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They Have a Disabled Daughter and Find a Great Hardship in Taking Care of Her

Question

Assalamu 'alaikum,Muhtaram,Allah has given me a daughter, the current age of the girl is twenty months. The girl is disabled. The girl still cannot sit, stand and walk. We (especially my wife) have to endure endless hardships to nurture the girl. There is social stigma. We live a kind of socially isolated life. We are treating the girl as best we can. And this treatment is a lifetime treatment. Our lives are not as simple as the other ten couples. We try to abide by the rules and regulations of the religion as much as possible, Alhamdulillah. I hope that Allah will reward me in the hereafter in return for the pain of raising such a sick child.My question is, will Allah give us a special reward in the hereafter in return for our suffering? Please let me know.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

We ask Allah, The Exalted, to bless your daughter with recovery and to bless you with abundant rewards. There is no doubt that such an affliction entails multiplied rewards, so much so that those who were not afflicted in this worldly life would envy the afflicted ones on the Day of Resurrection for their great rewards.

It was narrated in Sunan At-Tirmithi on the authority of Jaabir  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “On the Day of Resurrection when people who suffered from afflictions (in the worldly life) are given their reward, those who were not afflicted will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the worldly life.

Moreover, the Sunnah texts indicate that the more severe the affliction is, the greater is the reward for it. It was narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The magnitude of the reward is proportionate to the severity of the affliction. When Allah loves a people, He afflicts them; so whoever is content, for him is contentment, and whoever is discontent, for him is discontentment.” [At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]

Al-Mubaarak Poori said in Tuhfat Al-Ahwathi (7/65): “His saying ‘The magnitude of the reward’ means its abundance, ‘is proportionate to the severity of the affliction.’ The person who suffers a severer affliction, his reward is greater.” [End of quote, summarized]

You should also not forget that patience in enduring the affliction yields an abundant reward and great virtue. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {…Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.} [Quran 39:10]

You will receive a multiplied reward by the Will of Allah, so adhere to patience, hope for the reward from Allah, and know that whatever happens to a person is decreed by Allah, The Exalted, and there is infinite wisdom and vast mercy behind all His Decrees. Verily, He is more Merciful towards us than our own mothers and fathers and He Knows our best interests more than we do. He Says (what means): {But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.} [Quran 2:216]

Allah Knows best.

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