Visiting the Sick
The Prophet (Saw) said: "Feed
the hungry, visit the sick, and set free the captives. (Abu
Musa al-Ash'ari (ra), al-Bukhari, Vol.7,p375, No.552)
Another Islamic obligation is to
visit a fellow siser who is sick. We should offer her spiritual
comfort and support and remind her of Allah's (swt) closeness
during this time. Visiting the sick also earns many rewards for
the visitor.
Whenever someone visits a sick
person or a brother of his seeking te pleasure of Allah, an
announcer calls out: "May you be happy, may your walking be
blessed, and may you be awarded a dignified position in the
Garden." (Abu Hurairah (ra), at-Tirmidhi. Also Riyad as-Salihin,
Vol.I, p160, No.362)
&
For whoever visits a Muslim in
the morning, seventy thousand angels will invoke the blessings
for him till the evening. And if he visits him in the evening
seventy thousand angels will invoke blessing on him till the
morning, and for him is allotted an orchard of fruit trees in
the Garden. ('Ali (ra), at-Tirmidhi. Also Riyad as-Salihin,
Vol.II, p5, No.899)
"If a Muslim visits his sick
Muslim brother, he will stay among those engaged in picking
fruit from the garden of Paradise, till he returns (from his
visit)." Someone asked, "Messenger of Allah, what is khurfat
al-Jannah?" He replied, "It is picking of fruit" (Thauban (ra),
Muslim. Also Riyad as-Salihin, Vol.II, p5,no.898)
If we visit a Muslim who is
sick, we should remind her of the rewards she will earn for
being patient and the wrong actions she will expiate by her
pain and suffering.
My Lord, God of mankind, Remover
of affliction, cure, You are the Healer, there is no healer but
You. A cure that leaves no sickness behind. (Anas ibn Malik (ra),
al-Bukhari. Also Riyad asSalihin, Vol.II,p6. No.903)
&
You will have double reward for
being sick, and your wrong actions will be annulled as the
leaves of a tree fall down. ('Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (ra), al-Bukhari,
Vol.7, p383, No.565)
We should always make
supplications to Allah (swt) on behalf of the sister who is
sick. Similarily we should ask her to pray for us as her
prayers stand comparision to the prayers of angels. Allah (swt)
is also closer to those who are sick than those who are fit and
healthy:
When you visit a sick person,
ask him to pray for you since a sick person's prayers are like
those of the angels. (Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), Ibn Majah)
&
Allah (swt) will say on the Day
of Rising: "Son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit
Me."My Lord;how could I visit You when You are the Lord of the
worlds?" Thereupon He will say: "Didn't you know such and such
slave of Mine was sick but you did not visit him and were not
aware tht if you had visited him, you would have found Me by
him?" (Abu Hurairah (ra), Muslim, Vol.IVA,p176,No.2569)