The following is stated in a hadith: "Neither Mizan (Scales) nor reckoning is set for those who suffered from illnesses and misfortunes. Thawabs will be given to them like pouring of rain."

- The following is stated in a hadith: "Neither Mizan (Scales) nor reckoning is set for those who suffered from illnesses and misfortunes. Thawabs will be given to them like pouring of rain." The following is stated in other narrations "Ask for health." How should we understand those hadiths?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is necessary to attract attention to two different aspects of the issue:

Firstly, misfortunes, illnesses and problems must not be asked from Allah. It is necessary to ask for health and welfare.

Secondly, if a misfortune, illness or problem comes to a person, it is necessary for that person to show patience by thinking about the good things about it and the rewards he will get from it.

When the issue is viewed from two aspects, it will be seen that there is no contradiction.

There is also a sacred hadith regarding the issue. The Prophet (pbuh) reports us that Allah states the following:

"When I send a misfortune to one of my slaves related to his body, wealth or children, if he shows patience, I feel ashamed to set scales for him or to open his book of deeds on the Day of Judgment." (Ibn Adi narrated the hadith with a weak chain of narrators. See Iraqi, Takhriju Ahadithil-Ihya- with Ihya-, IV/70)

There is no contradiction between man’s saying, "I wish I had suffered from more misfortunes" in the hereafter when he sees the thawabs obtained from misfortunes and his asking for health from Allah. For, asking for health and a cure for illness from Allah is a deed of worshipping.

One of the wisdoms behind sending misfortunes to people is to show people that they are weak and to make them turn toward Allah invoke sincerely. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a hadith: "Prayer (dua) is the essence of worshipping."

There are instructions related to this invocation in the Quran:

"…Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire!" (al-Baqara, 2/201)

When martyrs see the multitude of rewards, they will want to return to the world and sacrifice their lives in the way of Allah again. We are sure that when most of the people see the nice outcome of their good deeds, they will say, "We wish we had done a lot more good deeds." 

In conclusion, envying the nice outcome of a misfortune must not prevent a person from seeking refuge from it in Allah in the world.

Questions on Islam