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سنن ابي داود
Abu Dawud
كتاب الجنائزFunerals (Kitab Al-Janaiz)
باب الْخُرُوجِ مِنَ الطَّاعُونِChapter: Fleeing From Plague.
Hadith 3103
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، يَقُولُ : " إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلَا تُقْدِمُوا عَلَيْهِ ، وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَا تَخْرُجُوا فِرَارًا مِنْهُ " يَعْنِي الطَّاعُونَ .
Narrated Abdullah bin Abbas: That Abdur-Rahman bin Awf said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: When you hear that it is breaking out in a certain territory, do not go there. It it breaks out in the territory you are in, do not go out flying away from it. By it he referred to plague.
Related hadith on this topic
Brief Explanation
1؎: Plague is an epidemic disease (it appears as a dangerous swelling like a boil on the skin, causing death), and it usually emerges in the armpit or on the back.
2؎: Because entering a region or town afflicted by plague is to surrender oneself to death and to cast oneself into destruction, whereas Allah, the Lord of Might, has said: «ولا تلقوا بأيديكم إلى التهلكة» (Surah al-Baqarah: 195) "Do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands," and the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has said, "Do not wish to meet the enemy," and plague is also included in this.
3؎: The purpose of not leaving a land afflicted by plague is so that complete reliance (tawakkul) upon Allah, the Lord of Might, may be established, and that the decree (qada) and predestination (qadar) of Allah Most High may be fully accepted, because fleeing from there is to flee from the decree of Allah. Or, it may be that if he leaves that land and the place where he seeks refuge is then afflicted by plague, he becomes a target of blame and reproach in the eyes of the people, even though Allah, the Lord of Might, had already decreed this disease for those people as well. On this basis, it is prohibited to leave that city or place.
2؎: Because entering a region or town afflicted by plague is to surrender oneself to death and to cast oneself into destruction, whereas Allah, the Lord of Might, has said: «ولا تلقوا بأيديكم إلى التهلكة» (Surah al-Baqarah: 195) "Do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands," and the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has said, "Do not wish to meet the enemy," and plague is also included in this.
3؎: The purpose of not leaving a land afflicted by plague is so that complete reliance (tawakkul) upon Allah, the Lord of Might, may be established, and that the decree (qada) and predestination (qadar) of Allah Most High may be fully accepted, because fleeing from there is to flee from the decree of Allah. Or, it may be that if he leaves that land and the place where he seeks refuge is then afflicted by plague, he becomes a target of blame and reproach in the eyes of the people, even though Allah, the Lord of Might, had already decreed this disease for those people as well. On this basis, it is prohibited to leave that city or place.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
Someone falling ill, then after undergoing treatment either recovering or not recovering, all of this happens by the decree of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Therefore, in the case of an epidemic spreading, we have been taught this etiquette: that one should not go into an area afflicted by the epidemic, and the residents of that area should not flee from there (out of fear of the epidemic).
Rather, while remaining there, they should undertake treatment and adopt protective measures.
However, if someone has an important Shar‘i (Islamic legal) necessity, then that is a different matter.
In such a case, his going will not be considered as fleeing.
Someone falling ill, then after undergoing treatment either recovering or not recovering, all of this happens by the decree of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Therefore, in the case of an epidemic spreading, we have been taught this etiquette: that one should not go into an area afflicted by the epidemic, and the residents of that area should not flee from there (out of fear of the epidemic).
Rather, while remaining there, they should undertake treatment and adopt protective measures.
However, if someone has an important Shar‘i (Islamic legal) necessity, then that is a different matter.
In such a case, his going will not be considered as fleeing.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 3103
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
This is a mention of the plague of ‘Amwas. The correspondence between the chapter and the hadith is evident.
This is a mention of the plague of ‘Amwas. The correspondence between the chapter and the hadith is evident.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6973
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
➊
In the eighteenth year of Hijrah, in the month of Rabi' al-Thani, Umar radi Allahu anhu set out from Madinah Tayyibah to conquer the region of Sham (Greater Syria). Sargh is an area of Sham which is towards the direction of Hijaz; it was later conquered by Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu.
(: ‘Umdat al-Qari: 253/16)
➋
If a person is in a city afflicted by plague, it is not permissible for him to leave from there even under the pretext of trade or to meet relatives and loved ones, because actions are judged by intentions. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade leaving a plague-stricken city because in doing so, one seeks to flee from the decree of Allah ta‘ala, whereas this is not permissible for anyone, for no matter how much a person tries, he cannot overcome divine decree and predestination (qada wa qadar).
(: Fath al-Bari: 431/12)
➊
In the eighteenth year of Hijrah, in the month of Rabi' al-Thani, Umar radi Allahu anhu set out from Madinah Tayyibah to conquer the region of Sham (Greater Syria). Sargh is an area of Sham which is towards the direction of Hijaz; it was later conquered by Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu.
(: ‘Umdat al-Qari: 253/16)
➋
If a person is in a city afflicted by plague, it is not permissible for him to leave from there even under the pretext of trade or to meet relatives and loved ones, because actions are judged by intentions. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade leaving a plague-stricken city because in doing so, one seeks to flee from the decree of Allah ta‘ala, whereas this is not permissible for anyone, for no matter how much a person tries, he cannot overcome divine decree and predestination (qada wa qadar).
(: Fath al-Bari: 431/12)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6973
