The benefit of a Headache:

A headache is a means of forgiveness and reward.

Abu Said al-Khudri radiallahu anhu narrated 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]

May Allah guide us back to the way of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan Abu Sulaymaan