The Prophet Muhammad, was a true man of vision and foresight. Thus, one is often startled by the continuous relevance of his words, fourteen centuries after they were stated.
Today as the world reels from the horrible reality of covid 19, watching helplessly as people die in scores and the silent killer sets about disrupting society in a way hitherto unimaginable, we once again find the teachings of the Prophet speaking to and for these bizarre and unprecedented events.
Thus we find that the Prophet prempted the current concept of “social distancing” when he prohibited his followers from mixing healthy and infected individuals together. He is reported as saying:
The cattle (sheep, cows, camels, etc.) suffering from a disease should not be mixed up with healthy cattle, (or said: “Do not put a patient with a healthy person ). ” (as a precaution).
Sahih al-Bukhari 5771
Moreover he sought to prevent Muslims from leaving areas already in the midst of contagion, and others from entering such an area from outside i.e. self isolation, containment and quarantine.
If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place
Sahih al-Bukhari 5728
The importance of saving human life in Islam is such, that the Quran allows the consumption of swine flesh – strongly prohibited otherwise – should a Muslim be driven by necessity and the risk of starvation (Quran 16:115)
The Prophet would have surely approved of any initiative to save human life, even at the cost of keeping mosques open, as it the lives of other human beings have the greatest sanctity of all. Indeed the Prophet even commanded Muslims not to come to mosques in heavy rain, even though this was not a matter of life and death, as the current pandemic is:
Ibn ‘Abbas said to his mu’adhdhin on a rainy day: “when you utter the words ‘ I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” do not say,” Come to prayer” but say “Pray at your homes,” By this (announcement) the people were surprised. He said: One who was better than me has done it. The Friday prayer is an obligatory duty. But I disliked to put you to hardship so that you might walk in mud and rain.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1066
As there is currently no way to know whether a person may be a carrier of this dastardly disease, the sanctity of life and prevention of harm principle means the prayers can and should be performed at home. Those risking the lives of others by insisting on congregational prayers at all costs, may be guilty of murder or manslaughter in Islam and should reassess their priorities in the light of the teachings of the Quran and Prophet.
Having said this, it is of the greatest importance to take this awful disease as a powerful warning from the creator. We must realise that all we have and take for granted is a gift from God. We must be grateful, and realise the transience of this life and the reality that we will be called to account by the being who created us and sustains our world at every moment.
We must spend our lives in preparation for the true life, which is everlasting. We must repent for our sins, become better human beings and neighbours and call upon our most Merciful Lord in all humility. We should give up the filth of heedlesslessness and immorality, injustice and and living out lives knowing that God is, but acting like he is not.
For it is GOD alone, who can save us from destruction in this world and the next.
Let us aspire to live our lives according to the will of Allah, and recite the following powerful prayer of Prophet Yunus (Jonah) which saved him in the belly of the whale, and which can bring us out of the darkness of coronavirus and any other other test from God:
“There is no god but Thee! Glory be to Thee! Truly I have been among the wrongdoers.”
La illa Illa, anta subhanaka inni kuntu min az zalameen
Quran 21:87