Turning To Allah When Your Child Gets Sick
My kids were all sick, and that's never fun for any mommy! I guess it could get worse if I had fallen sick too, but I wasn’t going to worry about that, even as I felt the scratchiness in my throat.
I used to feel helpless when I didn’t know how to deal with the tough trial of my kids being sick. In the past, I would put my trust in doctors and medication. I felt that I did not know how to handle sickness with sabr, and when my children were young, I felt that I couldn’t take a chance with their well-being one bit.
I soon came to realize that my pediatrician was not much help for my kids' minor illnesses, because she seemed to write out prescriptions for “every little thing” and “just in case.” I do not know if she did this more for my peace of mind or my child's condition. When my pediatrician started prescribing more and more antibiotics for my kids’ mere colds, flu, and ear infections, I thanked Allah SWT that I’d read enough to know that this was not okay!
I decided that the next time my kids felt sick, I’d put my trust in good medication based on my own research. I would make sure I was stocked up on the latest and most effective pain and fever reducers, cough mixtures, cold and flu syrup, etc., etc. Our medicine cabinet was armed and ready for any sick kid who came my way!
Soon I realized that these medications were only helping my kids find temporary relief and weren’t really curing them, just suppressing their symptoms for a while. Somehow, it also seemed that my kids' illness lasted a lot longer as I kept giving them one medicine after another—but don't take my word for it; like I said, this was from my experience.
When I realized what was happening from taking these medications, I made a pledge to use them up and, once done, not buy them anymore. Instead, I was going to find herbal and homemade alternatives to help my kids get better when they got sick. I asked many of my friends and family for their best remedies, and started trying each recipe as needed. I also read about more remedies online and in books about alternative ways to cure my kids' ailments—again, I was armed and ready!
I was pleased with many of the natural remedies, as it was definitely the best method so far. However, it was more tedious for me to make, and the relief of my children's symptoms was not immediate but more long-term. However, my kids’ sickness did seem to last over a shorter span of time and helped them build a stronger immunity, which prevented them from getting sick so often. Even so, I still felt as if something was missing!
Alhumdulillah, my revelation came when a few of my kids were sick one day. There I was, preparing and trying some new herbal remedy that would "cure" them of their nastiness and find a "solution" to my kids' discomfort (notice the quotations?). Well, along comes my husband who notices my frantic research and our kids' uncomfortable state of being, and he simply asks,
"Have any of you made dua for ease from your sickness? Have you asked Allah SWT to cure you?"
I stopped dead in my tracks, and my heart skipped a beat as realization dawned on me. What was I doing??? I was struck by how arrogant I was behaving as a mom! Who was I to think that I was the one to find a "cure" for my children's illness? Astaghfirullah, I had forgotten the Best of Healers—Allah the Most High!
As believers, we shouldn't place our trust alone in the remedy or medicine, thinking it will cure us, because only Allah SWT is the One who cures. If He wills, we are cured; if He wills, we are not cured. If we do not believe that only Allah gives the cure, we can fall into shirk (associating partners with Him) by misplacing our trust in medicine and doctors. After the realization of the One who cures, then we can turn to doctors, medicine, and remedies, knowing they can help us by the will of Allah. Allah SWT says:
"And When Allah wills that you are inflicted with harm there is no one to remove it but Him". (Sura al-An’aam: 17).
The Prophet (SAW) would say:
"And cure us for You are the Curer, there is no cure but Your cure". (Bukhari and Muslim).
It is important that we realize that there is a balance between making dua, using physicians, taking remedies, and having trust in Allah SWT. Every illness has a cure, but it is up to us to research and find the cure. Taking proper care of our health is considered by the Prophet (SAW) to be the right of the body. Aishah (RA) narrates that whenever Allah's Apostle paid a visit to a patient, or a patient was brought to him, he used to invoke Allah by saying,
"Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people! Cure him as You are the One Who cures there is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease." (Bukhari 5.579)
Alhumdulilah, I understand so much better what I need to do when sickness strikes my family. My method is to first make dua to Allah, asking Him for a cure, then turn to my remedies or a doctor when necessary. It has given me a sense of relief and more sabr knowing this now, as well as a deeper understanding of Allah's infinite mercy and guidance.
InshAllah, I hope my story will help you too, and if you would like more in-depth information, read my posts, Things I Do When My Kids Get Sick and What I Use When My Kids Get Sick.
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
