The coronavirus pandemic has caught the attention of the world, and the Islamic State has not ignored the issue. In its latest issue of the al-Naba' newsletter, the organization provides a list of "Shari'i directives to deal with epidemics [/diseases]." I provide the full translation below. Any parenthetical insertions in square brackets are my own.

Shari'i directives to deal with the epidemics [/diseases]

The obligation of faith that illnesses do not strike by themselves but by the command and decree of God

On the authority of Abu Huraira (may God be pleased with him): he said: the Messenger of God (SAWS) said: "No infection, no evil omen, no owl and no Safr [i.e. the month of Safr]"-(narrated by al-Bukhari)- [NB: this hadith is in refutation of certain ideas and superstitions in the Prophet's time].

The counsel to put trust in God and seek refuge in Him from illnesses

On the authority of Anas (may God be pleased with him) that the Prophet (SAWS) used to say: "Oh God I seek refuge in You from leprosy [Arabic: burs], madness, leprosy [Arabic: jadham, a synonym of burs] and from the malaise of illnesses"- (narrated by Ahmad).

The obligation of taking up the causes of protection from illnesses and avoiding them

On the authority of Abu Huraira (may God be pleased with him: the Messenger of God (SAWS) said: "And flee from the one afflicted with leprosy as you flee from the lion"- (narrated by al-Bukhari).

The counsel that the healthy should not enter the land of the epidemic and the afflicted [/infected] should not exit from it

On the authority of A'isha (may God be pleased with her): she said: I asked the Messenger of God (SAWS) about the plague so he informed me that it is a "torment sent by God on whomsoever He wills, and God has made it a mercy for the believers. Whosoever dwells in his land patient and awaiting as the plague falls,* knowing that it will only strike the one for whom God has decreed, for that person is the likes of the reward of a martyr"- (narrated by al-Bukhari).

The counsel to cover the mouth when yawning and sneezing

On the authority of Abu Huraira (may God be pleased with him): he said: "The Messenger of God (SAWS) would place his hand or clothing on his mouth when he sneezed, and in this way reduced or diminished his voice"-(narrated by Abu Dawud)

The counsel to cover the vessels and tie the waterskin

On the authority of Jaber bin Abdullah (may God be pleased with him): he said: I heard the Messenger of God (SAWS) saying: "Cover the vessels and tie the waterskin, for in the year there is a night when a disease descends, and something of that disease will descend on the vessel on which there is no covering, or waterskin that is not tied"- (narrated by Muslim).

The counsel to wash the hands before dipping them into vessels

The Messenger of God (SAWS) said: "When one of you wakes from his sleep, let him not dip his hand into the vessels until he washes it three times, for he does not know where his hand spent the night"- (muttafiq alayhi).

al-Naba' infographic

Rajab 1441 AH

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(Update 13 March 2020: typos corrected)

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(*Update 25 March 2020: for clarity, as the plague befalls the believer's land)