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,
