VERSE OF THE QUR’AN TO BE RECITED WHEN ILL
“And when I am sick, then He restores me to health”
Sura Al Shu’ara 26:80
A statement made by Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) in describing Allah.
This does not mean that you do not seek a cure for your illness. It means that the principle cure and the cause of the cure is only Divinity. This is because the existence, the subsistence and the effect of the agent of the cure is entirely by His will and permission.
Another thing that is powerful towards curing an illness, is the giving of sadaqa.
Illness is also a means of reflection. The Prophet is reported to have said; “I’m so surprised at the mu’min and his apprehension during his illnesses when he knows that there is a reward for him in that illness, if only he understood, he’d actually love to be ill, until he meets his Rabb.”
Visiting those who are ill carries many benefits.
Imam Baqir says that among the things that Prophet Musa whispered to his Rabb was, “Ya Rabbi, tell me the extent of reward that a person who visits the sick would get.” And Allah says “Oh Musa, I will entrust an angel over him. The one who visits the sick until the day he goes to his grave, not only that, until the day of Qiyama, 70,000 angels escort him when he visits the sick and they will seek his forgiveness, or forgiveness for him until he returns back to his house.”
To summarise, when we are ill, we will seek out duwa and dua. We will give sadaqa and we will also see it as a means of thanks, as we can see what life is about and we will search for the cause of our illness. And when somebody else is ill, we will raise our hands in dua for them, visit them, and see how we can alleviate their difficulties.