VISITING THE SICK

Arabic ʿiyādah ( عيادة‎ ). An incumbent religious duty enjoined by Muḥammad on his followers. The following traditions illustrate his teaching on the subject ( Mishkāt , book v. ch. i.):— “When a Muslim visits a sick brother, he gathers the fruits of Paradise from the time he leaves his home until he returns.” “If a Muslim visit a sick person, and say seven times, ‘I ask the Almighty God, who is Lord of the great throne, to give thee health,’ the prayer shall be granted, unle the appointed time of his death hath surely come.” “Verily God will say at the Day of Resurrection, ‘O sons of Adam! I was sick and ye did not visit me.’ And the sons of Adam will say, ‘O our Defender! how could we visit thee, for Thou art the Lord of the universe and art free from sickne ?’ And God will say, ‘O men! did you not know that such a one of my servants was sick, and you did not visit him? Do you not know that had you visited that servant you would have met me there?’ ” ʿĀyishah says: “When any one of us was sick, the Prophet used to rub his hands upon the sick person’s body, after which he would say, ‘O Lord of man! take away this pain and give health; for Thou art the giver of health; there is no health but thine, that health which leaveth no sickne . ’ “When any person complained of being out of order, or having a wound or sore, the Prophet would say, when pa ing his finger over the part affected, ‘In the name of God, the earth of our ground mixed with the spittle of our mouth; we have done this in order to restore the sick to health, by permi ion of our Lord.’ ”