Unrelenting pain can make life really miserable. It intrudes into peoples lives, steals their joy and sometimes their livelihood. Physical pain can make life feel so miserable that some people seek relief through suicide. literally, everyone suffers from some kind of pain at a point in time in his life. Headaches ,toothaches, earaches, whitlow, menstrual cramp are just a very few of the common pains that plague our daily lives. It is little wonder that the most readily available and most bought drugs are the non prescription pain relievers. Someone might ask, why do we really have to go through pain in this world.
Is it ever possible to live a life free of pain? What does Allaah need from afflicting us with pain especially since we are Muslims and have believed in Him. Allaah Himself has said: "Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him." (Q4[Nisaa]: 147) Indeed there are people who have no sense of pain. They are born without it. Are they to be envied? In the face of this stark reality, it is important to underline some of the benefits that underline our pains. Allaah says: "it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know (Q2[Baqarah1:216)
Not to have pain itself is a real disaster.
If you were unable to feel pain, you would probably not notice that you had developed a blister until it became a very bad sore. According to a news report, the parent of one little girl who feel no pain would sometimes smell burning flesh and find her casually leaning against the stove! Thus, pain is more than a cruel enemy it can also be a blessing.
This is particularly so for a believer. Allaah s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wa sailam) said: ""No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allaah expiates some of his sins for that." (Bukhari) The tears that we shed at the instance of pain itself has some physical benefits. Tears keep our eyes moist and prevent friction between the eye and the lid. They also wash away foreign substance from our eyes. In addition, they also contain an antiseptic called lysozyme which disinfects the eye and prevents infection. The ability to shed tears is thus a remarkable feature of our wonderfully designed bodies, as is our sense of pain .What to do when in pain When a Muslim feels pain what does Islaam recommends him to do? Seek Medication Every physical pain has a cure and Muslim is recommended to seek medical explanation and cure for it. Allaahs Messenger (salalfahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "AIlaah has sent down both the disease and the cure. and He has appointed a cure for every disease, so treat yourselves medically, but use nothing unlawful." (Abu Dawud )
There is no contradiction between using permissible Physical medicines as prescribed by doctors and using spiritual medicines such as ruqyah and Seeking refuge with Allaah and other duaas that are proven in sound reports, the two may be combined, as the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) did. It was proven that he used both kinds of treatment, and he said, "Strive to pursue that which will benefit you and seek refuge with Allaah, and do not feel helpless." The following are some of the duaas recommended in painful moments:
1- It was narrated from Uthmaan ibn Abil-Aas (RA) that he complained to the Messenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) about a pain in his body that he had suffered from the time he became Muslim.
The Messenger of Allaah (salal/ahu alayhi wa sal/am) said to him: "Put your hand on the part of the body that hurts and say Bismillaah (in the name of AIlaah) three times. And say seven times: Aoodhu Billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajid wa uhaadhir (I seek refuge in AIlaah and His power from the evil of what I feel and worry about)." (Muslim)
2 - It was narrated from Aaishah (RA) that when the Messenger of Allaah (salal/ahu alayhi wa sallam) came to a sick person or a sick person was brought to him, he would say: "Adhhib al-bas Rabb an-naas, washfi anta al-Shaafi, laa shifaaa ilia shifaauka shifaaan laa yughaadir saqaman (Take away the pain, 0 Lord of mankind, and grant healing, for You are the Healer, and there is no healing but Your healing that leaves no trace of sickness)." (Bukhari)
You should also recite al-Faatihah and al-Muawwidhaat, and in the whole Quraan there is healing, as Allaah says: "And We send down of the Quraan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing but loss" (Q 17 [al- Israa]:82)
3 - It was narrated from Abu Saeedal-Khudri (RA) that some of the companions of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. Whilst they were like that, the chief of that tribe was stung. They said: Do you have any remedy or someone who can recite ruqyah? They said: You did not offer us hospitality, so we will not do anything until you give us something in return.Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep. Then he started to recite the Essence of the Quraan - i.e., Soorat al-Faatihah - and he collected his saliva and spat at him (at the site of the injury), and he recovered.
The sheep were brought and they (the companions) said: We will not take them until we ask the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam). So they asked him and he smiled and said: "How did you know that it is a ruqyah? Take them and give mea share of them. "(Bukhari)
4 - It was narrated from Aaishah (RA) that the Prophet (salal/ahu alayhi wa sallam) used to recite almuaawidhaat And blow over himself during his final illness, and when he became too ill (to do that), I used to recite them and blow over him and wipe his hand on him for blessing. Muammar said: I asked al-Zuhri how he used to blow and he said: He used to blow on his hands then wipe his face with them. (Bukhari)
Narrated Abud Darda: I heard the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) say: "If any of you is suffering from anything or his brother is suffering, he should say: Our Lord is Allaah Who is in the heaven, holy is Your name, Your command reigns supreme in the heaven and the earth, as Your mercy in the heaven, make Your mercy in the earth; forgive us our sins, and our errors; You are the Lord of good men; send down mercy from Your mercy, and remedy, and remedy from Your remedy on this pain so that it is healed up. (Abu Dawud)
Suicide is Forbidden However, no matter how great our pains are, we must never become desperate as to contemplate suicide. Suicide is a major sin. The Prophet (salal/ahu alayhi wa sallam) stated that the one who commits suicide will be punished with something like that with which he killed himself. Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sailam) said: "Whoever throws himself down from a mountain and kills himself will be in the Fire of Hell, throwing himself down therein for ever and ever. Whoever takes poison and kills himself, his poison will be in his hand and he will be sipping it in the Fire of Hell forever and ever.
Whoever kills himself with a piece of iron. that piece of iron will be in his hand and he will be stabbing himself in the stomach with it in the Fire of Hell. forever and ever." (Bukhaari) It was narrated from Thaabit ibn al- Dahhaak (RAH) that theMessenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever kills himself with something in this world will be punished with it on the Dayof Resurrection. "(Muslim) It was narrated that Jundub ibn Abd-Allaah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Among those who came before you there was a man who was wounded and he panicked. so he took a knife and cut his hand with it. and the blood did not stop flowing until he died. Allaah said: My slave hastened to bring about his demise; I have forbidden Paradise to him." (Bukhaari)
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited