The pandemic of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread for almost all around the world. People are concern about how to survive during this pandemic. Everyone tries their best to prevent the pandemic so that may not become worse, including Muslims. Practically, they obey the rule, what should do’s and don’ts during the pandemic.
Conspiracy Theories Has Spread Rapidly
In this uncertainty, Muslims should choose wisely on how to behave facing on the COVID-19 pandemic. There are so many theories about the virus. Some say about revealing the sin and another one says about natural science. But the point is, the virus is dangerous for humans.
Then, the big problem comes. Not all of the people are intending to stick the rules to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. All Muslims know that only Allah SWT. can decide over life and death. Well, they do not wrong about this, right? Let’s see to another decade before and what we can learn from Caliphate Abu Bakr’s history. People may not easily obey him but the result is amazing in how he struggles.
Despite the Muslim faith, we can’t agree anymore with the fact. But, let be honest, not everyone in this world will be welcoming the death over us. At least we try our best to survive. And Allah SWT loves to them that struggle on something. Recite from the Quran, An-Nahl: 78, the verse that proves that Allah SWT has the only power over death and life.
وَاللّٰهُ اَخْرَجَكُمْ مِّنْۢ بُطُوْنِ اُمَّهٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ شَيْـًٔاۙ وَّجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْاَبْصَارَ وَالْاَفْـِٕدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَ – ٧٨
“And Allah pulls you out from the wombs of your mother without knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful.”
Based on that verse, Muslims should know that as humans they granted a hearing, vision, and intelligence. This means, to face this pandemic every Muslim should use their knowledge wisely. If they don’t, may the death following them. Besides, there are some effects of ignorance in Islam. They should know about this.
What Muslims Should Do During the Pandemic
So, based on how Muslims face their everyday life, here some tips to respond to the pandemic.
1. Keep Hygiene
Hygienic practices in Islam have so many things to do to keep the body clean and healthy. As simple as Wudhu before taking a pray, and take a bath twice a day, and clean the clothes.
All of that is the simple thing to do for Muslims that help them clean and safe from any sickness or viruses. As recited from the Quran surah Al Maidah: 6
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا قُمْتُمْ اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ فَاغْسِلُوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ وَاَيْدِيَكُمْ اِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوْا بِرُءُوْسِكُمْ وَاَرْجُلَكُمْ اِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِۗ
“O you who have believed, when you rise to perform the prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles”.
On the other hand from the Quran surah, Al Mudatsir verse 4 also demands Muslims to clean their clothes. As the COVID-19 has already spread everywhere, Muslims not only take the Wudhu but also balancing the hygiene routine before wudhu. They wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer against the virus.
2. Keep The Healthy Diet
Good system immune in the human body claims as the best way to prevent any viruses. So as Muslims, we should keep the body always nutritious by a healthy diet.
In the verse of the Quran Al Baqarah, 172-173, every Muslim demanded to consume healthy food. They should do eating habits in Islam to keep the body healthy inside and outside. There are so much importance of foods in Islam they can choose.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ
“Believers! Eat of the pure things wherewith We have provided you for sustenance and give thanks to Allah.”
3. Social Distancing
Social distancing claims as the best way to prevent the COVID-19 spread rapidly among humans. Muslims have learned a lot from the prophet Muhammad that they should not only care for their own but others.
As the hadith recite from Bukhari Muslim, “ The prophet said that whoever believes in Allah and the last day should not harm his neighbor.”
Social distancing keeps us to make everyone safe. It believes can prevent the Coronavirus attack our body. It lesser the risk of infected from people to people. The Prophet Muhammad also said, “An ill person should not mix with healthy people.” (Hadith, Bukhari Muslim).
From the hadith, we should not harm other people by spreading the virus. So it is the better way to keep the distance during the pandemic. It needs more than tolerance culture. But, Muslims knowing the history of tolerance in Islam that has been obeyed for so many years.
4. Obey the Public Health Guidelines
As the pandemic spread rapidly, the government should seriously take this case. But the government also need people to obey their rule. That is why there are so many guidelines calls to prevent the pandemic.
Muslims always put their trust in Allah, but they have to put their trust also to Public Health. In this situation, the expert knows better than ordinary people. Guidelines from Public Health are made by scientific research. The purpose of it is to keep the human safe.
To stick the rule, Muslims can do five prayers in their home. They should do Friday prayer outside the mosque such as in their home or the park. To prevent the gathering from the Friday prayer, it possibly starts with only 4 people (based on the Hanafi School).
5. Keep Believing in Allah
Muslims always believe that Allah may not give their difficulties any other than people could lift. So in this uncertainty, Muslims should put their trust to Allah that Allah will always guide them. As said in the Quran At Taubah (9), verse 52, “Say: Nothing will afflict us except what Allah decided for us.“
Good Muslims know that the outbreak is a part of life as a natural thing that may occur no matter what. All they have to do is try the best to survive, keep in Allah’s way, stick the rule from the government, and do not ever give up.
So, there is some glance at what should Muslims do during the outbreak to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.