THE BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS OF FEVER

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) said:

“There is no illness that afflicts me which is more beloved to me than fever, because it enters into every limb of mine, and Allah, Azza Wa Jal, grants every limb its share of reward.”

(Adab al-Mufrad of Imam Bukhari)

وَعَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: مَا مِنْ مَرَضٍ يُصِيبُنِي أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الْحُمَّى، لِأَنَّهَا تَدْخُلُ فِي كُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنِّي، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُعْطِي كُلَّ عُضْوٍ قِسْطَهُ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ ”
صحيح

Hadhrat Abu ad-Darda (radhiyallahu anhu) said:

“The fever of a night is expiation of a year (of sins)”

(Ibn Abī Dunyā)

قَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ ” حُمَّى لَيْلَةٍ كَفَّارَةُ سَنَةٍ

Rasulullah ﷺ said:

“Verily, the example of the believing servant when illness or fever afflicts him is (like) the example of iron entering into fire. Its filth goes away, and its good (parts) remain.”

(Al-Mustadrak of Imaam al-Haakim)

رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: «إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْعَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ حِينَ يُصِيبُهُ الْوَعْكُ، أَوِ الْحُمَّى كَمَثَلِ حَدِيدَةٍ تَدْخُلُ النَّارَ فَيَذْهَبُ خَبَثُهَا وَيَبْقَى طِيبُهَا» هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ

Ibn al-Qayyim states in “at-Tibb an-Nabawi” that the leading medical experts (in the Islamic world) would celebrate the occurrence of fever, since it was a clear indication of the body combating the disease. They would say:

“In (regard to) many diseases, we rejoice at (the onset of) fever in them, just as the ill person rejoices at good health. Fever during it (i.e. disease) is much more beneficial than consuming medicine, for it processes (for eventual ejection) the humours and toxic matter which harm the body.”

إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْأَمْرَاضِ نَسْتَبْشِرُ فِيهَا بِالْحُمَّى، كَمَا يَسْتَبْشِرُ الْمَرِيضُ بِالْعَافِيَةِ، فَتَكُونُ الْحُمَّى فِيهِ أَنْفَعَ مِنْ شُرْبِ الدَّوَاءِ بِكَثِيرٍ، فَإِنَّهَا تُنْضِجُ مِنَ الْأَخْلَاطِ وَالْمَوَادِّ الْفَاسِدَةِ مَا يَضُرُّ بِالْبَدَنِ

To suppress fever or interfere with the body’s natural healing process with toxic chemicals, as is common nowadays, is extremely harmful and, no doubt, often leads to fatalities.

THE MENTAL STATE AND ATTITUDE ADOPTED DURING ILLNESS HAS A DIRECT EFFECT ON ONE’S HEALTH

Rasulullah ﷺ said:

“No Muslim becomes ill except Allah appoints for him two angels from all the angels, who never part from him until Allah decrees in his matter with one of two good things whether it be with death or life. When his visitors ask him, ” How are you doing?” He replies, “I praise Allah, I am fine, and Allah is to be praised.” The angels then say to him, “Receive gladtidings of (fresh) blood which is better than your (current) blood, and good health which is better than your (current) health.” However, if he replies (complaining), “I am going through great affliction”, the angels say to him as they approach him, “Receive news of (new) blood which is worse than your (current) blood, and an affliction which is worse than your (current) affliction.”

(Shu’ab al-Imaan)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” مَا مَرِضَ مُسْلِمٌ إِلَّا وَكَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَلَكَيْنِ مِنْ مَلَائِكَتِهِ لَا يُفَارِقَانِهِ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ فِي أَمْرِهِ بِإِحْدَى الْحَسَنَتَيْنِ إِمَّا بِمَوْتٍ وَإِمَّا بِحَيَاةٍ فَإِذَا قَالَ لَهُ الْعُوَّادُ: كَيْفَ تَجِدُكَ؟ قَالَ: أَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ أَجِدُنِي وَاللَّهُ مَحْمُودٌ بِخَيْرٍ قَالَ لَهُ الْمَلَكَانِ: أَبْشِرْ بِدَمٍ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ دَمِكَ وَصِحَّةٍ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صِحَّتِكَ فَإِنْ قَالَ: أَجِدُنِي فِي بَلَاءٍ شَدِيدٍ قَالَ لَهُ الْمَلَكَانِ مَجِيئَانِ لَهُ: أَبْشِرْ بِدَمٍ هُوَ شَرٌّ مِنْ دَمِكَ وَبِبَلَاءٍ هُوَ أَطْوَلُ مِنْ بَلَائِكَ