٤٢. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام) لِبَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي عِلَّةٍ اعْتَلَّهَا: جَعَلَ اللهُ مَا كَانَ مِنْ شَكْوَاكَ حطّاً لِسَيِّئَاتِكَ، فَإِنَّ الْمَرَضَ لَا أَجْرَ فِيهِ، وَلكِنَّهُ يَحُطُّ السَّيِّئَاتِ، وَيَحُتُّهَا حَتَّ الْأَوْرَاقِ، وَإِنَّمَا الْأَجْرُ فِي الْقَوْلِ بِالّلسَانِ، وَالْعَمَلِ بِالْأَيْدِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ، وَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يُدْخِلُ بِصِدْقِ النِّيَّةِ وَالسَّرِيرَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عَبَادِهِ الْجَنَّةَ.
42. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said to one of his companions during his sickness: May Allāh make your illness a means for writing off your sins, because there is no reward for sickness but that it erases sins and makes them fall like (dried) leaves. Reward lies in saying by the tongue and doing something with the hands and feet. Certainly, Allāh, the Glorified, admits into Paradise by virtue of truthfulness of intention and chastity of heart to whomsoever He wishes from among His creatures.