Visiting the sick

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The sick person is to be visited after three days."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains Nasr bin Hammad, who is matruk (abandoned), and a group declared him da'if (weak). Ibn Adi said: Despite his weakness, his hadith is to be written down.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) found any man among his companions absent for three days, he would ask about him. If he was away, he would supplicate for him; if he was present (in the city), he would go to meet him; and if he was ill, he would go to visit him. Once he found a man from the Ansar absent on the third day, so he asked about him. It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! We found him like qar' (a barren place where no vegetation grows); whatever goes into his mouth comes out from his private part (as excrement)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to some of his companions: "Visit your brother." The narrator says: We set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to visit that man, and among the people were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). When we reached him, he was in the same condition that had been described to us. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "How are you?" He said: "Whatever goes into my head (that is, my mouth) comes out from my private part." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "What is the reason for this?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah! Once I passed by you while you were leading the Maghrib prayer. I prayed behind you, and you recited Surah al-Qari'ah in it. So I made this supplication: 'O Allah! For whatever sin of mine I am to be punished in the Hereafter, give me the punishment for that sin in this world.' So I have had to face the condition that you are seeing." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You said a very wrong thing. Could you not have asked Allah Almighty to grant you good in this world and good in the Hereafter as well, and to save you from the punishment of Hell?" The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed that man, so the man made this supplication, and then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also supplicated for him. The narrator says: Then that man stood up as though he had been released from ropes. The narrator says: When we came out from there, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! A little while ago you encouraged us to visit the sick, so what reward will we receive for it?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim man goes out of his house to visit his Muslim brother, he remains immersed in mercy up to the place where the lower garment is tied, and when he sits with the sick person, mercy covers him. The sick person is in the shade of the Throne, and the visitor is in the shade of His holiness. Allah Almighty says to the angels: 'Look how much reward the visitors hoped for with the sick person.' The angel says: 'My Lord, for as long as it takes to milk a she-camel,' even if he hoped for reward only for as long as it takes to milk a she-camel. Then Allah Almighty says to the angels: 'Record for My visiting servant the reward of the worship of a thousand years, the voluntary prayers of its nights and the voluntary fasts of its days, and tell him that I will not record a single sin against him.'" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty says to the angels: 'Look for how long they hoped for reward.'" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The angels say: 'For one hour,' even if they hoped for reward for one hour. Then Allah Almighty says: 'Record for him the reward of an age,' and an age consists of ten thousand years. If that person dies before that, he will enter Paradise, and if he lives, not a single sin will be recorded against him. If it is morning (that is, when that person went to visit), seventy thousand angels keep invoking mercy for that person until evening, and that person keeps gathering the fruits of Paradise; and if it is evening (when he goes to visit), seventy thousand angels keep invoking mercy for him until morning, and that person keeps gathering the fruits of Paradise (during that time)."
Abu Ya'la recorded it. Its chain contains Abbad bin Kathir; he was a righteous man, but da'if al-hadith (weak in hadith), and he was deemed matruk (abandoned) because of his heedlessness.

Ali bin Umar bin Ali narrates from his father, from his grandfather, as a marfu' hadith, that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The visit to the sick that is greatest in reward is the one that is shortest, and condolence is offered once."
Al-Bazzar recorded it. He said: I think that the narrator Ibn Abi Fudayk did not hear from Ali.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Visiting the sick on the first day is Sunnah, and after that it is voluntary."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, but in it he recorded these words: "Whatever is beyond that is voluntary."
Al-Bazzar also recorded it, but he recorded these words: "Whatever is more is supererogatory (nafl)." In one of their chains is Ali bin Urwah, who is da'if (weak) and matruk (abandoned), and in the other chain is al-Nadr Abu Umar, and the hadith he narrates is hasan (good).

Abu Dawud narrates: I came to Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu Hamzah! The place is far, and we would like to come to visit you in your illness." He raised his head and said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever visits a sick person plunges into mercy, and when he is sitting with the sick person, mercy covers him." Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah! This reward is for the healthy person who visits the sick; so what reward will the sick person receive?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "His sins are removed from him."
Ahmad recorded it, and Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and he recorded these additional words: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'When the sick person remains ill for three days, he comes out of his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.'" The narrator Abu Dawud is extremely weak (da'if jiddan), and in Tabarani's chain is Ibrahim bin al-Hakam bin Aban, who is also da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who visits the sick plunges into mercy." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his blessed hand on his side and then said: "Like this, while going and while returning (he remains immersed in mercy), and when he sits with the sick person, mercy covers him."
Ahmad and Tabarani recorded it. Its chain mentions that Ubaydullah bin Zahr narrated it from Ali bin Yazid, and both of them are da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person is immersed in mercy, and when he sits with the sick person, he seeks intercession therein; and if Allah wills, you have sought intercession in mercy."
Ahmad recorded it, and Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person remains continually immersed in mercy until he sits down, and when he sits down, he plunges into it (mercy)."
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it. The narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited a sick person, he would sit by his head.
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who visits the sick remains occupied in gathering the fruits of Paradise, and when he sits with him, mercy covers him."
Al-Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains Salih bin Musa al-Talhi, who is da'if (weak); the Imams declared him da'if (weak). Ibn Adi said: He is one of those who do not deliberately lie.

Sayyiduna Amr bin Hazm (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever visits a sick person remains continually in mercy, until, when he sits with the sick person, he seeks intercession therein; and when he gets up from him, he remains continually immersed in mercy until he returns to the place from which he had set out."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy (muwaththaqun).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person plunges into mercy, and when he sits with him, he plunges into it (mercy)."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Saghir, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy (muwaththaqun).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person remains in mercy, and when he sits with him, he plunges into it (mercy)."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Saghir. Apart from Tabarani's teacher, all the rest of its narrators have been declared thiqah (trustworthy); I do not know Tabarani's teacher.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person plunges into mercy, and when he sits with him, mercy covers him. If he visits him in the early part of the day, seventy thousand angels pray for his forgiveness until evening, and if he visits in the latter part of the day, seventy thousand angels pray for his forgiveness until morning." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! This merit is for the one who visits; what (reward) does the sick person receive?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He receives many times this (reward)."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Muhammad bin Abd al-Malik al-Ansari, and I have not found anyone who mentions him.

Zirr bin Hubaysh narrates: We came to Sayyiduna Safwan bin Assal al-Muradi, and he asked: "Have you come to visit?" We said: "Yes." Then he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to meet his believing brother remains immersed in mercy until he returns, and whoever goes to visit his believing brother in his illness remains in the gardens of Paradise until he returns."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Abd al-A'la bin Abi al-Musawir, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a man goes out to visit his believing brother, he remains immersed in mercy up to the place where the lower garment is tied (on the waist)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this while placing his hand on his (or his) knee. Then he said: "When he sits with him, mercy covers him." Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Mu'awiyah bin Yahya al-Sadafi, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jubayr bin Mut'im (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) visit Sa'id bin al-As, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) applying a warm compress to him with a piece of cloth.
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Muhammad bin Dab, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jubayr bin Mut'im (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say to his Companions: "Take us to Banu Waqif, so that we may visit the 'seeing one' (al-Basir)," and he was blind.
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains Muhammad bin Yunus al-Hammal, who is da'if (weak). I think it is in the Musnad with the wording "so that we may pay a visit", and that is why I mentioned it in (the chapter on) righteousness and maintaining ties of kinship.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to visit one of his Companions who was suffering from some illness, and I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his hand and placed his hand on his forehead (or placed his own hand on his forehead). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) considered this to be part of visiting the sick. He said: "Allah Almighty says: 'This is My fire which I set upon My believing servant, so that it may be his share in place of Hell in the Hereafter.'" I say:
Ibn Majah recorded it in abridged form. Its chain contains Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid bin Tamim, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me to visit me in my illness. When he was about to leave, he said: "O Salman! May Allah Almighty remove your hardship, forgive your sin, and grant you well-being in your religion and your body until your last breath."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Amr bin Khalid al-Qurashi, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited a sick person, he would place his blessed hand on the spot where the person felt pain and then recite: "Bismillah, la ba's (seeking blessing through the name of Allah Almighty, no pain will remain)."
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy (muwaththaqun).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to a Bedouin to visit him while he was in a state of fever. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(This illness) will be a means of expiation and purification." The Bedouin said: "No, rather it is a fever that is boiling over an old man, and it will not rest until it has brought him to the grave." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up and left him (to his state).
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy). I say: Later the hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Shurahbil (may Allah be pleased with him) will come in the chapter on the one who is patient through fever and hopes for reward; in it
this narration will come more clearly.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever walks to attend to a need of his Muslim brother, Allah Almighty shades him with seventy-five thousand angels who keep supplicating for him, and such a person remains continually immersed in mercy until he finishes that task. When he finishes, Allah Almighty grants him the reward of a Hajj and an Umrah. And whoever goes to visit a sick person, Allah Almighty shades him with seventy-five thousand angels. Whatever step that person lifts, the angels record a good deed for him, and whatever step he puts down, one of his sins is removed from him, and because of it his rank is raised, until that person goes and sits down in the place for sitting. When he sits down, mercy covers him, and that person remains continually in that state until he returns to the place that was his dwelling.
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains Ja'far bin Maysarah al-Ashja'i, who is da'if (weak).