Illness is mercy

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ood رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ says the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, ‘It is surprising about a believer that he fears illness. If he came to know what lies for him in illness, then he would prefer to remain ill for his entire lifetime.’ Then the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم lifted his [blessed] head towards the heaven and began to smile. It was requested, ‘O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, why did you raise your head towards the heaven and smile?’ He stated, ‘I am astonished at two angels as they were both looking for a person in a Masjid in which he used to offer Salah. When they did not find him, they went back and requested, ‘O Almighty Lord, we would write the deeds done in the day and night of such-and-such bondsman of Yours, then we saw that You caused him to be afflicted with tribulation.’ So, Allah Almighty states, ‘The deed that My bondsman used to do day and night, write that deed for him and do not reduce his reward, as long as he is afflicted in tribulation, his reward is upon My grace, and for him is also the reward of the deeds that he used to do.’’ (Mu’jam-e-Awsat, vol. 2, p. 11, Hadees 2317)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                           صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

O devotees of the Prophet! We come to know of a few matters from the aforementioned blessed Hadees:

   ۔1The first thing one comes to know is that it is Sunnah to smile whilst speaking. (Makarim-ul-Akhlaq, p. 319, Hadees 21)

Smiling whilst meeting and whilst explaining usually makes the Madani task of calling towards righteousness extremely easy and becomes the cause of remarkable results. Our small act of smiling can win the heart of somebody and bring about change in his life of sins. Hence, one should continue the effort of making a habit of smiling whilst meeting and talking with the intention of Sunnah, you will see its benefits with your own eyes.

   ۔2The second thing one comes to know is that an ill person should never ever dislike his illness due to temporary pain, one should not call illness bad; rather, one should understand this great blessing of the Almighty Lord, and one should be grateful for this blessing of Allah Almighty