The dua for good health of body, hearing and sight is "Allahumma 'afini fi badani, Allahumma 'afini fi sam'i, Allahumma 'afini fi basari, la ilaha illa ant": O Allah, grant me health in my body, my hearing and my sight; there is no god but You. Abu Bakrah said it three times every morning and evening, following the Prophet ﷺ (Sunan Abi Dawud 5090, hasan in chain).
In short
The dua asks Allah for 'afiyah, wellbeing, in the body, the hearing and the sight, one by one.
Abu Bakrah said it three times in the morning and three in the evening because he heard the Prophet ﷺ make it.
His son learned it by hearing it every day, which shows how children pick up the duas we say aloud.
Saying it fits alongside caring for your eyes and ears, never in place of medical care.
When did you last thank Allah for your eyes? We tend to remember them on the day they ache: after hours at a screen, after a bad night, after a headache that starts behind them.
The Companion Abu Bakrah did something different. Every morning and every evening he asked Allah for health in his body, his hearing and his sight, before anything had gone wrong.
What is the dua for health of body, hearing and sight?
The dua is:
اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَدَنِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي سَمْعِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَصَرِي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
Allahumma 'afini fi badani, Allahumma 'afini fi sam'i, Allahumma 'afini fi basari, la ilaha illa ant.
It comes from a conversation between the Companion Abu Bakrah and his son:
AbdurRahman ibn AbuBakrah said that he told his father: O my father! I hear you supplicating every morning: 'O Allah! Grant me health in my body. O Allah! Grant me good hearing. O Allah! Grant me good eyesight. There is no god but Thou.' You repeat them three times in the morning and three times in the evening. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) using these words as a supplication and I like to follow his practice.
When should you say it?
Say it three times in the morning and three times in the evening, as Abu Bakrah did. Sunan Abi Dawud places the narration in the chapter "What to say when waking up," so the morning recitation fits naturally with your other morning remembrances. See the morning and evening adhkar for the rest of the routine.
What does 'afiyah mean?
'Afiyah means wellbeing and protection: health, safety and freedom from harm, in this life and the next. The Prophet ﷺ taught his uncle to make it his request:
Al-'Abbas bin 'Abdul-Muttalib said: 'I said: O Messenger of Allah, teach me something that I may ask Allah for.' He (ﷺ) said: 'Ask Allah for Al-'Āfiyah.'
When al-'Abbas came back and asked again, the Prophet ﷺ repeated the advice and added "in the world and in the Hereafter." The dua Abu Bakrah learned from the Prophet ﷺ makes that same request for three specific trusts.
Hearing and sight in the Qur'an
The narration does not say why these three are named. The Qur'an does remind us that hearing and sight are among the things we will be asked about:
Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
They are also the two senses a modern day spends hardest. Screens fill the eyes for hours, and earbuds fill the ears. Asking for their wellbeing by name is a daily reminder that they are gifts on loan.
The Prophet ﷺ also warned that health is a blessing people easily waste: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6412, sahih).
How can you care for your eyes and ears alongside the dua?
Make the dua and take the ordinary means of care together. Two simple habits help:
For your eyes, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends the 20-20-20 rule for screen work: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds (AAO).
For your ears, the World Health Organization estimates that more than a billion young people aged 12 to 35 are at risk of hearing loss from unsafe listening, including loud personal audio. Keep the volume moderate and take breaks (WHO).
If your eyes or ears are already giving you trouble, see a doctor. The dua goes with good care and never replaces it. For more on this balance, see seeking treatment and making du'a.
How to make this dua part of your day
Learn the words: Allahumma 'afini fi badani, Allahumma 'afini fi sam'i, Allahumma 'afini fi basari, la ilaha illa ant.
Say it three times after Fajr, or when you wake.
Say it three times again in the evening, around Maghrib.
Say it aloud at least sometimes. Abu Bakrah's son learned it by hearing it every day.
Follow the evening dua with ten minutes away from screens and earbuds.
A father's daily habit was overheard by his son and passed on to us. Say it today, and someone in your home may one day ask you about it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the dua for good eyesight in Islam?
One dua that asks for it is "Allahumma 'afini fi basari", O Allah, grant me health in my sight. It is part of a longer dua for the body, hearing and sight that Abu Bakrah learned from the Prophet ﷺ (Sunan Abi Dawud 5090).
How many times should I say this dua?
Abu Bakrah said it three times in the morning and three times in the evening, and he said he heard the Prophet ﷺ supplicate with these words (Sunan Abi Dawud 5090).
Is this dua authentic?
Sunnah.com lists Sunan Abi Dawud 5090 with the grade "hasan in chain", meaning its chain of narration is graded good.
What did the Prophet ﷺ teach about asking for good health?
He taught his uncle al-'Abbas to ask Allah for 'afiyah, wellbeing, in this world and the Hereafter (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3514, sahih).
Keep reading
Sources
Sunan Abi Dawud 5090 (hasan in chain)
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3514 (sahih)
Sahih al-Bukhari 6412 (sahih)
Qur'an 17:36, Saheeh International