The Sixth Remedy

O sick person who complains of his suffering! I ask you to think back over your past and remember both the happy and pleasant days, as well as the miserable and painful times, in your life. You will then either sigh with relief or groan with regret. That is, your heart and tongue will either say alhamdulillāhAll praise belongs to Allah. or cry out, “Alas!”

If you reflect carefully, you will realise that what makes you say alhamdulillāhAll praise belongs to Allah. is the thought of the pains and hardships you have endured. This gives you a spiritual pleasure, causing you to be grateful from the heart. For the passing of pain gives rise to joy. Thus, past suffering leaves behind joy in the soul. When one reflects on it, pleasure flows out from the soul and gratitude drips forth from it.

What makes you cry out, “Alas!” are the happy and pleasant memories of the past, which have left a continual pain in the soul. Whenever you remember them, that pain is stirred again and sorrow and regret flow forth.

Since a single day of unlawful pleasure can sometimes cause a whole year of spiritual pain, and since the temporary pain of one day of illness brings many days of spiritual pleasure arising from its thawābThe rewards granted in the Hereafter for deeds performed in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure and acceptance. and from deliverance from the illness, reflect on the outcome and thawābThe rewards granted in the Hereafter for deeds performed in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure and acceptance. of this passing illness, and say: “This too shall pass.” Be grateful instead of complaining.

The Sixth Remedy^[1]

O my brother who longs for worldly pleasure and therefore suffers because of illness!

If this world were eternal, if death did not exist, if the winds of separation and passing away did not blow, and if the spiritual winters of the dark and stormy future did not arrive, then I too would have pitied your condition together with you. But since one day the world will say to us, “Leave!” and will close its ears to our cries, we must, before it sends us away, let go of our love for it through the warnings of illness. That is, we must try to leave this world in our hearts before it leaves us.

Indeed, illness points us to this meaning and whispers secretly into the ear of the heart: “Your body is not made of stone or steel, but is composed of various elements, each of which may fall apart at any moment. Abandon your pride and recognise your helplessness. Know your Owner, be aware of your duty, and learn why you came to this world.”

Since the pleasures and enjoyments of this world do not last, especially when they fall outside the lawful sphere, they are not only temporary but also painful and sinful. Therefore, do not weep because you have lost those pleasures due to illness. Rather, reflect on the aspect of worship and thawābThe rewards granted in the Hereafter for deeds performed in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure and acceptance. that can be gained through illness, and try to take pleasure in that.