Riyad as-Salihin, 38

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I visited the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was suffering fever. I said, "You seem to be suffering greatly, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, I suffer as much as two persons." I said, "Is that because you have a double reward?" He replied that that was so and then said, "No Muslim is afflicted by a harm, be it the pricking of a thorn or something more (painful than that), but Allah thereby causes his sins to fall away just as a tree sheds its leaves". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ دخلت على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يوعك فقلت‏:‏ يارسول الله إنك توعك وعكاً شديداً قال‏:‏ ‏"‏أجل إني أوعك كما يوعك رجلان منكم‏"‏ قلت‏:‏ ذلك أن لك أجرين ‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ ‏"‏أجل ذلك كذلك ما من مسلم يصيبه أذى؛ شوكة فما فوقها إلا كفر الله بها سيئاته ، وحطت عنه ذنوبه كما تحط الشجرة ورقها‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏ ‏.‏

References1 variant

In-Book Reference: Introduction, Hadith 38

Sharh · explanationclick to expand

Guidance from the Hadiiths: 1) One of the aspects of Allah’s mercy towards His servant is that He expiates some of his sins by what he suffers of grief, distress, fatigue, and illness among others. 2) The more the believer suffers sickness and harm and he is patient with it, the greater the reward Allah grants him and expiates his sins thereby. 3) The individual should not make himself suffer both the harm and the loss of reward due to impatience; it is obligatory at times of distress to adhere to patience and avoid discontentment.

Related hadiths9