Blessings of Sickness

Bismillah

Nobody is secure from falling sick. Everyone fall sick occasionally. Some more than the other. Some longer than the other. Some fall sick and got well. Some became terminally ill.

Nobody like to be sick but it is Qadr. Qadr can be bad for us here but it is good for us in the long run because Allah says in the Quran, 

 

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ‎﴿٢١٦

 

...But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (Quran, Al Baqarah 2:216) 

 

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said,

 

“Amazing is the affair of the believer, verily all of his affair is good and this is not for no one except the believer. If something of good/happiness befalls him he is grateful and that is good for him. If something of harm befalls him he is patient and that is good for him” (Muslim)

It is the fundamental of iman that a believer looks at this world and this life, even if it is difficult, even if it is bitter, it is for his own long term good. Nothing happens except that a believer will see it in his heart that it is for his long term good, whether he sees it or not with his eyes. This goes back to the reality of iman called 'husnul dhan' with Allah, that is having the best thoughts of Allah. A believer always have positive thoughts of Allah. 

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that the sign of iman is to have husnul dhan of Allah. These positive thoughts are easy to happen when life is good. When there is wealth, good health, it is easy to have positive thoughts but when life becomes difficult, when money is tight, when we lose our loved ones, when we become sick and more difficult, when our loved ones fall sick, that is when our iman is tested. Do you believe in Qadr? It is during the times of difficulty and sickness that iman comes to the forefront.

Sickness is a means to remove our sins and save us from hellfire. Allah tests whom He loves and Allah wants to forgive some people and does not want them to face the hellfire of the akhirah on account of their sins in this dunia. Have this optimism, flip the negatives into positives. Do not curse the sickness.

Jabir reported that Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited Umm Sa'ib (or Umm Musaiyyab) and asked her, "What ails you O Umm Sa'ib (or Umm Musaiyyab)? You are shivering." She replied: "It is a fever, may Allah not bless it!" He said to her, "Do not revile fever, for it cleanses out the sins of the sons of Adam in the same way that a furnace removes the dirt of iron." (Muslim)

When a believer falls sick, Allah uses it for two reasons: to cause the believer to reflect and become a better person. We get to reassess our life when we are sick. We undertsand that we are mortal and we reassess our priorities. How thankful we should be to our families, those who are close to us and our friends. It is a charging station. When life is good, business is good, wealth is pouring, our body seems to be happy, but our soul is not happy. With sickness we have the opportunity to make amends before the end comes.

When we are sick, it is when we truly appreciate the blessing of health. Most people are deceived, bankrupt, when they have this blessing and the blessing of free time. You don't appreciate health until you dont' have it. You don't appreciate your free time until you are not well, when you will be busy with doctors, tests, searching for cures. When we wake up without having headaches, joint aches or fever, we don't appreciate it. It is after that is gone, that is when we truly apreciate for not having it. Take that appreication and reasses your life and thank Allah.

Sickness should make the heart more tender and soul more soft. That should lead us to genuine charity. Go visit the orphan and feed the hungry. Go visit the sick when you are healthy and comfort them for it is your opportunity to be forgiven of your sins.

Allah desires for us a high place in Paradise but we don't have the proper good deeds or actions to go up. So Allah tests his chosen with sickness. Allah tests him with his body, money, children until he is raised. Because of his sabr (patience), Allah raises him until he reach it.

We cannot learn patience by reading a book or listening to a khutabh. We can only learn patience on the fields of patience. If you want to be of the people of sabr, sabr is earned on the battlefield of sabr. 

 وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ‎﴿١٥٥

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (Quran, Al Baqarah 2:155)

قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ‎﴿١٠﴾‏

Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (Quran, Az-Zumar 29:10)

The only way to earn the badges of sabr is to be tested. So next time if we fall sick, in shaallah we are earning the badge of sabr.

Sickness open the doors for du'a and charity. When you make du'a from the depths of your heart, you rediscover the reality of iman. In those times of difficulty our iman soars high. 

Does this mean we embrace sickness. No. Dont make du'a to be tested in this dunia. Ask Allah to save you from sickness. We do not ask to fall sick but when it happens this is Allah's Qadr. Ask Allah to protect you from calalmities. Ask Allah for 'afiyah (well being). There is nothing is better for you than afiya. If a calamity happens take it with patience, with iman, husnul dhan with Allah. Make du'a to lift the calamity.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said do not desire to die for the life of the belieber is always good for him. One exception if you find yourself with no other alternative than you can make this du'a -- O Allah grant me long life if life is good for me and allow me death if death is better for me. 

Whoever amongst you wakes up in the morning, save in his house, no sickness, and have a day's food, this person is as if all the blessings have been gathered and given to him. Most of us are in this situation and we should be thankful for this blessing. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin.

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aalihi wasahbihi wassalaam.