Our services aim to strengthen the spiritual well-being of Muslim patients.

If you are, or know of anyone who is, sick or shut-in, or if there is anything that might qualify for a visit, please notify us as soon as possible by completing the visitation request form below. An Imam or a compassionate visitation congregation team volunteer can visit and read the Quran and recitate a dua.

You can also submit a dua request for our weekly Jumu’ah services here. For burial services, see here.

A Muslim Patient Visitation Program 

At MCC, we understand that being in the hospital can be a challenging experience for both patients and their loved ones. Our Hospital Visits Program is dedicated to providing emotional, spiritual, and pastoral support to community members during times of illness or recovery. We are here for phone calls and visitation for sick and shut-in Muslims in the San Francisco Bay Area. MCC covers the East Bay region (Alameda County, Contra Costa County) as well as San Francisco County, while our partner at WVMA covers the South Bay region.

Our Mission: Spiritual Care

We strive to bring comfort, hope, and companionship to those who are hospitalized by offering prayers, emotional support, and a listening ear. Our volunteers are available to visit patients, provide religious counsel, and assist families in need.

What We Offer

• Patient Visits & Spiritual Support – Our trained volunteers and religious leaders provide encouragement and prayers for healing.
• Dua & Supplication – We offer Islamic prayers for patients and their families, seeking comfort and strength through faith.
• Family Support & Counseling – Helping loved ones navigate difficult times with guidance and reassurance.
• Assistance with Religious Needs – Support with performing prayers, reading the Quran, and providing other religious resources, like end-of-life care.

Request a Visit Or Refer Someone

Join Our Compassionate Volunteer Team

All volunteers receive training on how to assess patients’ religious and spiritual needs, protect their privacy, identify topics to raise, and read the Dua or the Qur’an.

Let’s come together as a community to support one another in times of need.

Our goal at MCC East Bay is to meet the needs of members who are sick and are unable to attend regular mosque services. Imams and volunteers of the masjid shall visit sick, shut-in, and homebound members.

Anyone needing encouragement, comfort, or a sense of belonging would benefit from a visit. While that could include everyone, certain community members especially need to be reminded that they are not forgotten. These are people who can feel rather lonely at times, especially:

• elderly people still living independently, especially if they are shut-ins;
• elderly or disabled people living in nursing homes;
• people who are sick for a prolonged period of time;
• people who are hospitalized;
• bereaved people;
• prisoners;
• people in shelters;
• people in crisis;
• and, anyone who needs end-of-life prayers.

Questions? operations@mcceastbay.org

Visiting The Sick

Visiting the sick is the right of a Muslim over his fellow Muslim. It strengthens brotherhood and helps reduce the psychological pain of the sick. As well as being socially isolating, having no visitor to help with the “small” things, such as cutting up food or refilling a water glass, can delay a patient’s recovery.

Not only is visiting the sick a highly recommended act, according to some of the scholars, it is a farḍ kifāyah (a communal obligation; if enough individuals discharge the obligation, the remaining Muslims are freed from the responsibility).

When visiting the sick, ensure you are not burdening the patient or visiting at an inappropriate time. Try to raise their spirits and remind them of how being sick helps to wipe away one’s sins and increase one’s ranks in the sight of Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā).

‘The stupidity of those visiting the sick is worse than the sickness itself; they come at an inappropriate time, and they sit for far too long!’ – Sufyān al-Thawrī

70,000 Angels Will Pray for You + A Mansion in Paradise

The reward of visiting the sick is immense. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When a Muslim visits a sick Muslim in the morning, 70,000 angels constantly pray for him till the evening. If he visits him in the evening, 70,000 angels constantly pray for him till the morning, and he will have (his share of) reaped fruits in Paradise.” (Tirmidhī)

In another ḥadīth, he said: “Whosoever visits a sick person or visits his brother for the sake of Allah, a heavenly caller calls out: ‘You have done well; your walking is good and blessed, and you have built a mansion in Paradise!’” (Tirmidhī)

In his commentary on Saḥīh Muslim, Imām al-Nawawī notes that visiting the sick is not limited to those one knows; rather, one ought to visit those one knows, and those one doesn’t.

What You Should Say to The Sick

Before you visit the sick, try to learn at least one of the following supplications and ask Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā) to heal them through the words of our beloved Messenger ﷺ.

# Du‘ā’ 1

لَا بَأْسَ طَهُوْرٌ ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ

Do not worry, it will be a purification (for you), Allah willing. (Bukhārī)

Lā ba’sa ṭahūrun, in shā’a-llāh.

# Du‘ā’ 2

اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ ، أَذْهِبِ الْبَأْسَ ، اِشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِيْ ، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

O Allah, the Lord of mankind, remove this disease. Cure, for You are the One who cures. There is no cure except for Your cure. May it be a cure that leaves behind no sickness.

Allāhumma Rabba-n-nās, adh-hibi-l-ba’s, ishfi Ant-sh-Shāfī, lā shifā’a illā shifā’uk, shifā’al-lā yughādiru saqamā.

‘Ā’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ visited any ill person in his family, he would wipe his right hand over the ill person, supplicating [with the above].” (Bukhārī)

# Du‘ā’ 3

بِسْمِ اللهِ أَرْقِيْكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيْكَ ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ حَاسِدٍ ، اَللهُ يَشْفِيْكَ ، بِسْمِ اللهِ أَرْقِيْكَ

In the Name of Allah, I seek protection for you from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or the eye of an envious person. May Allah cure you; with the Name of Allah, I recite over you.

Bismi-llāhi arqīka min kulli shay’in yu’dhīk, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ʿaynin ḥāsid, Allāhu yashfīk, Bismi-llāhi arqīk.

Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) reported that Jibrīl (‘alayhis-salām) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asked: “O Muhammad, are you ill?” He ﷺ replied: “Yes.” Jibrīl (‘alayhis-salām) said: “[The above].” (Muslim)

# Du‘ā’ 4

بِسْمِ اللهِ تُرْبَةُ أَرْضِنَا بِرِيْقَةِ بَعْضِنَا ، يُشْفَىٰ سَقِيْمُنَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّنَا

In the Name of Allah, the dust of our earth mixed with the saliva of one of us. May our sick be cured with the permission of our Lord.

Bismi-llāhi turbatu arḍinā bi-rīqati baʿḍinā, bi-idhni Rabbinā.

‘Ā’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) reported that when a person complained to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about an illness, or suffered from a sore or a wound, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would touch the ground with his forefinger and then raise it, saying [the above]. (Bukhārī)

# Du‘ā’ 5

أَسْأَلُ اللهَ الْعَظِيْمَ ، رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ ، أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

(x7)

I ask Allah, the Supreme, Lord of the Magnificent Throne to cure you.

As’alu-llāha-l-ʿAẓīm, Rabba-l-ʿArshi-l-ʿAẓīm, ay-yashfiyak.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “He who visits a sick person who is not on the verge of death and supplicates [the above] seven times, Allah will certainly heal him from that sickness.” (Tirmidhī)

# Du‘ā’ 6

رَبُّنَا اللهُ الَّذِيْ فِي السَّمَاءِ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ ، أَمْرُكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ، كَمَا رَحْمَتُكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ، فَاجْعَلْ رَحْمَتَكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا حُوْبَنَا وَخَطَايَانَا أَنْتَ رَبُّ الطَّيِّبِيْنَ ، فَأَنْزِلْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ ، وَشِفَاءً مِنْ شِفَائِكَ عَلَىٰ هٰذَا الْوَجَعِ فَيَبْرَأَ

Our Lord is Allah who is in heaven. Holy is Your Name. Your command reigns supreme in the heaven and the earth. As You shower Your mercy in the heaven, shower Your mercy in the earth. Forgive us our sins and our errors. You are the Lord of good people. Send down mercy from Your mercy, and remedy from Your remedy on this pain so that it heals.

Rabbuna-llāhu-l-ladhī fi-s-samāi’ taqaddasa ismuk , amruka fi-s-samāi’ wa-l-arḍ, kamā raḥmatuka fi-s- samāi fa-jʿal raḥmataka fi-l-arḍ, wa-ghfir lanā ḥūbanā wa khaṭāyānā Anta Rabbu-ṭ-ṭayyibīn, fa-anzil raḥmatam-mi-r-raḥmatika wa shifā’am-min shifā’ika ʿala hadha-l-wajaʿi fa-yabra’.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “If any one of you is suffering from anything or his brother is suffering, he should say [the above].” (Abū Dāwūd)

Protect Yourself

Finally, when you visit the sick, don’t forget to make the following du’ā’ for yourself discreetly:

اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِيْ عَافَانِيْ مِمَّا ابْتَلَاكَ بِهِ ، وَفَضَّلَنِيْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيْرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ تَفْضِيْلًا

All praise is for Allah who saved me from that which He has afflicted you with, and blessed me greatly over many of those whom He has created.

Alḥamdu-lillāhi-l-ladhī ʿāfānī mim-mabtalāka bihī wa faḍḍalanī ʿalā kathīrim-mim-man khalaqa tafḍīlā.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever sees an afflicted person then says [the above], he shall not be struck by that affliction.” (Tirmidhī)

Why We Provide Spiritual Care for Hospitalized Muslim Patients?

Health and life are of central importance to the Abrahamic religions. Thus, it is unsurprising that more than 50,000 patients are annually seen by free clinics run by Muslims or established by mosques/masjids in America. This is in line with holistic patient care that focuses on the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of patients. This can largely be attributed to the greater attention afforded to an individual’s total pain, which is a concept expressed by Cicely Sanders as the “suffering that encompasses all of a person’s physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and practical struggles”. Spiritual care has been shown to be positively correlated with quality of life among individuals with disease and dying patients. Spiritual care encompasses a panoply of human affairs and existential issues (e.g., identity, meaning, suffering, and death), personal values (e.g., important issues and values for oneself), and religious acts (e.g., faith, beliefs, and practices).

Visiting the Sick (Ziyara Al-Marid) is one of the most rewarding tasks, as you will be visiting Muslims at their homes and hospitals when they are ill or injured. Some scholars considered it an obligation (fard), while others labeled it emphasized tradition (sunna mu’akadah).

Visiting the ill today is a revival of the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet, as it illustrates empathy among Muslims and demonstrates love, a required component of faith. Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“The parable of the Believers in their mutual love and mercy is like that of a living body: if one part feels pain, the whole body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.”

The Duty of Visiting The Sick:

Almighty God explained (in Hadith Qudsi) the importance of and the greatness of the reward of visiting the sick. The Prophet said: “On the Day of Resurrection, God the Mighty and Majestic will say: ‘O child of Adam! I became sick, and you did not visit me!’ The person will say, ‘O Lord, how can I visit you and you are the Lord of all that Exists!’ God will say, ‘Did you not know that my slave ‘so and so’ became sick, and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you visited him, you would have found me with him?” (Saheeh Muslim)

“The rights of one Muslim over another Muslim are six… When you meet, you greet with the salaam (i.e. to say: “As-Salamu alaykum”), when invited, you respond to the invitation, when asked to give consults in a matter, you give sincere advice, when sneezes and praises God, in return you ask God to have mercy on him/her, when sick, you visit, and when he/she passes away you accompany the funeral procession.

Great Rewards for Visiting the Sick

There are great rewards awaiting those who visit the sick, as mentioned by the Prophet (pbuh): “A Muslim visiting his sick brother (or sister) will continue to be in the harvest of paradise until he or she returns home.”

And God’s Messenger of Mercy, Mohammad, also said: “A visitor walking to visit a sick person will be wading in the mercy of God.  When the visitor sits with the sick one, they will be immersed in mercy until his or her return.”

What is Muslim Chaplaincy?

Muslim chaplaincy services provide specialized spiritual and emotional support tailored to Islamic beliefs for patients, families, and staff in healthcare settings. Chaplains offer compassionate listening, facilitate essential Islamic rituals (such as the five daily prayers and ablution), read the Quran, and provide guidance during difficult medical or end-of-life decisions. [1, 2, 3]

Core Services & Support

• Spiritual Comfort & Dua: Offering sincere prayers (duas) for healing, bringing copies of the Quran, and providing a quiet listening space. [1, 2, 3]
• Ritual Accommodations: Assisting patients with finding the Qibla (direction of Mecca), organizing prayer rugs, and offering guidance on Wudu (ablution) or dry ablution (Tayammum). [1]
• End-of-Life Care: Assisting patients and families in their final moments, which includes reciting Surah Yasin and ensuring the patient is positioned towards Mecca if possible. [1]
• Patient Advocacy: Helping medical teams and families navigate ethical decisions in healthcare from a culturally and religiously sensitive Islamic perspective. [1]

End of Life

We train our volunteers to prepare deceased Muslims for burials. Any Muslim can apply to be trained on how to offer Ghusl (washing of the dead), takfeen (shrouding the body for burial), and Janaza (funeral) prayer. See here.

Here is a list of some of the decedent care services offered:

• Recitation of the Quran: A chaplain will recite the Quran to comfort the dying and their family members during Ihtidar (the dying process).
• Orienting Towards Qibla: We communicate with healthcare to turn the dying towards the Qibla (prayer direction) whenever possible.
• Talqin: We coach the talqin (pronunciation) of the Shahada (two testimonies) of faith that affirm the Lordship of God and the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad.

Upon the volunteer’s death, the volunteer can close the deceased’s eyes and mouth and cover the face. Each family’s cultural and religious needs will be respected and accommodated. For example, a request to have same-gender provider turn off all alarm signals or monitors at the time of death or have all unnecessary staff leave the room at the time of death.

After death, we will assist family members in coordinating funeral and burial services in coordination with the Islamic Society of East Bay (see here). Their funeral services protect the dignity of the deceased and alleviate the pain of the family.

The Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) said, “Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim: to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, to respond to the one who sneezes.” [al-Bukhari, Muslim]

When in good health, we visit each other and hang out. If we need to, we make time to meet up and speak to one another; through such interactions, we form friendships and bonds. If this is the case when we are well, then it should be that these ties are strengthened when visiting someone who is sick, when there is no need or tangible benefit other than pure love, concern, and care.

The sunna of visiting the sick applies not only to people we know but also to those we don’t, as there is always room to form new friendships.

When we share the suffering of others, even if the suffering is mild, and we take the time out to offer comfort and support in times of weakness and sickness, whether physical or emotional, we can truly begin to grasp some of the meanings behind the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said:

The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, and camaraderie is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever. [Muslim]

And,

Indeed, Allah would say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory’s sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shade when there is no other shade but Mine.’ [Muslim]

The recommendation to visit the sick not only applies to believers but also extends to non-Muslims. The Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) would visit non-Muslims when they were sick, such as the hadith of the young Jewish boy as narrated by Imam al-Bukhari.

Moreover, in visiting the sick, there is something in it for the one visiting: reminders and rewards.

Rewards for Visiting the Sick

There are many ahadith concerning the merits of visiting the sick. Among them, the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) is recorded to have said:

When the Muslim visits his [sick] Muslim brother, he is harvesting the fruits of Paradise until he returns. [Muslim]

Whoever visits a sick person or visits a brother in Islam, a caller cries out to him, ‘May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you occupy a dignified position in Paradise.’ [al-Tirmidhi]

There is no Muslim who visits a [sick] Muslim early in the morning but that seventy-thousand angels send blessings upon him until evening comes, and if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until morning comes, and he will have a garden in Paradise. [al Tirmidhi]

Etiquettes of Visiting the Sick

Make an intention: We are told that “Acts are according to their intentions” by the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) [Muslim]. Therefore, one should make noble intentions such as:

1. Fulfilling the right of a fellow Muslim
2. To follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
3. To pray for their recovery and health
4. To recite the sunna supplications when visiting
5. To bring joy and happiness to the visitors
6. To help fulfill the needs of another person
7. In the case of a non-Muslim, to guide them to Islam by showing mercy and excellent manners
8. To remind oneself of the blessings of good health

Timing: It is important to consider the time at which one visits the sick. Very early morning, very late in the evening, or common nap and meal times should be avoided. One should enquire first what a good time to visit is for both the sick person and their family.

Keep visits short: Visits should generally be kept brief to avoid overburdening the sick person. It may be that they are tired or have a need that they are too embarrassed to do with visitors around. Talking may also be undesirable to them. However, if the patient clearly wants one to stay, there is no harm in doing so. There is no need to visit more than once, and one should avoid repeated visits unless the patient requests so or it is known that they will be happy if one does so.

Take a simple gift to cheer the ill person: Receiving gifts is always nice, but especially so when a person is feeling low-spirited. Simple, heartfelt gifts that the person will like are always the best and could include fruits, juice, broth, chocolates, flowers, etc. However, a gift is not necessary, and one should not be put off visiting a sick person without a gift. The best gift is to make du’a for the person.

Du’a: There are various supplications that can be made for the sick person:

1. Imam al-Bukhari narrated that whenever the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) would visit a sick person, he would say, “No harm will befall you. It is purification, if Allah wills.” (la ba’sa tahurun insha’llah)
2. Imam al-Tirmidhi narrated that he (peace be upon him) said, “O Allah, make the harm go away, Lord of mankind, and heal him, You are the Healer, there is no healing except your healing, a healing that does not leave any sickness.” (Allahumma adh-hibi‘l-ba’sa rabb an-nasi wash-fi fa-ant ash-shafi la shifa-a illa shifa-uka shifa-un la yugha-diru saqqama)
3. Imam al-Tirmidhi also narrated that the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) said, “He who visits a sick person who is not at the point of death and supplicates seven times, ‘I beseech Allah the Great, the Lord of the Great Throne, to heal you (as-alu’llah al-azeemu rabbu’l-’arsh al-azeema in yashfika)’, Allah will certainly heal him from that sickness.”

Ask for du’a: One should also ask the ill person to make du’a for them, as the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) said, “If you enter upon a sick person, then ask him to supplicate for you, for his supplication is like the supplications of the angels.” [Ibn Maja]

Fulfill a need for the sick person: Ask whether they have any desires or needs. It is said that the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) visited an ill person and asked, “Do you long for anything? Do you long for sweet bread (ka’k)?” The man replied, “Yes.” So they sent someone to bring him some Ka’k. [Ibn Maja]

Make conversation: One should have a lighthearted, positive conversation. Related by Ibn Maja with a weak chain, the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “When you enter upon one who is sick, cheer him up.” Therefore, the visitor should be upbeat, encourage the patient to have hope, and make easy conversation.

At the same time, one should avoid joking too much or talking loudly. One should also avoid asking too many questions about the illness or causing any type of anxiety in the person, such as telling them how bad they look or that the illness can become serious! Similarly, one should not speak about bad news or events. Nor should one enter and draw the person into prohibited speech, such as backbiting (ghiba) and tale-bearing, during the visit.

Reminder Against Avoiding the Sunna of Visiting the Sick

One hadith should be sufficient as a stern warning against avoiding the visitation of those who are sick and shut-in:

Imam Muslim narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah the Exalted will say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit me.’ He will say, ‘My Lord, how can I visit you when you are the Lord of the worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that my servant was sick and you did not visit him, and had you visited him you would have found Me with him?’”

Build Genuine Relationships by Visiting the Sick

Insha’Allah, the above ahadith of the sunna of the Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) encourage us all to do our best to visit the sick when possible, and thereby share in the tremendous rewards offered by such simple acts, acts which not only benefit us in the Afterlife, but build and fortify our relationships with those around us.

In a world of frenzied social media networking and online ‘friends’, the only real and meaningful social networking is in real life, with the people around us; those in need of help and support, those who need a kind word or smile to make that difference to their world, or simply widening our circle of good friends and company.

This is the way of our beloved Prophet (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him). Despite his many and varied responsibilities in the community and at home, he (peaceful prayers and blessings be upon him) would always make time to visit people, keep the ties of kinship and bonds of friendship strong, and this was even more so when people were unwell.

So, let us try to follow his way, for Allah Most High has told us, “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day,” [Qur’an 33:21].

And Allah knows best.

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Source: About “Forgotten Sunan” by Shaykh Jamir Meah