Is visiting the sick an individual obligation for every Muslim, because it is reported in the hadith: "We were commanded to visit the sick"?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good: The statement of al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to do seven things and forbade us from seven things," until he said, "We were commanded to visit the sick and to respond to the sneezer," among other things, and we were forbidden from wearing rings of gold, and so on, listing the seven things. So, O Shaykh, regarding the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "We were commanded," we said just now, O Shaykh, that visiting the sick is a collective obligation.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "We were commanded," so how is it, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The command implies obligation.
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : This is the principle, but it is not an individual obligation, because we know that not every one of the Companions visited the sick during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The discomfort of a Muslim toward his brothers is removed when one person or a group visits them, depending on the situation. As for saying it is an individual obligation, that is difficult.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "We were commanded," so how is it, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The command implies obligation.
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : This is the principle, but it is not an individual obligation, because we know that not every one of the Companions visited the sick during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The discomfort of a Muslim toward his brothers is removed when one person or a group visits them, depending on the situation. As for saying it is an individual obligation, that is difficult.
