Thursday, July 3, 2014

Social Etiquettes of Visiting the Sick

Presented by: Sister Winnie

The following are general thoughts, ie, things to consider when visiting the sick. Please feel free to add your own thoughts and ideas to this article.

Before visiting

  • Call the sister and express your desire to visit and enquire when would be a good time
  • Ask if she needs anything.
  • Think of a simple gift to take to the sister.  Consider the sister’s age, health condition, dietary restrictions etc. Something as simple as a card  would suffice.
  • Other options could be flowers, fruit,  a small plant, baked good, hand cream.  Use your imagination and keep it simple.
  • Don’t visit if you are sick yourself with a cold.

Visiting

  • Knock before entering in on the sister, wait to be acknowledged
  • Don’t plan on staying long.  Of course each sister will have her unique circumstances, and some might require a longer visit, but according to the sunnah of our Prophet, peace be upon Him, keep in short in the majority of cases.
  • Be cheerful.  Your visit is meant to raise their spirits.
  • Keep the conversation upbeat. Humor can help.
  • If you are familiar with the sister, try to think of the visit as something you would do whether she is sick or not.  Try to listen more than talk if needed. Don’t pry in to her medical condition; you should not offer medical advice or stories of others.
  • Stay positive, if you don’t find anything to talk about, look around the room for items, that could start a conversation.
  • Make physical contact, touch her hand or forehead at the least.

Post-visit

  • keep the sister in your prayers
  • if possible try to visit again

Halaqa # 7

Visiting the Sick

Reflections, Virtues and Etiquettes



Attendance:
  • 4  Sisters
  • 2  Junior Sisters
Location:  Celebration Square Mississauga
Agenda: (please note, we have included many links where you can read in detail more on each subject)


  • OPENING DUA
Oh Allah, accept the fasts of those who are fasting, and the worship and prayers of all who are experiencing the month of Ramadan.

  • QURAN RECITATION
We read Surah Faatihah aloud altogether, then sisters individually read aloud a few letters/words, ayahs (according to her ability and with the help and encouragement of her fellow sisters).  We read Surah Baqarah from Ayat 84  till Ayat 101.  In sha Allah, this will be an ongoing part of our halaqa and one day in sha Allah, we will have Khatam Quran and begin again.
  • SISTER’S TALK
Sister Sara read the 1st part of an online article: Visiting the Sick
Sister’s Assiya and Rim read the 2nd part of the article: Visiting the Sick
We encourage you all to read this article and discover all the amazing benefits
that come from visiting the sick.

  • LEARN A DUA

When visiting the sick:
Lâ ba'sa, tahûrun in shâ'a l-lâhu.
لا بأْسَ طَهـورٌ إِنْ شـاءَ الله
"Never mind, may it (the sickness) be a purification, if Allah wills."
  • CORRECTION by Sister Winnie
Thanks to Sister Solange who commented on the talk I gave last week “The time of my life”.
I mentioned that Dhikr could be in three forms,

  • tongue
  • heart
  • tongue and heart
She pointed out that Dhikr must be made with the tongue and using the heart only would be a form of contemplation or reflection.  Jazak Allahu Khairan for this clarification from her.

  • SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM AMANAH SISTERS
Visiting the Sick -
a new monthly campaign to encourage our members to experience this 
Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon Him)
In sha Allah, starting next month, Amanah Sisters are going to start an ongoing campaign to encourage sisters to visit the sick.  Each month we will be sending out an email to remind sisters about the benefits of visiting the sick.  Sisters can visit individually on their own or organize visits in their areas, or use the vast network of Amanah Sister members to connect up sisters who need visits with those who can provide a visit.  We hope that many of our members will participate in this new activity.  Email us if you know of a sister who would enjoy a visit.  Email us if you would like to organize a group visit.  Email us if you would like to comment on this plan.
Also, there is a sister who with her husband has started a group, specifically focused on visiting the sick in hospitals.  Her name is Sister Malika and she has agreed to present a talk to Amanah Sisters in the near future, in sha Allah.
Some of our members have already started to implement visiting and can speak from personal experience that the peace and tranquility that descends on them from the time they leave their home, till when they return are immense.  
One sister they visited, who is an alumni member and recently returned to Toronto from Dubai is Sister Layla.  We wrote to you all about her back in April.  She is a revert and paralysed (living on her own) and would love to receive visitors at her home in the York region of Toronto.  If you would like to get in touch with her, please email her at:  Layla Mandi <layla.onepure@gmail.com>.  If you would like to visit her but don’t have transportation, please contact us.
To read a collection of hadiths on visiting the sick: 



  • SISTER’S TALK
Sister Winnie presented a talk on Social Etiquettes of Visiting the Sick.
  • VIDEO  
We watched part of the following video intending to finish it on our own at home.
  • LENDING LIBRARY
Alhamdulilah, we received a donation of books and pamphlets for our library.  A small selection of these were circulated and some were chosen to take home by those present.
  • CLOSING DUA

Supplication for Sadness  دعاء الهم و الحزن

Oh God, I servant I’m your servant, son/daughter of your servant, my forelock is in your hand, decisive in your judgment, just in your decrees.  I ask you in the honor of each name you have named yourself or wrote in your Divine Book, or taught to any of Your creation or kept its knowledge to yourself in the World of the Unknown,  I ask you to make the Quran spring to my heart, and light to my heart, and relief of my sorrow and removal of my anguish.

اللهم إني عبدك ابن عبدك ابن أمتك ناصيتي بيدك ، ماضِ في حكمك ، عدل في قضاؤك ، أسألك بكل اسم هو لك سميت به نفسك أو أنزلته في كتابك ، أو علمته أحداً من خلقك أو استأثرت به في علم الغيب عندك أن تجعل القرآن ربيع قلبي ، ونور صدري وجلاء حزني وذهاب همي


If any of this information was good and true, know that it comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  If there are mistakes we ask for Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy.