Toggle above to switch between keyword search and direct hadith lookup
موطا امام مالك رواية ابن القاسم
Muwatta Malik (Qasim)
Issues of Medicine and Visiting the Sick
It is not permissible to enter or flee from a plague area
Hadith 434
اُردوEn
63- مالك عن ابن شهاب عن عبد الحميد بن عبد الرحمن بن زيد بن الخطاب عن عبد الله بن عبد الله بن الحارث بن نوفل عن عبد الله بن عباس: أن عمر بن الخطاب خرج إلى الشام حتى إذا كان بسرغ لقيه أمراء الأجناد أبو عبيدة ابن الجراح وأصحابه فأخبروه أن الوباء قد وقع بالشام. قال ابن عباس: فقال عمر: ادع لي المهاجرين الأولين، فدعاهم فاستشارهم وأخبرهم أن الوباء قد وقع بالشام فاختلفوا، فقال بعضهم: قد خرجت لأمر ولا نرى أن ترجع عنه، وقال بعضهم: معك بقية الناس وأصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا نرى أن تقدمهم على هذا الوباء. فقال: ارتفعوا عني، ثم قال: ادع لي الأنصار، فدعوهم له فاستشارهم فسلكوا سبيل المهاجرين واختلفوا كاختلافهم، فقال: ارتفعوا عني. ثم قال: ادع لي من كان ههنا من مشيخة قريش من مهاجرة الفتح، فدعوهم فلم يختلف عليه منهم رجلان، فقالوا: نرى أن ترجع بالناس ولا تقدمهم على هذا الوباء. فنادى عمر فى الناس: إني مصبح على ظهر فأصبحوا عليه، فقال أبو عبيدة ابن الجراح: أفرارا من قدر الله؟ فقال عمر: لو غيرك قالها يا أبا عبيدة، نعم نفر من قدر الله إلى قدر الله، أرأيت لو كانت لك إبل فهبطت واديا له عدوتان إحداهما خصبة والأخرى جدبة، أليس إن رعيت الخصبة رعيتها بقدر الله وإن رعيت الجدبة رعيتها بقدر الله. قال: فجاء عبد الرحمن بن عوف وكان متغيبا فى بعض حاجته، فقال: إن عندي من هذا علما. سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ”إذا سمعتم به بأرض فلا تقدموا عليه وإذا وقع بأرض وأنتم بها فلا تخرجوا فرارا منه.“قال: فحمد الله عمر ثم انصرف.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for jihad towards Syria. When he reached Sargh (a place near the valley of Tabuk), the commanders of his army (who were appointed over Jordan, Homs, Damascus, Palestine, and Qinnasrin), Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions, came to him and informed him that an epidemic (plague) had spread in Syria. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Call the earliest Muhajirun to me. He called them and consulted them, and informed them that an epidemic had spread in Syria. There was a difference of opinion among them. Some said: You have set out from your home for a purpose, and in our opinion, you should not turn back leaving it. Some said: With you are the remaining senior companions and other companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we think you should not take them into the area of the epidemic. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You may leave from me. Then he said: Call the Ansar to me. He consulted them, and they too, following the footsteps of the Muhajirun, differed among themselves. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them as well: You may leave from me. Then he said: Bring to me the elderly Quraysh among the Muhajirun who accepted Islam at the conquest of Makkah. They were called, and none of them differed. They said: We think you should return with the people and not take them into the area of the epidemic. Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) announced among the people: In the morning, I will be mounted for return, so you too mount your rides. Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah? Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: O Abu Ubaidah! If anyone other than you had said this... Yes! We are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. What do you think? If you have camels and you come to two valleys, one lush and green and the other dry and barren, where would you graze them? If you graze them in the lush and green valley, you do so by the decree of Allah, and if you graze them in the dry and barren valley, you do so by the decree of Allah. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Then Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him), who was absent from the army due to some work, arrived. After learning of the companions’ disagreement, he said: I have knowledge about this. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: When you hear of an epidemic in a land, do not go there, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not flee from it. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: So Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) praised and thanked Allah and returned.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Hadith Authentication:
[و اخرجه البخاري 5729، ومسلم 2219، من حديث مالك به]
Jurisprudential Explanation:
➊ There are several wisdoms in the instruction that people should neither flee from a region afflicted by plague and epidemic nor should outsiders enter it, for example:
First: If this disease afflicts someone from outside the region, his belief may become corrupted, thinking that this disease inherently possesses the ability to infect and transmit by itself. The same applies to an outsider who contracts the disease; thus, this erroneous belief has been prevented.
Second: So that panic and fear do not spread.
➋ An authentic hadith, even if it is a solitary report (khabar wahid), is a proof, because our master Umar radi Allahu anhu acted upon the hadith narrated by the companion Abdul Rahman bin Awf radi Allahu anhu. See: Hadith [موطا امام مالك: 9]
➌ Those in authority should act in matters of ijtihad (independent reasoning) after consulting the people of influence and decision (ahl al-hall wa’l-‘aqd).
➍ Ordinary Muslims should also consult their trustworthy brothers in important matters.
➎ In issues for which there is no explicit evidence in the Book, the Sunnah, or consensus (ijma‘), one may reason from general evidences (umum adillah) or perform ijtihad.
➏ True knowledge is the Qur’an and Hadith.
➐ It is entirely possible that a lesser scholar may know an evidence that a greater scholar does not know.
➑ In opposition to this authentic hadith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (the false claimant to prophethood) writes: “And I know that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that when an epidemic descends upon a city, the people of that city should, without delay, leave that city, otherwise they will be considered as fighting against Allah the Exalted.” [مجموعه اشتهارات ج2 ص 713] This statement of Mirza is a complete lie.
➒ After coming to know the knowledge of the Messenger’s hadith, one should immediately submit rather than engage in argumentation.
➓ In the blessed era of the Companions, there was no such thing as taqlid (blind following).
[و اخرجه البخاري 5729، ومسلم 2219، من حديث مالك به]
Jurisprudential Explanation:
➊ There are several wisdoms in the instruction that people should neither flee from a region afflicted by plague and epidemic nor should outsiders enter it, for example:
First: If this disease afflicts someone from outside the region, his belief may become corrupted, thinking that this disease inherently possesses the ability to infect and transmit by itself. The same applies to an outsider who contracts the disease; thus, this erroneous belief has been prevented.
Second: So that panic and fear do not spread.
➋ An authentic hadith, even if it is a solitary report (khabar wahid), is a proof, because our master Umar radi Allahu anhu acted upon the hadith narrated by the companion Abdul Rahman bin Awf radi Allahu anhu. See: Hadith [موطا امام مالك: 9]
➌ Those in authority should act in matters of ijtihad (independent reasoning) after consulting the people of influence and decision (ahl al-hall wa’l-‘aqd).
➍ Ordinary Muslims should also consult their trustworthy brothers in important matters.
➎ In issues for which there is no explicit evidence in the Book, the Sunnah, or consensus (ijma‘), one may reason from general evidences (umum adillah) or perform ijtihad.
➏ True knowledge is the Qur’an and Hadith.
➐ It is entirely possible that a lesser scholar may know an evidence that a greater scholar does not know.
➑ In opposition to this authentic hadith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (the false claimant to prophethood) writes: “And I know that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that when an epidemic descends upon a city, the people of that city should, without delay, leave that city, otherwise they will be considered as fighting against Allah the Exalted.” [مجموعه اشتهارات ج2 ص 713] This statement of Mirza is a complete lie.
➒ After coming to know the knowledge of the Messenger’s hadith, one should immediately submit rather than engage in argumentation.
➓ In the blessed era of the Companions, there was no such thing as taqlid (blind following).
Source: Muwatta Imam Malik (Narration of Ibn al-Qasim): Commentary by Zubair Ali Zai, Page: 63
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu gave such a remarkable answer, meaning that fleeing is also by Allah’s decree (taqdeer), because no action in the world can occur unless it is decreed.
From this hadith, it is derived that if an epidemic occurs in a country or town, it is correct not to go there, and it is also permissible to return from there. This was also the instruction of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu was not aware of it. His opinion would always coincide with the divine command.
In this matter as well, it coincided.
Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu, along with his companions, turned back towards Madinah.
Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu said, “Are you fleeing from Allah’s decree?” Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu replied, “If anyone else had said this statement, I would have punished him.”
This incident is related to the plague of ‘Amwas; it occurred in the year 18 AH.
Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu had set out on an official tour of the land of Shaam (Greater Syria) when the mention of the plague of ‘Amwas was brought before him. At that time, the land of Shaam had been divided into several districts, and each place had a commander of the army.
Khalid ibn al-Walid radi Allahu anhu, Zayd ibn Abi Sufyan radi Allahu anhu, Shurahbil ibn Hasanah radi Allahu anhu, and Amr ibn al-As radi Allahu anhu were all governors.
Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu gave such a remarkable answer, meaning that fleeing is also by Allah’s decree (taqdeer), because no action in the world can occur unless it is decreed.
From this hadith, it is derived that if an epidemic occurs in a country or town, it is correct not to go there, and it is also permissible to return from there. This was also the instruction of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu was not aware of it. His opinion would always coincide with the divine command.
In this matter as well, it coincided.
Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu, along with his companions, turned back towards Madinah.
Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu said, “Are you fleeing from Allah’s decree?” Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu replied, “If anyone else had said this statement, I would have punished him.”
This incident is related to the plague of ‘Amwas; it occurred in the year 18 AH.
Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu had set out on an official tour of the land of Shaam (Greater Syria) when the mention of the plague of ‘Amwas was brought before him. At that time, the land of Shaam had been divided into several districts, and each place had a commander of the army.
Khalid ibn al-Walid radi Allahu anhu, Zayd ibn Abi Sufyan radi Allahu anhu, Shurahbil ibn Hasanah radi Allahu anhu, and Amr ibn al-As radi Allahu anhu were all governors.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 5729
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
This incident took place in the eighteenth year of Hijrah.
A plague epidemic spread in the region of ‘Amwas in Syria.
‘Amwas is the name of a town situated between Ramla and Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).
Approximately thirty thousand people perished in this epidemic.
This was the first occurrence of plague in Islam.
Umar radi Allahu anhu wished to go to Syria to ascertain the situation there, but on the way he received news of the outbreak of the plague, so he decided to return.
Although he did not know of any hadith regarding this matter at that time, most often his opinion would coincide with the command of Allah. Later, when it became known that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had also given the same instruction, he thanked Allah Ta‘ala.
(2)
In any case, from this hadith it is understood that if a plague epidemic breaks out in any country or town, one should not go there, and the people of that place should not leave it. Doing so is not fleeing from the decree of Allah Ta‘ala, but rather it is itself a part of the decree.
(1)
This incident took place in the eighteenth year of Hijrah.
A plague epidemic spread in the region of ‘Amwas in Syria.
‘Amwas is the name of a town situated between Ramla and Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).
Approximately thirty thousand people perished in this epidemic.
This was the first occurrence of plague in Islam.
Umar radi Allahu anhu wished to go to Syria to ascertain the situation there, but on the way he received news of the outbreak of the plague, so he decided to return.
Although he did not know of any hadith regarding this matter at that time, most often his opinion would coincide with the command of Allah. Later, when it became known that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had also given the same instruction, he thanked Allah Ta‘ala.
(2)
In any case, from this hadith it is understood that if a plague epidemic breaks out in any country or town, one should not go there, and the people of that place should not leave it. Doing so is not fleeing from the decree of Allah Ta‘ala, but rather it is itself a part of the decree.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 5729
