Headaches, Illness and the Believer: Ibn Rajab on Trials as an Expiation for Sins

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah who said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to a bedouin:

هل أَخَذَتْكَ أُمُّ مِلدَمٍ قَطٌّ؟

'Have you ever been afflicted with Umm Mildam?’

He responded: ‘What is Umm Mildam?’ He ﷺ said:

حَرٌّ بيْنَ الجِلدِ واللَّحمِ.

‘A heat between the outer skin and inner flesh.’

He responded: ‘I have never experienced this.’ He said:

فهل أخَذَكَ الصُّداعُ قَطُّ؟

‘Have you ever been afflicted with headache?’

The man said: ‘What is a headache?’ He said:

عِرقٌ يَضرِبُ على الإنسانِ في رَأسِه.

‘A (pain cased by) a vein pounding in a  person’s head.’

The man said: ‘I have never experienced this.’ When the man walked away the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَن سَرَّه أن يَنظُرَ إلى رَجُلٍ من أهلِ النَّارِ فليَنظُرْ إلى هذا.

‘Whoever would like to see a man from the people of the Fire let him look at this man.’” (Reported by Al-Hākim within Al-Mustadrak no. 1301)

Ibn Rajab said: "Headaches are from the signs of the people of Imān and paradise." (Latā’if Al-Ma’ārif pg. 162)

He (Ibn Rajab) likewise said about a Hadīth of similar import: “In this lies a tremendous virtue for the believer by way of his trials within the worldly life, in terms of his body and the various types of ailments and the fact that he is distinguished from the wicked person and the hypocrite. For he is afflicted with trials to the point that he may die as a result of them and (still) meets Allah with all of his sins, and thus e deserving of punishment for them. The texts which speak about expiration of sins due to calamities are very many.”

Although this is the case, there is no harm in a Muslim seeking treatment for a headache or any other ailment. It is reported by Al-Bukhārī within his Tarikh and Abu Dawud within his Sunan that no one ever complained to the messenger of Allah ﷺ about a headache except that he would say to him:

احتجم

“Have Hijamah performed.”

And no one ever complained of pain in his legs except that he would say to him: 

اختضب بالحناء

“Apply Henna to it.”

Compiled and Translated by Raha Batts

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