Virtues and Etiquette of visiting the sick

It is a Sunnah of our Beloved Nabi Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) to visit the sick. We should always visit those who are sick because it helps us to reflect and take heed, as those who are ill are close to Allah Ta'ala. We have only to consider that the sick person has no one to call but Allah, nothing to reflect on but Allah, and his condition reminds us of the blessing of health.

Hadrat Abu Moosa (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Visit the sick, feed the hungry and free those who are imprisoned (unjustly).' (Sahih Bukhaari)

Hadrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, " On the Day of Qiyaamah, Allah Ta'ala will announce: O son of Aadam, I was sick yet you did not visit me. He will reply, 'O Allah, how could I have visited You since you are Rabbul 'aalameen?'  Allah Ta'ala will say: Did you not know that so and so slave of mine was sick, and yet you did not visit him? Should you have visited him you would have found Me by him." (Sahih Muslim)

Hadrat Ali (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the evening. And when he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the morning, and he will be granted a garden for it in Jannah.' (Tirmizi, Abu Dawood)

Hadrat Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a person performs a proper wudhu (observing all its etiquette) and then goes to visit his sick Muslim brother with the intention of gaining sawaab, then he will be kept far away from the Fire of Jahannam by a distance equivalent of sixty years.'(Abu Daawood)

Hadrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Whoever visits a sick person (for the pleasure of Allah), a caller from the skies announces: You are indeed blessed and your walking is blessed and you have (by this noble act) built yourself a home in Jannah.' (Ibn Maajah)

Hadrat Ibn Abbaas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates: It is part of the Sunnah that when you visit a sick person, you should shorten your visit to him and make the least amount of noise (by him). (Mishkaat)

On another occasion, our Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'The best type of visit to a sick person is when the visitor gets up to leave without delay.' (Bayhaqi) If we act upon these simple teachings, then the visitors to a hospital will no longer remain a problem for those who are in charge of the administration of hospitals.

Hadrat Umm Salmah (Radiyallaahu anha) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When you visit a sick person or (go to the home of) someone who has died, then speak only what is good, for the angels say 'aameen' to whatever you will say.' (Sahih Muslim)

Hadrat Abu Sa'eed Khudri (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When you visit a sick person, speak (to him about his age and his life) in a reassuring way.' (For instance, tell him, 'Alhamdulillah, your health has improved' or 'Inshaa Allah you will get better soon.') Saying this will not delay what is predestined, but it will certainly make him feel happy.'(Tirmizi, Ibn Maajah)

Dua of a sick person is readily accepted
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said, 'When you visit a sick person, then tell him to make dua for you, because his duas are (accepted readily) like the duas of the Angels.' (Ibn Maajah)

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has also said, 'The dua of a sick person is not rejected  until he recovers from his sickness.' (Ibn Abiddunyaa)

We should therefore not miss the opportunity to visit the sick and request them to make dua on our behalf.

To Blow over a sick person and make dua for him
Hadrat Aa'isha (Radiyallaahu anha) relates: Whenever anyone of us would become sick, Rasulullah ? would pass his right hand over the affected part of the sick person's body and recite the following dua:

Azhibil ba'sa rabban naas washfi. Antash shaafee. Laa shifaa-a illaa shifaa-uk. Shifaa-al laa yughaa diru saqamaa

O Allah, Lord and Sustainer of mankind, remove his difficulty and cure him. You are the only One who cures. There is no cure but Yours. Grant such (complete) cure that leaves no trace of illness. (Bukhaari and Muslim)

Hadrat Salmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says: Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) visited me when I was ill. When he was leaving he told me, 'O Salmaan! (and made this dua for me):

Ka shafallaahu durrak. Wa ghafara zambak. Wa 'aafaaka fee deenika wa jasadik.

May Allah remove your pain, forgive your sins, and grant you strength in your Deen and your health until your death. (Tabraani)

Another Hadith has it that whoever visits a sick person whose moment of death has not yet come, and he recites the following dua seven times, Allah Ta'ala will certainly cure him of his sickness:

As-alul laahal azeem. Rabbal arshil azeem. Ay yashfi yak

I beg Allah the Almighty, the Owner of the Majestic Throne, that He should cure you. (Abu Daawood)

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) once visited a Muslim man who was sick. His voice was very feeble and he had become very weak and skinny. Seeing his condition, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked him, 'What dua have you been making to Allah?' He said, 'Yes, I used to say: O Allah! Whatever punishment was in store for me in the Aakhirah, let it descend upon me now.' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Subhaanallah! You do not have the strength to bear it. Why do you not say this dua:

Rabbanaa aatinaa fid dunyaa hasana taw wafil aakhirati hasana taw wa qinaa azaaban naar

O Allah, our Lord and Sustainer, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the Fire of Jahannam.

The narrator, Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu), says that the man thereafter began to make this dua, and Allah Ta'ala cured him. (Musnad Ahmad)

Hadrat Ibn Abbaas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates that when Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would visit any sick person he would say:

Laaba-sa tahoorun, Inshaa Allah

Have no fear! If Allah wills, your sickness will purify you of your sins. (Sahih Bukhaari)

Hadrat Aa'isha (Radiyallaahu anha) relates that whenever Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would become ill, he would recite the Mu'awwizaat (Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Naas) and then blow his breath over himself and rub his hands over his (auspicious) body. (Bukhaari and Muslim)  She also says that when anyone in his family was sick, he would recite the Mu'awwizaat and blow onto the sick person's body. (Sahih Muslim)

Hadrat Usmaan bin abil-Aas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says that he once complained about pain in his body to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) instructed him: Place your hand on the area of the pain and recite Bismillah thrice and say (the following) seven times:

A'oozu bi'izzatillaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa ajidu wa uhaaziru

I seek protection in the might of Allah and His power from the evil of what I am experiencing and of what I am afraid.

Usmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) thereafter says, 'I did this and Allah removed my pain.' (Sahih Muslim)

Our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has also said, 'Whoever sees somebody who is sick or in some hardship, and says the following dua will never be afflicted by that sickness or difficulty?

Alhamdu lillaa hillazee 'aafaanee mim mab-talaaka bihee wafaddala nee 'alaa kaseerim mim man khalaqa tafdeelaa

All praise is for Allah alone Who has saved me from what He has afflicted you with and greatly favoured me over many of whom He has created. (Tirmizi, Ibn Maajah)