Anas reported God’s messenger as stating that the Lord who is glorious and exalted says, "By my might and glory, I will not take out of the world anyone I intend to forgive till I get payment for every sin which hangs on his neck by illness in his body and scarcity in his provision.”
He said that God’s messenger said to an invalid whom he visited, "Cheer up, for God most high says, ‘It is my fire to which I give power over my believing servant in the world to be his portion of hell on the day of resurrection.”
Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al- iman, transmitted it.
Shaqiq said he visited ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud when he was ill, and he began to weep. On being reproved by someone he said, "I am not weeping because of the illness, because I heard God’s messenger say that illness is an atonement; I am weeping simply because it has come to me when my powers are weakened and did not come when I was active, because a servant of God has recorded for him such reward when he is ill as was being recorded for him before he became ill and the illness prevented him from doing .”
Abu Huraira said that fever was mentioned in the presence of God’s messenger, and when a man reviled it the Prophet said, "Do not revile it, for it removes sins as fire removes the dross of iron.”
