Selections from Muḥammadan Traditions/Chapter 5
V
THE BOOK OF BIERS
On Visiting the Sick, and the Rewards of Sickness
It is related from Abú Musa that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and free the captive."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "The duties of a Muslim towards fellow-Muslims are five: returning a salutation, visiting the sick, following a bier, accepting an invitation and replying to one who sneezes (by saying 'May God have mercy on thee')."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Verily God most High will say on the day of resurrection, 'O son of Adam, I was sick, and thou didst not visit me.' He will say, 'O Lord, how could I visit Thee when Thou art the Lord of the worlds?' He will say, 'Didst thou not know that My servant so-and-so was sick, and thou didst not visit him. Didst thou not know that if thou hadst visited him, thou wouldst certainly have found Me beside him.' And God will say, 'O son of Adam, I asked food of thee, but thou gayest Me no food.' He will reply, 'O Lord, how couldst I give Thee food, when Thou art the Lord of the worlds?' He will say, 'Didst thou not know that so-and-so, a servant of Mine, asked food of thee, and thou gavest him no food. Didst thou not know that if thou hadst given him food, thou wouldst certainly have found that with Me. O son of Adam, I asked drink of thee, but thou gavest Me nothing to drink.' He will reply, 'O Lord, how could I give Thee water to drink, when Thou art the Lord of the worlds?' He will say, 'So-and-so, a servant of Mine, asked water of thee, but thou gavest him nothing to drink. Didst thou not know that, if thou hadst given him to drink, thou wouldst have found that with Me.'"'—Muslim.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that, 'The Prophet entered in to a desert Arab to visit him—and it was his custom when he visited the sick to say, "There is no fear. It is a purification, if God will"—and he said to him, "There is no fear. It is a purification, if God will." The man replied, "Never! rather it is a fever boiling on an old man, which will send him on a visit to the graves!" The Prophet replied, "Very well, then be it so."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Saʿíduʾl-Khudri that, 'Gabriel came to the Prophet and said, "O Muḥammad, art thou ill?" He replied, "Yes." He said, "In the name of God I utter this spell for thee, that He will protect thee from the evil of every person and of every envious eye. May God heal thee. In the name of God I utter this spell for thee."'—Muslim.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that he said, 'The Apostle of God used to make over Ḥasan and Ḥusain to the protection of God, saying, "I make you over to the protection of the perfect word of God from the evil of every Satan and from every reptile and from every evil eye." And he used to say, "Verily your father (Abraham) used to protect Ishmael and Isaac by these words."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAbduʾlláh bin Masʿúd that he said, 'I entered in to the Prophet when he was in a fever, and I massaged him with my hand, and said, "O Apostle of God, verily the fever is severe upon thee." He replied, "Yes, I am afflicted with fever equal to that of two other men of you." I said, "That is because thou wilt obtain a double reward." He replied, "Yes." Then he said, "There is no Muslim afflicted with illness or anything else, but God thereby puts away his sins, as a tree sheds its leaves."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that she said, 'I never saw anyone suffer such severe pain as the Apostle of God.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Martyrs are of five kinds: those who die of pestilence, of stomach troubles, of drowning, of a broken back, and those who die in war for the faith."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that she said, 'I asked the Apostle of God about the plague, and he informed me that it was a punishment which God sends upon whomsoever He wills, and that God had made it a mercy for the believers. He said, "There is no one on whom the plague comes who remains in his own country, patiently considering the matter, and knowing that nothing can befall him unless God has written it for him, but he will receive a reward equal to that of a martyr."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Usámah bin Zaid that, 'The Apostle of God said, "The plague is a punishment which was sent on one of the tribes of the Children of Israel, or on those who preceded you. Therefore when ye hear of its presence in a country, do not go into it; and when it breaks out in the land in which ye are, then do not flee away from it."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAlí that he said, 'I heard the Apostle of God say, "There is no Muslim who visits a sick Muslim in the morning, but seventy thousand angels pray for blessings upon him until the evening comes. And if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for blessings upon him until the morning dawns; and there will be prepared for him a garden in paradise."'—Abú Dáud, At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Abúʾl-Dardái that he said, 'I heard the Apostle of God say, "Whoever of you complains of any sickness, or his brother complains of sickness, let him say, 'Our Lord God, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy command is in heaven and on earth. As Thy mercy is in heaven, so make it upon earth. Forgive our sins and our transgressions. Thou art the Lord of the pure. Send down mercy from Thy mercy, and healing from thy healing upon this pain, and it will be healed.'"'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from ʿAbduʾlláh bin ʿOmar that, 'The Apostle of God said, "When a man comes to visit the sick, let him say, O God, heal Thy servant, that he may wound for Thee the enemy or go for Thee to a funeral.'"'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that she said, 'I saw the Prophet when he was dying, and near him was a vessel in which was water; and he put his hand into the vessel, and then wiped his face and then said, "O God, aid me against the evils of death or the agony of death."'—At Tirmidhí, Ibn Májah.
It is related from Abú Saʿíd that, 'The Apostle of God said, "When ye enter in to a sick person, then speak hopefully of his condition. That will not avert anything from him, but it will be a solace for his soul."'—At Tirmidhí, Ibn Májah.
It is related from Anas that he said, 'A Jewish boy used to wait on the Prophet, and he fell sick. And the Prophet came to visit him and sat down near his head. And he said to him, "Become a Muslim." And the boy looked towards his father, who was near him. He said, "Obey the father of Qásim (i.e. Muḥammad)." Then he embraced Islám. And the Prophet went out saying, "Praise be to God, who has saved him from the fire."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Yaḥya bin Saʿíd that he said, 'Verily death came to a man in the time of the Apostle of God. And a certain man said, "He was fortunate. He died without being afflicted with disease." The Apostle of God replied, "Alas on thee! Who told thee? If God had tormented him with disease, it would have made expiation for his sins."'—Málik.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that, 'The Apostle of God said, "When the sins of a servant (of God) increase, and he has no works wherewith to make expiation for them, then God afflicts him with grief in order to make expiation for him."'—Aḥmad.
It is related from Thawbán that, 'The Apostle of God said, "When fever attacks any one of you—and verily fever is a part of the fire—then let him extinguish it with water; and let him immerse himself in a flowing river, and let him face the current and say, 'In the name of God. O God, cure Thy servant and establish the truthfulness of Thine Apostle.' (This should be done) after the morning prayer and before the rising of the sun. And let him plunge himself in it in three immersions for three days. And if he is not well in three, then let him do it for five days; and if he is not cured in five, then let him do it for seven; and if he is not cured in seven, then for nine. For verily it scarcely ever exceeds nine, by the permission of God, the Exalted and Magnified."—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from ʿOmar binuʾl-Khaṭṭáb that, 'The Apostle of God said, " When thou enterest in to a sick person, command him to pray for thee, for verily his supplication is like the supplication of the angels."'—Ibn Májah.
On Wishing for Death
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Let not any one of you wish for death; the good man because, perchance, (if he live) he may increase in goodness, and the wicked man because, perchance, he may seek the pleasure of God."'—Al Bukhákrí.
It is related from ʿAbduʾlláh bin ʿOmar that he said, 'The Apostle of God seized me by my shoulder and said, "Be in the world as if thou wert a stranger or one passing on a journey."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Umámah that he said, 'We sat near the Apostle of God, and he was reminding us (of death), and he touched our hearts. And Saʿd bin abú Waqqáṣ wept and exceeded in his lamentation, and said, "Would that I had died!" The Apostle of God said, "O Saʿd, near me dost thou wish for death!" This he repeated three times. Then he said, "O Saʿd, if thou hast been created for paradise, then the longer thy life and the better thine actions, the better it will be for thee."'—Aḥmad.
On what should be Said, to One approaching Death
It is related from Abú Saʿíd and Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Repeat to your dead, 'There is no God but Alláh.'"'—Muslim.
It is related from Muʾádh bin Jabal that, 'The Apostle of God said, "That person whose last words are, 'There is no God but Alláh,' will enter paradise."'—Abú Dáud.
On Washing and Shrouding the Dead
It is related from ʿÁyesha that, 'The Apostle of God was shrouded in three garments of white cloth of yemen of cotton from Suhuli. There was no shirt and no turban.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Dress yourselves in white clothes, for they are the best of your clothes; and shroud your dead in them. And the best collyrium for you is ithnúd, for it makes the hair grow and brightens the eyes."'—Abú Dáud, At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Abú Saʿlíduʾl Khudri that, 'When death drew near to him, he called for new clothes and put them on. Then he said, I heard the Apostle of God say, "The dead will be raised up in the clothes in which he dies."'—Abú Dáud.
On Going with a Bier
It is related from Abu Saʾíd that, 'The Apostle of God said, "When a corpse is placed (on a bier), and men carry it on their shoulders, then, if it was a good person, it will say 'Carry me forward.' And if it was not a good person, it will say to its bearers, 'Woe to it! where are you carrying it!' And everything hears its voice except mankind ; and if mankind heard it he would swoon away."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Jábir that he said, 'A funeral passed by, and the Apostle of God stood up for it, and we stood up with him. And we said, "O Apostle of God, verily it was a Jewess." He replied, "Verily death is a terrible thing, therefore whenever you see a funeral, stand."—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Auf bin Málik that he said, 'The Apostle of God prayed over a corpse, and I memorized a part of his prayer. He said, "O Lord, forgive him, and have mercy on him, and preserve him from evil, and remit his sins for him, and make his resting-place honourable, and expand the (grave) into which he enters, and wash him with water and with snow and with hail, and purify him from sins as Thou cleansest a white robe from impurity, and exchange for his (present) house a better one, and for his people a better people, and for his wife a better wife. Enter him into paradise, and protect him from the punishments of the grave and the punishment of the fire." And in another tradition it runs, "Protect him from the afflictions of the grave and the punishment of the fire." Auf said, (He prayed thus) until I wished that I might become that dead man.'—Muslim.
It is related from Ibn ʿOmar that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Make mention of the good deeds of your dead, but abstain from their faults."'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from ʿUbádah binuʾṣ-Ṣámit that he said, 'When the Apostle of God used to follow a corpse he did not sit down until it was placed in the grave. And a learned man of the Jews approached him and said to him, "O Muḥammad, we do the same as this." ʿUbádah said, 'Then the Apostle of God sat down and said, "Do the opposite to what they do."'—At Tirmidhí, Abú Dáud, Ibn Májah.
It is related from Abú Músá that, 'The Apostle of God said, "When a corpse passes by thee whether it be of a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim, then stand up for it, for ye do not rise for it, but ye only rise for the angels who are with it."'—Aḥmad.
On Burying the Dead
It is related from Abuʾl-Hayyájuʾl Asadi that he said, "Alí said to me, "Shall I not send thee on a business on which the Apostle of God sent me? Namely, that thou do not leave any image without effacing it, or any high tomb without levelling it with the ground."'—Muslim.
It is related from Jábir that he said, 'The Apostle of God prohibited tombs from being built with mortar, or from being built over, or from being sat upon.'—Muslim.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that, 'The Apostle of God said, "The breaking of the bones of a dead person is like breaking them when he is alive."—Málik, Abú Dáud, Ibn Májah.
It is related from ʿAmru bin Ḥazm that he said, 'The Prophet saw me leaning on a grave, and he said, "Do not annoy the occupant of this grave, or (he said) do not annoy him."'—Aḥmad.
On Weeping over the Dead
It is related from Anas that he said, 'We entered in with the Prophet to Abú Saif, the blacksmith, and he was the husband of Abraham's wet-nurse. And the Apostle of God took Abraham (his son) and kissed him and smelt him. After that we entered into him again when Abraham was at the point of death, and the eyes of the Apostle of God were flowing with tears; and ʿAbduʾr-Raḥmán bin Auf said to him, "And dost thou (weep also), O Apostle of God?" He replied, "O Ibn Auf, verily they are tears of compassion." Then he followed it with more tears and said, "Verily the eyes shed tears, and the heart is oppressed with grief; and we say nothing but what is pleasing to our Lord; and we, O Abraham, are verily sore grieved at thy separation from us."—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Usámah bin Zaid that he said, 'The daughter of the Prophet sent to him saying, "My son is at the point of death; come to us." And he sent one to give his salutations and to say, "Verily to God belongs what He has taken, and to Him belongs what He has given, and everyone has a fixed time with him. Therefore let her have patience and consider." Then she sent to him adjuring him that he must certainly come to her. And he rose up, and with him were Saʿd bin ʿUbádah and Muʿádh bin Jabal and Ubai bin Kaʿb and Zaid bin Thábit and other men. And the child was lifted up for the Apostle of God, and his life was flickering away. And the Apostle's eyes overflowed with tears, and Saʿd said, "O Apostle of God, what is this!" He replied, "This is compassion which God has placed in the hearts of His servants; and verily God only compassionates those of His servants who are compassionate."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAbduʾlláh bin Masʿúd that he said, 'The Apostle of God said, "That person is not one of us who beats his cheeks and rends the bosom of his garments and cries out with the cries of the time of ignorance."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "No Muslim loses three children by death and enters the fire, except to expiate the oath (that all must enter hell)."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Saʿíduʾl-Khudri that he said, 'The Apostle of God cursed the woman who made lamentation (for the dead), and he cursed the one who listened to her.'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from Abú Barzah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "He who comforts a woman bereft of her children, will be clothed with the cloak of a derwish in paradise."'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Al Mughíra bin Shuʿbah that he said, 'I heard the Apostle of God say, "He over whom lamentation is made will be punished at the day of resurrection for the lamentation made over him."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAmrah bint ʿAbduʾr-Raḥmán that she said, 'I heard ʿÁyesha say—when it was mentioned to her that ʿAbduʾllah bin ʿOmar had said that the dead would certainly be punished for the lamentations of the living over them—"God forgive the father of ʿAbduʾr-Raḥmán. Beware! he did not lie, but he forgot or he made a slip. The facts were these; the Apostle of God only passed by a Jewish woman over whom lamentation was being made, and he said, 'Verily these are lamenting over her, and she is certainly being punished in her grave.'"'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
On Visiting Graves
It is related from Buraidah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "I prohibited you from visiting graves, but (now) visit them; and I prohibited you from meat which had been offered in sacrifice above the space of three days, but (now) retain it as long as you like; and I prohibited you from unfermented wine, except in a leathern bag, but now drink it from all kinds of drinking vessels; but do not drink anything intoxicating."'—Muslim.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that he said, 'The Prophet visited his mother's tomb and wept, causing those around him to weep also. And he said, "I sought permission of my Lord to pray for forgiveness for her, but permission was not given me; and I asked His permission to visit her tomb, and permission was given me. Therefore visit the tombs, for they remind of death."'—Muslim.