What To Do When A Person Is Severely Ill
"Every soul must taste Death". (Surah Aale Imraan:185)
The Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.stated: "Allah says, 'I have nothing to give but Paradise as a reward to my believer / slave, who, if I cause his dear friend (or relative) to die, remains patient (and hopes for Allah's reward).'" (Abu Hurairah - Bukhari)
Death is something that everyone has to face. It is Sunnat-e-Mu'akkadah to remember death at all times. A Muslim must always be prepared for death. Death can come at anytime.
When it is established that a person is in the last stages of his life, the following should be done:
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He or she should be made to lie facing the direction of the Qibla, lying on his or her right side.
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If this is not possible, then it is sufficient to let the person lie on his or her back with the face and soles of the feet facing the direction of Qibla. When doing this, the person's head should be lifted slightly to allow the face to be directed towards the Qibla.
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In the last moments, Surah Yaseen and the Tasbih "Laa ilaaha ilal laa" should be recited near the person continuously.
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The Kalima should be read in front of him or her, but he or she should not be commanded to recite the Kalima.
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If the dying person is a minor (Na Baaligh), and able to distinguish between right and wrong, then too, Kalima should be recited before him or her.
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If the person speaks or makes any other Dhikr, then he or she should be reminded to recite the Kalima. This will ensure that the Kalima is his or her last words.
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A person who is ill or who is dying should always be given hope that Almighty Allah is Most Merciful and Forgiving. They should be reminded to have faith in Almighty Allah at all times and that His infinite mercy will pardon all sins.
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If a person shows despair or is not confident about the Mercy of Allah, then it is compulsory to give that person hope.
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Visiting The Sick And Dying (The " "Reliance of the traveller")
g1.1 It is recommended for everyone to frequently remember death, particularly if one is ill, and to prepare for it by repenting (because of the hadith. "Remember often the Ender of Pleasures, "meaning death, a hadith related by Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban, and Hakim, the latter two classifying it as rigorously authenticated (sahih). Nasa'i's version has the addition."for truly, it is not remembered in a plentitude save it diminishes it, and not remembered in a dearth save it increases it," "plentitude" meaning of wives and this-worldly goods, and "dearth" meaning of spiritual works).
g1.2 It is recommended to visit the ill, even if the malady is only sore eyes, whether the person is a friend or enemy.If the sick person is a non-Muslim subject of the Islamic state, then if he is a relative or neighbor, visiting him is recommended. If not, visiting him is merely permissible.
g1.3 It is offensive to sit lengthily with a sick person. It is recommended not to continuously visit (but only from time to time) unless one is a relative or similar person (of his friends) whom the sick person is fond of, or someone (of the righteous) from whose presence others derive spiritual blessing (baraka), for any of whom visiting the sick person is recommended at any time as long as there is no objection (by the sick person to long visits).
g1.4 If the visitor has hopes that the patient will survive, he supplicates for him (saying, "O Allah, Lord of Men, remove the harm and heal - for You are the Healer besides whom there is no other-with a cure that will not leave behind pain or sickness,') and then leaves. But if the visitor sees little hope of a recovery, he should encourage the sick person to repent and to make his bequests (: by telling him, e.g. "You should repent of all your sins so that Allah Most High heals you, for repentance is reason for cures. And you should make some provision for bequests, as it prolongs one's life. A person should make bequests while alive and only die after having done so for there is no one who does not pass on"). |
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