It’s such a stark comparison between good health and sickness. We take our health for granted much of the time and only when we’re unwell do we appreciate being healthy. There is an Hadith that supports this. A Hadith is a report of the behaviours, actions and words of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as told by a chain of narrators.

Muslims take as guidance first, the Koran and secondly, the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnah is compiled and known as Hadiths. In the Prophet’s last speech, he said he has left us two things to abide by in order to never go astray: the Koran and the Sunnah.

There is a Hadith that says we, as humans, take five things for granted and health is one of them. The Hadith reads: “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your busyness and your life before your death.”

In Islam, visiting the sick is considered a religious duty and an act of charity. It is also a way to show generosity and spend quality time with a sick person.

Charity comes in many forms and visiting the sick is one of them. In visiting the sick, there are many blessings for the visitor as well.

Prophet Muhammad said that one who visits a sick person will continue to receive the rewards of paradise until they return home. The Prophet also said that a visitor will be immersed in God’s mercy while walking to and sitting with the sick person.

There are of course etiquettes of visiting the sick and one is not to burden them by overstaying the visit, not to burden them with overwhelming news and not to take in foods without asking the doctor or nurses first in the sick is in hospital and if they are at home we should ask family members what you can bring. In upcoming articles I will elaborate more on this subject.

However for the time being, let us concentrate on keeping ourselves healthy. Thursday was World Diabetes Day. As you know, Bermuda has a high rate of diabetes and prediabetes.

Please check out the information available to ward off or at least manage this condition.

Bermuda have a wonderful week, take care of yourselves, visit the sick and the elderly, and above all, be charitable. Pray for world peace and for immediate ceasefire wherever bombs are blasting.

As salaam alaikum (peace be unto you).

• Linda Walia Ming is a member of the Bermuda Hijab Dawah Team, a group of Muslim women who reside in Bermuda and have a goal of educating the community about the religion of Islam