Manners of visiting the sick (5)

What is to be said upon visiting the sick:

`A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say to the patient: "In the Name of Allah, by the earth of our land and the saliva of some of us, may Allah cure our patient [The prophet was putting his finger in his mouth [to take some of his blessed saliva] then put it in earth [to take the blessing on the Medina ground] and put it on the wound]." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

`A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that whenever Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) paid a visit to a patient, or a patient was brought to him, he used to invoke Allah, saying: "Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people! Cure him as You are the One Who cures. There is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone visits a sick whose time (of death) has not come, and says with him seven times: I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the mighty Throne, to cure you, Allah will cure him from that disease." [Reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhy, and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) went to visit a sick bedouin. Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) went to a patient, he used to say to him, "Do not worry, if Allah will, it will be expiation (for your sins):" [Reported by Al Bukhari].

Abu Sa`id Al Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "Gabriel came to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and said: Muhammad, have you fallen ill? Thereupon he said: Yes. He (Gabriel) said: In the name of Allah I exercise you from everything and safeguard you from every evil that may harm you and from the eye of a jealous one. Allah would cure you and I invoke the name of Allah for you." [Reported by Muslim].

Desirability of asking the family of the sick about his condition:

Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) went out from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his sickness of death and people said: O Abu Al Hasan, How is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? He said: By the favor of Allah, he became well.

Sickness is an expiation for sins:

`A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Sa`id Al Khudry and Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

It was reported from `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "No believer is pricked by a thorn or more, but Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby, or will erase a sin thereby." [Reported by Muslim].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "When the Ayah which reads: 'Whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof;' was revealed, Muslims were greatly troubled. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Do the best that you reasonably can, and try to do what is right, for in everything that befalls the Muslim there is expiation, even if he stumbles or is pricked by a thorn.'" [Reported by At-Tirmidhy, Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes." [Reported by Al Bukhari].

Jabir ibn `Abdullah narrated that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) visited Umm Sa'ib or Umm Musayyib and said: Umm Sa'ib or Umm Musayyib. why is it that you are shivering? She said:" It is fever and may it not be blessed by Allah, whereupon he (the Prophet) said: Don't curse fever for it expiates the sir of the posterity of Adam just as furnace removes the alloy of iron. [Reported by Muslim].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There is no pain more beloved to me than fever as it hits every organ from the body of a person; and Allah gives every articulate a share of reward." [Musannaf ibn Abu Shaybah 3/119].

Mus`ab ibn ibn Sa`d reported from his father who said: "I said: O Messenger of Allah, which people will face trials most? He said: The Prophets, then the likes, then the likes. A man is tried according to his religion. If he is firm on his religion then the trial is severe and if he is soft in observing his religions then he is tried according to his religion. Then, the trial does not remove from the slave till he walks over earth having no sin on him." [Reported by At-Tirmidhy, and said: This is a good and authentic Hadith].