Once infected...

Once infected, how to bear discomfort and how to look after those who are suffering from an illness? And how and for what time period one may attend to a patient?

Prior to discussing the main issue, it would be useful to first review traditions of Masomeen -asws about the factors leading to serious illness and hence are the precusors to those conditions under which one requires to consider blood transfusion/organ transplantation: أبي رحمه الله قال حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله عن أحمد بن أبي عبد الله البرقي بإسناده يرفعه إلى أبي عبد الله ع قال كان يسمى الطبيب المعالج فقال موسى بن عمران يا رب ممن الداء قال مني قال ممن الدواء قال مني قال فما يصنع الناس بالمعالج قال يطيب بذلك أنفسهم فسمي الطبيب لذلك My father told me that he heard it from Saad bin Abdullah, who from Ahmed bin Abi Abdullah Barqi, who from a number of narrators referred to Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq -asws : During the time of earlier generations, a ‘Tabeeb’ (doctor) would be called ‘Muallag’ (reliever).

Hazrat Musa bin Imran -as prayed to Allah -azwj : ‘O My Lord! Please enlighten me from where does the disease orginate? Allah -azwj replied: ‘It comes from Me’. Hazrat Musa -as then asked: ‘From where comes its treatment’? Allah -azwj replied: ‘From Me -azwj ’. Hazrat Musa -as asked: ‘Then why people go to a ‘ Muallag’ (doctor)’? Allah -azwj replied: ‘To get comfort and peace of mind’. That is why a doctor is called ‘Muallag’ the reliever of anxiety and provider of comfort to the sufferer.

[2] Hazrat Amir-ul-Momineen -asws once said: ‘Before troubles attack you, you should deflect their onslaught, as they strike people in the form of waves (one after another) through the recitation of prayers. And said, towards a Momin (true follower) difficulties come with even more strength and in their most severe forms, similar to the water which falls from a mountian’s top.