Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Hudhaifah narrates from his paternal aunt Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: We, a few women, went to tend to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). A water-skin was hanging above the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and due to the heat of the fever, its drops were dripping onto him. We said: O Messenger of Allah! If you pray to Allah for healing, He will grant you healing. Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among the people, the Prophets are tested the most severely, then those who are nearest to them in rank, then those who are nearest to them, then those who are nearest to them."

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he was suffering from severe fever. I placed my hand on him over the blanket and felt the heat. I said: O Messenger of Allah! You have such a severe fever! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "For us, where the trial is doubled, the reward is also doubled." I said: O Messenger of Allah! Upon whom is the trial the hardest? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The Prophets, and then the righteous people after them. Sometimes, such severe trials of worry and hunger befall them that they possess nothing except a single cloak to cover their bodies, but these people are as happy with trials and tests as people are happy with ease and prosperity."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was afflicted with any pain, he would groan and turn from side to side. Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: If any of us had done this (because of pain), you would have noticed (but you are doing it yourself). The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “(In matters of illness) righteous people are put to greater hardship, and even the pain of a thorn pricking a believer causes his sins to be forgiven and his rank to be raised.”

Mus'ab bin Sa'd narrates from his father, Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), "Which people are tested the most severely?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "The Prophets, then those who are best after them in righteousness. Every person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is strong in his religion, his trials will be more severe, and if he is weak in his religion, he will be tested according to his strength. The trials continue to befall a person until he walks upon the earth with no sin left upon him."