Am I to Blame for My Chronic Illness?
Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: I was diagnosed with a chronic illness in my teenage years.
1.People tell me I am to blame for my illness. Are they right?
2.It is very difficult for me to lift my feet up to the sink to wash for ablution. How can I make ablution?
3.Does crying invalidate prayer?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
1. This life is a test, and each person is afflicted with something different, yet not with that which they cannot bear. Allah Most High says, “Allah does not burden souls with more than they can manage.” [2:286] Remember, the blamers have their own issues to deal with, so take their criticism with a pinch of salt, and work on your relationship with Allah Most High. It helps to find some good company, and to also attend some gatherings of knowledge, wisdom and remembrance.
2. Consider using a bucket and simply placing your foot, up to the ankle, into it every time you need to perform the ablution (wudu). You can also consider wearing footgear (khuffs) so you only need to wash in this manner once daily.
3. No, crying is not disliked in and of itself. But crying for a worldly matter during the prayer is problematic, so you should avoid it.
Please also see: A Reader on Patience and Reliance on Allah and: Things Inconsistent With Accepting Fate- Imam Ghazali and: How Do You Distinguish Between a Test From Allah and Punishment?
And Allah Most High alone knows best.
wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam.
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Tabraze Azam was born and raised in Ipswich, England, a quiet town close to the east coast of England. His journey for seeking sacred knowledge began when he privately memorized the entire Qur’an in his hometown at the age of 16. He also had his first experience in leading the tarawih (nightly-Ramadan) prayers at his local mosque. Year after year he would continue this unique return to reciting the entire Quran in one blessed month both in his homeland, the UK, and also in the blessed lands of Shaam, where he now lives, studies and teaches.
