In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
If we or our children, or those who are close to us suddenly get sick, normal life gets affected. We lose peace of mind. If we understand and act upon certain basic facts and act accordingly, we can relieve ourselves from the physical, mental, and material loss that the disease brings.
Holy Qur’an, the latest revelation from our Creator, reminds us of the following facts that must be borne in mind during illness:
1. Disease is a warning:
In the midst of busy life, man forgets about God, the Creator and Cherisher of him and the true purpose of human life. Disease acts as a warning from God in order to make him realize those facts of life and bring him to normality.
2. Let us know our Creator:
When we become ill, it is of prime importance to know our Creator and His attributes. In the Qur’an, God say thus:
= “Say: "He, Allah, is One, Allah, the Eternal, He begets not, nor is He begotten, And there is none like unto Him.”(Quran 112: 1-4)
(The word Allah means the only Lord worthy of worship.)
That is, God, unlike His creations, is alone, independent of anything, beyond birth, death, beginning, end etc. He is ever existing and unexampled
3. Pray to the Lord directly
= And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (Qur’an 2: 186)
Thus we have to understand the attributes of Our Lord and pray to Him directly and without any intercession or superstition or vain rituals and seek speedy relief from illness.
4. Praying and worshiping of creations is useless!
= 'He created me; Then He will guide me. He feeds me; He solves my thirst. He heals me when I am sick. And he will kill me. Then he will give me life. ' (Qur’an 26: 78-81)
All other than the Creator are His creations. It is a sin and an insulting act to abandon the magnificent Creator and take His meager creations as gods in His place. Worshiping them and praying to them is a useless act. It will rather invite the wrath of the Lord and retard the healing process. Therefore, we must pray exclusively to our Creator and seek His help.
5. We must realize that the present life is a test!
= Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (Qur’an 3: 185)
The Qur'an says that this temporary life is a test and the world is created as a test- field. This world will be completely destroyed one day and when God commands again, all human beings will be raised to life for a final trial. The good people will be granted Paradise filled with infinite pleasures and the sinners will be punished in Hell. Life in both Paradise and Hell will be eternal.
6. Paradise and Hell are our permanent dwellings
Paradise is a place of peace and tranquility. There is no place for anxiety, evil, hatred, fatigue, disease, old age, famine, or anything like that. It is a place overwhelmed with unexpected pleasures. Paradise is the place where the Lord arranges gardens, parks, immaculate springs, high mansions, delicious fruit, food and drink in abundance. At the same time, there is hell for those who were thankless to the blessings of the Lord and have lived a life of disobedience and arrogance. It will be life eternal in the midst of a burning fire, and unbearable hunger and thirst. There will be thorny plants and highly boiling fluid to quench hunger and thirst.
There are many references to heaven and hell in the Quran. For example:
= Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised, wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord, like [that of] those who abide eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines? (Quran47:15)
= Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait , For the transgressors, a place of return, In which they will remain for ages [unending]. They will not taste therein [any] coolness or drink Except scalding water and [foul] purulence - Except scalding water and [foul] purulence - (Qur’an 78:21)
7. Illness is a part of test!
= And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." (Qur’an 2:155,156.
As the present life is a test for us the occurrence of disease or other calamities are common here. In the event of such situations we must think about the eternal life hereafter and be patient. As per the above verse, if we utter,"We belong to God, and to Him we return", it really gives great comfort to disturbed soul during illness. The remembrance of God that He is with us during calamity makes health even better than before!
= The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"When a man who is put to the test says, 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi rajiun (surely we belong to the Allah, to Him is the return)' and pray thus "O Lord, grant me compensation for the misery I have suffered, and substitute with best one than what I lost! ”God will definitely grand him the best. (source Muslim)
8. Obtaining Atonement from sins
We must recover from our sins before we pray for the cure of disease. You must ask God for forgiveness. Our food, body, and belongings must be purely earned in order for prayers to be accepted.
9. Taking medical treatment is must
Strengthening our mind with the above mentioned facts of life, further we should proceed to take up suitable medical treatment for the disease. It is the Lord who has made the disease a test of life and He himself instructs us to take treatment.
= Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said, “Take medical treatment! This is because Allah has created medicine for all diseases except death. ” (Source: Abu dawud)
10. Holy Quran is also a cure
During the course of treatment, we should take the medicine and parallaly read the verses of the Quran. There is relief in them too. The Lord says:
= Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure.".. (Quran 41:44)
Recitation of Quranic verses for healing
Given below is the transliteration and English meaning of few Chapters of Qur'an, recommended during illness. The readers themselves or the sick person can recite these verses and pray for cure from God. Let us remember that this will benefit those who strongly believe that the Creator is the only One worthy of worship.
Opening chapter of Quran- Sura Fathiha
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen
Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem
Maaliki Yawmid-Deen
Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een
Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem
Siraatal-lazeena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad-daaalleen
Meaning:
1. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
2. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
4. Master of the Day of Judgment.
5. It is You we worship, and upon You we call for help.
6. Guide us to the straight path.
7. The path of those You have blessed, not of those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided.
Chapter 113 - Sura Falaq:
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Qul a'uzoo bi rabbil-falaq
Min sharri ma khalaq
Wa min sharri ghasiqin iza waqab
Wa min sharrin-naffaa-saati fil 'uqad
Wa min shar ri haasidin iza hasad
Meaning:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
1. Say, “I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak.
2. From the evil of what He created.
3. And from the evil of the darkness as it gathers.
4. And from the evil of those who practice sorcery.
5. And from the evil of an envious when he envies.”
Chapter 114 - Sura Annaas
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Qul a'uzu birabbin naas
Malikin naas
Ilaahin naas
Min sharril was waasil khannaas
Al lazee yuwas wisu fee sudoorin naas
Minal jinnati wan naas
Meaning:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.
2. The King of mankind.
3. The God of mankind.
4. From the evil of the sneaky whisperer.
5. Who whispers into the hearts of people.
6. From among jinn and among people.”
