Message for the Sick

If life were to pass continuously in health and ease, in a monotonous manner, it would be a deficient mirror. It would give the impression of non-existence, cause boredom, reduce the value of life, and turn the joy of life into distress. In order to make time pass quickly out of boredom, a healthy person may throw himself either into dissipation or into amusements. He becomes hostile toward his precious life and wants it to pass quickly, killing time as though he were serving a prison sentence.

However, a life that continually changes and turns through all kinds of states makes both its value and its importance and joy felt. Even if life passes through difficulties and hardships, one does not wish it to end. He does not complain and groan from boredom, saying, “Has the sun still not set?” or “Is the night still not over?”

Indeed, if you ask a wealthy man who does not need to work and lives in comfort how he is, you will certainly hear bitter replies such as: “I am dying of boredom; come, let us play dice,” or “Let us find something enjoyable to kill time.” Or you will hear complaints arising from worldly desires, such as: “This is still missing; if only I had done that.”

But if you ask someone who has experienced many hardships, or a poor labourer living under difficult conditions, how he is, then if he is sensible, he will reply: “All praise be to Allah, I have work and I am well. If only the sun had not set so quickly, I would have finished this task too. Both time and life pass quickly. I am certainly facing difficulty, but this too, like everything else, will pass.” By feeling sorrow at how quickly time passes, he shows in this way how valuable life is.

That is to say, through difficulty and effort one becomes aware of the joy and value of life. Ease and health, however, make life bitter and cause one to wish that it would pass quickly.

O sick brother! Know that, as has been proven in detail and beyond dispute in other treatises, the origin and essence of calamities, evils, and sins lie in non-existence. As for non-existence, it is both evil and darkness. Since monotonous states such as ease, idleness, inactivity, and stillness closely resemble non-existence, they make one feel the darkness of non-existence and cause distress. Movement and change, however, are forms of existence and make existence felt. As for existence, it is pure good and light.

Indeed, your illness has been sent as a guest to your body in order to fulfil many duties: to purify, strengthen, and develop your valuable life; to cause your other organs to come to the aid of your sick organ; and to display the various manifestations of the Names of the All-Wise Creator. InshāAllāh, it will soon complete its task and depart. Then it will say to well-being: “Come, take my place permanently and fulfil your duty. This house is yours; remain here in good health.”