In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
When we are healthy, we should be grateful to Allah because this is a great blessing from Him. We show our gratitude by using the blessing to serve Him and not use it to disobey Him or waste the blessing.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“There are two blessings that many people are cheated out of: health and free time." (Bukhari)
Ibn al-Jawzi said,
“A person might be healthy but not have free time due to being busy with his livelihood, and might be well off but not healthy; so when these two are combined and the person is overcome by laziness from performing acts of obedience, he is truly cheated.”
A healthy person should have a state of fear of Allah that dominates his state of hope in Allah as this pushes him to good actions and repentance. This fear must not, however, take him to the extent of despair of Allah’s mercy.
قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ
“He said, 'And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, excepting those that are astray?'” (Qur’an Al-Hijr 15:56)
A person who is afflicted with an illness should realize that this is a tremendous opportunity to draw close to Allah. So, he should be grateful for that and make the most of it.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“The people who were in well being in this life will wish on Judgment Day, when the people of tribulations are given their reward, that their skin would have been cut with blades.” (Tirmidhi)
He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said,
“No believer is afflicted with a thorn-prick or what is greater than that except that a higher degree is inscribed for him, or a sin removed from him” (Muslim)
The person should use the time in remembrance of Allah and seek to cure himself through supplication, prayer and remembering Allah; especially by reciting sura al-Fatiha and the last three surahs of the Qur’an.
The person should face the tribulation with a beautiful patience. This is by not complaining to visitors, missing prayers or having despair. He should repent sincerely from the sins he was committing before his sickness.
It is permissible to use medicine to treat oneself with the condition that one believes that the cure is only from Allah who has made the medicine an outer means to attain this, and if He wills he will cure without one taking medicine or not cure despite one taking medicine.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Every ailment has a cure; if the cure meets the ailment he is cured with the leave of Allah.” (Muslim)
One may not take medicine that is unlawful such as wine or products from unslaughtered animals unless a Muslim doctor tells one that no other cure is available. **
We should remember death often.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Remember often the terminator of pleasures.” (ibn Hibban)The benefits of this include purification from sins, abstinence in this life, making great tribulations manageable, making small worldly means seem much, removal of worry over this life and disdaining vain pleasures.
It is not lawful for one to wish for death on account of pain or difficulty that one is in; because life is Allah’s will for one, and desiring it to leave is not be satisfied with His will.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Let none of you wish for death due to a harm that has reached him. If he is compelled to do so then let him say, “O Allah, give me life so long as life is better for me, and take my soul in death when death is better for me.” (Bukhari)
One should take means that promote a healthy life, while believing that these means
cannot ward off the destiny of Allah. A long life full of service to Allah is of the greatest of ranks.
A man asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace,
“O Messenger of Allah, which people are the best?” He replied, “He whose life is long and works good.” "Which of people are worse? He replied, "He whose life is long and works bad." (Tirmidhi)
A person should not be sick for two nights without having his will prepared. It should contain a clear statement of his debts and who they are owed to (to Allah such as missed prayers, fasts, zakat, hajj, expiations, as well as debts to people). A person is entitled to make a bequest of up to a third of his remaining wealth after debts have been paid, the rest must be divided according to the Islamic rules of inheritance laid out clearly in the Qur’an and books of sacred law.
Someone on his deathbed should have a good opinion of Allah. This is by having more hope than fear; having the belief that Allah will overlook one’s sins; not letting his deeds come to mind, neither the good nor the bad, as they distract from having a good opinion of Allah and true hope in His bounty.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, three days before he died,
“Let none of you die except having a good opinion of Allah Mighty and Majestic.” (Muslim)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said,
“Death is a gift for the believer.”
He should long for the meeting with Allah. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him. Whoever dislikes to meet Allah, Allah dislikes to meet him.” Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) or one of his wives said, “But we dislike death,” he replied, “That’s is not the point; rather, the believer when death comes to him, he is given the great good news of Allah’s pleasure and generosity, and there is nothing more beloved to him that what is ahead of him, so he loves meeting Allah and Allah loves meeting him. The disbeliever when death comes to him is given the great news of Allah’s punishment and chastisement, and there is nothing more disliked to him that what is ahead of him so he dislikes meeting Allah, and Allah dislikes meeting him.” (Bukhari)
Don't let anything distract the dying person from remembrance of Allah. He should leave all thoughts and inclinations towards this life and other people, and free himself of his power and ability and relying solely on Allah’s generosity and protection. He should make sincere supplication for Allah to preserve his faith.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked,
“What is the best of works?” He replied, “That one of you should die and his tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allah.”
He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said,
“Whoever’s last words are “La illaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah),” will enter paradise.” (Abu Dawud)
One should not hate a painful death for oneself or anyone else, for Allah removes sins from a person through illness in his body, delay in provender, fear in life and severity at death.
Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said,
“The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, died while he was between my chest and my throat [in my arms], and I do not dislike for anyone to have a severe death after the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, ever.” (Bukhari)
“[when he, Allah bless him and grant him peace, died] before him was a container of water, he placed his hands inside it and wiped his face and said, “There is no god but Allah; surely death has tremendous mind-numbing pain.” Then he raised his hand and started saying, “O Allah, in the highest company” until he died and his hand dropped.” (Bukhari)
May Allah make us die at the highest of iman (faith) and resurrect us with His beloved, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, and enter us into the highest Paradise with him. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
** Hanafi ruling
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