The Book of Visiting the Sick

Al-Bara' bin `Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has ordered us to visit the sick, to follow the funeral (of a dead believer), respond to the sneezer (i.e., by saying to him: Yarhamuk-Allah after he says: Al-hamdu lillah), to help those who vow to fulfill it, to help the oppressed, to accept the invitation extended by the inviter; and to promote greetings (i.e., saying As-Salamu `Alaikum). <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim (i.e., he has to perform five duties for another Muslim): to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, to respond to the sneezer <b>[i.e., to say: 'Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah bestow His Mercy on you),' when the sneezer praises Allah]</b>." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious will say on the Day of Resurrection: 'O son of Adam, I was ill but you did not visit Me.' He would say: 'O my Rubb, how could I visit you and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' Thereupon He would say: 'Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine was ill but you did not visit him? Did you not realize that if you had visited him (you would have known that I was aware of your visit to him, for which I would reward you) you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked food from you but you did not feed Me.' He would submit: 'My Rubb, how could I feed You and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' He would say: 'Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed him? Did you not realize that if you had fed him, you would certainly have found (its reward) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked water from you but you did not give it to Me.' He would say: 'My Rubb, how could I give You (water) and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' Thereupon He would say: 'Such and such a slave of Mine asked you for water to drink but you did not give it to him. Did you not realize that if you had given him to drink you would have found (its reward) with Me?"' <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and (arrange for the) release of the captive.'' <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who visits his brother in Faith, will remain engaged in picking the fresh fruits from the garden of Jannah till he returns." <b>[Muslim]</b>.

'Ali bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "When a Muslim visits a sick Muslim at dawn, seventy thousand angels keep on praying for him till dusk. If he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels keep on praying for him till the morning; and he will have (his share of) reaped fruits in Jannah." <b>[At- Tirmidhi]</b>.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

A young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill. The Prophet (ﷺ) went to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to him, "Embrace Islam." The little boy looked at his father who was sitting beside him. He said: "Obey Abul-Qasim (i.e., the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ))." So he embraced Islam and the Prophet (ﷺ) stepped out saying, "Praise be to Allah Who has saved him from Hell-fire." <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

`Aishah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

When a person complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) about an ailment or suffered from a sore or a wound, the Prophet (ﷺ) would touch the ground with his forefinger and then raise it (Sufyan bin `Uyainah, the narrator, demonstrated this with his forefinger) and would recite: `Bismil-lahi, turbatu ardina, biriqati ba`dina, yushfa bihi saqimuni, bi 'idhni Rabbina' (With the Name of Allah, the dust of our ground mixed with the saliva of some of us would cure our patient with the permission of our Rubb.'' <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) visited any ailing member of his family, he would touch the sick person with his right hand and would supplicate: "Allahumma Rabban-nasi, adhhibil-ba'sa, washfi, Antash-Shafi, la shifa'a illa shifa'uka, shifaan la yughadiru saqaman <b>[O Allah! the Rubb of mankind! Remove this disease and cure (him or her)! You are the Great Curer. There is no cure but through You, which leaves behind no disease]</b>." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I said to Thabit (May Allah had Mercy upon him) Should I not perform Ruqyah (i.e., recite supplication or Quranic Ayat and blow) over you, such supplication as was practised by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?" He said: "Please do so." Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) supplicated: "Allahumma Rabban-nasi, mudh-hibal-ba'si, ishfi Antash-Shafi, la shafiya illa Anta, shifa'an la yughadiru saqaman <b>[O Allah! the Rubb of mankind! Take away this disease and cure (him or her). You are the Curer. There is no cure except through You. Cure (him or her), a cure that leaves no disease]</b>." <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited me during my illness and supplicated, "O Allah! Cure Sa'd. O Allah! Cure Sa'd. O' Allah! Cure Sa'd." <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Abu 'Abdullah bin Abul-'as (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about a pain I had in my body. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Place your hand where you feel pain and say: 'Bismillah (With the Name of Allah)' three times; and then repeat seven times: 'A'udhu bi'izzatillahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa 'uhadhiru (I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that afflicts me and that which I apprehend)."' <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who visits a sick person who is not on the point of death and supplicates seven times: As'alullahal-'Azima Rabbal-'Arshil-'Azimi, an yashfiyaka (I beseech Allah the Great, the Rubb of the Great Throne, to heal you), Allah will certainly heal him from that sickness." <b>[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi]</b>.

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) visited a bedouin who was sick. Whenever he visited an ailing person, he would say, "La ba'sa, tahurun in sha' Allah <b>[No harm, (it will be a) purification (from sins), if Allah wills]</b>." <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Muhammad (ﷺ)! Do you feel sick?" He (ﷺ) said, "Yes." Jibril supplicated thus (i.e., he performed Ruqyah): "Bismillahi arqika, min kulli shay'in yu'dhika, min sharri kulli nafsin aw 'ayni hasidi, Allahu yashfika, bismillahi arqika. <b>[With the Name of Allah. I recite over you (to cleanse you) from all that troubles you, and from every harmful mischief and from the evil of the eyes of an envier. Allah will cure you; and with the Name of Allah, I recite over you]</b>." <b>[Muslim]</b>.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If a person says: 'La ilaha illallahu wallahu Akbar (There is no true god except Allah and Allah is Greatest)', his Rubb responds to him and affirms: '(Yes!) There is no true god except I, and I am the Greatest.' When he says: 'La ilaha illallahu Wahdahu la sharika Lahu (There is no true god except Allah, the One, He has no partner).' Allah (SWT) affirms: '(Yes!) There is no true god except I. I have no partner.' When he says: 'La ilaha illallahu Lahul mulku wa Lahul-hamdu (the sovereignty belongs to Him and all the praise is due to Him).' He (SWT) affirms: '(Yes!) There is no true god except I, Mine is the praise and to Me belongs the sovereignty.' When he says: 'La ilaha illallahu wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah (There is no true god except Allah, and there is no might and power but with Allah).' He (SWT) affirms: '(Yes!) There is no true god except I, and there is no might and power but with Me."' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) added, "He who recites this during his illness and dies, will not be touched by the Fire (Hell)." <b>[At-Tirmidhi]</b>.

Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

When `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) came out after visiting the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during his last illness, the people asked: "How is Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), O Abul-Hasan?'' He replied: "Praise be to Allah, he (ﷺ) is feeling better.'' <b>[Al-Bukhari]</b>.

`Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

While the Prophet (ﷺ) was reclining against me (during his last illness) I heard him saying: "Allahumma-ghfir li, warhamni, wa alhiqni bir Rafiqil-A`la (O Allah, forgive me, bestow Your Mercy on me and let me join with the exalted companions.'' <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>.

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he was at the point of death. He had a drinking bowl with water in it. He would dip his hand into the bowl, and wipe his face. Then he would supplicate, "O Allah! Help me over pangs and agony of death." <b>[At-Tirmidhi]</b>.

`Imran bin Husain (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

A woman belonging to the Juhainah tribe came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) after having conceived from Zina. She submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! I am liable to Hadd (punishment ordained by Allah), so execute it.'' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called her guardian and said, "Treat her well and bring her to me after delivery.'' He acted accordingly. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded to tie her clothes firmly around her and then stoned her to death. He (ﷺ) then offered funeral prayer for her. <b>[Muslim]</b>.