The Shari'ah and medical view of the disease is contagious

 The Shari'ah and medical view of the disease is contagious

Outbreaks of coronavirus spread from Wuhan, China in late 2019 have gripped the entire world. So far, more than 160 million people have been infected. More than 30 million people in the United States and more than 25 million in India have been infected. More than 3.4 million people worldwide have died from the disease. Despite the eradication of the disease in China and many other countries, the disease has become a rage in India in 2021. There were more than 400,000 patients and more than 4,000 deaths per day. The number of patients has definitely decreased in the last few days but the number of deaths has not decreased yet.

The heart-wrenching question demands a satisfactory answer as to why the disease spread so fast in India in 2021. Scientists, political observers, medical experts, opposition parties, benefactors of the nation, and religious leaders are presenting their views on this and the debate will continue for a long time. Nowhere in the world, even in neighboring countries, has the disease spread so fast. Neighboring countries do not have more medical facilities than India, and there are no more precautions than India. But despite this, there are many questions about the outbreak of the disease in India alone. 

According to the World Health Organization, the disease has so far killed only one person in Bhutan, 1,000 in Sri Lanka, 3,000 in Myanmar, 5,000 in Nepal, 12,000 in Bangladesh, and 19,000 in Pakistan. The epidemic has so far killed about 300,000 people in India. According to some reports, the death toll could be much higher. In the current situation of the country, we should pray to the Lord of the world to end this epidemic and protect us all from this epidemic. Amen.

It is unwise to deny the existence of the corona epidemic, as we are witnessing a large number of deaths due to this disease. A large number of scholars, intellectuals, experts in their respective fields, and friends and relatives have disappeared from our sight forever due to this disease. Yes, there are suspicions that there is a global conspiracy behind this disease. Also, the way the disease has been presented to the world and the actions of governments can be challenged.

Scientists and medical experts of the world agree that some diseases are contagious, ie the disease is transmitted directly or indirectly from one person to another, from human to animal, from animal to human, and from the environment to human and animal. The consensus of the doctors (doctors) is also based on observations and experiences, so there is no need to discuss this topic further at the moment.

In the light of Islamic law, scholars and muftis agree that without the will and destiny of God, no one can get sick and no disease can be passed from one person to another, but with the will of God. Infectious diseases such as dengue, tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, leprosy, plague, and corona can be passed from one person to another. That is, we should have the belief that the disease is not contagious in itself, the effect of being contagious in the disease is created by Allah, it is effective by the will of Allah. The disease or anything has no personal effect. 

Medicine also needs a divine command to heal, so it has been observed that one medicine causes the recovery of one patient and the inconvenience of another. Just as the effectiveness of a medicine is not personal, so is the infection of a disease personal. But in spite of reliance on Allah Almighty, medicine is used to cure the disease. Similarly, by the will of Allah, some diseases can become contagious, ie they can infect each other.

Regarding some diseases in the pre-Islamic era, people believed that when a healthy person goes to a sick person, his disease is transmitted automatically and Allah's destiny and will do not interfere in it. Sayyid al-Bashar and Sayyid al-Anbiya '(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) refuted this false belief with “Laa Adware”. (Bukhari and Muslim) Instead of believing the causes to be effective in itself, one should believe in the causes of Allah (SWT), that is, no disease can be transmitted to another person without the command of Allah (SWT). Yes, by the will of Allah, a disease can be transmitted from one person to another. For more details, the fatwa of Darul Uloom Deoband can be read through the following link:

In Bukhari, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Beware of leprosy, as you avoid a lion. Leprosy is also contagious in the light of the consensus of doctors and their experiences and observations. Similarly, in Muslim Sharif, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The sick should be kept separate from the healthy. Even after these two clear hadiths of Bukhari and Muslims, it is stubborn to deny the transmission of the epidemic from one person to another. In the light of the Prophet's edict mentioned in Muslim Sharif, a person infected with the Corona epidemic can be quarantined at home or in the hospital. 

Yes, it is not the honor of a Muslim to leave a sick person alone and run away, because, by the will of Allah, this disease can spread even after fleeing. Imam al-Nawawi, the most famous commentator on Muslim Sharif, has written that the denial of the contagion of the disease means that the disease cannot be contagious without the will of Allah. Yes, by the command of Allah, the disease is one. Can be moved from one to another. Also in Muslim Sharif, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) denied the multiplicity of the disease by saying “Laa Adwaa”, a villager asked: “O Messenger of Allaah! 

The camels are jumping like deer in the desert when an itchy camel gets stuck in the herd and as a result, all the camels get the itchy disease. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Where did the first camel get itchy? The point to note here is that even on this important occasion, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not deny that the disease was contagious, but drew attention to the power of God Almighty that everything is subject to the command of God Almighty. From the question and answer, it became clear that the Holy Prophet (saws) only wanted to make it clear that even an infectious disease can be contracted by the command of Allah.

In all the books of Bukhari, Muslim and Hadith, there are many hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the plague (which is an epidemic disease), which summarizes that Don't go out and don't let people from other places go into that town. There is evidence in the books of hadith that the plague did not spread evenly through the actions of the Companions. From these ahaadeeth it is known that epidemics can be transmitted, and taking precautionary measures to avoid infectious diseases is not against trust and faith in Allah. When this epidemic has spread across the country, do not go out of the house unnecessarily to protect everyone.

It is mentioned in the hadith in Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Salam, Bab Ijtanab al-Majzoob we Nahwa that there was a leper in the delegation of the Thaqif tribe. This delegation came to swear allegiance to the Holy Prophet (saws). The Holy Prophet (saws) sent a message to him that we have pledged allegiance to him. You go back. Assuming that the Holy Prophet (saws) did not take the oath of allegiance by holding the hand of the leper, he conveyed his message to them orally and asked them to return. 

Muhaddith Allama Nawawi has written in the commentary of this hadith that in the light of the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the scholars of the ummah also differed on the issue of preventing people suffering from leprosy from associating with mosques and people. To be given or not. If the disease could not be contagious, then there was no need for the scholars to disagree.

It is also mentioned in the books of hadith that the narrations of Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) have been narrated in both ways (the disease is contagious and the disease is not contagious). But he later stopped narrating to the people the hadith that the disease is not contagious, he only narrated the hadiths which show that the disease can be contagious. The most famous commentator of Bukhari Sharif quotes. 

Allama Ibn Hujrat Shaykh Qurtubi as saying that Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stopped narrating the hadith of “La Adwa” out of fear that the ignorant would (seemingly) contradict the two hadiths. Had done Yes, he used to narrate both hadiths when needed. The summary of what Allama Ibn Hajar has written on this subject in Fateh-ul-Bari is that the Holy Prophet (saws) has denied the belief which was born among the people in the time of Jahiliyyah through “La Adwa”. That the epidemic is transmitted even without the will of Allah.

The gist of this discussion is that the Holy Prophet's (saws) statement "La Adwa" means that no disease is contagious and it is wrong to take precautionary measures against trust and faith. Just as the first person became ill by the will of Allah, so this disease can be transmitted from one person to another by the will of Allah. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is not against the teachings of Islamic law to keep a distance from a person infected with an epidemic, such as coronavirus, as a precautionary.

 measure, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), said: Be (Bukhari) Yes, hating a person infected with an epidemic or leaving him alone can be seized by Allah because it is narrated in the hadith of Ibn Majah that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) treated a leper. He sat down with them and fed them in a pot.

If a person dies of an epidemic, the person who dies in the light of Islamic law has the right to be buried with respect by performing ghusl, wearing a shroud, offering funeral prayers. That is why the Muftis said that every possible effort should be made to bathe and shroud the victims of the Corona epidemic by taking precautionary measures. There is also scope for tayammum if ghusl is not allowed. And even if for some reason tayammum cannot be performed, the funeral prayers must be offered. It is enough for everyone to offer funeral prayers for a few people because funeral prayers are obligatory and sufficient.