when visiting a patient. Meaning: "Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people! Cure him as You are the One Who cures. There is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5675).

If the Arabic feels hard at first, say the meaning in English. A sincere dua in your own language still counts.

Why visiting matters so much

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The one who visits the sick is in fact like one who is in the fruit garden of Paradise so long as he does not return" (Sahih Muslim 2568). In a hadith qudsi, Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection, "O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit Me," and then explain that if you had visited His sick servant, "you would have found Me by him" (Sahih Muslim 2569).

He also said that when you visit the sick, you should "supplicate for good because angels say" Amen to whatever you say (Sahih Muslim 919). So keep your words positive and hopeful.

Visiting non-Muslim family and friends

Yes, you can and should. The Prophet ﷺ visited a Jewish boy who used to serve him when the boy became sick (Sahih al-Bukhari 1356). For a non-Muslim relative, you can pray for their healing, comfort and guidance. Many converts find that visiting a sick parent or grandparent shows their family that Islam made them kinder, not more distant. For end-of-life questions, see Can I turn off life support for a dying relative as a Muslim?

Good manners for a sick visit

• Keep it short: unless the person wants you to stay, a sick person needs rest.
• Follow hospital rules: visiting hours, masks, hand washing.
• Don't visit if you're contagious: send a message or a call instead.
• Bring something useful: food for the family, a phone charger, help with errands.
• Avoid scary stories: no "my uncle died of the same thing."
• Offer to make dua: ask, "Can I make a short dua for you?" Most people, of any faith, appreciate it.