Islamic hygiene and lifestyle more relevant to fight epidemics By Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — An internationally renowned Saudi scholar and physician has lauded the elaborate preventive and precautionary measures taken by the government of Saudi Arabia to stem the spread of coronavirus. In an exclusive interview with Saudi Gazette, Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Bar, director of medical ethics center at Jeddah's International Medical Center, said that the preventive steps and precautionary measures, including the suspension of Umrah, are correct steps as any laxity might have caused unpredictable and far-reaching consequences," he said while citing the example of Iran. "In Iran, laxity on the part of government in taking preventive measures resulted in spreading the virus at alarming level with the heaviest death toll in the Middle East. There, people visit tombs in large gathering of tens of thousands and many have contracted the disease through contacts with infected people." Dr. Al-Bar, a renowned Islamic jurist who has been instrumental in framing a host of Islamic religious edicts (fatwas) in the Islamic World, underscored the significant role of scholars in making aware of people about the preventive and precautionary measures. "Scholars have also to play a pivotal role in taking all the measures to enable the public to lead a healthy life and contain the spread of contagious diseases and this will be through the necessary coordination and cooperation with doctors and other health workers. It is high time to advise people to avoid congregations as much as possible as those having serious chronic diseases and weak immune system will be the major victims of epidemic," he said while emphasizing that Ulema (Islamic scholars) and health workers should join hands to make proper awareness as well as not to create unnecessary panic," he said. According to Dr. Al-Bar, the Islamic approach of hygiene and lifestyle are the best way to contain contagious diseases. There were very few cases of diseases during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he said while noting that the lifestyle of Muslims, hygiene and food habit were the main reasons for this. "Islam gives paramount importance to cleanliness and hygiene by encouraging a mandatory use of water at regular intervals – at least five times a day for ablution to perform obligatory prayers. It is also mandatory to take a bath, if water is available, in the event of major ritual impurity," he said adding that the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged using water before and after eating and at several other occasions. "The Prophet (pbuh) instructed his companions to use water as the best method for cleanliness. They were instructed to get up early in the morning and do their brushing and clean with water even at a time when Arabia was an arid land with extremely scarce water resources." The Prophet (pbuh) encouraged believers to dig wells for the common benefit of the public, with giving glad tidings that it is a great virtue for which Allah will reward with Paradise," he said while citing the example of the third Caliph Othman Bin Affan. Islam is referred to as the religion of cleanliness, with the Holy Qur'an saying that Allah "loves those who purify themselves," and cleanliness is mentioned as half of faith in the Traditions of the Prophet. In Western countries, using water is rare even in countries where there are big rivers and other huge natural resources of water. "The concept of hygiene is different in the Western countries where most people are using diapers and toilet papers, discarding the scientific fact that water is the best means for cleanliness," he said. According to Dr. Al-Bar, corona is a respiratory infectious disease and hence washing is the number one precaution. "At IMC, there is a hygiene policy of instructing doctors to wash hands after meeting each patient and thereby they repeat it several times a day," he said noting that this helps prevent diseases. Dr. Al-Bar said the practice of quarantine in the event of the spread of any epidemic was first promulgated by the Prophet (pbuh) in human history and "it was as early as in the 7th century." The first known practice of quarantine in history began after several centuries and it was during the 14th century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics. Italy's Venice established the first formal system of quarantine, requiring ships to lay at anchor for 40 days before landing. The outbreak of the plague, known as The Black Death, ravaged mostly Europe, and parts of Africa, and Asia, with an estimated death toll of 75-200 million people during the period from 1346 to 1353. Dr. Al-Bar said when there is an epidemic, nobody should get out of the place and nobody should enter the area from outside. The Prophet (pbuh) asked people to stay wherever they were during epidemic though no such incidents of epidemic were reported during his lifetime. He established the system of quarantine which is considered the basis of modern preventative medicine after the discovery of the microbes that cause diseases and plagues. The Prophet (pbuh) ordered his companions: "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place." He further alerted them. "He who runs away from the place of the plague is like the one running away from fighting in the cause of Allah and he who forbears it and stays where he is, he will be rewarded with the reward of a martyr." Dr. Al-Bar drew attention to the first epidemic in the form of plague during the period of second Caliph Umar Bin Khattab. "During the time of the second caliph, there was plague in Syria where Abu Ubaida was the commander of the Muslim army." The epidemic, which was known as Amwas plague, exacted its heaviest toll in Syria though it spread in Iraq and Egypt as well. When Umar heard of the outbreak of plague he decided to proceed to Syria personally to watch the measures to be adopted to tackle the epidemic. However, after proceeding for a while, the caliph gathered elite people in the group and sought their opinion. Abdur Rahman Bin Auf, one of the most favorite companions of the Prophet (pbuh), quoted the Traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) with regard to handling of the plague situation and thereby Umar decided not to proceed to Syria and returned to Madinah. Abu Ubaidah who returned to Syria got affected by the plague and died and the same was the fate with his successor Muadh Bin Jabal, Al-Bar pointed out. An internal medicine consultant by profession with FRCP, Dr. Al-Bar earlier served as Islamic medicine advisor at King Abdulaziz University. For more than three and a half decades, Dr. Al-Bar has been associated with leading Islamic jurisprudence organizations in the Muslim World and is instrumental in the issuance of fatwas on key medical topics. Since 1983, he has been actively associated with International Islamic Fiqh Academy, an affiliate of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Islamic Fiqh Academy under the Muslim World League (Rabita) as well as with the Kuwait-based Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences.
