Prophet Muhammed’s (Pbuh) guidelines on quarantine and controlling the spread of contagious diseases
Prophet Muhammed’s (ﷺ) guidelines on quarantine & controlling the spread of contagious diseases...
Medical sciences have lately discovered the concept of quarantine and social distancing for controlling the spread of contagious diseases. But over 1400 years ago, Messenger of Allah ﷺ had taught these methods for controlling epidemics and contagious diseases.
Following are some of the ahadith in this regard.
Narrated Saud (ra): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "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)
This is exactly the same method which the medical sciences suggest today by implementing movement ban/ travel ban and isolation during the outbreak of pandemics/ epidemics.
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: 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)
Allah's Messenger ﷺ also said in a hadith: “One should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion." (Sahih al-Bukhari # 5707)
Amr b. Sharid (ra) reported on the authority of his father that there was in the delegation of Thaqif a leper. Allah's Apostle ﷺ sent a message to him: “We have accepted your allegiance, so you may go.” (Sahih Muslim # 2231)
Making allegiance is an act which requires giving hand in hand, for which the leper would have to come close to the crowd and also touch the hand of Prophet ﷺ. But to minimize the risk to other people, the holy Prophet ﷺ preferred not to get him into the crowd and hence sent him back accepting his allegiance without taking his hand in hand.
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: “Do not stare at lepers, and if you speak to them, let there be a distance of a spear between you and them.” (Musnad Ahmed # 581)
*An important clarification:*
We have seen ahadith above which suggest that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ considered some diseases to be contagious and we also know that the medical sciences confirm that certain diseases are indeed contagious. But, there is also a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ said “There is no contagious disease” (Bukhari & Muslim).
Therefore, it should be understood that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ negated disease being contagious, he was rejecting the superstitious belief of ignorant people who thought disease in itself has power to transmit from one person to other (without the command of Allah).They would consider the sick person to be like a curse/ sinister whose mere presence would afflict other healthy ones with the same disease. Their belief in transmission of diseases was not based on actual scientific fact which involves transfer of germs (bacteria, viruses etc), since they didn’t have this knowledge at that time.
Hence, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ negated their superstitious belief and clarified that, whether contagious or non-contagious, all diseases are caused under command and decree of Allah alone. No disease is superstitiously contagious but it’s contagious by transmission of germs under the command and decree of Allah. And as for the contagious diseases based on transfer of germs, then we have seen in the ahadith above how the Prophet ﷺ has guided to tackle and control them.
_Article by Sister Sarah Firdous_
*Prophet Muhammed’s ﷺ guidelines on quarantine and controlling the spread of contagious diseases*
Medical sciences have lately discovered the concept of quarantine and social distancing for controlling the spread of contagious diseases. But over 1400 years ago, Messenger of Allah ﷺ had taught these methods for controlling epidemics and contagious diseases.
Following are some of the ahadith in this regard.
Narrated Saud (ra): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "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)
This is exactly the same method which the medical sciences suggest today by implementing movement ban/ travel ban and isolation during the outbreak of pandemics/ epidemics.
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: 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)
Allah's Messenger ﷺ also said in a hadith: “One should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion." (Sahih al-Bukhari # 5707)
Amr b. Sharid (ra) reported on the authority of his father that there was in the delegation of Thaqif a leper. Allah's Apostle ﷺ sent a message to him: “We have accepted your allegiance, so you may go.” (Sahih Muslim # 2231)
Making allegiance is an act which requires giving hand in hand, for which the leper would have to come close to the crowd and also touch the hand of Prophet ﷺ. But to minimize the risk to other people, the holy Prophet ﷺ preferred not to get him into the crowd and hence sent him back accepting his allegiance without taking his hand in hand.
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: “Do not stare at lepers, and if you speak to them, let there be a distance of a spear between you and them.” (Musnad Ahmed # 581)
*An important clarification:*
We have seen ahadith above which suggest that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ considered some diseases to be contagious and we also know that the medical sciences confirm that certain diseases are indeed contagious. But, there is also a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ said “There is no contagious disease” (Bukhari & Muslim).
Therefore, it should be understood that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ negated disease being contagious, he was rejecting the superstitious belief of ignorant people who thought disease in itself has power to transmit from one person to other (without the command of Allah).They would consider the sick person to be like a curse/ sinister whose mere presence would afflict other healthy ones with the same disease. Their belief in transmission of diseases was not based on actual scientific fact which involves transfer of germs (bacteria, viruses etc), since they didn’t have this knowledge at that time.
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