Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has ordered us to visit the sick, to follow the funeral (of a dead believer), respond to the sneezer (i.e., by saying to him: Yarhamuk-Allah after he says: Al-hamdu lillah), to help those who vow to fulfill it, to help the oppressed, to accept the invitation extended by the inviter; and to promote greetings (i.e., saying As-Salamu 'Alaikum).
Commentary
This Hadith has already been mentioned with slightly different wording. Here it has been repeated owing to its relevance to this chapter. See Hadith No. 847.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim (i.e., he has to perform five duties for another Muslim): to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, to respond to the sneezer [i.e., to say: 'Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah bestow His Mercy on you),' when the sneezer praises Allah]."
Commentary
This Hadith has already been mentioned. See the commentary on Hadith No. 240.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Verily, Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious will say on the Day of Resurrection: 'O son of Adam, I was ill but you did not visit Me.' He would say: 'O my Rubb, how could I visit you and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' Thereupon He would say: 'Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine was ill but you did not visit him? Did you not realize that if you had visited him (you would have known that I was aware of your visit to him, for which I would reward you) you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked food from you but you did not feed Me.' He would submit: 'My Rubb, how could I feed You and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' He would say: 'Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed him? Did you not realize that if you had fed him, you would certainly have found (its reward) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked water from you but you did not give it to Me.' He would say: 'My Rubb, how could I give You (water) and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' Thereupon He would say: 'Such and such a slave of Mine asked you for water to drink but you did not give it to him. Did you not realize that if you had given him to drink you would have found (its reward) with Me?"'
Commentary
The person who is more beneficial to the slaves of Allah is loved most by Him. Allah likes it very much if somebody serves His creatures and treats them well. He will give him the best reward for it. Here, one has been urged in an effective and eloquent way to visit the sick and to treat the needy nicely.
* This Hadith is a clear-cut proof refuting pantheism for it is clear that this Hadith differentiates between the Creator and the creature in terms of feeding, giving water to drink, visiting, etc.
* This Hadith confirms the speech as Divine attribute.
* That Allah rewards His slaves for their good deeds, and never wrongs a thing.
* The duty of looking after the Muslims and their interests seeking the pleasure of Allah.
* The duty of visiting the sick.
* The duty of offering food for the hungry needy Muslims.
Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and (arrange for the) release of the captive.''
Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who visits his brother in Faith, will remain engaged in picking the fresh fruits from the garden of Jannah till he returns."
'Ali bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "When a Muslim visits a sick Muslim at dawn, seventy thousand angels keep on praying for him till dusk. If he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels keep on praying for him till the morning; and he will have (his share of) reaped fruits in Jannah."
Commentary
Both, this Hadith and the preceding one, lay stress on the virtue of visiting a sick person so as to obtain the Divine reward. The Hadith mentions "dawn" and "evening" to mean at all times, and not necessarily at those particular times.
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophet (PBUH) fell ill. The Prophet (PBUH) went to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to him, "Embrace Islam." The little boy looked at his father who was sitting beside him. He said: "Obey Abul-Qasim (i.e., the Messenger of Allah (PBUH))." So he embraced Islam and the Prophet