Heavenly Jewels

attained. Physical illness which is thought to be actual sickness by people is an effective elixir for all spiritual disease. True sickness is spiritual illness which one should always fear and deem as injurious. A person, no matter how estranged he is to the deen, always takes Allah � and His Rasool's � name makes Tauba and Istighfaar when becoming sick. This is only the characteristic of the elite to welcome difficulties just as how ease is welcomed. However, we on becoming sick or being afflicted by any difficulty complain about it effectively losing its Thawaab. This is done even though we know that our sickness or difficulty will not be lifted by our complaining. Many people when afflicted by a physical illness perform and utter unbecoming statements. Some ofthese utterances are feared to also lead to Kufr. A few that cannot endure their illness even go to the extent of asserting oppression to Allah (A llahforbid). The Dunya and Aakhirat are both lost to people who are guilty of this. Muslims are advised to practice the instructions ofthe Holy Prophet � present in the Hadeeth. A few ofthem concerning this follows. Rassoollalah jj. has said, I . Allah erases the sins ofa Muslim through the problem, difficulties and sorrow he or she experiences even through the pricking of a thorn. (Bukhari,Muslim) 2. Just as how a tree sheds its leaves, Allah sheds of the sin of a Muslim who has been put in difficulty due to sickness or for another rea�on. (Bukhari, Muslim) 3 . Do not speak bad of sickness as it purifies a person from sin just as how a furnace offire cleanses dirt from steel. (Muslim) 4. When a certain rank is destined for a bondsman in divine knowledge and he does not reach it through his actions then Allah puts his body, wealth or chil dren in distress and grants him the ability to make Sabr until he eventually reaches that rank which was destined for him in 1 1 3