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A persons life in this world is not stable. One
passes through alternating periods of happiness and dismay, strength and
weakness, wealth and poverty, health and sickness etc. A true believer is one
who maintains a clear level of Imaan throughout the worldly fluctuations. He
continues to remember Allah and ascribe the bounties to Him; and he turns to Him
in submission, asking for relief from his affliction. This is described by the
Messenger (saww) who said: "Indeed
amazing are the affairs of a believer! They are all for his benefit; If
he is granted ease of living he is thankful; and this is best for him.
And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres; and this is best
for him."
And Allah (swt) said (which means):
"Certainly, We shall test you with fear,
hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient -
those who, when afflicted with calamity say, "Truly to Allah we belong, and
truly to Him shall we return." It is those who will be awarded blessings
and mercy from their Lord; and it is those who are the guided ones."
[Surah
Baqarah, 2:155-157]
Thus, a believer shows gratitude and
thankfulness for all the wonderful blessings that Allah grants him. And he
displays patience and submission during sickness and hardships, hunger, or other
afflictions.
Hardships benefit the Believer
Allah has decreed that, in this life, hardships
and disasters strike both believers and non-believers. For a non-believer, they
are inconveniences that hinder him from proceeding with his normal involvement
in the worldly life. For a believer, on the other hand, they are instances of
rest and remembrance, tests that promise great rewards, and indications of
atonement and expiation of sins. Regardless of how little is the harm that
strikes a believer, it carries with it good news of forgiveness and elevated
rank (in Jannah). The Righteous Predecessors used to be pleased when a hardship
afflicted them, seeing it as a token of Allah's forgiveness and benevolence.
Benefits of Hardships can be summarised as follows:
1- Expiation of Sins
Prophet (saww) said:
"Hardships
continue to befall a believing man and woman in their body, family, and
property, until they meet Allah (S) burdened with no sins."
2- Sign of Allah's Love
Prophet (saww) said:
"Whenever
Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity"
3- Sign of Iman
Prophet (saww) said:
"The
parable of a believer is that of a fresh and moist plant; the wind tilts
it this way and that way; and so is the believer; he continues to be
subject to affliction. And the parable of a hypocrite is that of a firm
cedar tree; it does not shake - until it is uprooted all at once."
4- Sign of Righteousness
The prophets and righteous people are afflicted
the most, and their rewards are the highest. Sa'd (ra) reported that the Prophet
(saww) said:
"The
most in their suffering among the people are the prophets, then the
best, then the (next) best. One is afflicted in accordance with his deen
(faith). If his deen is firm his affliction is hard, and if his deen is
weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one would be so much subjected to
adversity until he walks among the people without any sins."
5- Early Punishment
Anas (ra) reported that the Prophet (saww) said:
"When
Allah wills good for a servant of His, He expedites his punishment in
this life; and when He wills retribution for a servant of His, He holds
his sins for Him to judge him by them on the Day of Resurrection."
6- Multiplication of Rewards
Anas (ra) reported that the Prophet (saww) said:
"The
amount of reward is in accordance with the amount of suffering. When
Allah (swt) loves some people, He tries them (with affliction). He who
then is content (with Allah's decree) has achieved the acceptance (of
Allah), and he who is dissatisfied (with Allah's decree) will attain the
anger (of Allah)".
7- Rewards for Sickness
One should not look to sickness as a gloomy
episode, but should remember the great good in it. It is one form of affliction
with which Allah (swt) tests His 'ibaad (servants), giving them a chance to
acquire rewards, as was explained above, as is further emphasized below.
8- Removal of Sins and Elevation in Ranks
Prophet (saww) said:
"Whenever
a Muslim is afflicted by harm from sickness or other matters, Allah will
drop his sins because of that, like a tree drops its leaves."
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree (ra) reported that the
Prophet (saws) said:
"A Muslim is not afflicted by hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or
depression - even if pricked by a thorn, but Allah expiates his sins
because of that."
Sa'eed said:
"I
was with Salmaan Al-Farsi when he visited a sick man in Kindah (in
Persia), and he said to him: "Expect good because Allah (swt) makes
a believer’s sickness an expiation (for his sins) and a period of
rest. However, when a disbeliever falls sick, he is like a camel whose
owner ties it then lets it loose - it does not understand why it was
tied nor why it was freed."
Prophet (saww) said:
"An ailment is
intensified for the righteous. Whenever a believer is afflicted by a hardship,
whether it is a thorn or more, a sin is taken off from him because of it, and he
is elevated by one rank (in Jannah)."
Retaining Rewards for Deeds before Sickness
Usually, when a believer falls sick, he would
not be able to do the same amount of good (prayer, fasting, helping Muslims etc)
that he used to do when he was well. But Allah out of His great Mercy, continues
to record for him the good deeds that he was forced to stop because of his
sickness.
Abu Moosa Al-Ash'aree narrated that the Prophet (saww) said:
"For
a travelling or sick person, his deeds will be recorded in accordance
with what he used to do when he was resident or well."
Prophet (saww) said:
"No
(believing) person gets sick, but (his deeds) will be recorded for him
in accordance with what he used to do when he was well."
Anas (ra) reported that the Prophet (saws)
said:
"No Muslims body is afflicted by Allah, but He will record (his deeds) for
him in accordance with what he used to do when he was well - as long as
he is sick. Thus, if He takes his life, He forgives him; and if He cures
him, He washes him (from sins)."
'Uqbah Bin 'Aamir reported that the Prophet (saww)
said:
"Each
days deeds are sealed with it. Thus, when a believer gets sick, the
angels say, "Our Lord! Your servant such and such, You have
restrained him (from doing good this day)." And the Lord replies,
"Seal his day in accordance with his (usual) deeds, until he is
cured or dies".
Reason for the Reward
'Atta Bin Rabaah reported that ibn 'Abbaas told
him,
"Do
you want to see a woman from the people of Jannah (paradise)?" He
said "Yes". He said "It is this black woman. She came to
the Prophet (saww) saying, "I have (epileptic) seizures, and I get
exposed, so supplicate to Allah for me." He (saww) said:
"If you wish, be patient and you
will attain Jannah; or if you wish, I will ask Allah to cure you."
She replied, "I will be patient!
But my body gets exposed (because of the fall), so supplicate to Allah
for me that I do not become exposed." and he (saww) did."
The scholars have differed in opinion as to
whether a sick person will be rewarded for the sickness itself or for being
patient during it. The correct opinion is that if he is patient and submits to
Allah's will, as in the above hadeeth, he would be rewarded for both the
submission and the sickness, otherwise, he would not be rewarded at all; because
he resented Allah's decree.
Prophet (saww) said: "If
a Muslim is pricked by (as little as) a thorn in the worldly life, and
he seeks its reward from Allah, some of his sins will be removed,
because of it, on the Day of Judgement."
Forwarded
By Shaikh Muslim Bhanji
P.O. Box 2736, Dodoma -
Tanzania.
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