This hadith contains a great many, truly momentous benefits.

One of them is that visiting the sick is part of the Prophet’s ﷺ practice, for he went to see Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ (may Allah be pleased with him). Visiting the sick brings advantages both to the visitor and to the one being visited.

As for the visitor, he is discharging the right of his Muslim brother, because one of your brother’s rights over you is that you visit him when he falls ill.

A further benefit is that whoever visits a sick person remains in the orchards of Paradise—gathering its fruits—until he returns. It also reminds the visitor of Allah’s blessing of good health: when he sees the patient’s condition, then reflects upon his own soundness and well-being, he grasps the magnitude of Allah’s favor, for things are recognized by their opposites.

Another benefit is that the visit fosters affection and love. Once a person has been visited, the memory of that kindness stays with him; each time he recalls it, his love for the visitor grows. This is plain to see when the patient recovers: on meeting you he thanks you warmly, and you find his heart opened toward you.

As for the patient, he too gains: the visit consoles him, lifts his spirits, and eases some of his worry, grief, and illness. The visitor may also be divinely guided to remind him of repentance, to encourage him to settle debts or make a bequest, and the like—matters of real benefit to the patient.

For this reason the scholars have said: when visiting a sick person one should give him hope of a longer life, that is