33 Sunnahs And Manners Of Visiting The Ill

The excellence of sending ṣalāt upon the Prophet

The final Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم declared, “Whoever recites ṣalāt upon me once has ten mercies sent upon them and ten good deeds written for them by Allah.”¹

¹ Sunan Tirmidhī, vol. 2, p. 28, Hadith 484

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

33 sunnahs and manners of visiting the ill

Here are eight hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم regarding visiting the ill.

1.      عَوُدُوا الْمَرِيضَ – “Visit the ill.”¹

2.      Allah bestows the shade of 75,000 angels upon he who visits the unwell, records a good deed when he lifts his foot, and removes a sin and raises him by one rank when he places it down. This continues until the person sits in his place, upon which mercy envelops him until he returns home.²

3.      Whoever visits a sick person, a caller exclaims from the sky, “Glad tidings to you! Your traversing is virtuous, and you have made a home for yourself in Paradise.”³

4.      If a Muslim visits a sick Muslim in the morning, 70,000 angels pray for his forgiveness until evening, and if he visits in the evening, 70,000 angels pray for his forgiveness until morning, and he shall have a garden in Paradise.⁴

5.      Whoever performs ablution well and visits his ‘unwell’ Muslim brother whilst intending to earn reward, will be moved away from Hell by the distance of 70 years.⁵

6.      When you come to an unwell person, ask them to pray for you, as their prayers are like that of the angels.⁶

¹ Al-Adab al-Mufrad, p. 137, hadith 518

² Al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ, vol. 3, p. 222, hadith 4396

³ Sunan Ibn Mājah, vol. 2, p. 192, hadith 1443

⁴ Sunan Tirmidhī, vol. 2, p. 290, hadith 971

⁵ Sunan Abī Dāwūd, vol. 3, p. 248, hadith 3097

⁶ Sunan Ibn Mājah, vol. 2, p. 191, hadith 1441

7.      Until they regain health, the prayers of the unwell are not rejected.¹

8.      If a Muslim visits another ‘unwell’ Muslim whose time of death has not arrived and proceeds to recite this seven times, أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ، رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ, Allah will cure him from that illness.²

9.      Definition of عِيَادَت: its linguistic meaning is to inquire after the health of a sick person by visiting him.³

10.  Visiting an ill person is sunnah. If you know your visit will be inconvenient for him, do not go.⁴

11.  Even if you are displeased with the ailing person or he is not agreeable with your disposition, you should still visit him.

12.  Visit the ill person purely intending to follow the sunnah. If you visit merely because you want him to visit you when you fall ill, you will not receive reward.

13.  If you visit someone and notice his illness is severe, neither talk to him in such a way that instils fear, e.g., “You are in a critical condition”, nor shake your head in a way that indicates he is seriously unwell.

¹ Al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb, vol. 4, p. 166, hadith 19

² Sunan Abī Dāwūd, vol. 3, p. 251, hadith 3106

³ Urdu Lughat, vol. 13, p. 604

⁴ Bahār-i-Sharīat, vol. 3, p. 505

14.  When visiting the unwell or troubled individual, show distress and sorrow from your facial expressions according to that which is appropriate to the circumstances.

15.  Never converse in such a manner that the ailing person or his loved ones fall prey to the Satanic whisper that you are happy at his illness or problem.

16.  Show your support to the patient’s family members as well and offer them all possible assistance.

17.  Visit the unwell person, ask how he is, and pray for his recovery and wellbeing.

18.  When the Prophet صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم visited an unwell person, it was his blessed practice to say, لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ.¹

19.  Request the sick person to pray for you, as their prayer is not rejected.

20.  The final Prophet صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم said, “The complete manner of visiting the sick is to place your hand on their forehead and ask how they are.”²

21.  Discussing this hadith, Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ writes:

When anyone visits the unwell, he should place his hand on their forehead and say this (by asking, “How are you?”). This consoles the patient, but avoid placing your hand for a prolonged period. This action is to express love.¹

¹ Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, vol. 2, p. 505, hadith 3616

² Sunan Tirmidhī, vol. 4, p. 344, hadith 2740

¹ Mir’āt al-Manājīḥ, vol. 6, p. 358, summarized

22.  If the unwell person feels discomfort when you place your hand on his forehead, then refrain from doing so. If he is an amrad and معاذَ الله one feels lust by placing their hand on his head, the act of placing one’s hand on his head will become a sin. If you feel lust by looking at him, your act of looking is also forbidden. (The same applies if the unwell individual is not an amrad.)

23.  Speak of things which make the unwell person happy or comfort his heart. Mention the virtues of illness and discuss the mercy of Allah, so his mind focuses on the reward of the Hereafter, and he avoids complaining.

24.  According to the situation at hand, speak of good deeds and invite the unwell person to perform them. Encourage them to maintain their salah, as many otherwise punctual individuals begin missing their prayers when unwell.

25.  Motivate the ill person to watch Madani Channel and inform him about its blessings.

26.  Talk to the ailing person about travelling in a Madani qafilah. If he is unable to, kindly encourage him to make one of his family members travel on his behalf. Tell him about the blessings of these, in which patients were miraculously cured by virtue of prayers made during them.

27.  Do not stay long with the patient and do not make commotion. Yet, if the patient wants you to spend more time with him, you may do so if possible, respecting his wish.

28.  Some people have a habit of prescribing some medicines to the sick person or his attendant. Others even insist the patient should take their prescribed treatment. The unwell person should not take the medicine or treatment suggested to him by anyone and everybody.

As the saying goes, nīm hakīm khatra-i-jān; “A doctor with little knowledge endangers your life.” An unwell person should consult with his doctor before using the medicine prescribed by someone.

Those who are not expert doctors but prescribe medicines regardless are sinful. Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ said, “It is haram for he who is not qualified to prescribe medicine or treatment, and it is obligatory for him to refrain from this.”¹

29.  Taking fruit or biscuits, etc. as a gift to the unwell is a commendable act. Yet, it is not good to avoid the visit entirely if one has nothing to bring, fearing the unwell may mind. One should visit even if he has nothing to present; to avoid visiting for this reason deprives a person of reward.

30.  When visiting a patient, some people take a bouquet of flowers. This is permissible, but not usually useful. Whatever you are to gift, ensure it has use. As a suggestion, gift booklets of Maktabat al-Madinah in place of a bouquet, or even alongside it. This way, the unwell person can give these to other visitors, or those around him if he is in hospital.

It would be excellent if the patient himself sends someone to buy booklets and earns reward by keeping them for this purpose! The topic of these booklets should be selected with great care.

31.  Visiting an open sinner (fāsiq) is permissible, as it is an Islamic right, and the former is Muslim.¹

32.  It is not permissible to visit a sick apostate and a ḥarbī disbeliever. (At the present time, all disbelievers in the world are ḥarbī.)

33.  It is also forbidden to visit a heretic whose deviancies have not reached the level of disbelief.

¹ Bahār-i-Sharīat, vol. 3, p. 505

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد