Al-Kāfi - Volume 3 > How Often a Patient Should Be Visited, How Long the Duration of Visitation Should Be and Complete Visit
Hadith #1

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ لاَ عِيَادَةَ فِي وَجَعِ الْعَيْنِ وَلاَ تَكُونُ عِيَادَةٌ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ فَيَوْمٌ وَيَوْمٌ لاَ فَإِذَا طَالَتِ الْعِلَّةُ تُرِكَ الْمَرِيضُ وَعِيَالَهُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from certain persons of his people who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that visit is not necessary for one’s illness of eyes, also not before every three days, unless needed in which case it should take place with a one-day interval in between. If an illness prolongs, then the patient is left in the care of his family.”



Hadith #2

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ الْعِيَادَةُ قَدْرَ فُوَاقِ نَاقَةٍ أَوْ حَلْبِ نَاقَةٍ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from ’Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that duration of visiting a patient is as long as a baby- camel is given the chance to suckle the mother during milking the camel or as long as it takes to milk a camel.”



Hadith #3

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو زَيْدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مَوْلىً لِجَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِما الْسَّلام) قَالَ مَرِضَ بَعْضُ مَوَالِيهِ فَخَرَجْنَا إِلَيْهِ نَعُودُهُ وَنَحْنُ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ مَوَالِي جَعْفَرٍ فَاسْتَقْبَلَنَا جَعْفَرٌ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) فِي بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَقَالَ لَنَا أَيْنَ تُرِيدُونَ فَقُلْنَا نُرِيدُ فُلاَناً نَعُودُهُ فَقَالَ لَنَا قِفُوا فَوَقَفْنَا فَقَالَ مَعَ أَحَدِكُمْ تُفَّاحَةٌ أَوْ سَفَرْجَلَةٌ أَوْ أُتْرُجَّةٌ أَوْ لُعْقَةٌ مِنْ طِيبٍ أَوْ قِطْعَةٌ مِنْ عُودِ بَخُورٍ فَقُلْنَا مَا مَعَنَا شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنْ هَذَا فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ الْمَرِيضَ يَسْتَرِيحُ إِلَى كُلِّ مَا أُدْخِلَ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Musa ibn al-Hassan from al-Fadl ibn ‘Amir abu al-‘Abbass from Musa ibn al-Qasim who has said that abu Zayd said to me the following: “A servant of Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, informed me that once one of the followers of the Imam became ill and we went to visit him. We were a group of the followers of Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, ‘Alayhi al-Salam. He (the Imam) met us at a distance on the way and asked, ‘Where are you going?’ We replied, ‘We like to visit so and so patient.’ He said, ‘Wait.’ We waited. He asked, ‘Is there with any of you some apple, pears, peaches or a measure of perfumes or fragrance like ‘Ud or bakhur?’ We replied, ‘We do not have any such things with us.’ The Imam then said, ‘You should know that a patient feels relieved when something is presented to him.’”



Hadith #4

4ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ قَادِمٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ تَمَامُ الْعِيَادَةِ لِلْمَرِيضِ أَنْ تَضَعَ يَدَكَ عَلَى ذِرَاعِهِ وَتُعَجِّلَ الْقِيَامَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَإِنَّ عِيَادَةَ النَّوْكَى أَشَدُّ عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ مِنْ وَجَعِهِ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn Sulayman from Musa ibn Qadim from a man who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that visiting of a patient is complete upon placing your hand over his arm (praying) and standing up quickly to leave; an unwise visiting of a patient is harder for him than the pain due to illness.”



Hadith #5

5ـ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَى قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) تَمَامُ الْعِيَادَةِ أَنْ تَضَعَ يَدَكَ عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ إِذَا دَخَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ.

5. Humayd ibn Ziyad narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from Sama‘ah from more than one person from Aban from abu Yahya who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Visit of a patient is complete when you place your hand on him when you meet him.’”



Hadith #6

6ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ إِنَّ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْعُوَّادِ أَجْراً عِنْدَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَمَنْ إِذَا عَادَ أَخَاهُ خَفَّفَ الْجُلُوسَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمَرِيضُ يُحِبُّ ذَلِكَ وَ يُرِيدُهُ وَيَسْأَلُهُ ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) مِنْ تَمَامِ الْعِيَادَةِ أَنْ يَضَعَ الْعَائِدُ إِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ عَلَى الأخْرَى أَوْ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Of the visitors who receive the greatest reward from Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, is one whose visiting time is short, unless the patient likes otherwise and asks him to stay for a longer time.’ He has also said, ‘A visit is complete when one places his hand over the other hand or upon his forehead (as an expression of concern).”’