Manners of visiting the sick (7)

Manners of visiting the sick:

1- The ablution of a visitor:

Al Bukhari classified in his Sahih a chapter on a visitor should perform ablution and give the remnant water to the sick

j (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) came to me while I was ill. He performed ablution and threw the remaining water on me (or said, "Pour it on him) " When I came to my senses I said, "O Allah's Messenger! I have no son or father to be my heir, so how will be my inheritance?" Then the Verse of inheritance was revealed."

2- A person should sit at the head of the sick:

49- It was reported in Al Adab Al Mufrad of Al Bukhari (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "When the Prophet (peace be upon him) visited a sick person, he would sit by his head and then say seven times, 'I ask Allah the Immense, the Lord of the Immense Throne, to cure you.' If the time of his death had not yet come, he would be cured of his pain."

3- A visitor should not sit for a long time at the sick:

Ash-Sha`by said: The foolish visitors are more harmful to the family of the sick than the sickness of their patient, for they come in improper times, and sit for a long time. [Reported by Al Bayhaqi in Shi`ab Al Iman 224/19].

4- Invoking Allah for the sick to remove his sins.

5- If a person visits a sick person and he leads them in Salah:

Al Bukhari classified a chapter in his Sahih on the authority of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his sickness, and he led them in Salah.

6- Placing the hand on the sick during invocation:

The Hadith of Sa`d in Sahih Al Bukhari that the Prophet (peace be upon him) placed his hand on my forehead then wiped my face and stomach.

7- A sick person should welcome his visitor and should not treat them harshly in a way that detests others.

Ibn Al Mulaqqin said: The one who complains about his Lord is the one who complains to others about his sickness and the affliction which hit him. However, the one who tells his visitors about his sickness so that they would invoke Allah for him with speed recovery is not a complainer because the Prophet (peace be upon him) complained about his pain. [At-Tawdih 305/27] He said as Ayyub said: "And (remember) Ayyub (Job), when he cried to his Lord: Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." [Surat Al Anbiya': 83].

* There is no harm that a sick person would say for example: O my head.

8- It is permissible for a sick person to say: Walk away:

The Hadith of Ibn `Abbas in Sahih Al Bukhari: When they used much idle talks and difference at the Prophet (peace be upon him), he said: Walk away.

9- It is permissible to visit polytheists.

10- There is no harm that children would go to righteous people for the sake of seeking the blessing of their invocations.

Al Bukhari classified in his Sahih: Children are taken to virtuous people.

11- A sick person should not wish for death:

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him, and if he cannot, but long for death, then he should say, 'O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me.'"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "None of you should wish for death, for if he is a good doer, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to Allah."

`Abdullah ibn Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a bedouin said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, who is the best among people? He said: The one who lived long and perfected his actions." [Reported by At-Tirmidhy, and Al Albany said: An authentic Hadith].

Sitting in the companionship of Allah (Exalted and Glorified be He):

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I fell sick and you did not visit Me. He will say: O Lord, how could I visit You when You are the Lord of the Worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My slave so-and-so was sick, but you did not visit him? Do you not know that if you had visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you did not feed Me. He will say: O Lord, how could I feed You when You are the Lord of the Worlds? He said: Did you not know that My slave so-and-so asked you for food, but you did not feed him? Do you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink. He will say: O Lord, how could I give you to drink when You are thirsty? My Servant asked you for water but you did not water him, and if you had watered him, you would have found the reward of that at Me." [Reported by Al Bukhari in Al Adab Al Mufrad: 517 and Muslim].

The descend of mercy and forgiveness:

`Umar ibn Al Hakam ibn Rafi` Al Ansary reported: I heard Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: "Whoever visits a sick person shall indulge in mercy until he sits then he shall settle in mercy." [Reported by Al Bukhari in Al Adab Al Mufrad: 522].

Marawan ibn Abu Dawud reported: I came to Anas ibn Malik and said: O Abu Hamzah, the place is far and we like to visit you. Then he raised his head and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: "When a person visits a sick one, he indulges in mercy, and when he sits at the sick person, mercy overwhelms him. He said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, this is for the healthy person who visits a sick one, what is the reward of the sick? He said: His sins are removed." [Reported by Ahmad 174/3 (12813)].

Drinking the water of Zamzam and using it for cure:

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The best water on the surface of earth is the water of Zamzam which contains food for the hungry and cure for the sick."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The water of Zamzam is for the purpose it was drunk for. If you drink it for cure, Allah shall cure you. If you drink it for food, Allah will make you satisfied to the full. If you drink it for cut your thirsty, Allah will cut your thirst. It was the hole of Gabriel and the water of Ishmael."