Contagion in Islam: Integrating Faith with Health Precautions

Translated by Dr. Abu Zayd

Introduction

The coronavirus is spreading rapidly throughout the world. The most effective means being considered to stop its spread is for people to remain in their homes and avoid close contact with others. The contagious nature of this disease is a clear empirical and rational reality accepted by all experts, Muslim and otherwise. For this reason, all nations have chosen to close their public places and severely restrict social interaction.

While all of these restrictions are being implemented, some circles within the Muslim community are debating whether the concept of contagion (the transmission of disease from one person to another) is accurate, and whether these precautions detract from tawakkul, or trust in God. This article is a modest attempt to address these two questions.

The Contagion of Diseases

The following ḥadīth report is narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, and other collections from multiple Companions with various wordings:

“There is no ʿadwā (contagion), ṭiyarah (ill omen), hāmah (owl-based omen), or ṣafar (unlucky month).”

This report appears to deny the notion of contagion. Some individuals have interpreted this to mean that Islam does not recognize the contagion of diseases, such as Coronavirus, implying that these illnesses are not contagious and thus there is no need to distance ourselves from those affected.

However, ḥadīth commentators and scholars have long refuted this interpretation, emphasizing that diseases can indeed be contagious. They assert that the contagion of diseases is merely another natural cause and means among many others that God has created and placed in the world.

My friend Maulānā Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn, muftī of the Waṣiyyat al-ʿUlūm school in Allahabad, has comprehensively explained that this ḥadīth serves to refute myth and superstition, not factual realities. Specifically, this ḥadīth denies unfounded beliefs concerning contagion prevalent among pagan Arabs, who believed that non-contagious diseases could spread and that contagious diseases possessed an independent power to affect others. Such superstitions persist in polytheistic societies today, including India, where many hold similar misconceptions, worship these types of diseases, and even invoke them for their alleviation.

The items mentioned in this ḥadīth—ṭiyarah, hāmah, and ṣafar—are all related to myths and superstitions:

• Ṭiyarah: Considering bad luck or omens from anything seen or heard. Another ḥadīth states that ṭiyarah is a form of shirk (associating partners with God).
• Hāmah: A type of owl believed by pagan Arabs to bring death to those in whose vicinity it screeches.
• Ṣafar: The month of Ṣafar, considered by pagans as a month of bad luck during which they avoided organizing marriages and similar events.

Additionally, another version of this ḥadīth addresses the pagan belief that the itching of camels was a result of contagion, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, also rebutted.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, never denied any reality. There is a fundamental difference between fact and myth. While myths have no basis, facts are built upon evidence—whether empirical, rational, or experiential. Based on such evidence, the causes determined are indeed valid. For instance, leprosy or plague are extremely harmful and contagious diseases. Regarding individuals afflicted with these diseases, the Prophet, peace be upon him, prescribed that one should “flee from that person like one flees from a lion.” This ḥadīth appears once in Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī alongside the portion negating contagion (lā ʿadwā), clearly indicating that just as the Prophet rebutted superstitious, unfounded, and pagan notions, he also affirmed actual contagious diseases and advised fleeing from those individuals.

In a report from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the ill from approaching healthy individuals. This does not refer to all diseases, as the Prophet used to visit the sick and strongly advised others to do the same. Instead, it refers to diseases that carry a real danger of contagion or are considered extremely harmful by people.

The Meaning of Tawakkul

Tawakkul means to place complete trust in God. It is firmly related to both the mind and the heart. When faith progresses to the stage of tawakkul, the heart becomes certain and content that the true cause of influence in the world is only God.

However, this does not mean that a person denies all other causes or means of influence in the world, as these causes are physical actions. For example:

• A believer adopts the means to procure their provisions but does not place their trust solely in those means; instead, they trust in the ultimate provider, God.
• A believer, while knowing that God is the One Who grants knowledge, still adopts the means to acquire that knowledge.

All prophets, as well as their followers, adopted these means and did not oppose them in any way. The Prophet, peace be upon him, sought medical treatment and advised his Companions to do the same, as evidenced by the extensive chapters on medicine in our ḥadīth collections. The Prophet, peace be upon him, fought wars, made peace, and elucidated the principles of business and economy—all of these actions fall under adopting means.

There is a ḥadīth report in Tirmidhī which narrates that when a man came to visit the Prophet, peace be upon him, and left his camel untied, the Prophet advised him to tie his camel. The man replied that he trusted in God. The Prophet insisted, “Tie your camel and trust in God.” Reports from Bukhārī and Muslim show that the Prophet, peace be upon him, advised people to avoid visiting plague-ridden lands and for the residents of those lands to avoid leaving. This is a clear example of adopting means. The Qur’an advised the Prophet, peace be upon him, to consult his Companions and make preparations. After consultation and preparation, when deciding to embark on a campaign, one should place their trust in God.

“And when you are resolved on a course of action place your trust in God; surely God loves those who put their trust (in Him).”
(Qur’an 3:159)

Refusing to adopt means while claiming to rely on God is pure ignorance and hence, forbidden. The Qur’an advises people going to Ḥajj to take their provisions when embarking on the journey. Once, a man came to Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal and informed him that he was going to Ḥajj. Imām Aḥmad advised him to prepare for the journey. The man replied that he would go without provisions while trusting in God. Imām Aḥmad replied, “Then don’t go with any caravan but go by yourself.” The man replied that he would travel with other people. Imām Aḥmad said to him, “Then your trust is not in God but in the provisions of those people you will be traveling with.”

Conclusion

Islam encourages believers to trust in God (tawakkul) while also taking necessary and practical measures to address challenges and dangers. The teachings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, emphasize the importance of distinguishing between unfounded superstitions and factual realities, particularly concerning health and safety. During unprecedented times like a pandemic, adhering to both faith and practical measures ensures the well-being of individuals and the community.

Footnotes

1. (Q an-Nisa, 4:59) “O believers […] If you are disputing about something, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you believe in God and the Last Day. That is better and more beneficial in the long run.”
2. (Q an-Nisa, 4:65) “No! By your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge in what they disagree about among themselves, then find no resistance within themselves for what you decide, and accept it fully.”
3. (Q an-Najm, 53:32) “Truly your Lord is vast in forgiveness; He knows you well from when He produced you from the earth and when you were hidden in the wombs of your mothers, so do not ascribe purity to yourselves; He knows best who is truly wary [of sin].”