We were in our country when flags and banners were raised. I said: What is this?

The (the people) said: This is the banner of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So I came to him. He was (sitting) under a tree. A sheet of cloth was spread for him and he was sitting on it. His Companions were gathered around him. I sat with them.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned illness and said: When a believer is afflicted by illness and Allah cures him of it, it serves as an atonement for his previous sins and a warning to him for the future.

But when a hypocrite becomes ill and is then cured, he is like a camel which has been tethered and then let loose by its owners, but does not know why they tethered it and why they let it loose.

A man from among those around him asked: Messenger of Allah, what are illnesses? I swear by Allah, I never fell ill.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Get up and leave us. You do not belong to our number. When we were with him, a man came to him. He had a sheet of cloth and something in his hand.

He turned his attention to him and said: Messenger of Allah, when I saw you, I turned towards you. I saw a group of trees and heard the sound of fledglings. I took them and put them in my garment. Their mother then came and began to hover round my head. I showed them to her, and she fell on them. I wrapped them with my garment. They are now with me.

He said: Put them away from you. So I put them away, but their mother stayed with them.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his companions: Are you surprised at the affection of the mother for her young?

They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: I swear by Him Who has sent me with the Truth, Allah is more affectionate to His servants than a mother to her young ones. Take them back put them and where you took them from when their mother should have been with them. So he took them back.

on his father's authority said his grandfather reported: He was a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: When Allah has previously decreed for a servant a rank which he has not attained by his action, He afflicts him in his body, or his property or his children.

Abu Dawud said: Ibn Nufail added in his version: "He then enables him to endure that." The agreed version goes: "So that He may bring him to the rank previously decreed from him by Allah."

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) many times say: When a servant of Allah is accustomed to do a good work, then becomes ill or goes on journey, what was accustomed to do when he was well and staying at home will be recorded for him.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited me while I was sick. He said: Be glad, Umm al-Ala' for Allah removes the sins of a Muslim for his illness as fire removes the dross of gold and silver.

I said: Messenger of Allah, I know the severest verse in the Qur'an. He asked: What is that verse. A'ishah? She replied: Allah's words: "If anyone does evil, he will be requited for it." He said: Do you know A'ishah, that when a believer is afflicted with a calamity or a thorn, it serves as an atonement for his evil deed. He who is called to account will be punished. She said: Does Allah not say: "He truly will recieve an easy reckoning." He said: This is the presentation, A'ishah. If anyone criticized in reckoning, he will be punished.

Abu Dawud said: This is the version of Ibn Bashshar. He said: Ibn Abi Mulaikah narrated to us.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out to visit 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy during his illness of which he died. When he entered upon him, he realised death on him. He said: I used to forbid you from the love of Jews. He ('Abd Allah) said: As'ad b. Zurarah hated them. So what (the benefited) ? When he died, his son came and said: Prophet of Allah, 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy has died, give me your shirt, so that I shroud him in it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took off his shirt and gave it to him.