FAQ in the category of Diseases / Wounds

Answer 1:

Mentally Disabled People

When Allah holds His servant obliged to do something or not to do it, it is called taklif.

Taklif, which is derived from the root kalf, which lexically means “to be fond of something, to undertake a job despite difficulties”. It means “to burden someone with a difficult task” (Raghib, Mufradat, “klf” item; Tahanawi, Kashshaf, 1/504-505)

Intellect and puberty (adolescence) are very important in Islam. When a person is sane and reaches the age of puberty, the period of being responsible (mukallaf), which can be summarized as “performing deeds of and avoiding sins”, begins.

However, as for the disabled, it is necessary to find solutions to problems by always considering our Almighty Lord’s verse, “On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear” (al-Baqara 2/286) and hadith of our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) “Make things easy; do not make them difficult... “ (Bukhari, Jihad, 164).

That is, a person must have the power to understand the message given to him and to fulfill what is necessary in order to be considered responsible for taklif (obligation). The purpose of holding a person responsible is to make him fulfill the obligation in accordance with the conditions of the test.

The condition of the obligation for a person is reaching the age of puberty with the power of distinguishing between the good and the bad.

Therefore, mentally handicapped insane people and children are not considered responsible (Zarkashi, al-Bahrul-Muhit, 1/343-352; Zakiyyuddin Shaban, Usulul-Fiqh p. 275-277)

To sum up, if someone is mentally disabled (i.e. mentally handicapped), there is no responsibility for that person. He will not be held responsible for worship and prohibitions.

Partially mentally handicapped people who are sane enough to perform deeds of worship, on the other hand, are held responsible to the extent that they are sane.

In order to determine the situation of such people, it is necessary to get information from specialists (doctors) - whose explanation is valid.

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Is a person who is physically disabled and needs the help of others in daily life but is slightly mentally retarded obliged to perform fasting and prayers and to wear hijab?

Answer 2:

Physically Disabled People

If a person is physically disabled but sane, that person is responsible for all worship like healthy people. However, he performs worship in a way that his health is suitable. For example:

- Those who cannot make wudu make tayammum.
- Those who cannot stand perform prayers by sitting.
- Those who are dumb read with their hearts.
- Disabled people can perform two prayers together (jam’) in case of need.
- Those who cannot fast pay fidyah.
- Those who cannot go to hajj can send a proxy.
- Those who cannot walk are exempt from going to mosque, including Friday and eid prayers.

Our disabled brothers and sisters are not regarded to have sinned because of the worship they cannot perform even though they want to. On the contrary, they will also be rewarded for fulfilling their worship despite difficult conditions and physical obstacles.

Some questions

Question:
Is it permissible to have abortion when it is determined that the baby in the womb will be physically or mentally handicapped?

Answer:

It is not permissible because that baby is a human being and is alive. If that child was born healthy and later became paralyzed for some reason, could we kill him? Definitely not. In that case, our baby in the womb is also a living being; no one has the right to take his life.

Question:
Is being disabled a punishment?

Answer:

Disability is never a punishment for the child or his family. On the contrary, that child is a gift from Allah to his family. The disabled child and his family are assigned a special duty. If they patiently fulfill their duty, they will earn a lot of rewards and deserve Paradise.

Question:
What will be the state of disabled people in the hereafter like?

Answer:

Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) states that mentally ill people will not be responsible for anything. Disabled people who have faith, try to do their worship in the best way they can and act patiently will be resurrected in good health on the Day of Judgment. In addition, they will enter Paradise due to their faith and worship.

Note: We recommend that you also read the article entitled No Barriers to Worship below:

No Barriers to Worship

Man was created to worship (serve) Allah. (see adh-Dhariyat, 51/56)

No obstacle except for lack of mind prevents being a servant of Allah. In order to fulfill the duty of servitude to Allah, which is the purpose of existence, it is necessary to know Allah, the Prophet, the Book, and religious obligations and duties, to believe in accordance with their conditions, to perform fard duties, to avoid makruh and haram things, to be grateful for blessings and to be patient in the face of calamities. Every person is responsible to the extent of his power. (see al-Baqarah, 2/286)

“No blame is there on the blind, nor is there blame on the lame, nor on one ill...” (al-Fath, 48/17)

“Three people are not held responsible: He who is asleep until he wakes up, the child until he reaches the age of puberty, and a mentally handicapped person until he is cured.” (Abu Dawud, Hudud, 17)

In terms of religious obligation, we can divide disability into two parts:

Mental disability and physical disability.

Mental Disability

“Mental disability” is the complete or partial absence of mental ability. It is possible to divide the mentally disabled people into three parts.
- Those with permanent mental disability.

- Those with partial mental disability.

- Those with temporary mental disability.

A person has to be intelligent and have reached the age of puberty to be religiously responsible for his words, actions and deeds. Therefore, according to Hanafi mujtahids, people who have completely lost their mental abilities and are too mentally retarded to evaluate events are not responsible for any religious duties. Partially mentally disabled people are held responsible for religious duties to the extent that they have strength.

1. Wudu and prayer (salah):

a) The state of those who lose their mental activities for a short time, such as falling into a coma and fainting, regarding wudu and prayer differs according to the duration of this state. Those who are in a state of fainting and coma that last a period to cover five daily prayers or more are regarded exempt from worship.

According to Abu Hanifa, if a person who is unconscious or in a coma or who has lost his mind regains consciousness within 24 hours, he has to perform the missed prayers of this period.

According to Imam Muhammad, if the number of missed prayers is fewer than five, a person is not regarded exempt; those prayers have to be performed after recovery. If the number of missed prayers is more than five, such a person is regarded exempt, and the missed prayers do not have to be performed later.

b) It is fard al-ayn for every Muslim who is responsible to learn and memorize at least one verse of the Quran in order to be able to perform prayers and it is wajib to memorize al-Fatiha and an additional chapter (surah) or three short verses of the Quran.

Those who cannot memorize the chapters and supplications to be read in prayer or cannot remember what they have memorized due to mental disability can recite the shortest verses and supplications they can learn. If they cannot learn or memorize at all, they are regarded exempt from qira’ah (recitation), and they perform their prayers by fulfilling the other fard, wajib and sunnahs of the prayer.

2. Fasting:

a) If mental illness, unconsciousness or coma occur at short intervals, they do not prevent fasting.

b) A mentally ill person whose illness continues during the month of Ramadan does not have to make up for the fasts that he has not been able to keep even if he recovers afterwards.

c) In case of fainting and coma lasting for one day, the fast that cannot be kept for that day does not have to be performed.

d) Partially mentally disabled people who are sane enough to worship have to fast.

3. Hajj:

Hajj becomes fard for a person if he is sane, has reached the age of puberty, healthy, free, not under arrest and restricted, has economic means, has road safety, is alive at the time of hajj, and has the safety of life, property and honor (for women).

Therefore, if partially mentally disabled people have the power to perform hajj, they are obliged to perform hajj provided that other conditions are also met.

4. Zakah, fitrah and sacrifice:

Zakah is fard for Muslims who have wealth at least the amount of nisab.

According to Hanafis it is necessary for a Muslim to be sane and have reached the age of puberty to be liable for zakah because mentally ill people are not responsible for zakah, sadaqah and sacrifice.

According to other madhhabs, it is not necessary for a Muslim to be sane and have reached the age of puberty to be liable for zakah. Therefore, children, people with complete or partial mental disabilities are responsible for zakah, sadaqah and sacrifice if they are rich. The guardians of these people give their zakah and sadaqah and have their sacrifices slaughtered. (Tirmidhi, Zakah, 15)  

The state of fainting and coma is not an obstacle to giving zakah because it is not usual for this state to last long.

Physical Disability

1. Wudu, ghusl and prayer (salah):

a) Physically handicapped people who lack one of their wudu organs, for example, who do not have feet or arms, wash only their healthy organs. Prostheses do not have to be washed or wiped. It is all right if they are clean.

b) People whose blood from the nose or a wound, whose urine and women whose discharge continue throughout a prayer time and do not stop for a long time to pray, are deemed “to be excused”.

According to Hanafi madhhab, those people make wudu for each prayer time and perform their prayers. Unless something else that will invalidate the wudu occurs within a prayer time period, those people are considered to have wudu and can perform any worship they want, circumambulate the Kaaba and hold the Quran in their hands. (See Bukhari, Hayd, 19; Wudu’, 63) When the time period for that prayer ends, their wudu become invalidated.

According to Shafi’i madhhab, the wudu of those who are excused becomes invalidated when the prayer they perform is over. They have to make wudu again for each prayer.

Liquids such as blood and pus that come out of the excused part of a person and smear on their clothes do not invalidate their prayers as long as their excuse continues. However, if the leakage ends, they have to be cleaned.

c) If a person has a wound on one of the organs of wudu, he wipes over the wound while making wudu or ghusl. If there is a bandage on the wound, he wipes over the bandage.

d) Those who cannot find or use water for wudu or ghusl due to their health perform tayammum with clean soil or something of the type of soil. As soon as it becomes possible to use water, wudu and ghusl have to be made with water.

e) Hair transplanted through tissue transplantation is considered as one’s own hair. It does not prevent wudu and ghusl. Hair that is planted on plastic skin and attached to the head is like a wig and prevents water from entering the skin and hence prevents wudu and ghusl.

f) Those who have dentures must remove them while making ghusl. If it is easy for them to remove them while making wudu, they will do so; if it is difficult, they will not because it is fard to wash the mouth in ghusl and sunnah in wudu.

g) Those who cannot wash their feet while making wudu or ghusl due to their disability, if it is possible to get help from someone else at home and make wudu’, they wear khuffs and wipe over them throughout the day. If they cannot wash their feet and have no one to help, it is enough for them to wipe their feet. It is permissible to wipe the boots on the condition that they are clean and have been worn with wudu’.

h) Those who cannot perform their prayers standing due to an illness or a pain in their knees perform their prayers by leaning on something; and those who cannot pray like that perform prayers by sitting; and those who cannot perform prayers by sitting perform them by lying on their back or on their side and extending their feet towards the qiblah. “Ima (Gesture)” means bowing the head in prayer to indicate ruku’ and sajdah. It can be done by standing or sitting, lying on one’s side or on one’s back. While lying on the side, the person lies facing the qiblah; while lying on the back, the feet face the qiblah, and a pillow is placed under the head to direct the face toward the qibla.

According to Abu Hanifa, those who cannot perform the prayer by standing or sitting, or by gesturing with their heads as they lie down postpone their prayers. According to Abu Yusuf, those who are unable to gesture with their heads perform their prayers by gesturing with their eyes and eyebrows.

According to Imam Shafi, those who are not able to perform prayers by gesturing with their eyes and eyebrows perform their prayers by gesturing with their hearts.

i) Those who cannot sit on the ground or cannot bend their knees perform their prayers by sitting on a stool or something similar. Imran Ibn Husayn, one of the Companions, narrates: "I was suffering from hemorrhoids. I asked the Prophet (pbuh) how to perform prayers. He said, “Perform your prayers standing. If you cannot perform them standing, sit. If you cannot perform them sitting, lie down on your side.” (Bukhari, Taqsir, 19)

A person who can stand to pray for a while stands and then sits down and completes his prayer. A person who can only say the takbir of iftitah standing up, utters the takbir by standing and then sits down and continues his prayer.

j) A person who cannot fully bow in sajdah due to his disability or illness does not have to raise his place of sajdah with something like a chair or a pillow. He performs ruku’ and sajdahs by gesturing and bowing as much as he can.

k) Those who cannot find clothes to wear sit on the ground and stretch their feet, covering their front and back private parts; those who do not know the qiblah perform their prayers by turning toward the direction where they think qiblah is.

l) Those who cannot go to mosque due to snow, rain, darkness, sickness, disability and security are not obliged to perform Friday and eid prayers because Friday prayer is not fard for very old people who are incapable of walking and those who are afraid of an increase in or prolongation of their illness.

m) According to Hanafi scholars, performing fard prayers in congregation, except for Friday prayers, is a sunnah for men who can do it. Therefore, women, physically disabled, sick and very old people do not have to go to mosque to pray in congregation. According to Shafi’i scholars, it is fard al-kifayah to perform fard prayers in congregation in the mosque.

n) Visually impaired people have to perform wudu, ghusl and prayer. If those people can go to mosque themselves or if they have helpers who can take them to mosque, they go to mosque for prayers, especially Friday prayers. (Muslim, Masajid, 255. I, 452) Abdullah Ibn Ummi Maktum asked permission not to go to the mosque, saying that he was old and visually impaired and that his house was far away and there was no guide for him. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes”. Thereupon, the messenger of Allah said, “I cannot find a permission for you.” (Abu Dawud, Salah, 46)

According to Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, Friday prayer is fard for the visually impaired people who have a guide to take them to Friday prayer. It is not fard according to other mujtahids.

There is unanimous agreement that Friday prayer is not fard for visually impaired people who do not have a guide to take them to Friday prayer.

o) If hearing and speech-impaired people have not been able to memorize verses of the Quran and supplications, they are obliged to perform their prayers by performing other fards, wajibs and sunnahs of the prayer other than “reading the Quran and supplication”.

2. Fasting:

a) Physically disabled people who are sane and have reached the age of puberty are obliged to fast during Ramadan unless they are sick. It is not fard for people who are too sick to endure fasting or who are too old to fast. (al-Baqara, 2/185)

b) People who are medically known that they will be ill or their illness will increase if they fast do not have to fast during Ramadan. Such people perform fasting later when they recover.

c) If it is clear that they will not be able to perform fasting later due to their permanent illnesses or being very old, they pay fidyah to “feed a poor” every day. (al-Baqara, 2/184)

Ill people may delay their fasts during Ramadan, but when they recover, they make up for it.

d) Ill people who have no hope of recovery pay fidyah to the poor for every day they can’t fast if they have the means; Allah does not keep those who do not have the means to pay fidyah responsible.

d) Visually, hearing and speech impaired are obliged to fast if they are healthy.

3. Hajj and Umrah:

a) A person has to be physically able to perform hajj for the worship of Hajj to be fard for him. Those who are sick, paralyzed, disabled, invalid and too old to get on or off a vehicle on their own are not obliged to perform hajj and umrah because Allah has made hajj fard “for those who can afford the journey”. (see Aal-i Imran, 3/97)

Hajj and umrah are deeds of worship done with the body.

b) Mujtahids have different opinions on whether or not Hajj is fard for visually impaired people if they meet other conditions. According to the famous narration from Abu Hanifa about visually impaired people, hajj is not fard for a visually impaired person even if he has economic power and someone to accompany him. (see Aal-i Imran, 3/97)

According to the view preferred by Imam Shafi, Imam Muhammad and Imam Abu Yusuf, if a visually impaired person has economic power and someone to accompany him, he is obliged to perform hajj and umrah.

Hearing and speech-impaired people are obliged to perform hajj and umrah if they have the means.

4. Zakah, sadaqah al-fitr and sacrifice:

If physically disabled, visually, hearing and speech impaired and ill Muslims are rich, they have to give zakah and sadaqah and sacrifice animals.

5. Other deeds of worship:

a) The physically handicapped can make any kind of civil transactions that they can do such as shopping, contracting, renting and witnessing.

b) Hearing and speech-impaired people can carry out transactions such as marriage and divorce in sign language; if they can read and write, it is more appropriate for them to reinforce such transactions with writing.

c) Mentally and physically disabled people and ill people are not obliged to participate in war. (see an-Nisa, 4/95; an-Nur, 24/61; al-Fath, 48/17)

d) Physically disabled, visually, hearing and speech impaired people are obliged to avoid harams such as fornication, theft, lying, perjury, slander, backbiting, drinking alcohol and gambling.

They are obliged to be truthful, to testify honestly, to perform dhikr, meditation and similar fard religious duties, to obey the orders and prohibitions of Allah and the Prophet to the extent that they can do.

In short, except for mental disability, no obstacle prevents Muslims from worshipping and serving Allah. Everyone is responsible for deeds of worship according to their strength.

Being disabled is not a fault. The value of the servant in the sight of Allah is not related to people’s language, skin color, physical structure and country, but their belief, sincerity, taqwa, righteous deeds, worship and high ethics.

Real disability is not being able to understand, to see, to tell and to practice the truth.

(Assoc. Prof. İsmail KARAGÖZ)

“A good scare is worth more than good advice.”

Illness “is an adviser that never deceives and a guide that warns.”

Illnesses and misfortunes make man feel his weakness and poverty; therefore, they make man ready to heed advice.

Sometimes, health itself is an illness. We have caught the disease of health.

The disease of health sometimes makes man fall into heedlessness, causes him to abandon prayer, to forget Allah and to indulge in the world. Disease raises man’s awareness and reminds him of death, the hereafter and the fact that he is mortal. It lowers the conceit of the soul. It reminds man of the following fact: “I have only created Jinn and men, that they may serve Me.” (adh- Dhariyat, 51/56)

Diseases can be fully treated only through both material and spiritual cures.

Material cures turn out to be insufficient in many diseases. Hippocrates, the father of medicine stated thousands of years ago by saying, “First, advice; then, medication; finally, knife (operation).”

They asked Luqman, the doctor, “What food shall we give to the patient?” He said, “Do not give him bitter words; give any other food you wish.” Therefore, it is important to make the patient rely on you and have a good communication with him.

In this age, when we have made our souls our idols, diseases make man feel his weakness.

He who is healthy asks everything from Allah; he who is not healthy asks only health from Allah.

“There are two blessings which many people lose: Health and free time.” (Bukhari, Riqaq 1; Tirmidhi, Zuhd 1; Ibn Majah, Zuhd 15)

Man should not ask for illnesses and misfortunes; but when they hit man, if he sighs and laments, the misfortune/illness is not eliminated; on the contrary, it increases. If it is really painful, it is necessary to ask patience from Allah. That is, man needs to know who sends the misfortune/illness and beg Him to alleviate it.   

25th Lem’a (Flash), also called the Booklet of Patients, is a kind of drug, medication, prescription, ointment, antidote, treatment, consolation, cure and remedy for victims of misfortunes, people with problems and pains, those who are worried and anxious, those who are ill and those who have spiritual diseases.

A nice word can sometimes be as effective as a material drug.

Words are like elixir. It can cause the secretion of useful chemicals in the body based on intention.

For instance, they say, “Smile is the drug that mixes with blood best.” Those medications are like psychological counselors for ill people.

Some examples of prescription from those remedies:

“To search for the cure of belief, which is the certain healing remedy for the innumerable illnesses afflicting that infinitely wounded and sick, extensive immaterial being of yours; you have to correct your beliefs.”

“My sick brothers! If you want a most beneficial and truly pleasurable sacred cure, strengthen and develop your belief! That is, make use of belief, that sacred cure, and of the medicine which arises from belief through repentance and seeking forgiveness, and the five daily prayers and worship.”

“Unhappy sick person! Do not be anxious, have patience! Your illness is not a malady for you; it is a sort of cure.”

“O ill person who lacks patience! Be patient, indeed, offer thanks! Your illness may transform each of the minutes of your life into the equivalent of an hour’s worship.”

“O sick person who sighs and laments! Do not look at the outward aspect of illness and sigh, consider its meaning and be pleased. If in meaning illness had not been good, the All-Compassionate Creator would not have given it to the servants He loves most.” (Like the Prophet Ayyub (Job)).

“O you who is afflicted with illness! Through experience, I have formed the opinion at this time that for some people sickness is a divine bounty, a gift of the Most Merciful”

“O sick person who thinks of the hereafter! Sickness washes away the dirt of sins like soap, and cleanses.”

“There are some illnesses which if they lead to death, are a sort of martyrdom; they result in a similar degree of sainthood.” (Epidemies are among them.)

“Following the recommendations of skillful, God-fearing doctors is an effective medicine. For most illnesses arise from abuses, lack of abstinence, wastefulness, mistakes, dissipation, and lack of care.”

“The All-Wise and Glorious Healer has stored up in His mighty pharmacy of the earth a cure for every illness. It is licit to obtain medicines and use them as treatment, but one should know that their effect and the cure are from Almighty Allah. He both gives the ailment and provides the cure.”

“Your illness has been sent to your being as a guest to perform many duties such as displaying various of the All-Wise Maker’s names. God willing, it will carry out its duties quickly and depart, and will say to good health: “Come, and stay permanently in my place, and carry out your duties. This house is yours. Remain here in good health.”

“May Almighty Allah restore you to health and make your illnesses atonement for your sins! Amin! Amin! Amin!” (from 25th Lema)

If a medication or vaccine obtained from halal substances has not yet been produced for the treatment of a disease, or if it has been produced but it is not possible to reach them and if it is stated by a medical specialist whose professional competence and honesty are trustworthy that a substance that is haram or a drug or vaccine produced from it has to be used, there is no drawback to taking that drug or getting vaccinated according to the religion of Islam. For, "Necessities make prohibitions (haram things) permissible.” (Majalla, article 21)

If the necessity disappears and drugs or vaccines made from other halal substances are found, it will be necessary to use halal ones. For, "Necessities are estimated by the extent thereof." (Majalla, article 22)

That statement belongs to Hz. Aisha and the full statement is as follows:

“He who escapes from plague is like the one who escapes from war. He who shows patience and stays in the place where plague breaks out is like a mujahid in the way of Allah.” (Faydul-Qadir, 4/288; Haythami, Majmauz-Zawaid, 2/315)

Nuraddin Haythami states that the chain of narrators of this narration is hasan and he points out that it is sound. (Majmauz-Zawaid, ibid)

The following hadith reported by Hz. Aisha from the Prophet (pbuh) shows clearly how the statement above should be understood:

“Plague was a punishment which Allah used to send on whom He wished, but Allah made it a blessing for the believers. None (among the believers) remains patient in a land in which plague has broken out and considers that nothing will befall him except what Allah has ordained for him, but that Allah will grant him a reward similar to that of a martyr.” (Bukhari, Tibb 31; see Bukhari, Anbiya 54; Qadar 15; Muslim, Salam 92-95)

Plague is an infectious disease that causes mass death. The fact that it emerges unusually in any region and causes death on a large scale caused it to be described as torment/punishment.

In this hadith, it is not pointed out that Muslims will not catch this disease, but that this disease is a means of mercy for them and that this mercy will be manifest in the form of the reward of a martyr for those who have the necessary conditions.

Those conditions are listed as follows:

The person who has caught plague must be patient and expect his reward from Allah; he must not leave the place where he is; he must know that only what Allah appreciates will happen to him and he must accept it.

To be patient with the disease and expect reward from Allah does not mean not to seek a cure for its treatment. He should look for a solution according to both his own means and the means of medical science.

Medicine did not have the means in the face of plague in the past; similarly, the ill person or the local people in the place where the disease originates might not have the means today. In that case, what needs to be done is to wait for the reward from Allah without rebelling and to surrender to God Almighty. In fact, that is an attitude that is desired and expected from every Muslim at all times.

It is important that the ill person not leave the place where he is located so as not to spread the disease to other regions.

This hadith asks the believers to apply the practice of quarantine.

It is a characteristic of Islam to have taken such a serious measure fifteen centuries ago related to a matter that concerns the public.

As it is pointed out in other hadiths regarding the issue, entry to and exit from the region where plague is seen is prohibited. This is complete quarantine.

It is regarded as not believing in Allah's predestination to claim that one will definitely catch the disease if he remains in the place where the disease has emerged and to claim that one will not catch the disease even if he enters that place.

Thus, if a believer who has this belief and does what he is advised in the hadith dies due to plague, he will be treated as a martyr.

As a matter of fact, the Prophet (pbuh) states the following

“He who dies of plague is a martyr.” (Muslim, Imara 166); 
“Plague is a means of martyrdom for Muslims.” (Bukhari, Jihad 30, Tibb 30)

For, a martyr is a person who is killed while fighting the enemy in order to protect the Muslims from danger; therefore, a person who tries to prevent such infectious and relentless disease by showing patience and makes efforts so as not to infect other Muslims, that is, fights in order to protect the Muslims from this disease is also regarded as a martyr because both of them die while protecting Muslims.

“He who escapes from plague is like the one who escapes from war. He who shows patience and stays in the place where plague breaks out is like a mujahid in the way of Allah.” Hz. Aisha’s statement above is another evidence for the similarity of it.

On the other hand, it is very well understood how current, ethical and humane those hadiths are today, when there is news that some AIDS patients resort to special methods to infect healthy people.

- It is pointed out in the hadith that patience is necessary even in the most desperate environments and that the outcome is truly extraordinary and satisfying.

- Patience is the greatest shelter and weapon of the Muslim to protect his belief.

In the light of the evidences, the majority of scholars holds the view that treatment is generally sunnah, mandub or mustahab and that it is wajib when healing seems to be certain through treatment.

It is seen that explanations related to tawakkul (reliance on Allah) have an important place in the evaluations regarding the issue. Many scholars point out that it is contrary to the spirit of the religion, wisdom and the essence of tawakkul to abandon treatment and to take refuge in tawakkul, and that pure faith of oneness can be preserved only by applying to legitimate causes. (Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Zadul-Ma’ad, IV, 15)

However, some scholars hold the view that treatment is makruh regarding it contrary to the understanding of tawakkul acting upon the verse of the Quran “And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me” (ash-Shuara 26/80) and the hadiths regarding treatment with the methods of cauterization and reciting (Muslim, Iman, 371; Tirmidhi, Ṭibb, 14).

However, the verse and the hadiths above are explained by the majority of scholars as being related to the cases when the faith that cure comes from Allah is abandoned, words contrary to Islam are uttered in treatment and the possibility of the treatment method to cure the illness is very weak.   

Some scholars make the following distinction about the relationship between treatment and tawakkul:

It is haram not to apply to treatment methods that are regarded to be definitely useful when one’s life is in danger because this attitude has nothing to do with tawakkul. It is not contrary to tawakkul to treat a patient through methods that are not certain to be useful like getting one’s blood drawn and using laxatives.   

It is more appropriate in terms of tawakkul to abandon methods like cauterization and reciting that are based on delusions. (al-Fatawal-Hindiyya, V, 355)

It is stated in the resolution of International Islamic Fiqh Academy dated May 9-14 1992 that the decree on treatment may change from person to person but that treatment is wajib if one’s life is in danger, if one of the organs can be lost or if the disease can infect others, that it is mandub if the patient can be exposed only to bodily weakness, that it is mubah if there is no risk of being exposed to bodily weakness and that it is makruh if the side effects have more risks than the disease itself.    

In fact, man is held responsible religiously in terms of decrees if he is mentally healthy and he can fulfill certain responsibilities when he is bodily healthy. In Islamic resources, along with the cases that affect the mental and bodily health adversely, the spiritual illnesses that a believer can be exposed to in terms of belief, ethics and deeds are emphasized very much.

Scholars regard the following verses among the special evidences related to the legitimacy of treatment: “And make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction” (al-Baqara 2/195); “Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves” (an-Nisa 4/29); “Wherein (in honey) is healing for men” (an-Nahl 16/69).

It is seen that the advice and practices of the Messenger of Allah are given a special place in the books dealing with the legitimacy of treatment. It is understood that the real purpose of the explanations of the Prophet regarding the issue is not to point out an application not known before but  
- to point out the legitimate ones among the known and applied methods of treatment,
- to state that to apply to treatment is not contrary to the faith of tawakkul,
- and to warn those who act negligently related to health.

The following hadiths can be mentioned regarding the issue:
- “There is a cure for every illness. When that cure is found, that illness is treated with the permission of Allah.” (Muslim, Salam, 69);
- “Undergo treatment. Allah created a cure for every illness except one: senility.” (Abu Dawud, Ṭibb, 1);
- “Undergo treatment but do not used forbidden (haram) things in treatment.” (Abu Dawud, Ṭibb, 11).
- When the Prophet was asked whether treatment through medicine or reciting is regarded to be contrary to the faith of qadar, he said, “They are also Allah’s predestination.” (Tirmidhi, Ṭibb, 21),
- The Prophet himself underwent treatment.
- He stated that one of the two things that people did not appreciate was health (Bukhari, Riqaq, 1).
- He wished health from Allah when he prayed (Abu Dawud, Adab, 101),
- He did not regard it appropriate to wish to die (Bukhari, Marḍa, 19)
- He advised use to wish long life that will be spent by doing good deeds (Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 21).

If medical experts in a society state that there is a risk of catching the disease when going out of the house and the government approves this, it is necessary to obey this.

The Prophet (pbuh) ordered those who hear of an outbreak of plague in a land not to not enter that place and if plague broke out in a place, he ordered those in that place not to leave that place. (Bukhari, Tibb, 30; Muslim, Salam, 92)

The Messenger of Allah wanted us to keep away from leprous people (Bukhari, Tibb, 19); when he heard that there was a leprous person in the delegation coming from Thaqif to Madinah to pay allegiance to him, he wanted that person to return and stated that his allegiance was accepted. (Muslim, Salam, 126; Ibn Majah, Tibb, 44)

The Prophet (pbuh) also stated that animals with diseases should be separated from healthy animals. (Muslim, Salam, 104-105; Abu Dawud, Tibb, 24)

Hz. Umar set off for Syria but when he was informed that there was an outbreak of plague in Syria, he returned. (Bukhari, Tibb, 30; Muslim, Salam, 98; Tabari, Tarikh, IV, 57-58)

Are lessons learned from an invisible virus that affects the whole world? Yes, there are lessons that we can learn from every being, from an atom to the sun. “Behold! In this is a sign for those who believed” (al-Hijr, 75)

Here are some lessons we can learn from this virus for our souls:

1. I must keep away from shirk (polytheism), which is not forgiven.

Firstly, I must not regard my soul as a deity. Causes are only veils for Allah’s power. Even a leaf will not fall if Allah does not wish. Everything says, Bismillahirrahmanirrahim in their tongue of disposition. That is, everything says, “I act on behalf of Allah, for Allah and with His name, permission and power.”

Nothing, including this virus, is excluded from it.

2. I must not fall into despair.

Down with despair! Long live hope!

“Despair not of the Mercy of Allah.” (az-Zumar,53)

In that case, I will never fall into despair and give way to despair.

3. I must work by giving up laziness.

“That man can have nothing but what he strives for.” (an-Najm, 39)

4. I must walk around with my equipment.

The equipment of a believer is wudu and dua (supplication). The greatest supplication is prayer (salah), which is the essence of all deeds of worship.  

“Those who humble themselves in their prayers.” (al-Muminun, 2)

5. I must rely on Allah.

“Man is helpless and exposed to numerous misfortunes. He is indigent, and his needs are numerous. He is weak, and the burden of life is most heavy. If he does not rely on the Omnipotent One of Glory, place his trust in Him and confidently submit to Him, his conscience will always be troubled” “Reliance does not mean to abandon causes completely.”

It means to wait for the result from Allah after acting in full compliance with causes. I will leave the decision to Allah after taking all measures I can take for this virus.

“For those who put their trust should put their trust on Allah.” (Ibrahim, 12)

6. I must continue conveying the message of Islam.

I must start to convey the message of Islam to myself and my relatives first.  “Since my soul commands to evil, one who does not reform his own soul cannot reform others. In which case, I shall begin with my own soul.” I must convey the message of Islam with my life, tongue and pen.  

7. I must give importance to zakah and sadaqah (alms and charity)

“Give sadaqah; treat your patients with sadaqah. Sadaqah definitely prevents misfortunes and diseases. Sadaqah also helps to lengthen your life and increase your good deeds.” (Kanzul-Ummal, h. no: 16113)

8. I must avoid greed and stinginess.

“Licit sustenance comes not in accordance with power and will, but proportionately to powerlessness and want.” “There is no right for the son of Adam in other than these things: A house which he lives in, a garment which covers his nakedness, and containers to put bread and water.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd 30)

“Son of Adam says, ‘My wealth, my wealth’. O Son of Adam! What have you got except what you eat and use up, what you put on and wear out, and what you give as sadaqah (charity) and store the reward for yourself?” (Muslim, Zuhd 3-4)

9. I must love all my believing brothers.

I must not forget that our upper identity is Islam. I must use my love properly.

“You have the right to say, ‘My way is right and the best’. But you do not have the right to say, ‘Only my way is right’.”

“The believer loves and should love his brother, and is pained by any evil he sees in him. He attempts to reform him not with harshness but gently.”

10. I must not regard my soul as my guide.

Our guide is the Quran, the Sunnah and the scholars who act in the light of the Quran and the Sunnah.

11. I must use my feeling of fear appropriately.

“One of the strongest and most basic emotions in man is the sense of fear. Scheming oppressors profit greatly from the vein of fear.”

Death is certain. The time of death does not change. Diseases are only reasons for death. Azrail (the angel of death) is also a reason.

“He Who created Death and Life.” (al-Mulk, 2)

We understand that you are suffering and that you feel the pain of those around you who are suffering. This shows how sensitive and compassionate you are. In addition, it reflects that you are focused on suffering in your thoughts.

1. Life is built on opposites.

Life is built on two poles: night and day, light and darkness, cold and hot, black and white, good and evil, bitter and sweet, etc. One cannot exist without the other, and even if they did, the value of the other one would not be appreciated. Suffering is not proof of evil; it is a means of being human and being aware.

However, sometimes people focus only on the negative. That is when they lose their holistic perspective.

For example, what makes severe trials unbearable, leads man to deep depression, and causes pain and suffering is not so much the pain itself as the negative meaning the person assigns to it.

If we assign negative meanings to it on a cognitive level, we feel pain and sorrow; if we assign positive meanings, we feel peace and tranquility. In other words, we experience both pain and peace together. This is because we ourselves form all the positive and negative emotions we experience in our inner world through our cognitions and thoughts. That is, our emotional world takes shape according to how we believe, perceive, and think.

This includes our opinions, our thoughts about a person or thing. That is why the same event or person might upset one person but not another, or even make him smile.

For example, a person who assigns negative meanings to someone’s absence, an illness, a disability, or a failure, sees pain and sorrow everywhere and believes that life consists only of suffering.

“It is by means of disasters and sicknesses that life is refined, perfected, strengthened and advanced; that it yields results, attains perfection and fulfils its own purpose.” (See Nursi, 2. Lema)

However, if we think like that, in accordance with the purpose for which we were sent to this world, the suffering around us will give way to peace and the signs of divine mercy. Through these sufferings, our lives reach perfection, become complete, and serve as a means to attain eternal happiness. Because they serve as a means, we begin to see them as tools to reach our goal.

Our thoughts do not always influence our feelings; sometimes our feelings influence our thoughts. For example, when we feel exhausted and restless, our thoughts are negatively affected. We begin to think negative and pessimistic things about the world and our surroundings.

However, if we focus on good things, we will begin to think positively about our surroundings. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi expresses this state with the following concise saying:

“A person who sees the good in things has good thoughts. And he who has good thoughts receives pleasure from life.” (Mektubat, Hakikat Çekirdekleri: 50, p. 473)

2. Pain is a means of maturation and testing.

In Islam, suffering is seen as part of the test of life. It is explicitly stated in the Quran:

“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil).” (al-Baqara, 2/155)

So, suffering is not Allah’s punishment, but rather a means of drawing us closer to Him and testing us. As Mawlana (Rumi) puts it,

“Suffering leads a person to God.”

In other words, when a person’s spirit is sometimes broken, burned, or bereaved, they feel themselves and God Almighty more deeply. Pain may seem like destruction on the surface, but deep down it can serve as a catalyst for awakening because people generally grow not when they are comfortable, but when they are shaken.

If we view and appreciate suffering in this way, it becomes both a reward of eternal paradise and a means of maturation. Indeed, patience, mercy, humility, solidarity, and compassion— all these noble emotions—emerge only in the face of suffering.

3. Some sufferings are the result of free will.

It is God Almighty who creates good and evil, but it is man who desires them with his free will. Suffering and many misfortunes arise from man’s own choices because man has free will; he has the right to choose both good and evil. However, this freedom also causes suffering. For example, one person’s oppressing another is not injustice by Allah; it is the misuse of the freedom granted to man.

If Allah had willed, everyone could have been like an angel, but then the secret of the test would have disappeared, and abilities would not have developed. Abu Bakr (ra) and Abu Jahl would have remained at the same level.

4. Pain is Created for Our Survival.

When we look at the phenomenon of pain from a psychological perspective, we see that pain is actually created for our biological and emotional survival. Physical pain is the body’s way of signaling danger. Emotional pain is often a sign of an inner imbalance or dissatisfaction; it is like a “call for redirection”. In short, pain sometimes tells us, “Something is wrong here, you need to change.”

5. Suffering is a hidden form of mercy.

Sometimes mercy appears like punishment at first glance.

The Quran explains this truth as follows: “But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you...” (al-Baqara, 2/216).

Man focuses on the immediate suffering; Allah, however, considers the long-term mercy, maturity, and eternal reward that will result from that suffering.

We mature through patience when we are sick.

When we lose, our hearts will be connected to Allah, not to the world.

In times of need, we learn the meaning of sharing and gratitude.

So sometimes, seemingly painful incidents are a cure for the heart.

6. Suffering Brings About Empathy and a Sense of Unity.

If there were no suffering in the world, feelings like mercy, solidarity and empathy would not develop.

When a person feels the pain of another, he forms a bond with that person; that bond is a divine bond that holds society together.

That is why the following is stated in the hadiths: “Believers are like the limbs of a body; if one is hurt, the others feel it too.” (Bukhari, Adab 27)

Therefore, suffering is not only a factor that fosters individual maturity, but also one that strengthens the solidarity of the human family.

7. This World Is Not the Place of Ultimate Justice

The big question that preoccupies the minds of many people is this:

“If Allah is just, why do innocent people suffer?”

Answer:

This world is a place of testing and process, not the ultimate place of justice. If this world were a place where all the consequences would be seen, there would be no need for an afterlife.

The Quran states the following:

“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.” (az-Zilzal, 99/7-8)

Therefore, the injustices seen here will be met with complete justice there.

8. Suffering Opens the Door to Prayer and Closeness.

In times of comfort, people tend to forget Allah but when they suffer, their hearts turn more toward Him.

The Quran gives the example of the prayer that the Prophet Jonah said in the belly of the fish:

But he cried, “There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!” So We delivered him from distress. (al-Anbiya, 21/87-88)

In other words, suffering elevates a person to the state of prayer (dua); and the essence of prayer is noticing one’s own helplessness.

It is the moment when the deepest connection with Allah is established.

9. The Ultimate Purpose of Suffering: Preparation for Eternal Bliss

According to Islam, the world is not a place to stay permanently, but a temporary place of learning.

The sufferings we endure here is a means of purification, enabling us to deserve eternal peace in the hereafter.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Bukhari, Marda 1)

Thus, Allah makes even suffering a means for His servant to attain forgiveness, maturity, and Paradise.

Conclusion:

Suffering is a “language of testing” that Allah has given us. If we view it with belief and patience, that suffering is transformed into a hidden form of mercy.

Treatment is a necessity. It is frequently not possible to choose a doctor outside of a private hospital or clinic.

Under these circumstances, it is permissible for a male or female dentist to treat a patient of the opposite sex, or for the patient to be treated under these circumstances.

As a result of wearing gloves during treatment, there is no skin-to-skin contact.

It holds true for other medical professionals too.