Chapter 96

What to say over abscesses, pimples and suchlike

WE HAVE ALREADY mentioned the hadith of ‘Ā’ishah Honorific symbol about what the sick should say and what should be recited for them.
Remembrance 1
We relate in the book of Ibn as-Sunnī from one of the wives of the Prophet Honorific symbol who said: “The Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol came to me when a pimple had come out on my finger. He asked: ‘Do you have any dharīrah [1].?’ He put it on [the pimple] and said: ‘Say: O Allah, Who make the great small and make the small great, make my problem small.’ It was cured.” [2].
Arabic text from the source edition
Allāhumma Muṣaghghira-l-kabīri wa Mukabbira-ṣ-ṣaghīr, ṣaghghir mā bī.
I say that the word batharah, with a fatḥah on the bā’ and a sukūn on the thā’ and also a fatḥah—there are two variants—means a small skin infection (or spot). Hence it is said: “His face bathara—broke out in pimples (or spots)” with a kasrah on the thā’ and a fatḥah and a ḍammah—three variant spellings.
As for dharīrah, it is a powdered [scented] reed, calamus aromaticus, which is brought from India.

References

[1] Dharīrah is a fragrant powder imported from India.
[2] Ibn as-Sunnī (640) and an-Nasā’ī (1031) in ‘Amal al-yawm wa al-laylah.