(part 1 of 2): endure suffering with patience
Before we talk about how a believer behaves when he is sick or injured, it is important to understand what Islam is telling us about life in this world. Our existence here on earth is just a short stay on the way to our real life in the hereafter. Paradise or hell will be our eternal abode. This world is a place of temptation and trial. God made it for us for our pleasure, but it is a place for more than just worldly delights. Here is where we serve our true purpose; we live our lives in the service of God. We laugh, we play, we cry and feel heartache and sadness, but every state and every feeling is from God. We respond with patience and gratitude and hope to the eternal reward.
“This earthly life is nothing but a pastime and a game; the dwelling place of the hereafter – that is the real life, if only they knew it! ” (Quran 29:64)
God did not create us and then abandoned us to the pleasures and temptations of life; He sent us messengers and prophets to teach us and revelation books to guide us. He also blessed us with countless gifts. Each gift makes life wonderful and temporarily bearable. When we stop and think about our existence, God’s gifts are obvious. Watch the rain falling outside, feel the light burning of the sunshine on your bare skin, put your hand on your chest and feel the strong, rhythmic beating of your heart. These are gifts from God and we should be thankful for them as well as for our home, our children and our health. But God tells us that we are being tested, He says:
“And we will certainly test you with a little fear, hunger and a reduction in property, human life and fruit. But announce good news to the patient. ” (Quran 2: 155)
God advised us to endure our temptations and trials patiently. However, this is difficult without understanding that everything in this world happens with God’s consent. No leaf falls from a tree without God’s permission. No business fails, no car has an accident, and no marriage ends without God’s permission. No illness or injury affects a person without God’s permission. He has power over all things. God does what He does for reasons that sometimes go beyond our understanding and for reasons that are sometimes not apparent. However, in His infinite wisdom and grace, God only wants the best for us. Ultimately, what is best for us is eternal life in a place of eternal bliss, paradise.
„Your Lord promises you His mercy and His pleasure and gardens in whose eternal bliss you will be.“ (Quran 9:21)
Given each trial, a believer must be certain that God has prescribed nothing but good for him. The good can be from the pleasures of this world or in the hereafter. The Prophet Muhammad, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, said: “How wonderful the believer’s affairs are because all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him again, he is grateful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him again, he endures it with patience and that is also good for him. ”[1] God tests us with the temptations and trials of life, and if we patiently endure it, we will receive great reward. Through changing circumstances and difficult times, God tests our faith, assures our ability to be patient, and clears some of our sins. God is exceedingly loving and wise and knows us better than we know ourselves. We will not be able to reach paradise except through His grace, and His grace is manifested in the temptations and trials of this life.
The life of this world is mere delusion. The most useful thing for us is good deeds that we are able to do. Families are tempting because God says they can mislead us, but they can also take us to paradise. Wealth is a temptation to desire it can make us stingy and stingy, but distributing it and using it for the benefit of the needy can bring us closer to God. Health is also a test, good health can make us feel invincible and that we don’t need God; But bad health has a way of humiliating us and forcing us to rely on God. How a believer responds to life’s circumstances is very important.
What happens when the pleasures of life suddenly become tortured? How should you react when you are struck by illness or injury? Of course we accept our fate and patiently endure the pain, sadness or suffering, because we know with certainty that it is from God and brings a lot of good things with it. The Prophet Muhammad said: „No misfortune and no illness affects a Muslim, no worries, no grief, no harm and no suffering – not even a thorn stings him without God forgiving some of his sins.“ [2] We are now sometimes imperfect people. We can read these words, we can even understand the feeling, but sometimes it is quite difficult to behave with acceptance. It’s much easier to lament and cry about our situation,
„And truly, your Lord will give you and you will be content.“ (Quran 94: 5)
A believer is obliged to take care of his body and mind, so it is essential to maintain good health. But when we are struck by illness or injury, it is vital to follow God’s guidance. A believer must seek medical help and do everything in his power to achieve healing or recovery, but at the same time seek help in prayer, remembrance of God, and worship. Islam is a holistic way of life, body and mind go hand in hand. In the second part, we will examine in more detail the steps to be taken.
Footnotes:
[1] Sahieh Muslim
[2] Sahieh Al-Bukhari, Sahieh Muslim
(part 2 of 2): God’s grace knows no limits
In the first part we discussed enduring temptations and trials with patience and understanding that nothing could happen without God’s permission happens.
“With him are the keys to the hidden; only He knows them. And He knows what’s in the country and what’s in the sea. And not a leaf falls without knowing it; and there is no grain in the darkness of the earth and nothing moist and nothing dry that is not in a clear book. ” (Quran 6:59)
If we are ill or injured, the reasons for this may not be obvious or may be beyond our understanding. But God only wants good things for humanity. We can therefore be sure that there is great wisdom behind suffering and that it gives us the opportunity to develop a closer connection to God. Of course, as human beings we have free will and we are free to choose our own course of action, but the best reaction is patience and acceptance.
The Prophet Muhammad, God’s blessing and peace be upon him, has informed us that we are being tested according to our level of faith, and the least good thing that comes from these trials is the purification of sins. He said a man will be tested according to his religious commitment and the trials will keep a servant of God busy until he walks on the surface of the earth without the burden of any sins. [1]
When we get sick or injured, it’s normal to be afraid. At times we can also feel annoyed and wonder why God could have allowed this to happen. We ask and complain, but there is no use other than stressing our grief or suffering. God, in His infinite wisdom and grace, has given us clear guidelines on what to do when we are struck by illness or injury. If we follow these guidelines, it is possible to get through the visitation with ease and even be grateful. When he is afflicted with an illness or injury, he or she trusts in God, expresses his gratitude no matter what God has prescribed for him, and seeks medical help.
Medical treatment is allowed in Islam and to seek medical help does not deny or deny the idea of trust in God. The Prophet Muhammad made this clear when he said, „No illness has been prescribed except that there is a cure.“ [2] A believer can go to a doctor to treat illness and injury. He can go there to seek a diagnosis and cure for mental illness or emotional states. However, there are some small guidelines, including that healing should not be requested with measures that are prohibited, such as alcohol. After all, God does not give healing through things that He has forbidden.
It is not allowed to expect healing from fortune tellers, magicians and other charlatans. These people pretend to have knowledge of secrecy, which is not possible, and they are just trying to blackmail people and distract them from the one True God. God has also banned the use of amulets and good luck charms to ward off illness and injury. All power and all power comes from God. Asking someone or something other than God to heal or protect us is a very serious sin.
During treatment or healing in this physical world, it is also important to seek healing through spiritual means. The first is to think positively about God, to confirm your belief in Him, and to think about His names and qualities. He is the Most Merciful, the Lover and the Most Wise. We are asked to name Him with the names that best suit our needs.
“He has the most beautiful names. Everything that is in heaven and on earth praises Him, and He is the Exalted, the All-Wise ”(Quran 59:24)
God has not left us to the temptations, trials and worries of this world, He has given us guidance and the most powerful weapon against agony and oppression – the Quran, words of remembrance and supplication and prayer. [3] As we advanced into the 21st century, we started relying on medical help instead of spiritual remedies, but using both hand in hand can often be much more effective. Sometimes illnesses persist, sometimes conditions become chronic, but sometimes disrupted health can bring great spiritual insight.
How many times have we heard from people with debilitating illnesses or terrible disabilities who thank God for their condition or how the pain and suffering have brought blessings and goodness into their lives? If we feel alone and desperate, then God is our only stop. When the pain and suffering become unbearable, when there is nothing left except fear and misery, we achieve the one thing that can bring us salvation – God. Whole and total trust and absolute submission to God’s will bring joy and freedom, this is known as the sweetness of faith. It is peace and tranquility and it enables us to accept all the conditions that this world brings with it, the good, the bad, the ugly, the painful, the shattering and the joyful.
Finally, it is important to understand that illnesses and injuries can be God’s way of cleaning us. As human beings, we are not perfect, we make mistakes, do bad things and even break God’s commandments.
“And whatever misfortune you may encounter is based on what your hands did. And He forgives a lot. ” (Quran 42:30)
The grace of God should never be underestimated. He is asking us to ask forgiveness from Him. The Prophet Mohammad reminded us that God is waiting for us to turn to Him. In the last third of the night, when the darkness weighs heavily on the land, God descends to the lowest sky and asks His servants: “Who prays to Me so that I can answer him? Who is asking me something so that I can give him? Who asks me for forgiveness so that I can forgive him? ”[4]
We often experience misfortune, pain and suffering because of our own actions. We choose to commit a sin, but God cleanses us through loss of wealth, health, or things we love. Suffering now in this world sometimes means that we do not have to suffer for all eternity, sometimes all this pain and distress means that we will reach a higher rank in paradise.
God knows the wisdom behind why bad things happen to good people. In general, everything is good that makes us turn to God. In times of crisis, people are driven closer to God, while in times of well-being we often forget where this well-being comes from. God is the provider and He is the most generous. God wants to reward us with an eternal life and if pain and suffering guarantee paradise, poor health and injury are a blessing. The Prophet Muhammad said, „If God wants to do something good to someone, He will haunt him with trials.“ [5]
When you get sick, the best thing to do is to thank God, try to get closer to him, and get medical help to avail and count the blessings He has given us.
Footnotes:
[1] Ibn Majah.
[2] Bukhari
[3] A detailed explanation of the healing power of the Quran is in our article Health in Islam Part 2.
[4] Sahieh Al-Bukhari, Sahieh Muslim, Malik, At Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud
[5] Sahieh Al- Bukhari.
Source: https://www.islamland.com/deu/articles/wie-man-sich-verhlt-wenn-man-von-krankheit-getroffen-wird