97/31. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 7470 — Illness as a Means of Cleansing
(Allah’s) Wish and Will
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ} وَقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ}. {وَلاَ تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَلِكَ غَدًا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ}. {إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ}. قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي طَالِبٍ. {يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ}.
Hadith About Illness Being Tahur and Cleansing
Sahih Bukhari : 7470
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 7470
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ الثَّقَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ عَلَى أَعْرَابِيٍّ يَعُودُهُ فَقَالَ " لاَ بَأْسَ عَلَيْكَ طَهُورٌ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ ". قَالَ قَالَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ طَهُورٌ، بَلْ هِيَ حُمَّى تَفُورُ عَلَى شَيْخٍ كَبِيرٍ، تُزِيرُهُ الْقُبُورَ. قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " فَنَعَمْ إِذًا ".
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered upon a sick bedouin in whom he went to visit and said to him, "Don't worry, Tahur (i.e., your illness will be a means of cleansing of your sins), if Allah Will." The bedouin said, "Tahur! No, but it is a fever that is burning in the body of an old man and it will make him visit his grave." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Then it is so."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 7470In-book reference : Book 97, Hadith 96USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 562
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 7470
This hadith about illness shows the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) visiting a sick bedouin and speaking words of hope. He said, “No harm, Tahur, if Allah wills,” meaning the sickness could be a means of cleansing sins. The bedouin did not accept that hopeful meaning. He saw the fever only as something burning in an old body and leading him to the grave. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then replied, “Then it is so.” The core lesson is simple: a believer should meet illness with a better thought of Allah. The wording also keeps the matter tied to Allah’s will, so the explanation stays balanced and humble.
What we learn from this hadith
- Visit the sick and speak gentle words that bring hope.
- Illness may be a means of cleansing when Allah wills.
- A person should avoid turning hopeful reminders into words of despair.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) linked benefit and harm to Allah’s will.
