Hence He said, “Had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.” He did not say, “you would have found that with Me,” as He does in the cases of food and drink; rather He said, “you would have found Me with him.” This indicates how close the sick person is to Allah, Majestic and Exalted.

For this reason the scholars hold that a sick person’s supplication is more readily answered, whether he prays for someone or against someone. The report also proves the recommendation of visiting the sick and that Allah is with the patient and with the one who visits him, for He said, “you would have found Me with him.” We have already discussed the etiquette of visiting the sick and what the visitor ought to say.

Allah then says, “O son of Adam, I asked you for food but you did not feed Me”—meaning He requested food from the person, yet he failed to provide it. It is obvious that Allah does not need food for Himself, for He says: “He feeds and is not fed” (Q 6:14). He is free of every need, requiring neither food nor drink. Rather, when one of Allah’s servants felt hunger and someone who knew of his state did not feed him, Allah will say, “Had you fed him, you would have found that with Me”—that is, you would have found its reward stored up with Me: a single good deed counts tenfold, up to seven hundredfold, and even many times beyond. This shows the merit of feeding the hungry and that whoever does so will surely find its reward with Allah.

He likewise says, “O son of Adam, I asked you for drink but you did not give Me any.” The person will respond, “How could I give You drink when You are the Lord of all creation?”—meaning, You have no need of