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Iyaadat ul-Mareed

The Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever visits the sick person, he will continue to gain from paradise until he returns”

Bara ibn Azib said: “The Prophet Muhammad (saw) ordered us 7 and forbade us 7. To follow the janazah, to visit the ill person, to answer the invitation, to support the oppressed, to honour the oath, and to answer the salaam, and to send mercy on the one who sneezes …” Bukhari 1239, Muslim 2066, Musnad Imam Ahmad 18034

1 - VIRTUES OF VISITING THE ILL

Thauban narrated
The Prophet (saw) said: “Whosoever visits an ill person, he will continue to grab from the fruits of paradise until he returns” Muslim 2868, Tirmizi 967, Imam al baghawi (sharh Sunnah) v.5 p.216

“I heard the Prophet (saw) say:"Whosoever visits an ill person, he dives into the mercy of Allah until he settles (returns)”

Jabir ibn Abdullah
The Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever visits an ill person, he dives into the mercy of Allah, and whoever walks towards them dives into the mercy of Allah until you reach him and you sit near him, then you are soaking in it, and when you leave you are diving into the mercy of Allah until you return home”

Abu Huraira said:
The Prophet (saw) said: “Allah will say, “You heard that I was ill and you did not visit me.” The people will say, “Oh lord, how could you be ill?” “One of my servants was ill, and you did not visit him. If you went to see him you would have found me there.” Muslim 2569, Musnad Imam Ahmad 8989

Imam Ali
The Prophet (saw) Said: “When a man goes to visit his muslim brother who is ill, he dives into the mercy of Allah, and when he sits, he is covered in his mercy, when he leaves he has 70,000 angels with him until he goes to sleep, and 70,000 angels with him until he wakes up.” Musnad Imam Ahmad 756, Abu Dawood 3098, Al-Albaani 1191

When you visit the ill, you go for three reasons to:

1 - cool his heart
2 - try to solve any of his needs
3 - and to learn a lesson from his illness.

2 - VISITING CHILDREN

Usama bin zaid bin haritha narrated: “A daughter of the Prophet (saw) sent to Usama who was with the Prophet (saw), and said, “Your daughter is on her death bed.” They went to see his daughter, and the Prophet (saw) said, “Allah is the one who gives and takes life, and let us accept his destiny” The mother asked if he could carry her. The Prophet (saw) carried her and found that it was a boy and started to cry, a sahabi asked why he was crying, The Prophet (saw) said: “this is the mercy of Allah, Allah does not give mercy except to those who are merciful"” Bukhari 5655, Muslim 923, Abu Dawood

3 - TO VISIT WOMEN/ GROUP OF MEN ETC

Aisha (ra) said: “…I entered to visit both of them (Abu Bakr and Bilal who were ill), and said oh my father how are you today, oh Bilal how are you today…” Bukhari 5654, Muslim 9376

- It is allowed for a woman to visit a man or a group of men with mahram.

“A woman was ill, and the Prophet (saw) visited her” Muwatta’ 531

Ibn Abdul birr said: “It is allowed for a women on her own to visit a man if she is very old.”

4 - TO VISIT SOMEONE WHO IS UNCONSCIOUS

Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated: “I have been very ill until I was unconscious, the Prophet (saw) visited me with Abu Bakr, when I was unconscious, he (saw) made Wudu’, and used the water and poured it on my head, I woke up and they told me what he (saw) did, I asked him what I should do with my money, he (saw) did not say anything because the ayah of inheritance had not been revealed yet.” Bukhari 5651, Muslim 1616, Musnad Imam Ahmad 13886

5 - TO VISIT SOMEONE MUSHRIK

Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad’s Opinion - it is permissible

Anas bin maalik said: “There was a Jewish boy who used to serve the Prophet (saw) from time to time, he fell ill. The Prophet (saw) went to visit him, and told him to embrace Islam and it will save him.” Bukhari 5657, Abu Dawood 3095, Musnad Imam Ahmad 12381

Sa’id ibn musayyab said: “My father told me that when Abu Talib was ill on his deathbed, the Prophet (saw) went to visit him, and said “say: Laa ilaha illallah muhammadun rasulullah, and I will ask Allah for you on that.” Abu Talib said: “from the first day you came out I believed you, but my people hate it, so I cannot."”

Bukhari 6681, Muslim 24, Musnad Imam Ahmad 23162 , Nisaa’i 2033

6 - WHAT IS THE SUNNAH TIME TO VISIT THE ILL

- When he is resting but not sleeping.

Al murdawi said: “I visited an ill person with Imam Ahmad at night time (in Ramadhan)”

Imam Ahmad said not to visit early in the morning or during the meridian, leave it until after Zuhr.

Adab ul shar’iyyah (ibn Taymiyyah) vol 2 p.189 - 190, From the book by Ibn muflih al maqdis

7 - TO BE LIGHT WHEN YOU VISIT THE ILL PERSON (TO BE SOFT WITH HIM)

- Cool him down
- Do not stay long
- Do not sleep

- Don’t sit, stay standing
- Don’t eat a lot
- Don’t pray in front of them
- It is not allowed to pray in front of someone who is mentally ill.

Can you visit more than one time?

Fuquha say
- Makrouh to visit more than once except if he likes you
- Recommended to visit 3 times if the illness is LONG time, and you are close to them

Imam shu’ba said: “The visit of the fool or ignorant is more hardship than their illness, because they eat too much and stay too long.”

The Prophet (saw) when Sa’id was ill, made a tent in the mosque so that all the Sahabah could visit him, the Prophet (saw) visited three times. Bukhari 463

8 - WHAT IS THE SUNNAH OF SITTING WHEN VISITING THE ILL

It is recommended to sit near the head not the feet.

Mentioned in the hadith about the Jewish boy.

Ibn Abbas said: “If the Prophet (saw) visits someone who is ill, he sits near the head not the stomach, or feet.” Bukhari 536, Al-Albaani in his saheeh 416

Imam Shafi’i said: “The one who sits near the head of the one who is ill, it will make him feel close to him, and not embarrass him, and it will allow you to put your hand on him. [Kitaab ul-Umm]

9 - ASK ABOUT HIM

Aisha said: “When the Prophet (saw) returned to Madina, Bilal and Abu Bakr was ill, so (she) visited them, and said, “How are you".".

-Don’t comment on the sickness, whatever he says it is, he is right.

Abu Haneefa said: “The complaint about the illness is of two, one is out of boredom (this is makrouh) and the other is to show others that health is a mercy from Allah (swt).”

Ibn Mas’oud said: “I visited Allah’s Apostle while he was suffering from a high fever. I touched him with my hand and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! You have a high fever.” Allah’s Apostle said, “Yes, I have as much fever as two men of you have.” I said, “Is it because you will get a double reward?” Allah’s Apostle said, “Yes, no Muslim is afflicted with harm because of sickness or some other inconvenience, but that Allah will remove his sins for him as a tree sheds its leaves.” Bukhari 7/564

10 - TO CRY WHEN YOU VISIT SOMEONE WHO IS ILL IS PERMISSIBLE.

The Prophet (saw) visited someone who was ill, and asked if he had died, they said he had not, he cried, and others cried with him, he said, “Allah does not punish for the tears or the sadness in heart, it is for the tongue. Verily the dead will be punished for the wailing for the dead.”

11 - WHAT TO SAY

“ALLAHUMAGHFIRLI WA LAHU WA A’QIBNI MINHU KHAYRAN
LAA BA’SA TAHUR”

Aisha said: “The Prophet (saw) used to make ta’weez with the 3 chapters (Ahad, falaq, nas.) And wiped over his body when he was ill.” Ahmad vol 3 p28

Abu salamah: “If you visit the sick, say good, Allah is witness …”

Allahumashfie ... [Bukhari]

Bismillahil azim, rabbil arshil azim, min kulli ‘aynin hasidin wallahu yashfiq [Ahmad]

“Oh Allah recover one of your servants, and he will kill one of your enemies for you, or follow someone’s janazah…”

12 - VISITING PEOPLE ON THEIR DEATHBED

Abu said al khidree said: “Say to your people on their deathbed to say “laa ilah illa Allah"” [Muslim]

If the person dies, it is recommended to close his eyes and make du’a for him.

From alghurabaa.co.uk