يأيها النّاسُ قدْ جاءتكم مَوْعِظةٌ مِن رّبكم و شِفاءٌ لّمِا فِى الصُدورِ و هُدى و رَحمةٌ للمُؤمنين
O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord and a cure (shifā) for all which is in your breasts – a guidance and a mercy for the believers (10: 57).
Allah the most Merciful gives Muslims a huge reward for every good act that they perform. He never gives one unit of reward. One simple act will warrant at least ten units of reward.
However, Allah offers even more reward when the circumstances are more difficult to act upon Islam. Allah knows that sometimes, performing a good act is easy and sometimes it is harder. He always ensures greater reward when the situation is harder. For instance:
*Not everyone lives near the mosque. For those who live far and hence are required to put in more effort to reach there, Allah gives a larger reward. In fact, for every step a Muslim takes, there is an extra reward. *When a person has to do ablution with very cold water or very hot water, then Allah raises his ranks and forgives some of his sins. He can see that His servant is having to struggle more, and so He bestows more reward. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: الا أدلكم علي ما يمحوا الله به الخطايا و يرفع به الدرجات ؟ قالوا بلي يا رسول الله قال اسباغ الوضوء علي المكاره و كثرة الخطي الي المساجد و انتظار الصلاة بعد الصلاة (مسلم)
“Shall I not inform you of deeds that wipe away sins and raise a person’s ranks?” The Companions replied: “Of course O Messenger of Allah.” He replied: “Performing ablution in difficulty, lots of steps to the mosques and waiting for the [next] salāh [once one has concluded].”
Qur’an, 6: 160.
*Undoubtedly, some find the Qur’an harder to recite than others. Arabs have no problem at all. Non-Arabs always have difficulty. Because some find it harder, there is extra reward. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: الماهر بالقران مع السفرة الكرام البررة و الذي يقرا القران و يَتَتعتع فيه و هو عليه شاق له اجران
‘The expert reciter will be among the noble scribes of the angels. And the one who stutters and for whom it is difficult will have double the reward.
Based on the maxim explained above, Islam offers a huge amount of reward for ill patients, because of their sufferings and difficulties. Their worship becomes priceless in terms of recompense. Their āmins go higher and further. Shariah rulings are lightened or even suspended for them. They are treated with utmost respect and dignity. If they die due to certain illnesses, then they are considered shahīds (martyrs) in the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
How does Islam treat a Muslim faced with illness? What concessions are in place for the ill from Shari’ah? Is the reward greater? Should certain illnesses be treated differently? How does Shariah rulings reflect the needs of ill patients?
Forty hadith on Quran, p.21.
Allah understands the pain, discomfort and anguish illness can bring to a Muslim, but He provides comfort and ease in other ways. Certainly this is shown by how a patient’s du’as reaches the heavens swiftly. Here are just four ahādīth in which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) mentioned how the supplications of an ill Muslim are answered immediately by Allah:
If a Muslim afflicted with serious illness cannot perform physical worship due to their pain, Allah instructs the angels to still amply reward them. He commands the angels to look at the salāhs he used to perform when he was well and reward him according to that criteria. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘When a servant becomes ill or travels [and hence cannot perform the worship as he usually did], he is rewarded according to what he used to do when he was well and not travelling’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2996).
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) explained in one beautiful hadīth the different types of pain a person may suffer. With all of them, he mentioned that when a person suffers from any of them, then his minor sins are forgiven as a result: عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي ﷺ قال ما يصيب المسلمَ من نصب و لا وصب و لا هم و لا حزن و لا اذي و لا غم حتي الشوكة يُشاكها الا كفر الله بها من خطاياه
Abū Hurayra (may Allāh be pleased with him) reports from the Prophet (peace & blessings of Allāh be upon him) who said: ‘No Muslim suffers from nasab, wasab, hamm, hazan, aza, ghamm, even a thorn he is pricked with, except Allāh wipes out some of his [minor] sins.’
There are different types of pain and anguish that afflict the body; some external, some internal. All of them have been mentioned in this one hadīth sharīf:
Nasab (نصب) : This means fatigue, both physical and mental.
Wasab (وصب): This means illness, normally a more permanent form of illness.
Hamm (هم): This means inner illnesses. It is said it is related to forthcoming worries, the worries that one has regarding them.
Hazan (حزن): It is read Hazan and Huzn. This is also an inner illness. This relates to past worries and issues; perhaps a person has lost something he had in the past and now this causes him discomfort.
Aza (اذي): Any pain in general. It is also said that this is pain inflicted from an external source.
Ghamm (غم): It is being sad and depressed due to unknown reasons. In other words, you are sad, but you cannot work out exactly why. This differs from Khawf in the sense this is sadness and depression due to known reasons. You know where the fear is coming from; it is a fear of heights, or spiders or stairs.
With all of them, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) explained that when a Muslim suffers from any of these, then his minor sins are forgiven.
The pain can be small, but Allāh still forgives. The same hadīth states that if a person is pricked from a thorn – a pain which lasts seconds – then this pain too leads to the forgiveness of some sins.
The hadīth is glad-tidings for us all. No one is ever pain-free, internally or externally, short term or long term. So the hadīth is saying we are always shedding sins from our bodies.
A shahīd (martyr) holds a very elevated place in Islam. He sees his place in Paradise before leaving this world, he is saved from any punishment in the grave, he does not have to account for his deeds on the Day of Judgement, he can intercede for seventy members of his family, in addition to countless other privileges from Allah. In Shariah, certain illnesses are so serious that if a Muslim passes away from it, then they are provided with the rank of a shahīd. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: الشهداء خمس المطعون و المبطون و الغرِق و صاحب الهدم و الشهيد في سبيل الله
“The martyrs are five; those who die of the plague, stomach illness, drowning, being crushed and the martyr in the cause of Allah’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhi). There are many scholars who indicate that cancer patients also fall under the ruling of this hadīth.
As a religion of mercy, Islam ensures ease and comfort for those who are suffering. Certainly this is the case for the rulings Shari’ah has laid down for the Muslim who is severely ill and cannot perform salāh normally. In its place, a patient will perform a simpler salāh which is called salāh al-marīd. Allah never burdens a soul more than it can bear, so this prayer is performed with the patient’s comfort and ease in mind.
One may ask: why isn’t salāh completely suspended for the ill person? The answer is that the salāh itself is great in acting as a form of shifā (cure) for the patient. If a patient stops his prayers completely, he will be deprived of that. Salāh helps with the patient’s mental well-being during an illness. The prayers act as a reminder that all health and sickness ultimately comes from Allah, and He alone can provide the cure and solace. Salāh certainly provides much-needed positivity to the patient.
According to the extent of the illness, the rulings differ for salāh al-marīd;
This section is taken from al-Mukhtasar li’l Qudūrī, the classical Hanafī fiqh source.
Certain foods, drinks and practices can cure the human body. Muslims are asked to seek such medicines, in order to stay healthy. Along with the medicine, Muslim patients are asked to pray to Allah for cures too, for ultimately Allah alone provides cures for illnesses. From the Qur’an and Sunna, there are countless supplications (du’as) that one can recite in order to find a cure for ailments. Here are some of them:
General aches and pains
Place the right hand on the affected area, recite Bismillāh three times and then read the following du’a seven times. اَعُوْذُ بِعِزّةِ اللهِ وَ قُدْرَتِه مِنْ شَرِّ مَا اَجِدُ وَ اُحَاذِرُ
Burns
Recite the following and blow on the affected person: أَذهِبِ البَأسَ رَبَّ النّاس إشفِ أنتَ الشّافِي و لا شَافىَ إلاّ أنتَ
For painful eyes
For painful eyes, please recite the following: اللهمّ مَتِّعْنِي بِبَصَرِي و اجْعَلْه الوَارِثَ مِنّي و أرِنِي في العَدُوِّ ثأرِي و انْصُرْنِي على مَنْ ظَلَمَنِي
Du’a for curing fever بِسمِ اللهِ الكَبِيرِ أعُوذُ بِاللهِ العَظِيمِ مِن شَرِّ كُلِّ عِرْقٍ نَّعّارٍ و مِن شَرِّ حَرِّ النّارِ
The du’a to be recited by the ill patient him/herself
لا إلهَ إلاّ أنْتَ سُبْحانَكَ إنّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّالِمِيْنَ
When a person is ill, he should recite the following forty times. It is mentioned in a hadith that whoever recites this during their illness and then dies from this same illness, he will receive the reward of forty martyrs, And if he becomes well, all his sins are forgiven.[1]
Acts to lessen the illness
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated that giving sadaqa (charitable donations) is a means by which illnesses disappear. They are a form of cure. He (peace be upon him) said:
داوَوْا مَرضاكم بالصدقة
Al-Hisn al-Hasin, Allama M al-Jazri, p. 222.
Al-Hisn al-Hasin, Allama M al-Jazri, p. 217.
Al-Hisn al-Hasin, Allama M al-Jazri, p. 215.
Al-Hisn al-Hasin, Allama M al-Jazri, p. 222.
Cure your sick with charity.
To remove sadness and grief
Sayyidunā Abū Dardā (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that “Whosoever recites this seven times each morning and night, Allah will remove all their sadness and grief from this life and the life hereafter:
حَسْبِيَ اللهُ لا اِله الّا هُوَ عَليهِ تَوَكَّلتُ وَ هُوَ رَبِّ العَرشِ العَظِيمِ
The cure to ninety-nine illnesses
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked Muslims to recite the following often, for it is the cure for ninety-illnesses, of which anxiety is the lowest
لا حَولَ و لا قُوّةَ إلا باللهِ
When one is unable to pass urine (due to stones in bladder etc)
When this happens, one should recite this supplication:
رَبُّنا اللهُ الذي فى السّماءِ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ أمْرُكَ في السماء و الأرضِ كَما رَحْمَتُكَ فى السّماء فاجْعَلْ رَحْمَتَكَ فى الأرضِ و اغْفِرْ لنا حُوبَنَا و خَطايانا أنتَ رَبُّ الطّيّبِينَ فأنزِلْ شِفاءً مِن شِفائِكَ و رَحمَةً مِن رحمَتِكَ على هذا الوَجْعِ
The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 768.
The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 797.
Good health is a topic area in Islam for which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked Muslims to be serious. He asked Muslims to keep seeking good health. So stigmas, stereotyping and fear of the community all go against that vital teaching. Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for a cure to his anxieties and worldly problems (debt), to which he duly responded.(Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Prayer, Chapter on seeking refuge). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught Muslims supplications to tackle sadness, depression and negativity in particular. As a man of nature, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) loved greenery and the sight of flowing water, something which is known to reduce stress today.
All these examples indicate that mental illness is not a new issue; it existed in the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Secondly, it highlights that mental illness is not a stigma in Islam, for the Prophet’s close Companions openly talked to him about depression and anxiety.
For Muslims, there should be no stigma attached to the serious issue of mental illness, and indeed any type of illness. They are encouraged to share their experiences with others, without fear of embarrassment. As the ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shows, an illness can lead to so many spiritual and heavenly benefits.
Imam Bayhaqi in his Sunan: Cited in The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 706.
The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 768.
The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 797.
In Islam, a huge amount of emphasis has been placed on visiting the ill and supporting them. In fact, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described this as one of the most basic duties a Muslim must perform. He (peace be upon him) said:
حق المسلم على المسلم ست إذا لقيتَه فسلّم عليه و إذا دعاك فأجبه و إذا استنصحك فانصحه و إذا عطس فحمد اللهَ فشمّته و إذا مرض فعُده و إذا مات فاتبعه
A Muslim has six duties towards another Muslim: When you meet him, greet him; when he invites you, accept it; when he asks your advice, give it to him; when he sneezes and praises Allah, say “may Allah have mercy upon you”; when he is ill, visit him; and when he dies follow his funeral.’
The reward for visiting the ill with sincere intentions is beyond belief. Certainly the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reflect that in his sayings. He said:
ما من مسلم يعود مسلما غُدوة إلا صلّى عليه سبعون ألف ملكٍ حتى يُمسىَ و إن عاد عشيةً إلا صلّى عليه سبعون ألف ملكٍ حتى يصبح و كان له خريف في الجنة
When a Muslim visits a sick Muslim in the morning, seventy thousand angels keep on praying for him until the evening. If he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels keep praying for him until the morning; and he will have his share of the choicest fruits of Paradise.
In another hadith, He (peace be upon him) explained the huge benefits to be derived from visiting the ill:
“If a person performs ablution well and goes (with the intention of obtaining reward) to visit one who is sick, he is moved (a distance of) sixty years away from the fire of hell.”
Visiting the ill does not only provide much needed positivity and support to the patient; it does wonders for the state of the visiting person too. When a Muslim sacrifices his time to visit someone who is ill, it tells us a huge amount of the state of this person’s heart; that he is selfless, empathetic, caring and sincere. Allah loves such a believer and thus He grants more bounty and blessings on such a person. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained:
من نفّس عن مسلم كربة من كرب الدنيا نفّس الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامة و من يسّر على معسر يسّر الله عليه في الدنيا و الآخرة و من ستر مسلما ستره الله في الدنيا و الآخرة و اللهُ في عون العبد ما كان العبد في عون أخيه
If anyone removes one of the anxieties of this world from a believer, Allah will remove one of the anxieties of the Day of Judgement from him; if one smooths the way for one who is destitute, Allah will smooth the way for him in this world and in the next; and if anyone
Reported by Imam Abu Dawud in his Sunan. Cited in The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 570.
Bulūgh al-Marām, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, p. 509, Dar al-Salam Publications, Riyadh, 1996.
Reported by Imam Tirmidhi in his Sunan. Cited in The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 568-9.
Reported by Imam Abu Dawud in his Sunan. Cited in The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, p. 570.
conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the next. Allah helps His servant as long as he helps his brother.’
When visiting the ill, we:
-should perform ablution beforehand, like the hadith asks us to.
-should always offer words of comfort and reassurance to the patient, with the aim of lifting his spirits. Negative talk and thoughts are forbidden.
-should speak quietly and refrain from making noises.
-should not react at all if the patient says something hurtful or disrespectful.
-should supplicate for them. Specifically, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked us to read this du’a when we visit the ill:
أسْألُ اللهَ العظيمَ رَبَّ العرشِ العظيمِ أن يَّشْفِيَكَ
‘I ask Allah the Mighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you.’
Muslims may know non-Muslims who are related to them or dear to them. If they fall ill, Muslims can pray for them too, requesting good health for them and faith. After death however, Muslims can only pray for Muslims.
Bulūgh al-Marām, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, p. 517, Dar al-Salam Publications, Riyadh, 1996.
The Prophetic Sunnah, M Shakir Noorie, pp. 572-3.
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