and repaired his sandal with his own hand, patched his garment with his own hand, mended his bucket, milked his sheep, removed lice from his clothing, served his family and attended to his own needs, and carried mud bricks alongside the others in building the mosque.

At times he tied a stone against his stomach because of hunger, and at other times he ate his fill. He was both a guest and a host.

He underwent cupping at the centre of his head and on the top of his foot. He also underwent cupping over the two veins on either side of his neck and on his upper back, between the shoulder blades (1).

He received medical treatment and administered cauterization, but did not undergo cauterization himself. He recited prayers for healing, but did not ask others to recite them for him. He kept the sick away from whatever would harm them.

Medicine has three foundations: avoiding what is harmful, preserving health, and evacuating harmful matter. Allah Most High brought these together for him and his community in three passages (2) of His Book. He protected the sick from using water for fear of harm, saying:

“But if you are ill or on a journey, or one of you comes from relieving himself, or you have touched women and cannot find water, then perform dry ablution.” [al-Nisā’: 43]

He thus permitted dry ablution for the sick as a protective measure (3), just as He permitted it for those who could not find water.