وقال عليه السلام لبعض أَصحابه في علّة اعتلّها:
Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said to one of his companions during his sickness:
جَعَلَ اللهُ مَا كَانَ مِنْ شَكْوَاكَ حطّاً لِسَيِّئَاتِكَ،
May Allah make your illness a means for writing off your sins,
فَإِنَّ الْمَرَضَ لاَ أَجْرَ فِيهِ،
because there is no reward for sickness
وَلكِنَّهُ يَحُطُّ السَّيِّئَاتِ،
but that it erases sins
وَيَحُتُّهَا حَتَّ الاْوْرَاقِ،
and makes them fall like (dried) leaves.
وَإِنَّمَا الاْجْرُ فِي الْقَوْلِ بِالّلسَانِ،
Reward lies in saying by the tongue
وَالْعَمَلِ بِالاْيْدِي وَالاْقْدَامِ،
and doing something with the hands and feet.
وَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يُدْخِلُ بِصِدْقِ النِّيَّةِ
Certainly, Allah, the Glorified, admits into Paradise by virtue of truthfulness of intention
وَالسَّرِيرَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عَبَادِهِ الْجَنَّةَ
and chastity of heart to whomsoever He wishes from among His creatures.
قال الرضي: و أقول: صدق(عليه السلام)، «إنّ المرض لا أجر فيه»، لانه ليس من قبيل ما يُستحَقّ عليه العوض، لان العوض يستحق على ما كان في مقابلة فعل الله تعالى بالعبد، من الالام والامراض، وما يجري مجرى ذلك،الاجر والثواب يستحقان على ما كان في مقابلة فعل العبد، فبينهما فرق قد بينه(عليه السلام)، كما يقتضيه علمه الثاقب رأيه الصائب.
As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Amir al-mu'minin is right in saying that there is no reward for sickness as such because compensation is admissible in respect of the acts of Allah, the Sublime, towards his creatures such as grief, illness and the like, whereas reward and recompense becomes admissible against actions by the creature. This is the difference between the two and Amir al-mu'minin has clarified it through his lustrous knowledge and sound view.
