Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
We ask Allah Almighty to grant you good health and to make your illness a cause of reward and an elevation of your ranks. One of the greatest things for which a Muslim should be commended is striving to obey Allah even during illness and seeking whatever he is able to do without harming himself or making his illness worse.
First: The Reward for Illness
The calamities and illnesses that befall a Muslim can serve as an expiation for sins, and the afflicted person may receive a reward simply because of the occurrence of the calamity, especially when he is patient and seeks Allah’s reward. Patience and contentment with Allah increase the reward and raise the servant’s rank. Allah Almighty says:
“And give good tidings to the patient, those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’”
The Prophet ﷺ also informed us that whatever befalls a Muslim of worry, grief, or harm can be a means of expiating his sins, even a thorn that pricks him.
Second: Night Prayer
The night prayer begins after the ‘Isha prayer. A Muslim may perform it at the beginning, middle, or end of the night, and all of these are considered night prayer. If you fear that you will not wake up during the latter part of the night, you may pray whatever you are able to pray and then perform Witr before going to sleep, and there is no harm in that.
It is preferable for whoever is able to do so to make the Witr prayer at the end of the night. However, the sick person should do whatever he is capable of and should not burden himself with something that causes him hardship.
Third: Simple Deeds with Great Rewards
One of the most suitable deeds for a sick person is frequently remembering Allah Almighty. It is an easy deed that requires little physical effort, yet its reward is immense. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.”
This includes frequently saying Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), and seeking Allah’s forgiveness, as well as sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, making supplication, and reading the Quran according to one’s ability.
A sick person can also perform other deeds that do not require great effort, such as maintaining ties of kinship, calling people to Allah, benefiting others, teaching goodness, distributing beneficial books, and displaying good character. Good character is among the greatest deeds and among the heaviest deeds on the Scale.
Among the beneficial books concerning simple deeds with great rewards is “Al-Arba‘un Al-Munirah fi Al-Ujur Al-Kabirah ‘ala Al-A‘mal Al-Yasirah” (The Forty Illuminating Hadiths on Great Rewards for Simple Deeds). One may also benefit from books that discuss deeds that make the scales heavy and increase one’s reward.
Thus, illness does not mean that a Muslim is deprived of the doors of goodness. Rather, he can compete with those who are healthy in reward through whatever acts of worship, remembrance, and kindness he is capable of performing, while avoiding anything that harms his health or makes his illness worse.
And Allah Almighty knows best.