بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحَمْدُ للهِ وَحْدَهُ ، وَالصَّلاة وَالسَّلامُ على مَنْ لا نبيَّ بَعْدَهُ ، وَبَعْدُ
Is There Such a Thing as Contagiousness in Disease?
Can diseases be contagious? Like the plague or tuberculosis? A person reported that Muhammad bin AbdulWahhab said there is no such thing. The narration of Omar ra was mentioned about this issue. Surely, the issue is related with qadar. Of course, it is Allah Taala who makes the disease spread to the human and heals him. Merely the reason can be such. Allah knows best. I would be happy if you could give a summarized answer with this regards.
Salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
Wa Alaykum’us Salâm wa Rahmatullâhi wa Barakatuhu.
In the section relating to superstitions found in his book Fath’ul Majîd, Shaykh Abd’ur Rahmân bin Hasan Rahimahullâh made the following explanations relating to the subject:قال: "وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم قال: " لا عدوى ولا طيرة ولا هامة ولا صَفَر ". أخرجاه. زاد مسلم: " ولا نوء ولا غول "
قال أبو السعادات: "العدوى" اسم من الإعداء. كالدعوى. يقال: أعداه الداء يعديه إعداء: إذا أصابه مثل ما بصاحب الداء. وقال غيره: "لا عدوى" هو اسم من الإعداء، وهو مجاوزة العلة من صاحبها إلى غيره، والمنفي نفس سراية العلة أو إضافتها إلى العلة. والأول هو الظاهر.
وفي رواية لمسلم: أن أبا هريرة كان يحدث بحديث لا عدوى، ويحدث عن النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: " لا يُورد مُمرِض على مُصِح ". ثم إن أبا هريرة اقتصر على حديث: " لا يورد ممرض على مصح ". وأمسك عن حديث: " لا عدوى "، فراجعوه وقالوا: سمعناك تحدث به، فأبى أن يعترف به. قال أبو مسلمة- الراوي عن أبي هريرة-: فلا أدري أنسي أبو هريرة أو نسخ أحد القولين الآخر؟
وقد روى حديث: " لا عدوى " جماعة من الصحابة: أنس بن مالك، وجابر بن عبد الله; والسائب بن يزيد، وابن عمر وغيرهم، وفي بعض روايات هذا الحديث: " وفِرّ من المجذوم كما تفر من الأسد ".
وقد اختلف العلماء في ذلك. وأحسن ما قيل فيه: قول البيهقي، وتبعه ابن الصلاح وابن القيم وابن رجب وابن مفلح وغيرهم: أن قوله: " لا عدوى " على الوجه الذي يعتقده أهل الجاهلية من إضافة الفعل إلى غير الله تعالى، وإن هذه الأمور تعدي بطبعها. وإلا فقد يجعل الله بمشيئته مخالطة الصحيح من به شيء من الأمراض سببا لحدوث ذلك، ولهذا قال: " فر من المجذوم كما تفر من الأسد ". وقال: " لا يورد ممرض على مصح ". وقال في الطاعون: " من سمع به في أرض فلا يقدم عليه ". وكل ذلك بتقدير الله تعالى. ولأحمد والترمذي عن ابن مسعود مرفوعا: " لا يعدي شيء قالها ثلاثا، فقال أعرابي: يا رسول الله إن النُّقْبَة4 من الجَرَب تكون بمِشْفَر البعير أو بذنبه في الإبل العظيمة
فتجرب كلها؟ فقال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم: " فمن أجرب الأول؟ لا عدوى ولا طيرة ولا هامة ولا صفر، خلق الله كل نفس وكتب حياتها ومصائبها ورزقها ". فأخبر صلي الله عليه وسلم أن ذلك كله بقضاء الله وقدره، والعبد مأمور باتقاء أسباب الشر إذا كان في عافية. فكما أنه يؤمر أن لا يلقي نفسه في الماء وفي النار، مما جرت العادة أنه يهلك أو يضر، فكذلك اجتنب مقاربة المريض كالمجذوم، والقدوم على بلد الطاعون؛ فإن هذه كلها أسباب للمرض والتلف،
فالله سبحانه هو خالق الأسباب ومسبباتها، لا خالق غيره ولا مقدر غيره. وأما إذا قوي التوكل على الله والإيمان بقضاء الله وقدره، فقويت النفس على مباشرة بعض هذه الأسباب اعتمادا على الله ورجاء منه أن لا يحصل به ضرر، ففي هذه الحال تجوز مباشرة ذلك، لا سيما إذا كانت مصلحة عامة أو خاصة، وعلى هذا يحمل الحديث الذي رواه أبو داود والترمذي.
" أن النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم أخذ بيد مجذوم فأدخلها معه في القصعة، ثم قال: كل بسم الله ثقة بالله وتوكلا عليه". وقد أخذ به الإمام أحمد. وروي ذلك عن عمر وابنه وسلمان -رضي الله عنهم-. ونظير ذلك ما روي عن خالد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه أنه أكل السم. ومنه مَشي سعد ابن أبي وقاص وأبي مسلم الخولاني على متن البحر. قال ابن رجب -رحمه الله-.
He said:
It is narrated from Abû Hurayrah Radiyallâhu Anh that Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam said,لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ وَلاَ هَامَةَ وَلاَ صَفَرَ
“There is no contagious disease nor superstitions, there is no bad nocturnal birds nor Safar (bad luck perceived in the pre-Islâmic eras pertaining to the month of Safar).” (al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5707, 5717, 5757, 5770; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2220, with similar wording 2223)
This was narrated by al-Bukhârî and Muslim. Muslim added to it,“There is no Naw (star which supposedly causes rain) nor a ghoul.” (with similar wording in Muslim, Hadîth no. 2220, 2222, 3913)
Abu’s Sa’âdât said, “Adwâ (contagious disease) is an Ism (name) from al-I’dâ, just like ad-Da’wâ. When a person is inflicted with a similar infliction with the possessor of the illness (microbe), it is said, “A’dâh’ud Dâ, Ya’îduhu, I’dâ”.”
Others said, “There is no contagious disease” Adwâ is an Ism from al-I’dâ, which is the transmission of the defect from its possessor to another. That which is prohibited from is either the transmission of the defect or ascribing the transmission to the defect itself.” The first is apparent.
It is narrated in the narration of Muslim that Abû Hurayrah Radiyallâhu Anh used to narrate the Hadîth,“There is no contagious disease.” (al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5707, 5717, 5756, 5757, 5770; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2220, 2222-2225)
He would also narrate from the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam that he said,لاَ يُورِدُ مُمرِض عَلَى مُصِحّ
لاَ يُورِدُ مُمرِض عَلَى مُصِحّ
“The one who has a sick camel should never bring it near a healthy camel.” (with similar wording in al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5771, 5773-5775; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2221)
And he refrained from narrating the Hadîth,“There is no contagious disease.” (al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5707, 5717, 5756, 5757, 5770; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2220, 2222-2225)
The people consulted him regarding it and said, “We heard you narrate this.”
Abû Hurayrah Radiyallâhu Anh rejected admitting this. Abû Maslamah the narrator from Abû Hurayrah said, “I do not know, did Abû Hurayrah forget this Hadîth, or did one of the two Hadîth abrogate the other?”
The Hadîth, “there is no contagious disease” was narrated by a group of the Sahâbah (companions): Anas bin Mâlik, Jâbir bin Abdillâh, as-Sâ’ib bin Yazîd, Ibnu Umar, and other than them. In some narrations of this Hadîth, it isوفِرَّ مِنَ الْمَجْذُومِ كَمَا تَفِرُّ مِنَ الْأَسَدِ
“And run away from the leper as you run away from the lion…” (al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5707)
The scholars disagreed on this issue. The best said about it was the view of al-Bayhaqî, which was followed by Ibn’us Salâh, Ibn’ul Qayyim, Ibnu Rajab. Ibnu Muflih and others, which is that the statement of the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam “there is no contagious disease” is regarding ascribing the act to other than Allâhu Taâlâ, which was believed in by the people of Jâhiliyyah (pre-Islâmic era). Undoubtedly, these things are contagious in nature, otherwise, Allâh has made with His will that the reason of the disease occurring is the healthy person accompanying a person who has something from these diseases. This is why Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam said,فِرَّ مِنَ الْمَجْذُومِ كَمَا تَفِرُّ مِنَ الْأَسَدِ
“Run away from the leper as you run away from the lion.” (al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5707)
And he said,لَا يُورِد مُمْرِضٌ عَلَى مُصِحٍّ
“The one who has a sick camel should never bring it near a healthy camel.” (with similar wording in al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5771, 5773-5775; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2221)
He also said regarding the Tâ’ûn (plague),مَنْ سَمِعَ بِهِ فِي أَرْضٍ فَلَا يقدم عَلَيْهِ
“Whoever hears that it has struck a land should not enter upon it.” (with similar wording in al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 3473, 5729-5730, 6973; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2218-2219)
All of this happens with the Qadar (decree) of Allâh.
Ahmad and at-Tirmidhî narrated from Ibnu Mas’ûd Radiyallâhu Anh in a Marfû Hadîth (that Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam said,)“Nothing causes contagiousness.” He said it thrice.
Thereupon a Bedouin said, “O Rasûlullâh! The wound because of scabies occur on the lip or tail of the big camel which consequently wounds (gives scabies) to all the camels?”
Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam said,فَمَنْ أَجْرَبَ الأَوَّلَ؟ لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ وَلاَ هَامَةَ وَلاَ صَفَرَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفْسٍ وَكَتَبَ حَيَاتَهَا وَمَصَائِبَهَا وَرِزْقَهَا
“So, what made the first camel have wounds? There is no contagious disease nor superstitions, there is no bad nocturnal birds nor Safar. Allâh created every soul and wrote its life, afflictions and subsistence.” (with similar wording in at-Tirmidhî, 2143; al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 5717, 5770; Muslim, Hadîth no. 2220)
Thus the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam informed us that all of these happen through the Qadhâ (decree) and Qadar (pre-destination) of Allâh. The duty of the servant is to avoid the reasons leading to evil when he is healthy. Just as he is commanded to not throw himself into fire or water because of what has passed as customs that he will perish or be harmed, refraining from coming close to the ill person such as the leper and advancing towards the land of Tâ’ûn is similar. This is because all of these are reasons of being sick and being harmed. Thus, Allâh Subhânahu is the one who created the causes and effects; there is nothing which creates or decrees besides Him. When having at-Tawakkul (trust) in Allâh and having Îmân (faith) in the Qadhâ and Qadar of Allâh becomes strong, consequently he himself will be strong in undertaking some of these causes while relying upon Allâh and having Rajâ (hope) from Him that nothing of the harm will happen to him. So in this circumstance, it is permissible to undertake such a thing, especially when there is a private or general interest. The Hadîth which Abû Dâwûd and at-Tirmidhî narrated is interpreted with this, that the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam held the hand of a man who had leprosy, and then he entered it in a bowl. He Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam then said,كُلْ بِسْمِ اللهِ ثِقَةً بِاللهِ وَتَوَكُّلًا عَلَيْهِ
“Eat while saying Bismillâh (In the name of Allâh), relying on Allâh and having Tawakkul in Him.” (at-Tirmidhî, Hadîth no. 1817; Abû Dâwûd, Hadîth no. 3925; Ibnu Mâjah, Hadîth no. 3542)
Imâm Ahmad adopted this Hadîh, and this was also narrated from Umar, his son (Ibnu Umar), and Salmân Radiyallâhu Anhum. That which was narrated from Khâlid Ibn’ul Walîd Radiyallâhu Anh that he ate poison is akin to this. Also, Sa’d bin Abî Waqqâs and Abû Muslim al-Khawlânî Radiyallâhu Anhumâ walked upon the surface of the sea. These were mentioned by Ibnu Rajab Rahimahullâh.” (Fath’ul Majîd, p. 306-308)
Since the matter is quite clear, there is not much to add to the explanations of the Shaykh. If a person attributes contagiousness to the disease itself without thinking that this is by the decree of Allâh, then this is Bâtil (false). However, there is no problem in believing that standing next to the ill person will be a means of being sick by the decree of Allâh, and the correct belief regarding the issue is as such. Wallâhu A’lam (and Allâh knows best)…
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