Islam has covered every nook and corner of human life. The
Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) and his Pure Progeny had expressed their thoughts
about it.
Sickness is called “Maraz” which was used 24 times in the Glorious
Qur’an. It includes the physical and spiritual sickness. Without going into the
complex causes of different sickness, we may review it in the light of Ahlul
Bayt (a.s.)’s sayings. In Surah al-Shu’ara Ayah 80, Allah quotes
Prophet Ibrahim, “And whenever I am sick, then He heals me.”
Primordial Prevention: The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.)
said, “Eat while you have the appetite, and refrain from eating while you still
have the appetite.”
Primary Prevention: Surah al-Baqarah Ayah195 says, “Do
not lay cast yourself into destruction.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “The stomach is
the house of maladies, and denial is the principal medicine, and there is no
well-being in greed.” Imam Ali al-Reza (a.s.) said, “And the peak of denial is
to treat the body gently and with friendliness.”
Secondary Prevention: Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “One of the
Prophets (once) got ill, whereupon he said; I shall not cure myself until He
Who made me sick treats me Himself. The Almighty Allah revealed unto him: I
will not cure you, until you treat yourself, for surely ‘cure’ comes from Me.”
(Bihar ul Anwar v.59 pg. 66)
Islam does not encourage
one to immediately seek medicine for illnesses that take time to disappear.
Instead, one is advised to take natural foods that have a medicinal effect on
body.
Traditions showing how sickness could be advantageous to
the believing souls: The Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said, “Indeed a person may have
a station near Allah which he could not attained only by his actions, (and
thus) he would be afflicted by an ailment in his body by which he would attain
that station.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “When Allah afflicts someone with a
calamity, He reduces his sins in accordance with his calamity.” Imam Ali al-Reza
(a.s.) said, “Sickness is purification and mercy for the believer and a
punishment and curse for the disbeliever. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “A night’s
headache removes all of one’s sins, save the major ones.”
Sadaqah is a powerful
means of curing a sick. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Treat your sick by giving
Sadaqah.” He also said, “Remembering us the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) is a cure from
illness and diseases as well as from insinuation of doubt.”
The principal cause of many of the physical illnesses stem
from spiritual illnesses, either from ourselves or others. An example of the
first is when a person has no sense of temperance and allows his faculty of
desire to prevail over his faculty of intellect, and engages in overindulgence in
eating, copulation etc. Such lifestyle would be replete with illnesses.
Sometimes, you are invited to a friend’s house and served with delicious food,
but because you friend did not observe some religious or hygienic precautions
while cooking, you became ill.
Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.) supplicates in
“Sahifa-e-Sajjadia” in 29 couplets saying, “Praise be to Allah for good health enabling me to do good deeds and for ailments in my body to test me. I do
not know which deserves more thanks. Sickness purifies and decreases the burden of sins.”
Sources: Daily Supplications in the moth of Ramazan by Abu Muhammad
Zaynul Abidin
Sahifa-e-Sajjadia,
A Book of Supplications of the Infallible Imam Ali ibnal Husayn (a.s.)
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