Treatment of Otherssick

Care for the Sick

رعاية المرضى

The Prophet ﷺ regularly visited the sick, made dua for them, and taught that visiting the sick earns immense reward.

Context

Throughout the Madinan period, as the Muslim community grew and faced various challenges

The Narrative
Visiting the sick was a priority for the Prophet ﷺ, even during his busiest days as the leader of the Muslim community. He would visit companions who were ill, ask about their condition, make dua for their healing, and comfort them with his presence and words. The Prophet visited both Muslims and non-Muslims who were sick. When a young Jewish boy who used to serve him fell ill, the Prophet went to visit him. He sat by his head and invited him to Islam. The boy looked at his father, who told him to obey Abul-Qasim (the Prophet), and the boy accepted Islam. The Prophet left saying: "Praise be to Allah who saved him from the Fire." This shows his concern extended beyond the Muslim community to all of humanity. He taught that visiting the sick earns immense reward. The Prophet said: "When a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness until the evening. And if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness until the morning, and he will be granted a garden in Paradise." The Prophet would make specific duas for the sick, teaching the companions to do likewise. One of his famous supplications was: "O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no sickness." He would also physically comfort the sick, placing his blessed hand on their forehead or the site of pain. When his own companions were seriously ill, the Prophet showed deep emotional concern. When Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was wounded during the Battle of the Trench, the Prophet had a tent set up for him in the mosque so he could visit him frequently. The Prophet's eyes filled with tears when companions were in pain, showing that strength and leadership don't require emotional distance from others' suffering.

📜Hadith References

Jami' at-Tirmidhi#969Hasan

Narrated by Ali ibn Abi Talib

من عاد مريضا في صباح شيعه سبعون ألف ملك حتى يمسي

When a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness until the evening.

Sahih al-Bukhari#5656Sahih

Narrated by Aisha

أذهب البأس رب الناس، اشف وأنت الشافي

O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal, for You are the Healer.

Lessons
  • 1.Visit the sick regularly as an act of worship and community care
  • 2.Make sincere dua for the sick person's healing
  • 3.Offer physical and emotional comfort during illness
  • 4.Show compassion even to non-Muslims who are sick
  • 5.Keep visits brief to avoid tiring the patient
  • 6.Give hope and positive encouragement, not despair
Character Traits Demonstrated
compassionempathyservicetenderness