الداء = Sicknesses
الدواء = Cure
From the title, you'd think that this was just a medical book. It was actually written due to a question asked by one of his students. He didn't just answer the question, he elaborated on the answer. And this shows us that the students can be a بركة for the teacher; their questions can be a cause of inspiration for the teacher. This book is still being taught, after hundreds of years being written.
The question asked was:
"ما تقول السادة العلماء أئمة الدين"
He asks Ibn AlQayyim, but he didn't say "What do you think?"
He asked what the scholars say and addressed him in plural, and this is out of respect.
"في رجل ابتلي ببلية"
He didn't specify what type of sickness: it can be حسد، رياء، عجب، تعلق, it can be a physical sickness, mental. etc. It can be anything.
He said بلاء and not مرض, because he looked at any مصيبة he had as a trial/test.
"و علم أنها إن استمرت به أفسدت عليه دنياه و آخرته"
He knows that if this trial continues, it'll corrupt his Dunya and Hereafter.
"و قد اجتهد في دفعها عن نفسه بكل طريق فما تزداد إلا تقودا و شدة"
This man said he tried so hard to avert it, avoid it, push it away. But the more he fights it the more it increases.
Someone might say I know I have حسد, but the more I fight it, the more it increases.
It can be anything, any kind of sickness or sin.
"فما الحيلة في دفعها؟ و ما الطريق إلى كشفها"
What tricks can I do to avert it? What's the way to relieve this?
He concluded with making دعاء:
May Allah have mercy on you if you help me to avert this. This teaches us if you see someone going through a calamity (whether they're committing a sin for example) don't make fun of him or put him down. Don't judge him. Sometimes you laugh at people doing certain innovations or worshipping idols. You need to help this person.
And as long as you're helping someone, Allah will help you.
Whenever you see someone under an affliction, the Prophet ﷺ told us to say:
"الحمد لله الذي عافاني مما ابتلاك به و فضلني على كثير ممن خلق تفضيلا"
"All praise is due to Allah who saved me from that which He has afflicted you with, and blessed me greatly over many of those whom He has created"
And you won't be struck by that affliction [Sahih AlJami' 6248, Gradss Hasan by Al-Albani]
The Response:
"الحمد لله"
This is the best of دعاء's. الحمد لله for everything.
The man was complaining that the more he's fighting the sickness, the more it increases. He was feeling helpless. So Ibn AlQayyim began motivating this man, with a Hadith.
The man didn't even mention his sickness. When you go to a Doctor, he asks what exactly is wrong with you. Ibn AlQayyim replies with such a vast answer.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "ما أنزل الله داء إلا أنزل له شفاء" (Allah hasn't send down a sickness, except that He sent its cure)
Take this as a rule.
داء includes all types of sicknesses, whether it is sicknesses of the body or the heart. Think of all the sicknesses you see in WebMd, sometimes we don't even know how to pronounce it's name. They're endless. But Allah has not sent down a sickness except that He sent a cure for it. If a sickness comes, the cure comes with it.
Someone might ask: Why does Allah send down sicknesses? To lead you to believe in Allah, to ask Him to cure you. It's not the end of the world, it's not there to break you down. It for إيمان + عمل الصالح. Life is full of difficulties, but Allah said in [94:5-6]:
When the sickness comes, Allah already gave your body the tools to fight it. He is الشافي. And it makes your immune system stronger. When there's a دواء from Allah, it should make you stronger than before.
This gives you so much hope. Tomorrow will be better.
These Hadiths are mentioned first to tell you the reason behind the title of the book as well. Sometimes doctors say sicknesses have no cure, Allah says there is a cure for every single one. Even if you were born with the sickness, even if it's a sickness of the heart, there's a cure. But you need to really believe in and trust Allah.
These Hadith include the sicknesses of the heart (E.g. Jealousy, pride), the soul (e.g. Feelings), and the body, and the medicine and remedy for all of them.
Notice he began with the sicknesses of the heart. Most people focus on the sickness of the body, and completely ignore the sicknesses of the heart.
Then he gave an example of a sickness: الجهل (Ignorance)
Imagine, he considered ignorance a sickness. And he said its medicine is asking the scholars. Allah said in [16:43]:
Allah informed us that the Qur'an is a شفاء.
In [41:44]:
And in [17:82]:
But for whom is it a شفاء? The believers. You need to have إيمان as a prerequisite for it to be a cure for you.
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