Abu Hannah
Slave of Allah
by Moulana Shu'ayb Ahmad Jeebhai
Sickness compensates for our sins
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Whenever a Muslim experiences any hardship like sickness (etc.), Allah Ta'ala wipes away his sins just as a tree sheds its leaves during autumn.' (Bukhaari and Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Afflictions continuously fall upon the lives, wealth and children of those men and women who have Imaan as a result of which, their sins keep falling off from them until such time that they (die and) meet Allah in the state that none of their sins remain.' (Tirmizi, Maalik)
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has also said, '(Sometimes) a very high rank (in Allah's sight) is decreed for a Mu'min which he could never have attained by virtue of his deeds, so Allah Ta'ala lets him experience some hardship, whether it be physical, material (financial, etc.) or concerning his children. Then, He makes him patient and lets him attain the position decreed for him.' (Ahmad, Abu Dawood) Therefore, although it is bitter to bear calamities and misfortunes with patience, we should consider it sweet in view of the great bounty attainable through it. The difficulty and hardship of only a few days will be followed by a life of eternal happiness, Inshaa Allah.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a (righteous) person (who dutifully performs his ibaadah) becomes sick, the angels appointed to record his deeds are instructed by Allah Ta'ala: Continue recording in his Book of Deeds those actions which he used to perform when he was healthy, until he either gets better or I call him unto Me.' (Sharhus Sunnah)
Hadrat Jaabir (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'On the Day of Qiyaamah, when people will be given their sawaab (reward) in compensation for their suffering and difficulties in the world, then those people who had always lived a life of ease and comfort will (regretfully) wish that their skins were cut with scissors in the world.' (Tirmizi)
Hadrat Aamir (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a believer falls sick and is then cured by Allah Ta'ala, his sickness atones for his sins and serves as an admonition to him for the future. But when a hypocrite (person who is unmindful of Allah Ta'ala) gets ill and then recovers, (he does not take a lesson from it and) his example is like that of a camel which was tied by its master and then released by him, yet it has no idea why it was tied or why it was freed.' A man then asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is illness? By Allah, I have never been ill in my entire life.' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Go away from here! You are not from amongst us!'(Abu Daawood)
Hadrat Abu Sa'eed Khudri (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a Mu'min experiences any fatigue, disease, sorrow, grief, hurt or distress, even to the extent that if a thorn has to prick him, Allah Ta'ala wipes away some of his sins for that.' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Firm Faith in the Promises of Allah and His Rasul (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
Hadrat Ataa bin Abi Rabaah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates, "Once Ibn Abbaas said to me, 'Shall I tell you of a woman from amongst the People of Jannah?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'A certain black lady came to Nabi ? and said, 'I get attacks of epilepsy and my body gets uncovered, so please invoke (i.e. make dua to) Allah for me.' Nabi ? told her, 'If you wish, you could be patient and you will enter Jannah; or if you wish, I will make dua to Allah to cure you.' She replied, 'I will remain patient,' and added, 'but I become uncovered, so please make dua to Allah for me that I do not become uncovered.' So he made dua for her." (Bukhaari and Muslim)
Glad Tidings for the Blind
Hadrat Anas bin Maalik (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying that Allah Ta'ala said, 'If I deprive My slave of his two beloved possessions (i.e. his eyes) and he bears it patiently, I will let him enter Jannah in compensation for them.' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Headaches - a characteristic of the People of Imaa
Our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) suffered very much from severe headaches and migraines. Sometimes, for days on end he would suffer extreme pain and would even deliver the khutbah (sermon) with his head covered in oily bandages.
Once, describing the People of the Fire (Jahannam), Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'They are those who do not suffer from pain in their heads.' Just then a bedouin entered and he asked him, 'O Bedouin! Did you ever experience this type of headache?' He replied, 'What is a headache?' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'It is the throbbing of veins in the head of a person.' The man replied, 'I have never experienced this.' When the bedouin turned to go away, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Whoever wishes to look at a person from the People of the Fire should look at this man.' (Ahmad, Nasa-ee)
Hadrat Ka'b Ahbaar (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) says, 'I have found (the following words) in the Towraah: Had it not been for the fear that My believing servants would become aggrieved, I would have sealed the head of a kaafir (disbeliever) with a bandage of steel so that he would never get a headache.'
Do not curse sickness
Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) went to the home of Umm Saa-ib (Radiyallaahu anha) and asked her, 'What is the matter? Why are you shivering?' She replied, 'I have a fever. May Allah not bless it!' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Do not curse fever since it wipes out the sins of the Children of Aadam just as a furnace removes dirt from iron.' (Sahih Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Moosa (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a person becomes sick or goes on a journey, then those (good) deeds are written down in his favour which he used to perform when he was at home and in good health.' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Sickness compensates for our sins
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Whenever a Muslim experiences any hardship like sickness (etc.), Allah Ta'ala wipes away his sins just as a tree sheds its leaves during autumn.' (Bukhaari and Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Afflictions continuously fall upon the lives, wealth and children of those men and women who have Imaan as a result of which, their sins keep falling off from them until such time that they (die and) meet Allah in the state that none of their sins remain.' (Tirmizi, Maalik)
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has also said, '(Sometimes) a very high rank (in Allah's sight) is decreed for a Mu'min which he could never have attained by virtue of his deeds, so Allah Ta'ala lets him experience some hardship, whether it be physical, material (financial, etc.) or concerning his children. Then, He makes him patient and lets him attain the position decreed for him.' (Ahmad, Abu Dawood) Therefore, although it is bitter to bear calamities and misfortunes with patience, we should consider it sweet in view of the great bounty attainable through it. The difficulty and hardship of only a few days will be followed by a life of eternal happiness, Inshaa Allah.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a (righteous) person (who dutifully performs his ibaadah) becomes sick, the angels appointed to record his deeds are instructed by Allah Ta'ala: Continue recording in his Book of Deeds those actions which he used to perform when he was healthy, until he either gets better or I call him unto Me.' (Sharhus Sunnah)
Hadrat Jaabir (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'On the Day of Qiyaamah, when people will be given their sawaab (reward) in compensation for their suffering and difficulties in the world, then those people who had always lived a life of ease and comfort will (regretfully) wish that their skins were cut with scissors in the world.' (Tirmizi)
Hadrat Aamir (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a believer falls sick and is then cured by Allah Ta'ala, his sickness atones for his sins and serves as an admonition to him for the future. But when a hypocrite (person who is unmindful of Allah Ta'ala) gets ill and then recovers, (he does not take a lesson from it and) his example is like that of a camel which was tied by its master and then released by him, yet it has no idea why it was tied or why it was freed.' A man then asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is illness? By Allah, I have never been ill in my entire life.' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Go away from here! You are not from amongst us!'(Abu Daawood)
Hadrat Abu Sa'eed Khudri (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a Mu'min experiences any fatigue, disease, sorrow, grief, hurt or distress, even to the extent that if a thorn has to prick him, Allah Ta'ala wipes away some of his sins for that.' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Firm Faith in the Promises of Allah and His Rasul (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
Hadrat Ataa bin Abi Rabaah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates, "Once Ibn Abbaas said to me, 'Shall I tell you of a woman from amongst the People of Jannah?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'A certain black lady came to Nabi ? and said, 'I get attacks of epilepsy and my body gets uncovered, so please invoke (i.e. make dua to) Allah for me.' Nabi ? told her, 'If you wish, you could be patient and you will enter Jannah; or if you wish, I will make dua to Allah to cure you.' She replied, 'I will remain patient,' and added, 'but I become uncovered, so please make dua to Allah for me that I do not become uncovered.' So he made dua for her." (Bukhaari and Muslim)
Glad Tidings for the Blind
Hadrat Anas bin Maalik (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying that Allah Ta'ala said, 'If I deprive My slave of his two beloved possessions (i.e. his eyes) and he bears it patiently, I will let him enter Jannah in compensation for them.' (Sahih Bukhaari)
Headaches - a characteristic of the People of Imaa
Our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) suffered very much from severe headaches and migraines. Sometimes, for days on end he would suffer extreme pain and would even deliver the khutbah (sermon) with his head covered in oily bandages.
Once, describing the People of the Fire (Jahannam), Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'They are those who do not suffer from pain in their heads.' Just then a bedouin entered and he asked him, 'O Bedouin! Did you ever experience this type of headache?' He replied, 'What is a headache?' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'It is the throbbing of veins in the head of a person.' The man replied, 'I have never experienced this.' When the bedouin turned to go away, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Whoever wishes to look at a person from the People of the Fire should look at this man.' (Ahmad, Nasa-ee)
Hadrat Ka'b Ahbaar (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) says, 'I have found (the following words) in the Towraah: Had it not been for the fear that My believing servants would become aggrieved, I would have sealed the head of a kaafir (disbeliever) with a bandage of steel so that he would never get a headache.'
Do not curse sickness
Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) went to the home of Umm Saa-ib (Radiyallaahu anha) and asked her, 'What is the matter? Why are you shivering?' She replied, 'I have a fever. May Allah not bless it!' Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Do not curse fever since it wipes out the sins of the Children of Aadam just as a furnace removes dirt from iron.' (Sahih Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Moosa (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'When a person becomes sick or goes on a journey, then those (good) deeds are written down in his favour which he used to perform when he was at home and in good health.' (Sahih Bukhaari)