Manners of visiting the sick (6)

Ceaseless good deeds:

Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When Allah tries a Muslim person with an affliction in his body, Allah says: Record for him the good deeds which he used to perform. If the person is cured, he would wash and cleanse him but if He caused him to die, He shall forgive his sins and bestows mercy on him." [Reported by Ahmad, and Al Albany graded it as good].

`Abdullah ibn `Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "There is no one of Muslims is hit by an affliction in his body but Allah commands the protecting angels saying: record for My Servant the actions which he used to perform while he was sound and healthy as long as he is tied by the sickness which I afflicted him with."

Ibrahim Abu Ishma'il As-Saksaky said: I heard Abu Burda who accompanied Yazid ibn Abu Kabshah on a journey. Yazid used to observe fasting on journeys. Abu Burda said to him: "I heard Abu Musa several times saying that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, 'When a slave falls ill or travels, then he will get reward similar to that he gets for good deeds practiced at home when in good health." [Reported by Al Bukhari].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Affliction will continue to trouble the believers, men and women, in their bodies, their families, their property and their children until they meet Allah Almighty purified of every wrong action."

`Abdur-Rahman ibn Azhar reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The similitude of a believer when illness or fever hits him is like a piece of iron which is put into fire and fire removes its badness and keeps only its goodness."

High positions are only reached by sickness:

Ibrahim ibn Mahdy As-Sulamy reported from his father from his grandfather who was a Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: "When Allah has previously decreed for a servant a rank which he has not attained by his action, He afflicts him in his body, or his property or his children. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Nufayl added in his version: He then enables him to endure that." The agreed version goes: So that He may bring him to the rank previously decreed from him ibn Allah." [Reported by Abu Dawud, and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Al Harith ibn Suwayd reported from `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "I visited the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his ailments and he was suffering from a high fever. I said, "You have a high fever. Is it because you will have a double reward for it?" He said, "Yes, for no Muslim is afflicted with any harm but that Allah will remove his sins as the leaves of a tree fall down."" [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Sa`id Al Khudry said: "A man placed his hand on the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: By Allah, I cannot stand to place my hand on you due to your intensive heat. Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: We, Prophets, our affliction is doubled as our reward is multiplied. A prophet used to be afflicted with lice until they kill him and another may be afflicted with poverty until he takes a cloak and wear it without other clothes, and they gladded at affliction as you glad at prosperity." [Reported by Imam Ahmad and `Abdru-Razzaq, and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Observing patience when having a disease admits a person to Paradise:

Abu Umamah Al Bahily narrated that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "There is no person dies due to a disease but Allah resurrects him pure." [Reported by At-Tabarany, and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Fever is a blow from Hell-Fire, so when a believer is afflicted with something of it, that will be his share of Hell-Fire." [Reported by Ahmad, Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Abu Rayhanah Al Ansary narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Fever is a blow from Hell-Fire and it is the share of a believer from Hell-Fire." [Al Albany graded it as authentic].

`Ata' ibn Abu Rabah said: Ibn `Abbas said to me: "Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise? I said, "Yes." He said, "This black lady came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, 'I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said (to her), 'If you wish, be patient and you will have (enter) Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.' She said, 'I will remain patient,' and added, 'but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.' So he invoked Allah for her." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "Allah said, 'If I deprive my slave of his two beloved things (i.e., his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise in compensation for them.'" [Reported by Al Bukhari].

The Prophet separated between a believer and a hypocrite when they become sick:

`Amir reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When a believer is hit by a disease then was cured of it, it will be a penance for his past sins and a sermon for him in the future. When a hypocrite got sick then was recovered, it will be like a camel which his family tied then released without knowing why they tied it or why they released it."