COVID- 19 : Through Islam perspective.

What is COVID 19?

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus that emerged in China in
December 2019. COVID-19 symptoms include cough, fever, shortness of breath,
muscle aches, sore throat, unexplained loss of taste or smell, diarrhea and headache.
COVID-19 can be severe, and some cases have caused death.

The new coronavirus can be spread from person to person. It is diagnosed with a
laboratory test. There is no official coronavirus vaccine yet. Prevention involves
frequent hand-washing, coughing into the bend of your elbow, staying home when
you are sick and wearing a mask and the most important practice social distancing.

This virus is highly transmissible and can spread easily from person to person even
before someone develops symptoms. It’s carried on respiratory droplets when we
talk, sneeze and cough and these can land on surfaces or in someone’s mouth or nose.
When it comes to respiratory droplets, 6 feet is the magic distance. That’s how far
these tiny, infected droplets can travel. Being within 6 feet of someone who is sick
can get you or your personal space contaminated with COVID-19.

When droplets land on surfaces, we can pick them up with our hands and transfer
them to our eyes, mouth and nose when we touch our faces. This is why hand hygiene
is so important. Good hand hygiene means washing our hands not just after we're
using the restroom or before we're eating but regularly throughout the day.
Respiratory secretions (like snot and sputum) may also be infectious, so cover your
coughs and sneezes, use disposable tissues, throw them away when you're done and
wash your hands afterward. Keep your work surfaces clean and wipe off your
keyboard and your phone.

The most vulnerable populations for having a bad outcome with COVID-19 including
needing to be in the hospital or on a ventilator are people over the age of 60
(especially men but we don’t really understand why) with additional medical
concerns. This includes people who are smokers, who have hypertension (high blood
pressure) diabetes, low immune systems, and/or underlying lung disease or those who
take medicines to suppress their immune systems because they have some sort of
autoimmune condition or cancer.
How Islam Perspective on COVID-19?

Allah has blessed us with a religion that is complete and perfect for all times and
places.  Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “This day I have perfected for you your religion
and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as your
religion”.

We also have in the Prophet (peace be upon him), the best of examples, as Allah says
in the Qur’an:“Surely there was a good example for you in the Messenger of Allah”.

Whatever problem or issue a Muslim is facing, he returns back to Allah and his
Messenger for guidance; there is nothing that happens in the life of a Muslim except
that his religion has a solution to it.

We recently heard about the coronavirus which is spreading to a number of countries,

affecting the lives of many people, causing death to others. There are a number of
thoughts that should cross the mind of a Muslim when they hear something like this.
Below are some points that a person must remember and internalize when they see or
hear of such incidents.

Trials and tribulations are part of life, this is something that Allah informs us of and
warns us so that when we are afflicted, we remember that it is ultimately Allah who
controls our affairs. It is He who will provide help and His knowledge of our affairs
surpasses our restricted intellect.

Allah tells us that "perhaps you hate a thing but it is in fact good for you, and perhaps
you love a thing when in reality and it is bad for you, yet Allah knows while you
know not".

A believer has two positions when it comes to pre-determination: one is before the
situation occurs, and one is after. Before the situation he seeks help from Allah,
makes dua to him, and relies upon him; he asks Allah for good to come from it.

After the situation, if the result was positive and good the person thanks Allah.  If the
event had a negative outcome the person is patient because he knows that Allah will
never forsake him even if it seems the result is negative, because indeed Allah is the
best of planners. Taking necessary precautions: A Muslim should not overreact; at the
same time he should not be oblivious about a situation and do nothing! Taking the
necessary means and then relying upon Allah is something which is emphasised in
Islam.
HADITH FROM THE PROPHET

There also a riwayah based on the incident of Khalifa Umar ibn al-Khattab taking
necessary precautions is a must when you know of harm or potential danger that
could afflict you.

Umar ibn al-Khattab was traveling with a group of companions during his reign.
They approached a town in which it was said had a contagious/infectious disease.
Umar asked his group whether they should proceed or return (to Madinah).

The majority of the companions said they should go back but some said they should
proceed. Then one companion said he knew a hadith where the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said, “If you hear that this disease exists in a country, do not travel to that
country.” So Umar decided that they should go back.

Another companion asked him whether he was running away from qadar. Umar
replied that they were moving away from one qadar to another qadar.
One of the muslims problem relate to COVID 19 is how our 5 times prayers totally
changed. the government order us to do shalat in our home rather in the house of
Allah (masjid). Well some of us obeyed the order but some of us just don’t get the
message and stil insist to pray in the mosque. So why is that happen? as a muslim
surely we already have our own Role model it’s the messenger of Allah subhanu wa
ta‘ala, Muhammad Sallalahu’alaihi wassalam, and our beloved prophet itself has ever
state a hadith; “run from the leper (a disease) like you run away from the lion”.
Which means it’s a right decision that the government applied this 1 meter social
distancing so we are preventing from the virus contagious. Whilemean if we pray in
the mosque its an obligation to keep the shaf closer, and we don’t even know if the
person next to us carried the Virus. So we are preventing that by do the 5 times prayer
in our houses.

Another riwayah from Abdullah ibn al-Harith and Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin said
that Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas addressed us on an extremely rainy day and
when the Muadhin stood to announce the prayer, Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When you say,
‘Ashhadu ana Muhammadan Rasūlallāh ‫ ’ﷺ‬do not say, ‘Hayya al-Salah
(come to Prayer)’ but rather say, ‘Pray in your homes.””

It was as though people disliked Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas making this
decision for the Jumm’ah prayer, so he said, “The one ‫ ﷺ‬who is better
than me done this. The Friday prayer is a set ruling but I dislike to bring you out
whilst you walk in mud and rain.” (Bukhari) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas was
from the Companions granted the most in-depth knowledge of the Qur’an due to the
Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬du’a for him. He possessed indescribable taqwa and had
reliance (tawakkul) upon Allah which we could never attain – but he told people to
pray Dhuhr at home due to heavy rain and a potential harm. Therefore, no one can
criticise the decision he made and the example he set. There are also other examples
we have in our tradition which set a precedent for this and prove that taking
precaution is not a sign of lacking faith or iman.