4 hadiths on illness
and visiting the sick
Visiting, choosing your words and supplicating for healing: four hadiths on supporting someone who is ill.
When someone falls ill, those close to them do not always know how to approach them. Should they call, visit or bring something? They may also hesitate to speak for fear of saying something clumsy. The person who is ill, meanwhile, may need company on some days and rest at other times.
The hadiths gathered here concern this relationship first: not abandoning the sick person, recognising the value of a visit and speaking good words. A supplication transmitted by ‘Aishah provides precise words for asking for healing. The practical suggestions concern arranging visits and everyday help; the texts offer no diagnosis or treatment for a particular illness.
Article contents
Visiting is an act of mutual help
The context of the narration
Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reports this saying of the Prophet ﷺ. The text brings together three needs: hunger, illness and captivity:“Feed the hungry, visit the sick and free the captive.”
Read the Arabic text
أَطْعِمُوا الْجَائِعَ، وَعُودُوا الْمَرِيضَ، وَفُكُّوا الْعَانِيَ
Understanding this hadith
A visit lets you ask directly how someone is doing: they may tell you what troubles them or ask for help they had hesitated to request. First check that they want a visit.
Before visiting, ask whether the time is suitable. Someone may be tired, awaiting care or prefer another day. Declining a visit on one occasion does not necessarily reject your affection. You can offer a call or help that can be dropped off.
A specific request is often easier to consider than a very broad offer: “May I do your shopping on Thursday?” or “Would you like me to let someone know?” The answer belongs to the person who is ill. Respecting their wishes adapts your help to their need rather than adding the task of hosting a visit.
A quiet visit has value
The context of the narration
Thawban transmits this teaching of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about visiting the sick. The text describes the reward of this action through the image of a fruit garden in Paradise:“Whoever visits a sick person is in a fruit garden of Paradise until they return.”
Read the Arabic text
عَائِدُ الْمَرِيضِ فِي مَخْرَفَةِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ
Understanding this hadith
The stated reward concerns visiting the sick person. The text requires no gift or special speech. If you do not know what to say, ask how their day went and listen.
The garden image concerns the visit and its reward. It does not allow an announcement that the sick person will recover because someone came. Nor is it necessary to prolong your presence until you exhaust the person in an effort to prolong the good promised to the visitor.
Agree on the length of the visit and a time to call again. When illness lasts, checking in again helps keep support from ending after the first few days.
A supplication asking for healing
The context of the narration
‘Aishah describes the Prophet ﷺ supplicating for some members of his family and passing his right hand over them. She reports the words he said. The excerpt below preserves the entire supplication:اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ، اشْفِهِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm. Heal him; You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness.”
Understanding this hadith
The supplication asks for harm to be removed and healing to be complete. It addresses Allah while acknowledging Him as the Healer.
‘Aishah transmits a gesture performed with the family of the Prophet ﷺ. The account does not authorise a visitor to impose physical contact on every sick person. To share the words, you can simply offer to read the supplication or send it to the person if they wish.
This request does not announce a healing deadline. Persistent illness does not allow the conclusion that the person supplicated incorrectly. Asking Allah to heal and supporting access to care meet different needs: this text teaches words of prayer without providing a reason to stop treatment. Visitors can preserve this distinction in their own speech.
For times when waiting becomes painful, read the hadith on impatience in supplication.
Speaking good words beside a sick person
The context of the narration
Umm Salamah reports advice about being with someone who is ill or has died. Later in the account, she recounts Abu Salamah’s death and the supplication the Prophet ﷺ then taught her. The first advice is:“When you are with a sick or deceased person, say good things, for the angels say “Amin” to what you say.”
Read the Arabic text
إِذَا حَضَرْتُمُ الْمَرِيضَ أَوِ الْمَيِّتَ فَقُولُوا خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ يُؤَمِّنُونَ عَلَى مَا تَقُولُونَ
Understanding this hadith
The advice concerns what visitors say. You can ask for the sick person’s recovery or support for their family. The account states that the angels say “Amin” to the words spoken.
A supplication must be distinguished from a prediction. “May Allah heal you” is a request; “you will recover in a few days” announces an outcome the visitor does not know. Also avoid attributing illness to a specific fault of the person: none of this guide’s accounts allows that judgement about them.
Speaking kindly does not mean obliging the sick person to say everything is fine. You can hear that they are in pain or worried without asking them to turn their complaint immediately into a lesson. If they mention a practical difficulty, ask what they want you to do. If they want silence, there is no need to fill every pause.
For someone facing hardship, the guide on patience presents the hope mentioned in the hadith on suffering.
In practice
- You would like to visitAgree on the time and ask what would be welcome or helpful.Read the recommendation to visit
- You do not know what to sayAttentive presence does not require preparing a long speech.Read the hadith on visiting
- You want to supplicate for someone who is illFind the request for healing reported by ‘Aishah, with its Arabic text.Read the supplication for healing
- You fear saying something clumsyAsk for good without announcing a recovery or explaining the cause of an illness with certainty.Reread the advice on words
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 5649Visiting is an act of mutual help
- Sahih Muslim · 2568aA quiet visit has value
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 5743A supplication asking for healing
- Sahih Muslim · 919Speaking good words beside a sick person