Rabat – While social media saw a surge in “stay home” hashtags on an international level, and authorities have stressed the importance of social distancing, Prophet Muhammad preceded both in disease spread prevention 14 centuries ago.
“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place,” according to Sahih Al-Bukhari.
Dr. Craig Considine, Professor at Rice University and author on Christian-Muslim relations, recounted one of Prophet Muhammad’s ordinations about plague mitigation in a recent tweet.
Prophet Muhammad advised quarantining to contain a deadly outbreak. He said:
“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”
A timely hadith in light of COVID-19.
Stay safe.
— Dr. Craig Considine (@CraigCons) March 17, 2020
The tweet comes as large numbers of travelers find themselves stranded in airports in Morocco and around the world due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local authorities in Morocco and other countries are urging citizens to stay home and avoid public gatherings to curb the pandemic that has resulted in 6,606 fatalities globally as of March 16.
Morocco recorded its second fatality today from a total of 38 confirmed cases.
The kingdom’s government took a series of measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the country. Among the measures, the Ministry of Interior announced the decision to close mosques, restaurants, coffee shops, and hammams.
Morocco also suspended school and international flights to limit the spread of the virus.
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