Infectious diseases:The Corona virus (Covid-19) and Islam

Infectious diseases: The Corona virus (Covid-19) and Islam: The Corona virus is spreading rapidly in various parts of the world, and the most effective way of preventing its spread is to ensure that people stay in their homes and avoid coming close to each other.

The diseases are Infectious. It is a sensible and obvious fact, and it is agreed by all Muslims and non-Muslim experts. This is why the countries around the world have banned the gathering places, and gave a hard precaution to avoid mixing.

While this kind of precautionary measures are being taken on one side, it has been discussed in some circles of Muslims on the other hand. Is the belief that the disease is contagious, right? And are these attempts to prevent the disease not against Tawakkul?

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This article attempts to answer both of these questions.

Infectious Diseases

Many companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) narrated the hadith with some differences in the words “La Adwa, Wala Tiyarata, Wala Haamata Wala Safara” in Al-Bukhaari and Sahih Muslim.

Some people explained the hadith as the Islam does not believe in infections, so it tells that diseases are not infectious, so coronas or other epidemics are not contagious, and there is no need to avoid epilepsy.

The Truth

The narrators of the hadith and the majority of scholars have always rejected this idea, emphasizing the fact that the diseases are contagious, and the contagiousness of the diseases is one of the reasons with the other reasons.

Summery of the interpretation of the hadith has been explained by the great scholars

The most important and comprehensive summary of the interpretation of the hadith has been explained by the great scholars  has said,

“This hadith is a denial of misconception and false notion, the facts are not denial in the hadith. it means that this hadith is against the baseless un-touchability. The contagion is contrary to popularity”

In the age of illiteracy, the Arabs believed about many diseases, which were not actually contagious, were infectious and likewise, they thought about ​​many diseases that they were effective themselves. Such myths are common in the Mushriks. This faith is also found in India and many Indian people believe in un touchabilty. They worship the diseases and pray them, for they go away.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never denied the facts

There is a fundamental difference between facts and theories, that there is no scientific reason behind the theories, while the facts are proven by the scientific evidences. The scientific evidences are sensible, logical and proven. Among the things that have been proven to be caused, no doubt, are causes, such as leprosy, or plague are contagious and debilitating diseases.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said about it, “Run away from a leper as you are threatened by a lion.”

it is narrated in the Bukhari Sharif with the above mentioned hadith.

“It has cleared that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has rejected the polytheism and false beliefs which are not based on reasons as he instructed to run from contagious diseases believing that they are the reasons of diseases”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade to bring the sick person close to the healthy person and this is clear that he didn’t mean the every sick person. No, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to care for the sick and emphasize the need for visiting them and inquiring after the health of a sick person. It means that he meant the ill whose disease may be contagious or the ill that is commonly considered by the people to be vile, ugly and disgusting.

Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi
(Oxford)

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