ON PATIENCE AND ILLNESS

The person who wants to save himself from the punishment of Allâh and gain His reward and mercy, and enter His Paradise should restrain his soul from worldly desires, and exercise patience over the difficulties and hardships of this world. Allâh says: “Surely Allâh loves those who are patient.”[19] Patience is of different types: patience in the obedience of Allâh, patience in abstaining from His prohibitions, patience at the time of an affliction, patience at the very beginning of an affliction. The person who exercises patience in the obedience of Allâh , then on the day of resurrection Allâh shall give him 300 stages in Paradise, the distance between each stage being equal to the distance between the earth and the heavens. The person who exercises patience in abstaining from the prohibitions of Allâh, then on the day of resurrection Allâh shall give him 600 stages, the distance between each stage being equal to the distance between the seventh heaven and the seventh earth. The person who exercises patience over an affliction, then on the day of resurrection Allâh shall give him 700 stages in Paradise, the distance between each stage being equal to the distance between the throne [of Allâh] and the ground.

It is reported from the Prophet that Allâh says: “When a servant is afflicted by a calamity and he turns to Me, I shall give him before he even asks Me, and I shall accept his supplication even before he supplicates to Me. And when a servant is afflicted by a calamity and he turns to the creation to My exclusion, I shall shut the gates of the heavens upon him.” It is therefore incumbent on an intelligent person to exercise patience on an affliction and to abstain from complaining. In so doing, he will save himself from the punishment of this world and of the hereafter. This is because the greatest calamities and afflictions befell the Prophets and the friends of Allâh .

Junayd Baghdâdî rahimahullâh said: “A calamity is the light for those who have recognized Allâh , an awakening for those who desire Him, a source of righteousness for the believers, and a source of destruction for those who are negligent of Allâh . None will experience the sweetness of îmân until calamity afflicts him, he is pleased with it and he exercises patience over it.”

The Messenger of Allâh said: “The person who falls ill for a single night and remains patient [over this illness] and is pleased with [this decree] of Allâh shall come out of his sins as the day his mother gave birth to him. Therefore if any of you falls ill, you should not hope for well-being.”

Ad-Dahhâk rahimahullâh said: “A person who is not put through a test either by some affliction, worry or calamity every forty days, then there is no good for him in the sight of Allâh .”

Mu ‘âdh ibn Jabal said: “When Allâh tests a believing servant with illness, He says to the angel on his left, “stop recording his [evil] deeds” and He says to the angel on his right: ‘Record all the best deeds that he used to do [when he was sound and healthy].’”

It is stated that the Prophet said: “When the servant of Allâh falls ill, Allâh sends two angels to him and says to them: ‘Go and see what My servant is saying.’ If he says ‘all praise is due to Allâh’, that is conveyed to Allâh although He is fully aware of what he said. Allâh then says: ‘I have taken it upon Myself that if I cause this servant of Mine to die, I will admit him into Paradise. And if I cure him, I will give him flesh better than what he has, and blood better than what he has, and I will forgive him his sins.’”

It is related that there was a very sinful person among the Banî Isrâ’îl. He refused to abstain from his sins and acts of disobedience to such an extent that the people of his town got tired and fed up with him. And they were unable to stop him from these practices of his. And so they supplicated and beseeched Allâh . Allâh inspired Mûsâ informing him thus: “There is a sinful youngster among the Banî Isrâ’îl. Expel him from their town so that the fire does not afflict them because of his sins.” Mûsâ came and expelled him [from that town]. This youth then went to another village. Allâh ordered Mûsâ to expel him from that village as well. Mûsâ expelled him again. So he went to a desert where there was no one living – no vegetation, no animals, no birds, nothing at all. This person then fell ill in that deserted place. He had no one to come to his assistance. He fell to the ground and placed his head on the soil. He then said: “If my mother was present by my head, she would have had mercy on me and she would have cried at my disgrace. If my father was present, he would have helped me and seen to my affairs. If my wife was present, she would have cried at being separated from me. If my children were present, they would have cried behind my funeral bier and they would have said: ‘O Allâh! Forgive our poor, weak, sinful and disobedient father who was expelled from his town to a village and from the village to a desert, and from this desert he is leaving this world to go to the hereafter totally despondent.’ O Allâh! You have cut me off from my parents, my children and my wife. Now do not cut me off from Your mercy. You have burnt my heart by separating them from me. Now do not burn me with Your fire because of my sins.’ So Allâh sent a woman of Paradise in the form of his mother, a woman of Paradise in the form of his wife, young boys in the form of his sons and an angel in the form of his father. They all came and sat around him and cried over him. On seeing this, he said: ‘This is my father, my mother, my wife and my children who have come to see me.’ He feels very contented at this and is conveyed to the mercy of Allâh – completely pure and forgiven of all his sins. Allâh then inspired Mûsâ saying to him: ‘Go to such and such desert, to such and such spot, for one of My close friends has passed away. Go to him, see to his affairs and bury him.’ When Mûsâ reaches that spot, he sees the very same youngster whom he had expelled from the town and then from the village by the order of Allâh . And he sees the women of Paradise sitting around him. On seeing all this, Mûsâ says: ‘O Allâh! Is this not the very same person whom I had expelled from the town and then from the village by Your order?!’ Allâh replies: ‘O Mûsâ! I had mercy on him and forgave him because of his crying and moaning at that spot, and because of his exile from his town, his mother, his father, his children and his wife. And I sent a woman of Paradise in the form of his mother, an angel in the form of his father, and a woman of Paradise in the form of his wife so that they may all seek mercy over his disgrace during this exile of his. For surely when an exiled person passes away, the people of the heavens and the earth cry over him out of mercy for him. So how can I not show mercy to him when I am the most Merciful of those who show mercy?’”

When an exiled person is in the throes of death, Allâh says: “O My angels! This exiled person and traveller has left his children, his family, his parents. When he dies, there will be no one to cry and grieve over him.” Allâh then makes one of the angels in the form of his father, one in the form of his mother, one in the form of his child, one in the form of one of his relatives. They all go to him. He opens his eyes and sees his parents and relatives. He is thus heartened by this and his soul leaves him with joy and happiness. Then when his funeral bier is carried, they walk behind it and they supplicate in his favour at his graveside till the day of resurrection. This is the meaning of the words of Allâh: “Allâh is extremely kind to His servants.” [20]

Ibn Atâ rahimahullâh said: The sincerity or insincerity of a person becomes clear during times of affliction and times of prosperity. The person who is grateful during times of prosperity and sorrowful during times of affliction is a liar [and insincere person]. If a person has all the knowledge of the entire human race and of the jinn, and thereafter the winds of affliction blow upon him and he complains over what has afflicted him, then neither his knowledge nor his deeds will help him in any way.

It is stated in a Hadîth Qudsî that Allâh says: “The person who is not pleased with My decision and is not grateful for what I have bestowed upon him should look for a Lord apart from Me.”

Wahb ibn Munabbih rahimahullâh narrates that a Prophet worshipped Allâh for 50 years. So Allâh inspired to him saying: “I have certainly forgiven you.” He asked Allâh : “O my Sustainer! Why are you forgiving me when I have never committed a sin?” So Allâh ordered a vein of his to palpitate fiercely. Consequently, he did not sleep that night. When the morning angel came to him, he complained to him about the palpitation of his vein. The angel replied: “Your Sustainer says to you that your worship of 50 years does not equal this complaint about this vein of yours.”