This life is not apart from tests, even tests are sunatullah in our lives. Allah Ta’ala said, “Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.” (Q.S. Al-Anbiyaa’ : 35). Ibn ‘Abbas narrated this verse : “We will test you with difficultness and happiness, healthiness and sickness, wealth and poorness, halal and haram, obedience and vice, guideline and fallacy.” (Tafsir Ibn Jarir).
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- Virtues of sickness in Islam
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So, sickness is a part of tests from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala to His believers. But behind this test, there are many virtues of sickness in Islam. For more detail, please see this article below.
- As penance
Sickness is a redeemer for all sins and it can erase all of faults. So, sickness is a reply from the badness that someone have done, then it is erased from the notebook of deeds, so his sins will be light. That is based on many dalils, such as the hadith of Jabir bin Abdullah r.a., indeed he heard Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa sallam said :
“No sick believers, men and women, and it is not with a Moslem, men and women, except Allah SWT eliminates their faults with that thing, as leaf that fall out from tree.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 3/346)
- As a goodness for those who are patient
Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said,
“Indeed amazing a matter of believers, indeed all maters are goodness, and this thing does not happen except for believers. If he gets happiness, then he thankful and that is a goodness for him, and if he gets difficultness, then he is patient and this is a goodness for him.” (Narrated by Muslim)
See also : Patience in Islam
- Can help to reach a high degree
This thing is indicated by the hadith of Abu Hurairah r.a., he said, Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said :
“Indeed someone gets a position in the side of Allah SWT, he does not get by deeds, Allah SWT always tests him with something that he does not like, until he gets it.” (Narrated by Al-Hakim and it is shaheeh 1/495)
- It can avoid us from Hellfire
Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa salla said, which means :
“Do not you abuse fever, because indeed (that disease) Allah will erase the sins of Adam’s children as a fiery furnace loses iron waste.” (Narrated by Muslim).
Because of that, a believer does not abuse or grumble about his disease. But he must be happy, indeed Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said,
“That fever abstains every believers from hellfire.” (Narrated by Al Bazzar, Shaheeh)
- Sickness is a punishment
For a believer, sickness can be a tadzkirah or test that will close him to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. But, some of people feel sickness as a punishment that will destroy themselves.
“We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will repent.” (Q.S. As-Sajdah : 21)
Remember that there are many kinds of punishment that is revealed by Allah SWT to someone in this world, such as material possessions, disasters, wars, sickness or even death. People in the past were given a punishment by Allah SWT as many weird diseases and those were not easily healed. It was caused they were still in their paganism, surely there were many proofs and signs of Allah SWT that were looked in front of them. [AdSense-B]
- As a reminder of his fault
Sometimes, someone likes to do vice and follow his lust, he is busy with his business in this world and he neglects his Lord. Because of that, Allah SWT tests him with a disease, so he will remember upon his neglect all this time. Allah Ta’ala said
“And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muhammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us].” (Q.S. al-An’am : 42)
- Sickness is a jihad
Someone who is given a disease by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala must be patient. He must not give up, but he must always ikhtiar. Fight for his healing. Because it is a jihad.
See also : Importance of jihad in Islam
- It is a hospitality (silaturrahim)
If there is someone who sick and we know him, we should visit him. Even his far sibling will visit him if they know their family is ill. So, sickness can strengthen the hospitality between human, especially for Moslem.
See also : Importance of relations in Islam
- Add goodness
Indeed sickness will increase your fame and add goodness. The hadith of ‘Aisha r.a., she said indeed I heard Rasulullah saw said :
“There is no Moslem who thorns, or more than that, except it is written for him one degree and erased a fault from him.” (Narrated by Muslim number 2572)
- It is a best time for dua
If you are sick, you can ask forgiveness or anything to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala because it is a best time for dua (mustajab time). As Imam As-Suyuthi who rounded the town to searched sick people, then he was asked to be prayed by that people.
see also : Best time to make dua
- Remember us about death
Sickness can be a reminder us about death. Moreover, if we get a serious disease that can be helped by doctors. We can only hope to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala because He is Asy-Syifa (The Healer). So that, we should fix our akhlaq, change our behavior, and more close to Him. [AdSense-C]
- It brings us to Muhasabah
Syaikhul Islam Ibn Taimiyah rahimahullah said :
“Disaster that you get from Allah SWT, it is better than delight that makes you forget to do dhikr to Him.” (Tasliyatu ahli al-Masha’ib)
Indeed if someone gets sickness, he will be back to his Rabb. He starts to follow His guide and evaluated himself.
- It can fix heart
Al-‘Allamah Ibnul Qayyim rahimahullah said :
Heart and soul take benefits from sickness and suffering, that cannot be felt except by people who have life, so the healthiness of heart and soul are depended on the suffering of body and its pressure. (Syifa’ul ‘alil 524)
He also said, “As it has been known, indeed if it was not for many tests in the world and its disasters, a servant will get arrogance, pride, hardness of heart that become doom, both fast (in the world) or delay (in the Hereafter)
Thus the article about 13 virtues of sickness in Islam. Hopefully, our sickness can fall our sins, close us to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. Amen.