The Reward for a Person Suffering from Illness

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَتَبَسَّمَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ رَأَيْنَاكَ رَفَعْتَ رَأْسَكَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَتَبَسَّمْتَ قَالَ نَعَمْ عَجِبْتُ لِمَلَكَيْنِ هَبَطَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ يَلْتَمِسَانِ عَبْداً مُؤْمِناً صَالِحاً فِي مُصَلًّى كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهِ لِيَكْتُبَا لَهُ عَمَلَهُ فِي يَوْمِهِ وَ لَيْلَتِهِ فَلَمْ يَجِدَاهُ فِي مُصَلَّاهُ فَعَرَجَا إِلَى السَّم

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once the Messenger of Allah raised his head to the heaven and smiled. He was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we saw you. Why did you raise your head t

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمَ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ ضَعْفُ الْكِبَرِ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْمَلَكَ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ لَهُ فِي حَالِهِ تِلْكَ مِثْلَ مَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ وَ هُوَ شَابٌّ نَشِيطٌ[2] صَحِيحٌ وَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا مَرِضَ وَكَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَلَكاً يَكْتُبُ لَهُ فِي سُقْمِهِ مَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ فِي صِحَّتِهِ حَتَّى يَرْفَعَهُ اللَّهُ وَ يَقْبِضَهُ وَ كَذَلِكَ الْكَافِرُ إِذَا اشْتَغَلَ

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that the Holy Prophet has said, ‘When a Muslim is weakened due to old age, Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, commands an angel to write down for him of good deeds equal to what he did when young, vigorous and in good health. Similarly, when he becomes ill, Allah commands an angel to write

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لِلْمَلَكِ الْمُوَكَّلِ بِالْمُؤْمِنِ إِذَا مَرِضَ اكْتُبْ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَكْتُبُ لَهُ فِي صِحَّتِهِ فَإِنِّي أَنَا الَّذِي صَيَّرْتُهُ فِي حِبَالِي.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “This is a narration of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), from the Messenger of Allah. He (the Messenger of Allah) has said, ‘Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, says to the angel guarding a believi

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ سَهَرُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ مَرَضٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ سَنَةٍ.

"Passing a sleepless night due to an illness is more rewarding than a whole year worshipping."

إِذَا صَعِدَ مَلَكَا الْعَبْدِ الْمَرِيضِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسَاءٍ يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَا ذَا كَتَبْتُمَا لِعَبْدِي فِي مَرَضِهِ فَيَقُولَانِ الشِّكَايَةَ فَيَقُولُ مَا أَنْصَفْتُ عَبْدِي إِنْ حَبَسْتُهُ فِي حَبْسٍ مِنْ حَبْسِي‌[1] ثُمَّ أَمْنَعُهُ الشِّكَايَةَ فَيَقُولُ اكْتُبَا لِعَبْدِي مِثْلَ مَا كُنْتُمَا تَكْتُبَانِ لَهُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ فِي صِحَّتِهِ وَ لَا تَكْتُبَا عَلَيْهِ سَي

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when the two guard angels of a person suffering from illness ascend to heavens every evening, the Lord, Most Holy, Most Blessed, asks them, ‘What did you write down for My servant in his illness?’ They will say, ‘We wrote down his complaints.’

سَهَرُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ مَرَضٍ أَوْ وَجَعٍ أَفْضَلُ وَ أَعْظَمُ أَجْراً مِنْ عِبَادَةِ سَنَةٍ.

“One of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that passing a sleepless night due to an illness or pain is more excellent and of greater reward than worshipping for a whole year.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا مَرِضَ الْمُؤْمِنُ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى صَاحِبِ الشِّمَالِ لَا تَكْتُبْ عَلَى عَبْدِي مَا دَامَ فِي حَبْسِي وَ وَثَاقِي ذَنْباً وَ يُوحِي إِلَى صَاحِبِ الْيَمِينِ أَنِ اكْتُبْ لِعَبْدِي مَا كُنْتَ تَكْتُبُهُ فِي صِحَّتِهِ مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ.

’When a believing person becomes ill, Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, sends revelation to the guard angel on his left side that says, “Do not write any evil thing against My servant until he is in My prison and is tied down in My heavy impediment.” He then sends revelation to the guard angel on his right side that s

الْجَسَدُ إِذَا لَمْ يَمْرَضْ أَشِرَ وَ لَا خَيْرَ فِي جَسَدٍ لَا يَمْرَضُ بِأَشَرٍ[2].

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘If one’s body does not become ill, he is vigorously happy. There is nothing good in a body that never becomes ill even by a strong (reason for) illness.’”

حُمَّى لَيْلَةٍ تَعْدِلُ عِبَادَةَ سَنَةٍ وَ حُمَّى لَيْلَتَيْنِ‌ تَعْدِلُ عِبَادَةَ سَنَتَيْنِ وَ حُمَّى ثَلَاثٍ تَعْدِلُ عِبَادَةَ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ فَلِأُمِّهِ وَ أَبِيهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغَا قَالَ فَلِقَرَابَتِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ قَرَابَتُهُ قَالَ فَلِجِيرَانِهِ.

‘One night’s suffering from fever is equal in reward to worshipping for a whole year, suffering from a fever for two nights is more rewarding than worshipping for two years, and the reward for suffering from fever for three nights is greater than the reward for worshipping up to seventy years. I then asked, ‘What happe

حُمَّى لَيْلَةٍ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا قَبْلَهَا وَ لِمَا بَعْدَهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that suffering from fever for one night is expiation (for the sins) before and thereafter.”