|
Sickness and other difficulties
that we undergo in this worldly life should not only be seen as a misfortune
or as an expression of the displeasure of Allah Ta'ala. For those servants
of Allah who enjoy a very special relationship with Him,
it is a means of great blessing
and a mercy. Is there anyone in this world who is free from sins and
mistakes?
If every soul were to be fully
recompensed for its every action, then apart from the sinless Prophets
of Allah, the Ambiyaa (Alaihimus salaam), nobody else would be
worthy of entering into Jannah. Man commits minor and major sins all
the time, but the difficulties and hardships that he undergoes in this
world like illness, grief and sorrow, etc. become the atonement for
his sins and in this way he is cleansed of his sins in this very world.
Allah Ta'ala is so relenting
and lenient with the Ummah of His beloved Nabi Muhammad (sallalaahu
alaihi wasallam) . However, it has been observed that because of a lack
of proper Deeni knowledge, very often even when a Muslim becomes ill,
many incorrect statements are uttered by the sick person as well as
those who treat and take care of him.
To seek a cure for one's illness
and to take treatment for it is certainly not forbidden in Islam. In
fact it is a Sun-nah.
There is also no harm if a person
complains about pain in the body. However, when a person becomes sick
and then complains bitterly and objects to Allah Ta'ala, showing disrespect
and ingratitude to Him, this amounts to destroying his own rewards.Whether
we are healthy or sick, we should be thankful to Allah Ta'ala in all
conditions.
Life and death are in the hands
of Allah Ta'ala alone.
A person who is sick should regard
his sickness as a gift and a special sign of mercy from Allah. When
he realises this, then at every moment he will be thankful to Allah
Ta'ala. Furthermore, thosewho take care of the sick, like doctors and
nurses, should understand firstly,
that the service they are rendering will certainly earn them great
sawaab (reward from Allah Ta'ala) and secondly,
that they are fulfilling a part of huqooqul ibaad
(i.e. the rights of Allah's creation).
Every Muslim doctor, nurse and
sick person should learn what our Beloved Nabi, Muhammad (Sallallaahu
alaiyhi wassallam) has said regarding illness and disease. Our Nabi
Muhammad (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) has taught us that a person
is tested according to the level of Deen present in his life. If he
is firm on his Deen then the test is correspondingly severe, and if
he is weak on his Deen then the hardship is made easy upon him. (Timizi,
Ibn Maajah)
Aa'isha (Radiyalaahu anha) says,
'I have never seen anybody suffering from sickness as much as Allah's
Messenger (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam).' (Sahih Bukhari)
Hadrat Aa'isha (Radiyallahu anha)
also narrates that Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said,
'When the sins of a person become
so much that his good deeds are unable to wipe them out, then Allah
Ta'ala lets grief overcome him in order to forgive his sins.' (Musnad-Ahmad)
Similarly, Hadrat Abu Hurairah
(Radiyallaahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)
said,
'When Allah Ta'ala wishes good
for a person, thenhebecomes afflicted with sickness (or hardship).'
(Sahih Bukhaari)
Sickness Compensates for
our Sins
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood(R.A.)
reports that Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'Whenever
a Muslim experiences any hardship like sickness (etc.), Allah Ta'ala
wipes away his sins just as a tree sheds its leaves during autumn.'
(Bukhaari and Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Hurairah(R.A.) reports
that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'Afflictions continuously
fall upon the lives, wealth and children of those men and women who
have Imaan as a result of which, their sins keep falling off from them
until such time that they (die and) meet Allah in the state that none
of their sins remain.' (Tirmiizi, Maalik)
Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi
wassallam) has also said, '(Sometimes) a very high rank (in Allah's
sight) is decreed for a Mu'min
which he could never have attained by virtue of his deeds, so Allah
Ta'ala lets him experience some hardship, whether it be physical, material
(financial, etc.) or concerning his children. Then, He makes him patient
and lets him attain the position decreed for him.' (Ahmad, Abu Dawood)
Therefore, although it is bitter
to bear calamities and misfortunes with patience, we should consider
it sweet in view of the great bounty attainable through it. The difficulty
and hardship of only a few days will be followed by a life of eternal
happiness, Insha-Allah.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar(R.A.)
reports that Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)said, 'When a
(righteous) person (who dutifully performs his ibaadah)
becomes sick, the angels appointed to record his deeds are instructed
by Allah Ta'ala: Continue recording in his Book of Deeds those actions
which he used to perform when he was healthy, until he either gets better
or I call him unto Me.' (Sharhus Sunnah)
Hadrat Jaabir(R.A.) reports that
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'On the Day of Qiyaamah,
when people will be rewarded in compensation for their suffering and
difficulties in the world, then those people who had always lived a
life of ease and comfort will (regretfully) wish that their skins were
cut with scissors in the world.' (Tirmizi)
Hadrat Aamir(R.A.) narrates that
Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'When a believer falls
sick and is then cured by Allah Ta'ala, his sickness atones for his
sins and serves as an admonition to him for the future. But when a person
who is unmindful of Allah Ta'ala gets ill and then recovers, (he does
not take a lesson from it and) Ms example is like that of a camel which
was tied by its master and then released by hm, yet it has no idea why
it was tied or why it was freed.' A man then asked, 'O Messenger of
Allah, what is illness? By Allah, I have never been ill in my entire
life.' Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'Go away from
here! You are not from amongst us!' (Abu Dawood)
Hadrat Abu S a'eed Khudri(R.A.)
reports that Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'When
a Mu'min experiences any fatigue, disease, sorrow, grief, hurt or
distress, even to the extent that if a thorn has to prick him, Allah
Ta'ala wipes away some of his sins for that.' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Firm Faith in the Promises
of Allah Ta'ala and His Rasul(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)
Hadrat Ataa bin Abi Rabaah(R.A.)
relates, "Once Ibn Abbaas said to me, 'Shall I tell you of a woman
from amongst the People of Jannah?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'A certain
black lady came to Nabi(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) and said, 'I
get attacks of epilepsy and my body gets uncovered, so please invoke
(i.e. make dua to) Allah for me.'Nabi(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)
told her,.'If you wish, you could be patient and you will enter Jannah;
or if you wish, I will make dua
to Allah to cure you.' She replied, 'I will remain patient,' and added,
'but I become uncovered, so please make dua
to Allah for me that I do not become uncovered.' So he made dua
for her." (Bukhaari and Muslim)
Glad Tidings for the Blind
Hadrat Anas bin Maa (R.A.) reports
that he heard Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) saying that
Allah Ta'ala said, 'If I deprive My slave of his two beloved possessions
(i.e. his eyes) and he bears it patiently, I will let him enter Jannah
in compensation for them. (Sahih Bukhaari)
Headaches - a Characteristic
of the People of Imaan
Our beloved Rasulullah(Sallallaahu
alaiyhi wassallam) suffered very much from severe headaches and migraines.
Sometimes, for days on end he would suffer extreme pain and would even
deliver the khutbah (sermon) with his head covered in oily bandages.
Once, describing the People of
the Fire (Jahannam), Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said,
'They are those who do not suffer from pain in their heads.' Just then
a bedouin entered and he asked him, 'O Bedouin! Did you ever experience
this type of headache?' He replied, 'What is a headache?' Rasulullah(Sallallaahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'It is the throbbing of veins in the head of
a person.' The man replied, 'I have never experienced this.' When the
bedouin turned to go away, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)
said, 'Whoever wishes to look at a person from the People of the Fire
should look at this Man.' (Ahmad, Nasa-ee)
Ka'b Ahbaar(R.A.) says, 'I have
found (the following) in the Tauraah:
Had it not been for the fear that My believing servants would become
aggrieved, I would have sealed the head of a kaafir
(disbeliever) with a bandage of steel so that he would never get a headache.
"
Do not curse sickness
Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
alaiyhi wassallam) went to the home of Umm
Saa-ib (Radiyallaaha anha) and asked her, 'What is the matter? Why are
you shivering?' She replied, 'I have a fever. May Allah not bless it!
' Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'Do not curse fever
since it wipes out the sins of the Children of Aadam just as a furnace
removes dirt from iron.' (Sahih Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Moosa(R.A.) reports
that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'When a person
becomes sick or goes on a journey, then those (good) deeds are written
down in his favour which he used to perform when he was at home and
in good health.' (Sahih Bukhari)
|
