What are the Islamic manners of visiting the sick?
The Prophet ﷺ said: on the Day of Judgement, Allah will ask — I was sick, and you did not visit Me. The companions, astonished, asked how. He said: the sickness of any of My servants is My sickness in the community.
10 passages from 6 books in the library
The Islamic manners of visiting the sick center on compassion, presence, and bearing witness to the dying with mercy. Al-Ghazali's Iḥyāʾ preserves moving scenes: As-Sunābiḥī visited Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit during his final illness "and he began to weep"; the gravely ill, when asked their wishes, replied that "the fear of hell has left no room in my heart for desires"; and Umar in his final illness prayed for an easy death. The accounts model attending the sick with empathy, prayer, and reflection on mortality.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 6 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"abandon it, and an unknown illness cannot be treated. Ignorance is an illness unknown,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, shared that if the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was unable to perform his night prayer due to sleep or illness, he would make up for it by praying 12 units at the start of the day."
-
"Aisha's Hadith, narrated by Muslim, states that if the Prophet, peace be upon him, was overcome by sleep or illness and missed his night prayer, he would make it up during the day."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"When asked during his illness if he desired anything, he replied, the fear of hell has left no room in my heart for desires."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"Recounted that during his final illness Umar would say Oh Allah ease my death for them even for just an hour of the day on"
-
"During his final illness Abd al-malik Ibn Marwan was asked. How do you find yourself commander of the faithful?"
-
"As-Sunabahi reported that he visited Ubadah ibn As-Samit during his final illness, and he began to weep."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"unbearable illness, with pain preventing him from sleeping, leading to restless days without eating,"
-
"experiencing the delight of health after prolonged illness. Then he looks to find a large number of"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"absence. His body grows thinner daily due to his meager diet, but his illness diminishes every day"
Want a different angle?
Type your question below — JM Scholar will ground its answer in the same sources.