"It Is I Who Should Say: My Head"

ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was saying: wā raʾsāh — my head hurts; my head hurts. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: bal ana wā raʾsāh (al-Bukhārī 5666). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: no, it is I who should say, my head hurts. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was having a severe headache, and he also had a severe fever; and the fever of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was so severe that when one of the Companions put his hand on the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he said: I cannot keep my hand on you, because of the heat. It was very uncomfortable to touch the body of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), because of his fever. And the Companion said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): innaka la-tūʿaku waʿkan shadīdā — you are going through a very severe illness. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: yes; that is because we, the prophets, suffer double what everyone else suffers (al-Bukhārī 5647). Because Allah (ʿazza wa jall) loves them, Allah (ʿazza wa jall) puts them through tougher tests: because they are stronger, and greater, and better, Allah (ʿazza wa jall) puts them through tougher tests.