The Incurable Ulcer

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Tawaswswul wa al-Wasilah, that Imam Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abu ad-Dunya (r.a.) recorded in his book, Mujabi ad-Du‘a, that a person came over to see Shaykh ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Sa’id ibn Abjar (r.a.), in pain.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-Malik (r.a.) pressed his belly, and told him that he was suffering from an incurable disease.  The man asked him, “What is it?” 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Malik (r.a.) replied that it was a kind of ulcer that grows inside the belly, and ultimately kills the man.  It is said that the patient turned around, and then he said, “Allah!  Allah!  Allah is my Lord.  I regard no one as His rival or partner.  O Allah!  I beseech You and submit myself to You through the mediation of Your prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w.), the merciful prophet.  O Muhammad!  Through your means I submit myself to your and my Lord that He should have Mercy on me in my state.” 

It is said that Shaykh ‘Abd al-Malik (r.a.) pressed his belly again and said, “You are cured; you are no longer suffering from any illness.” 

Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.), after recording the incident in his book, commented, “I say that this and other forms of supplication have been taken from our pious predecessors.”