A headache is a means of forgiveness and reward.
Abu Said al-Khudri radiallahu anhu that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said:
صُداعُ المؤمنِ ، أو شوكةٌ يُشاكُها ، أو شيءٌ يُؤذيه ؛ يرفعُه اللهُ بها يومً القيامةٍ درجةً ، ويُكفِّرُ عنه بها ذنوبَه
“The headache that afflicts the believer, or a thorn that pricks him/her, or anything that harms him/her, Allah will raise him/her a degree on the day of resurrection and expiate his/her sins due to it”
[Saheeh Targheeb no. 3434]
Also, not having headaches is a bad sign because the people destined to go the Hell-fire do not have headaches:
Abu Hurairah radiallahu anhu said: The Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said:
: فَهل وجَدْتَ هذا الصُّدَاعَ ؟ . قال : وما الصُّدَاعُ ؟ قال : عِرْقٌ يَضْرِبُ على الإنسانِ في رأسِهِ . قال : وما وجَدْتَ هذا قطُّ ! فلمَّا ولَّى قال النبيُّ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ : مَنْ أحبَّ أنْ ينظرَ إلى رجلٍ من أهلِ النارِ ؛ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إلى هذا
“…Have you ever felt a headache? The man said: What is a headache? He sallau alayhi wa salam said: A vein that beats in the head of a person. The man said: No I have not experienced that ever! The Prophet sallahu alahyhi wa salam said: Whoever would like to see a man from the people of the Hell-fire, then look at this man!”
[Reported in Ibn Hibban and graded Hasan Saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh Mawaarid no. 580]
Having headaches are a sign of the People of Imaan and the People of Jannah.
Hafidh Ibn Rajab rahimahullah said:
وصداع الرأس من علامات أهل الإيمان وأهل الجنة
“…And headaches are from the signs of the People of Imaan and the People of Jannah..”
[Lataaif al-Maa’rif pg. 153]
Then he brings the above Hadith and others.
عَنْ أَبِي الزَّيَّاتِ الْقُشَيْرِيِّ , قَالَ: دَخَلْنَا عَلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ نَعُودُهُ , فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَالَ: مَا لِأَمِيرِكُمْ؟ وَأَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَمِيرٌ , قُلْنَا هُوَ شَاكٍ قَالَ: وَاللهِ مَا اشْتَكَيْتُ قَطُّ , أَوْ قَالَ: مَا صَدَعْتُ قَطُّ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ:” أَخْرِجُوهُ عَنِّي لِيَمُتْ بِخَطَايَاهُ , مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِكُلِّ وَصَبٍ وَصَبْتُهُ حُمْرَ النَّعَمِ , وَإِنَّ وَصَبَ الْمُؤْمِنِ يُكَفِّرُ خَطَايَاهُ
On the authority of Abu Zayyaat al-Qushairi rahimahullah said: “We entered upon Abu Darda radiallahu anhu to visit him, when a Bedouin entered upon him. So he said: Where is your Ameer? And Abu Darda was the ameer then. So we said: He is complaining of some pain. The man said: I have not complained of anything or he said: I did not experience a headache ever! Abu Darda radiallahu anhu said: Remove him from me, so he dies from his sins. I do not love that for every pain/sickness that I feel that I am given red camels. For verily, the pain/illness of a believer is an expiation for his sins”
[Reported by Bayhaqi in Shuab al-Imaan no. 9436 and the Muhaqiq of the Book Mukhtaar Ahmad Nadwi graded it Jayyid]
Subhanallah nowadays we complain of headaches and run towards the advil and tyenol!! (I’m not sayings its haram)
May Allah guide us back to the way of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
