COVID-19

COVID-19

On the authority of Usmah b. Zayd, the Messenger of God said,

“If you hear of an epidemic afflicting a land, do not enter it, and if it afflicts the land you are in, do not leave it” Sahih al-Bukhari :5728, Book 76, Hadith 43 - (30) Chapter: What has been mentioned about the plague

One of the reasons that an infected person is prohibited from leaving the area of the epidemic is so that such a person does not transmit the illness to others. Instead, he should quarantine himself from even the healthy people of that region.

Ibn Athir (d. 630/1233) mentions in his Al-Kmil fi al-Trikh (The Complete History),

“Amr b. al- As fled Emmaus with the people when they were afflicted with the plague and went up into the mountains until God removed it from them. News of this reached Umar b. al-Khattab, and he did not censure it [meaning, as caliph, he deemed Amr’s actions as appropriate and hence sanctioned by him].”

Narrated Abdullah bin `Abbas:

Umar bin Al-Khattab departed for Sham and when he reached Sargh, the commanders of the (Muslim) army, Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah and his companions met him and told him that an epidemic had broken out in Sham.

Umar said, "Call for me the early emigrants."

So Umar called them, consulted them and informed them that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. 
Those people differed in their opinions. Some of them said, "We have come out for a purpose and we do not think that it is proper to give it up," while others said (to `Umar), "You have along with you. other people and the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so do not advise that we take them to this epidemic."

Umar said to them, "Leave me now." 

Then he said, "Call the Ansar for me." I called them and he consulted them and they followed the way of the emigrants and differed as they did. He then said to them, Leave me now," and added, "Call for me the old people of Quraish who emigrated in the year of the Conquest of Mecca." I called them and they gave a unanimous opinion saying, "We advise that you should return with the people and do not take them to that (place) of epidemic."

So Umar made an announcement, "I will ride back to Medina in the morning, so you should do the same." 

Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to `Umar), "Are you running away from what Allah had ordained?"

Umar said, "Would that someone else had said such a thing, O Abu 'Ubaida!

Yes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what Allah has ordained.

Don't you agree that if you had camels that went down a valley having two places, one green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green one only if Allah had ordained that, and you would graze them on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?"

At that time Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf, who had been absent because of some job, came and said,

"I have some knowledge about this. I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'If you hear about it (an outbreak of plague) in a land, do not go to it; but if plague breaks out in a country where you are staying, do not run away from it.' "

Umar thanked Allah and returned to Medina. [Sahih al-Bukhari:5729, Book 76, Hadith 44]

-----------------------

---

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said,

"Neither Messiah (Ad-Dajjal)

nor plague will enter Medina."

[Sahih Bukhari:Volume 7, Book 71, Number 627]

---

The Qur’an reminds us of our nature and our choices:

“Surely the human being was created anxious, overwrought when touched by trouble, and tight-fisted when blessed with bounty—save for the prayerful who are constant in their prayer, who give a portion of their wealth for the beggar and the destitute, who recognize the reality of the Day of Judgment, who are fearfully concerned about their Lord’s punishment (for the punishment of their Lord is not to be felt secure from), who maintain their chastity (except with their spouses and legitimate consorts, for they are not blamed, while those who go beyond that are the transgressors), who respect their promises and pledges, who stand by their testimonies, and who are mindful of their prayers; they will be honored with gardens.”

(70:19–35)

Imam al-Qurţubī, who lived in times of great trial, said about the first verses mentioned above (“Surely the human being was created anxious, overwrought when touched by trouble”) that man is naturally inclined toward bad character when afflicted with trials of either good or evil. He explained that overwrought (halū¢) means that “if touched by harm, he becomes anxious and distressed; his heart succumbs to panic from the immense fear in it, and despair plagues him; and when blessed with bounty, he displays miserliness and covetousness, failing to help others.”

Imam al-Qurţubī said:

“Imam Aĥmad relates from Qatādah about God’s words, 'those who are mindful of their prayers,' that Daniel, peace be upon him, prophesied about the community of Muĥammad ﷺ, 'They pray a prayer that had the people of Noah prayed it, they would never have drowned.'”

---

The Qur’an says,

“Nothing will afflict you except

what God has decreed for you” (9:51).

---

It is narrated on the authority of the Wife of The Prophet ﷺ [the mother of the believers]

‘Aaishah, she said: “I asked RasulAllah ﷺ about the plague, and he [ﷺ] informed me that it was a punishment sent by Allah on whom He Willed*; and Allah has made it a Mercy for Muslims; there’s no one [Muslim] in a country afflicted by the plague staying patient and steadfast therein, knowing that nothing shall afflict him except for that which Allah has Willed in his fate, except that he shall obtain the reward equivalent of a martyr.” [Sahiih Al-Bukhariy]

---