The author (may Allah have mercy on him), who is Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), established a chapter in his book *Al-Adab al-Mufrad*, which we are currently teaching to you,

The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him), who is Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), established a chapter in his book *Al-Adab al-Mufrad*, which we are currently teaching to you, titled "The Chapter on Visiting." It is the fifty-ninth chapter after the one hundredth. He said: "The Chapter on Visiting." Then he narrated therein with a good chain from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: .
This is a very great hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) clarifies two characteristics of Islam, namely: visiting the sick and visiting a brother for the sake of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). There are many hadiths regarding visiting the sick and visiting for the sake of Allah, encouraging both. Al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri collected them well in his book *Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib*. The author will present some of these hadiths in the following chapters. Our hadith is among those encouraging visiting the sick Muslim and visiting him as well. The specific merit of this hadith is that it explicitly mentions a particular virtue among those virtues: that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) addresses His Muslim servant who went out to visit his Muslim brother or to visit him while he is healthy. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) addresses him by saying: . If there were no virtue in this visit and this meeting other than that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) singled out this servant, how much more so is it that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: . And not only that, but: So, in both the visit and the meeting, there is this virtue which I rarely recall finding for a good deed other than visiting and meeting. It must be noted that this virtue is only realized for the visitor and the one being visited if each of them is sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). That is, the visit or meeting mentioned in this hadith is not of the type of our visits today, our meetings that are a matter of social courtesy, this courtesy which I call social hypocrisy, which has afflicted all societies, and unfortunately many Islamic societies. Rather, we must make the visit and the meeting for the sake of Allah, because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) encouraged us to do so in this hadith and in others. Otherwise, we often hear: "Will you visit so-and-so?" "By Allah, we were sick and he did not visit us." "Will you visit so-and-so?" "By Allah, we returned from our journey and he did not visit us." All of this is mere formalities for which Allah has not sent down any authority. Because the Muslim does not want "showing off" and does not want hypocrisy, but rather he seeks the pleasure of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) behind his deeds, and that he be granted a dwelling in Paradise. So, so-and-so did not visit me, so I will visit him. He did not visit me, so he did not prepare a dwelling for himself. So I will visit him to prepare a dwelling for myself. So-and-so did not visit me when I was sick, so he did not take this means. So I will be better than him and visit him when he is sick. Therefore, the fruit of these hadiths is that we truly form in ourselves, in the Muslim personality, and thereby realize the Islamic society, which has been harmed by the necessity of large Islamic groups today, including some women. But many of these people do not pay attention to this reality which we draw attention to on the occasion of this hadith, which is that there must be a very great difference between the Muslim visiting the Muslim and the disbeliever visiting the disbeliever. Likewise, there must be a great difference between the Muslim brother visiting his Muslim brother. What is the difference, do you think? Is it a practical difference or a heart difference? It is not a practical difference, for many disbelievers, practically speaking, visit better than us and meet better than us. But what do they seek behind this visit which appears better than ours, and what do they seek in that visit which is better than ours? That it be said, "So-and-so visited so-and-so." For example, my son so-and-so visited so-and-so, he was with him medically, and when he visits, he visits and brings gifts, each according to his status, so that it is said, "By Allah, when so-and-so visited so-and-so, he overwhelmed him with gifts and presents." All of this has no value with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) unless it is accompanied by a good intention. And a good intention is not absolutely good unless the one intending seeks the Face of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) with his good deed. And for the disbelievers, there is no reward for that. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says regarding the good deeds of the disbelievers, meaning those that appear good, as we gave the example of visiting and meeting, He says regarding such good deeds whose source is the disbelievers: . Did this disbeliever, with his beautiful visit and his noble meeting, secure a dwelling with Allah in Paradise? By no means, by no means, because the pure intention for the Face of Allah did not settle in his heart. Some may interpret that we see and know that some disbelievers intend the Face of Allah despite being disbelievers. We say it may be so, but this is also in appearance. But in reality, it is not so; because the Allah whom they worship, and the Allah whose Face they intend with their good deeds, is not the true Allah. The Allah with them, as we all know, is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are, in their view, one God. These three persons, as they call them, to whom they offer good deeds. So they are those who associate partners with Allah. Here is another verse that says: . Therefore, the deed of the Muslim is never invalidated from any aspect. As for the first aspect, which is associating partners with Allah, he is a Muslim who submitted his face to Allah, Lord of all worlds, so he is a monotheist. But the deed may be invalidated by another way, from the Muslim himself, namely that he does not intend the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with the good deed. Therefore, we Muslims must distinguish ourselves and be distinct from the disbeliever when we visit a sick person or visit a brother. We make both the visit and the meeting pure for the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). We do not want any reward or gratitude behind it. We do not say, "He did not visit us, so we will not visit him." We may visit out of modesty and shyness, but this is not the visit in which our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) addresses His Muslim servant by saying: . To this we draw attention, that it is very important in all our good deeds, but especially in this visit and this meeting, that we intend the Face of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) thereby.