Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Visiting the Ill
كتاب عيادة المرضى
Chapter 226
بَابُ كَفَّارَةِ الْمَرِيضِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ishaq ibn al-‘Ala’ related to us: ‘Amr ibn al-Harith related to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn Salim related to us, from Muhammad al-Zubaydi, who said: Sulayman ibn ‘Amir related to us, that Ghutayf ibn al-Harith informed him that a man came to Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah while he was ill and asked, “How has the commander’s reward turned out?” He asked, “Do you know what you are rewarded for?” The man replied, “For what befalls us that we dislike.” Abu ‘Ubaydah said, “You are rewarded only for what you spend in Allah’s cause and what is spent for you.” Then he enumerated all the equipment of a saddle, up to the bridle of a packhorse. “But this ailment that afflicts your bodies—through it Allah expiates some of your sins.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The phrase “and what is spent for you” reflects the passive وَاسْتُنْفِقَ لَكُمْ. The English witness gives a different, less literal interpretation of the following phrase about enumerating the saddle equipment; the Arabic does not explicitly state “a reckoning.”
ثُمَّ عَدَّ أَدَاةَ الرَّحْلِ كُلَّهَا حَتَّى بَلَغَ عِذَارَ الْبِرْذَوْنِ،
The Arabic says he enumerated the whole saddle equipment up to the bridle of a packhorse; it does not explicitly mention a reckoning.
Does the English witness’s “reckoning” add an interpretation absent from the Arabic wording?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad related to us: ‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Amr related to us: Zuhayr ibn Muhammad related to us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Halhalah, from ‘Ata’ ibn Yasar, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “No fatigue, illness, worry, sorrow, harm, or distress befalls a Muslim—not even a thorn that pricks him—but Allah expiates some of his sins by it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic names two transmitters, Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah; the English witness names only Abu Hurayrah.
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ،
The Arabic chain names both Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah before attributing the report to the Prophet.
Does the English witness omit Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri from its attribution?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musa related to us: Abu ‘Awanah related to us, from ‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Umayr, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa‘id, from his father, who said: I was with Salman when he visited a sick man in Kinda. When he entered, Salman said to him, “Good news! Allah makes the illness of a believer an expiation and a means of regaining His good pleasure for him. The illness of a wicked person is like a camel that its people hobble and then release; it does not know why it was hobbled or why it was released.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The English witness renders مُسْتَعْتَبًا as “a restoration”; the Arabic word carries the sense of seeking or regaining good pleasure.
فَإِنَّ مَرَضَ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَجْعَلُهُ اللَّهُ لَهُ كَفَّارَةً وَمُسْتَعْتَبًا،
The exact nuance of مُسْتَعْتَبًا is not transparent in this context; the English witness renders it “a restoration.”
Is “a means of regaining His good pleasure” an appropriate contextual rendering here?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musa related to us: Hammad related to us: ‘Adi ibn ‘Adi informed us, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “Affliction will continue to affect a believing man and woman—in their bodies, families, and property—until they meet Allah, Mighty and Majestic, with no sin upon them.”
Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd related to us: ‘Umar ibn Talhah related to us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, with a similar report, adding: “concerning his child.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The second paragraph is an additional transmission and variant included in the Arabic source; the English witness omits it.
حدثنا محمد بن عبيد قال: حدثنا عمر بن طلحة،
The Arabic source appends another chain and a variant adding “in his child,” absent from the English witness.
Should the additional transmission and its added phrase be represented in the English translation?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn Yunus related to us: Abu Bakr related to us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: A Bedouin came, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked, “Has Umm Mildam afflicted you?” He asked, “What is Umm Mildam?” He said, “A heat between the skin and the flesh.” The man said, “No.” He asked, “Have you had a headache?” He asked, “What is a headache?” He said, “A wind that crosses the head and strikes the veins.” The man said, “No.” When he got up to leave, the Prophet said, “Whoever would be pleased to look at a man from among the people of the Fire—let him look at him.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Umm Mildam is retained as the Arabic name for the fever-like affliction described in the report.
Chapter 227
بَابُ الْعِيَادَةِ جَوْفَ اللَّيْلِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Imran ibn Maysarah related to us: Ibn Fudayl related to us: Husayn related to us, from Shaqiq ibn Salamah, from Khalid ibn al-Rabi‘, who said: When Hudhayfah became gravely ill, his kinsmen and the Ansar heard about it. They came to him in the middle of the night or near dawn. He asked, “What time is it?” We said, “The middle of the night or near dawn.” He said, “I seek refuge in Allah from the morning of the Fire.” He asked, “Have you brought what I will be shrouded in?” We said, “Yes.” He said: “Do not be extravagant with shrouds. If I have good with Allah, I will be exchanged for something better than it; but if the other is the case, I will be stripped away swiftly.” Ibn Idris said: We came to him during part of the night.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic phrase صبح النار, literally “the morning of the Fire,” is preserved without the English witness’s added explanation that it heralds entry into Hell.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir related to us: ‘Isa ibn al-Mughirah related to us, from Ibn Abi Dhi’b, from Jubayr ibn Abi Salih, from Ibn Shihab, from ‘Urwah, from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “When a believer falls ill, Allah purifies him as a blacksmith’s bellows remove the impurities from iron.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic refers to the impurities or dross of iron, rather than rust as in the English witness.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bishr related to us: ‘Abd Allah related to us: Yunus informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: ‘Urwah related to me, from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “No Muslim is struck by a misfortune—pain or illness—but it is an expiation for his sins, even a thorn that pricks him or a mishap.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The final Arabic word, النكبة, is a general mishap or misfortune; the English witness expands it as a simple, minor injury.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Al-Makki related to us: al-Ju‘ayd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman related to us, from ‘A’ishah bint Sa‘d, that her father said: I suffered a severe illness in Makkah, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to visit me. I said, “Messenger of Allah, I will leave property, and I have left only one daughter. Shall I bequeath two-thirds of my property and leave one-third?” He said, “No.” I asked, “Shall I bequeath half and leave her half?” He said, “No.” I asked, “Shall I bequeath one-third and leave her two-thirds?” He said, “One-third—and one-third is much.” Then he placed his hand on my forehead, passed it over my face and stomach, and said, “O Allah, heal Sa‘d and complete his emigration for him.” I have continued to feel the coolness of his hand on my liver, as it seems to me, up to this very hour.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The English witness mistranslates the final supplication as “cure sad”; the Arabic names Sa‘d and asks that his emigration be completed.
ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ سَعْدًا،
The Arabic clearly says “heal Sa‘d” and “complete his emigration for him”; the English witness appears to misread Sa‘d as the adjective “sad” and garbles the second request.
Does the witness incorrectly render the name Sa‘d and the request to complete his emigration?
Chapter 228
بَابُ يُكْتَبُ لِلْمَرِيضِ مَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ وَهُوَ صَحِيحٌ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Qabisah ibn ‘Uqbah related to us: Sufyan related to us, from ‘Alqamah ibn Marthad, from al-Qasim ibn Mukhaymirah, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “No one falls ill but what he used to do while well is recorded for him.”
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Arim related to us: Sa‘id ibn Zayd related to us: Sinan Abu Rabi‘ah related to us: Anas ibn Malik related from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “There is no Muslim whom Allah tests in his body but that what he used to do while healthy is recorded for him throughout his illness. If He restores him to health—I think he said, ‘He cleanses him’—but if He takes him, He forgives him.”
Musa related to us: Hammad ibn Salamah related to us, from “Yunam, from Ani,” from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a similar report, adding: “He said: If He heals him, He cleanses him.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic source’s added transmission contains the names “Yunam” and “Ani” as written; their apparent irregularity has not been corrected by conjecture.
عن ينام عن أني،
The appended Arabic chain reads عن ينام عن أني, which appears anomalous but is present in the source text.
Are these names correctly represented in the Arabic source, or does the source contain a transcription error?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Qurrah ibn Habib related to us: Iyas ibn Abi Tamimah related to us, from ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: Fever came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “Send me to those of your people dearest to you.” So he sent it to the Ansar, and it remained among them for six days and nights. This became severe for them, so he came to them in their homes, and they complained to him about it. The Prophet began entering their dwellings one after another, and their houses one by one, praying for their well-being. When he returned, one of their women followed him and said, “By the One who sent you with the truth, I am one of the Ansar, and my father is one of the Ansar. Pray to Allah for me as you prayed for the Ansar.” He said, “Choose what you wish: if you wish, I will pray to Allah to grant you well-being; or if you wish, be patient, and Paradise is yours.” She said, “Rather, I will be patient, and I will not put Paradise at stake.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The fever is personified in the Arabic and speaks directly. The English witness adds no explicit source wording beyond its rendering of this personification.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
And from ‘Ata’, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: “No illness that afflicts me is dearer to me than fever, for it enters every part of me, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gives each part its share of reward.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic source begins with a continuation marker, “and from ‘Ata’,” without the preceding transmission chain.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Yusuf related to us: Sufyan related to us, from al-A‘mash, from Abu Wa’il, from Abu Nuhaylah, to whom someone said, “Pray to Allah.” He said, “O Allah, lessen the illness, but do not lessen the reward.” They said to him, “Pray, pray.” He said, “O Allah, make me one of those brought near, and make my mother one of the houris.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic repeats the request “Pray” twice.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musaddad related to us: Yahya related to us, from ‘Imran ibn Muslim Abu Bakr, who said: ‘Ata ibn Abi Rabah related to me: Ibn ‘Abbas said to me, “Shall I show you a woman from among the people of Paradise?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “This dark-skinned woman came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘I suffer seizures and become uncovered, so ask Allah on my behalf.’ He said, ‘If you wish, be patient and Paradise will be yours; or if you wish, I will ask Allah to grant you well-being.’ She said, ‘I will be patient.’ Then she said, ‘I become uncovered, so ask Allah on my behalf that I not become uncovered.’ So he prayed for her.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The English witness introduces the woman as “black”; the translation uses “dark-skinned” for the Arabic description.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam related to us: Makhlad related to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: ‘Ata informed me that he saw Umm Zufar—that woman—tall and dark-skinned, on the steps of the Ka‘bah. He also said: ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Mulaykah informed me that al-Qasim informed him, that ‘A’ishah informed him that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say: “Whatever befalls a believer, from a thorn or anything greater, is an expiation.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic contains two reports in sequence: ‘Ata’s description of Umm Zufar and a separate report through ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Mulaykah, al-Qasim, and ‘A’ishah.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bishr related to us: ‘Abd Allah related to us: ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Mawhab related to us, who said: My paternal uncle, ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Mawhab, related to me: I heard Abu Hurayrah say that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “No Muslim is pricked by a thorn in this world, bearing it with the hope of reward, but some of his sins will be taken away through it on the Day of Resurrection.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The verb يحتسبها conveys bearing the affliction while seeking reward from Allah.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Umar related to us: my father related to us: al-A‘mash related to us: Abu Sufyan related to me, from Jabir, who said: I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: “There is no believing man or believing woman, Muslim man or Muslim woman, who falls ill with an illness but that Allah thereby removes some of their sins.”
Chapter 229
بَابُ هَلْ يَكُونُ قَوْلُ الْمَرِيضِ: إِنِّي وَجِعٌ، شِكَايَةً؟
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Zakariyya related to us: Abu Usamah related to us, from Hisham, from his father, who said: ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and I went in to visit Asma’, ten nights before ‘Abd Allah was killed. Asma’ was ill. ‘Abd Allah asked her, “How are you feeling?” She said, “I am ill.” He said, “I am at the point of death.” She replied, “Perhaps you want me to die and that is why you are wishing for it. Do not do that. By Allah, I do not want to die until one of your two outcomes comes to pass: either you are killed, and I seek reward through your loss, or you triumph and my eyes are gladdened. Beware lest a course of action be offered to you that you do not approve of, and then you accept it because you hate death.” The compiler adds: Ibn al-Zubayr meant that he would be killed and that this would grieve her.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report includes a final compiler’s clarification about Ibn al-Zubayr’s intent; it is translated outside the dialogue.
فَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُعْرَضَ عَلَيْكَ خُطَّةٌ،
The expression خُطَّةٌ may refer to a proposed plan or course of action; the report does not specify what it is.
Is “course of action” an appropriate general rendering of خُطَّةٌ in this context?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn ‘Isa related to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn Wahb related to us: Hisham ibn Sa‘d informed me, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from ‘Ata’ ibn Yasar, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, that he entered upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was feverish, with a velvet cloak over him. Abu Sa‘id placed his hand on him and felt his heat through the cloak. Abu Sa‘id said, “How severe your fever is, Messenger of Allah!” He replied, “That is how it is with us: affliction is more severe for us, and our reward is multiplied.” Abu Sa‘id asked, “Which people undergo the severest affliction?” He said, “The Prophets, then the righteous. One of them would be tested with poverty until he had nothing but a cloak, which he would cut open and wear. He would be tested with lice until they killed him. One of them would rejoice in affliction more than one of you rejoices in a gift.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic says lice (القُمَّل), whereas the English witness says fleas.
وَيُبْتَلَى بِالْقُمَّلِ حَتَّى يَقْتُلَهُ،
The Arabic word is lice; the English witness instead says fleas.
Does the English witness differ from the Arabic in specifying fleas rather than lice?