From the Mimbar: Man and His Ailment (I)

Monday 03-Dec-2018, 8:52AM / 1996

Being the English Rendition of the Text of Khutbah Delivered by Al-Ustaadh Tawfeeq Olanrewaju (Aboo Hanoon) on Friday 23rd Rabiul Awwal, 1440 (st December, 2018) at Masjid Tawheed, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria. 

Translation and Transcription by Aboo Ubaydah Ridwan Sanyaolu


(All Praise is due to Allah, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah (the all-Mighty))

Al-Imaam al-Bukhaari reported in his Saheeh, from the hadeeth of ‘Abdullaah bn Mas’ood (Radiyallaah ‘anhu), he said: 

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) drew a square (on the sand), then he drew a line in the middle of the square, stretching (from inside the square) to the outer part, then he drew some other small lines on the side of the line he had drawn, then the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said:

This is the individual, and this is his lifespan (pointing to the square) surrounding him, and all these small lines (on the side of the straight line in the middle of the square) are his actions, and this line (pointing to the line in the middle of the square stretching to the outside of it) are things that will befall him in this life. Then, the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said: if this misses him (pointing to one of the small lines), this one will hit him, if this one misses him, this other one will hit him.

Oh, you slave of Allah, this is a good example from your Prophet (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) for the entirety of the mankind. The reality of that which the mankind lives in this world but the point of reference is his statement (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam): if this misses him (pointing to one of the small lines), this one will hit him, if this one misses him, this other one will hit him, and Allah (the Most High) has said: 

“Verily we have created the mankind in difficulty”. 

The mankind is surrounded with discomfort and trials, and the mankind in his existence is tested, this is general for both the believers and other than them, the youths and the aged. Allaah (the Most High) said to the believers: 

“If you (the believers) feel pain, they (the disbelievers) also feel pains as you do, but you (the believers) hope from Allaah that which they (the unbelievers) do not hope (from Allaah)”.

Trials, O slave of Allaah is general.

But regrettably  O you slave of Allaah, when trials befall the mankind, majority of the mankind negates their Eeman and Tawheed and the thread the paths different from the path laid down by Allaah and they seek solutions involving the association of partners with Allaah in worship, they run down to the south-sayers and the magicians but this regrettably is the complete negation to the path of guidance. 

Oh you slave of Allaah, the true-believers face trials, discomfort and sickness with the ways of Allaah (which he has laid down) and His Guidance. The first of these oh slave of Allaah is:

The firm Belief in Allaah, (believing that) nothing will befall us except that which Allaah have destined upon us, He is our Lord. (It has been reported that) the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said in an hadeeth that: 

That which befalls you was not destined to miss you and that which misses you was not destined to befall you”

That which follows is:

Patience, Allaah (the All-Mighty) has said: 

“We will test you with something from fear and hunger, and reduction in wealth, life and fruits, give glad tidings to the Patient Ones, those who when trials befall them will say “Its is from Allaah we have come, and to Him we shall return."

The believing slave will face trials with firm belief in Allaah, patience and been pleased with Allaah (the All-Mighty) because the creations are His Creations, and the capability is His Capability. Been patient is compulsory upon the humankind oh Slave of Allaah, when sickness, trials, calamity and tribulations befalls them. 

Thirdly, oh you Slave of Allaah:

Prayers, the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) as it was reported in the hadeeth of ‘Aaisha (Radiyallaah ‘anhaa): Whenever he visits a sick person, he would pray for him, then he would place his hand upon him (the sick person) and say: Oh You the Lord of the people, (please) take away the sickness, (please) cure him, You are the Curer, there is not cure except your cure, a cure which would not leave behind pains. 

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) taught ‘Usman ibn al-‘Aas (May Allaah be pleased with him) a great prayer. He (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said: “Place your hand of the part (of the body) you feel pain on, then say In the Name of Allaah three times, then say I seek refuge in the greatness of Allaah and His Capability from the evil of that which I feel and seek protection from seven times. The scholars of Islam have said that in this (prayer) the connecting of ones heart with Allaah, the All-Mighty and Majestic. How many sickness is in existence that the best of the doctors do not know its cure, how many sickness they know but do not have the capability to cure them? 

Oh you Slave of Allaah, connecting one’s mind with Allaah during (the time of) sickness because He (Allaah) is the Curer and from His Names is The Healer. 

There is nothing wrong seeking cure in those things the Sharee’ah has made permissible. The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) has said in an hadeeth confirmed to be authentic from him, the hadeeth of Aboo ad-Dardaa’ (radiyallaah ‘anhu), that He (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said: 

Verily Allaah (the Most High) has brought down sicknesses and their cures and He (the Most High) made for every sickness a cure, seek cure (for your sicknesses) and do not seek cure in the prohibited things."

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) also said: 

“The Zam-Zam water is a meal and a cure."

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) also said: 

“The Black Seed (habatu as-sawdah) is a cure for every sickness." 

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) also enumerated the urine of the camel and cows as cure. Allaah (the All-Mighty) have said about the Honey that: 

“In it (the honey) is a cure for the humankind."

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) also said: 

There is cure in three things, al-Hijaamah (cupping), honey and cauterization, and I forbid my Ummah from Cauterization." 

It is upon an individual to benefit himself with these and others from amongst the cures made permissible by the Sharee’ah (are permissible) as long as they are established to have in it a cure for a sickness and it is free from all kinds of associating partners with Allaah (the Most High) and the prohibited matters, that which is made permissible.

All Praise is due to Allaah (the all-All-Mighty).