Since the first COVID-19 case in Indonesia in February 2020, there have been 858.043 other cases. COVID-19 classified as a pandemic because it is an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people. In the history of our earth, pandemic already happen several times even when our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) alive.
إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِالطَّاعُونِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلاَ تَدْخُلُوهَا، وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلاَ تَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا
“If you hear the plague tho’un somewhere, then do not enter it, and if in a place there is a plague tho’un, while you are in it, then do not go out to avoid it”
That hadith shows us to prevent someone from entering a pandemic’s area and not let someone from the pandemic’s area to travel outside. The Ulamā referring that hadith in four versions which state in Mahfudz (2007: 354)
The first version, entering the pandemic’s area is an attempt to plunge into the ruination and its prohibited by Islam since every person need to take care of themself from distress. Allah Himself says in Qur’an (2: 195)
وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِوَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ
“and do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction [by refraining]”
The second version, that prohibition anticipated someone disregarding their faith and praying. The third version, pandemic is a disaster which leads to chaos and causes a loss of patience, receiving all divine letters or لأن القدر بالفعل مكتوب. The fourth version, to anticipate misrepresentation of i’tiqâd (اعتقاد) hence said “If I hadn’t entered this area, I wouldn’t have been infected.”
Now we are in a global crisis of COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for us to stay calm and follow hadith and ijma’ since we are a moeslem. Insya Allah healthy, peace, and happiness upon you.