Patience in Illness
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 11112 )
Q2: What is the ruling on the illness that befalls the son of Adam; is it a punishment from Allah, or a trial for His servant? And have any hadiths been reported on this topic?
A2: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is Wise and All-Knowing of what benefits the affairs of His servants, All-Knowing of them, and nothing is hidden from Him. He tests His believing servants with the various types of calamities that befall them in their persons, their children, their loved ones, and their wealth; so that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, may know—by apparent knowledge—the patient believer who seeks reward from others. This becomes a cause for him to attain the great reward from Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And He may know the non-patient among the distressed ones who do not believe in the divine decree and destiny of Allah, or who do not have patience with calamities, so that this becomes a cause for the increase of the anger of Allah upon them. He said, the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:155] And He said, Glorified and Exalted is He: [Al-Baqarah 2:177] until He said:
[Al-Baqarah 2:177] And He said, Glorified and Exalted is He: [Muhammad 47:31] Apparent knowledge is that which exists among people, otherwise He, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows in eternity the patient and the others. Also, calamities—such as illnesses, ailments, and sorrows—are a cause for the removal of sins and the expiation of the sins of the believer. It is established in many hadiths that they remove sins. It was narrated from Abu Sa'id and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that they heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Sahih Muslim 2573 It was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim and al-Tirmidhi. And it was narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
It was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim . This, and illnesses and the like may be a punishment, and yet they may be an expiation for the one who is afflicted by them if he has patience and seeks reward, due to the generality of the aforementioned texts. And because of His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He:[Ash-Shuraa 42:30] And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q2: What is the ruling on the illness that befalls the son of Adam; is it a punishment from Allah, or a trial for His servant? And have any hadiths been reported on this topic?
A2: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is Wise and All-Knowing of what benefits the affairs of His servants, All-Knowing of them, and nothing is hidden from Him. He tests His believing servants with the various types of calamities that befall them in their persons, their children, their loved ones, and their wealth; so that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, may know—by apparent knowledge—the patient believer who seeks reward from others. This becomes a cause for him to attain the great reward from Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And He may know the non-patient among the distressed ones who do not believe in the divine decree and destiny of Allah, or who do not have patience with calamities, so that this becomes a cause for the increase of the anger of Allah upon them. He said, the Exalted:
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَمْوَالِ وَالأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَbut [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy
وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَand [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَAnd We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْNever a believer is stricken with discomfort, hardship or illness, grief or even with mental worry that his sins are not expiated for him.
ما يصيب المؤمن من وصب ولا نصب ولا سقم ولا حزن حتى الهم يهمه إلا كفر الله به سيئاتهI came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was suffering from a high fever, so I touched him with my hand and said: O Messenger of Allah, you are suffering from a severe fever. He said: Yes, I am suffering from a fever like that of two men among you. I said: Is that because you have two rewards? He said: Yes, no Muslim is afflicted by harm from illness or otherwise, but Allah removes his sins thereby, just as a tree sheds its leaves
أتيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يوعك فمسسته بيدي فقلت: يا رسول الله، إنك توعك وعكًا شديدًا، قال: أجل إني أوعك كما يوعك رجلان منكم. قلت: أذلك بأن لك أجرين؟ قال: أجل ما من مسلم يصيبه أذى من مرض فما سواه إلا حط الله به سيئاته كما تحط الشجرة ورقهاIt was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim . This, and illnesses and the like may be a punishment, and yet they may be an expiation for the one who is afflicted by them if he has patience and seeks reward, due to the generality of the aforementioned texts. And because of His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He:
And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.