COVID-19 & The Vaccine - Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

Alhamdulillah, we praise Him, ask for His help, and ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whom He misguides, none can guide him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant, His Messenger, the purest of His creation, and His friend. And Allah has sent him to the people as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.

He conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, and advised the Ummah. He left us on the white path — its night is like its day — nothing escapes it except destruction. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and upon his family and his companions, and whoever is guided by his guidance, follows his Sunnah, and calls by his call to the Day of Recompense.

The Objectives of the Sharī'ah (المقاصد الشرعية)

My brothers and sisters, I start by praising Allah Almighty, and sending blessings and salutations upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. As we know, this Deen of ours, the Deen of Allah, is one that is kāmil — one that is complete and perfect. It teaches us everything that we need to know about this life: how to conduct ourselves, the do's and don'ts, the right from wrong. And it is a blessing from Allah to have this religion and this Deen.

And among the things that we benefit from this beautiful religion, and this revelation from Allah Almighty, is that it taught us what is valuable and important in this life. And when the scholars speak about this — when they speak about the objectives of this revelation and the Sharī'ah — they say the Sharī'ah of Allah, this religion, Islam, came to protect five things. And every single Islamic ruling that you come across will be in service of the protection and the preservation of these five things. And this is known as the maqāsid al-Sharī'ah — the objectives of the Sharī'ah.

And of course, the first thing that comes to mind is to protect the Deen of the people. Because their Deen and their religion should only be for Allah Almighty. So any ideology, theology, or way of life that isn't connecting the person back to Allah Almighty is incorrect, which is why:

The only true religion is Islam. To protect the Tawḥīd of the people and the Deen of the people is from the objectives of this revelation — حِفْظُ الدِّينِ.

The second one the scholars mention is حِفْظُ النَّفْسِ — to protect and preserve life. A lot of the religious verdicts that you come across in the Deen serve this goal.

And then you have حِفْظُ الْعَقْلِ — to protect the person's mind. Why do you think certain things are not allowed for us to consume? Because they have an adverse effect on our intellect, on our mind, so they have become ḥarām. So many things Allah has made ḥarām for us because they have an ill or adverse effect on our health.

Applying the Objectives to COVID-19

The religious verdicts that you will come across from the scholars and the fuqahā' related to certain matters — known as the nawāzil, things that happen — they will base these decisions on these maqāsid, these objectives. For example, right now we are praying two metres apart. Now this is not how you should be praying — worshippers should be close to each other. The reason we are doing this is to preserve life, because if we are too close to each other, it is more likely that we will be spreading the virus. So there is a thought process behind this, a methodology behind this, that is based upon the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Where do we get these things from? From the āyāt and the aḥādīth. Allah says:

Don't throw yourself into destruction. Allah said: Don't put yourself in a situation where you will die. The preservation of life is among the objectives of this Deen. And it shows you the ḥikmah and the wisdom behind it. And our scholars have absorbed these wisdoms from the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

And this is why you will find, for example, 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, when winter would approach, he would write to the people and call out to them and say:

O people, the winter has come, so prepare for it with full preparation. (Narrated from 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb)

He would then say: Ensure that you have the right type of clothing, the right footwear, the socks that you are wearing. He was telling them: Be careful, the winter has come, and you must take care of your health.

It is similar for us, ikhwānī fillāh. Our health is a blessing from Allah that we are supposed to preserve and protect. And one of the ways we are doing it right now is the wearing of masks, the spreading out, and the staying at home. These things, ikhwānī fillāh, are not just commands that came from the government or from the health officials — they are entrenched in our religion, and we must understand this.

There is a possibility that the mosques might close again — it is possible, the same way it happened in March. Now this is something that of course makes all of us worried. We do not want that to happen. But if it does happen, one shouldn't be making conspiracy theories and saying, "This is what they wanted," etc. It is based upon the Qur'an and the Sunnah. When your life is in danger, Allah Almighty has given us certain leeways. The rules are not static and stationary — they change based on circumstances, and we have to appreciate and understand that.

Islam Is Pragmatic — Consulting the Experts

Another thing, ikhwānī fillāh, that I want to highlight is that the religion of Islam is a pragmatic religion. It is a Deen that is not just spirituality, nor is it just theology — it is everything. It is a way of life. Which is why our scholars don't make decisions without consulting experts.

Imam al-Shāfi'ī, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about a mas'alah. There is a statement narrated from 'Ā'ishah — although it is weak in its chain of narration — that if water is heated by the sun, if you leave a bowl of water outside and it is heated by the sun and you then use that for your wuḍū' or your ghusl, then it causes baras — leprosy — a skin disorder. Some scholars took that ḥadīth and said, therefore we shouldn't make wuḍū' with water that has been heated in the sun. They said it has to be in a metal container — and if you have those conditions: a metal container, and the water is left in the scorching heat of the Middle East — that type of water should be avoided until it cools down.

Now Imam al-Shāfi'ī looked at this ḥadīth and this athar and said, "I am not happy with the chain of narration," because he declared it to be weak. So then he said, "Can we make wuḍū' with it?" And he said:

If the doctors say it is bad for you, then don't do it. (Statement of Imam al-Shāfi'ī)

Why is he saying this? Because he knew that he was not a ṭabīb himself — he was a faqīh, a great scholar and a great Imam — and he was saying: it depends on what the experts say. This is very important, ikhwān fillāh. When Allah Almighty said:

Ask the people of knowledge. Although the āyah initially was addressing the Quraysh — telling them to go back to the Ahl al-Kitāb — the scholars take this as a general meaning: الْعِبْرَةُ بِعُمُومِ اللَّفْظِ لَا بِخُصُوصِ السَّبَبِ — the lesson is in the generality of the wording, not in the specificity of the occasion. So go back to those who know.

Number one is the scholars of this Deen. Don't be making your own fatāwā and your own decisions — go back to the people of knowledge. But even the scholars are being told: when making decisions and fatāwā, consult the experts in their field. Because the scholars have the Islamic know-how and knowledge, but they may not have the understanding of the reality of the situation — and you need both. That is why the scholars say:

To be able to make a verdict on something, one must first have the correct picture of it. (Principle of Islamic jurisprudence)

To be able to make a verdict on something as a scholar, as a faqīh, as an Islamic scholar, you need to have the right picture. And who will paint that picture for you? The expert in that particular field — and in this case, it is the health officials. That is why Imam al-Shāfi'ī said it depends on what the doctors and the people who know this say.

Conspiracy Theories and Speaking Without Knowledge

So why is this relevant to us, ikhwān fillāh? Because there are a lot of discussions being had right now about coronavirus and COVID-19, and what should be done about it. And a lot of people are either hesitant with regards to the vaccine, or they are not abiding by certain guidelines and rules. And what we have to understand is: if we closed down the mosques — the buyūt of Allah — because of the reality of the situation, then you have to remember this is a serious matter.

Meaning what? You as a Muslim have an obligation, and that obligation is to stick by any rule that will help preserve life. This is what it means to be a Muslim. So, ikhwānī wa ikhwātī fillāh: stick with the guidelines. If we are told not to congregate, don't congregate. If we are told that we should be in a certain number, don't exceed those numbers. If you are told to abide by certain rules, do it — not only because the government told you, although we should listen to those who are doing the research, but because Allah Almighty wants you to. Because you are a Muslim. This is very important.

Every Disease Has a Cure

My brothers and sisters, another very important point I want to mention is that the Prophet ﷺ has told us that every disease has a cure. As Muslims, we believe this.

Allah has not sent down a disease except that He has sent down a cure for it. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5678)

And sometimes it takes time for these forms of medicine to be found, but eventually, most of the time, they find something that can counter it. And this is from the raḥmah of Allah Almighty.

One thing as a Muslim you always have to keep in mind is that the medicine itself, the vaccine, or the doctor — they themselves don't have the power of health. It is Allah who heals through these means. And that is an important point that you always have to remember. It is Allah who heals, but He heals through the means.

It is mentioned from Mūsā ﷺ that he became sick, and when he became sick, he asked Allah Almighty to heal him. And Allah told him to eat from a certain tree, and he ate from it and felt better. Then he went and felt the same symptoms again, went back to the tree, ate from it, and did not feel better. This is when Mūsā asked Allah Almighty why the tree this time did not help him. And Allah Almighty said to him: the first time, what was the process? He asked Allah to heal him, and Allah pointed him to the means. So this teaches us, ikhwānī fillāh, that we should be connected to Allah Almighty, who is the one that in the end provides health — it is not the medicine itself.

Does that mean you should ignore medicine? No. The Prophet ﷺ himself said:

Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with something that is unlawful. (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Hadith 3874)

Heal yourselves through conventional medical means, but don't use anything that is ḥarām or unlawful. So we are required to do this, ikhwānī fillāh. And the best means of seeking health is asking Allah Almighty to heal you — He is الشَّافِي — there is no cure except His cure. Reciting the Qur'an upon yourself, reciting the adhkār — you should do all of this. And also, ikhwānī fillāh, if there is an avenue whereby you can find a means that will make you feel better, or can heal you, or reduce an illness, then you should use it as well. This is what the scholars have said, and this is from the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ.

Do Not Speak Without Knowledge

Ikhwānī fillāh, one more point I want to make: Allah Almighty prohibits us from speaking without knowledge or following something without knowledge:

So we are not allowed to speak about something that we have no knowledge of. This is a huge problem, and we have seen this. People are sharing things, people are coming up with conspiracy theories. You have people claiming COVID-19 is a hoax. That 5G is the reason why people are getting sick. That it is a government conspiracy. That the vaccine will kill you. And so on.

As Muslims, what do we say? Let's go back to the experts. Let's go back to the people who are the experts in this field of knowledge, and then we follow the advice of the 'ulamā' and the experts in the field of knowledge combined. You don't make it up yourself. We have a system, a methodology, and this is what makes our religion perfect, ikhwānī fillāh.

Half a Faqīh and Half a Doctor

Another problem, ikhwānī fillāh, is something that Ibn Taymiyyah said. He said that among the biggest problems that the Muslims have is what is known as:

Half a faqīh and half a doctor. (Attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah)

That means someone who knows a little bit but not enough to make religious verdicts. Those are the biggest problems. If someone doesn't know the Deen at all, you usually won't see them making fatwā. The problem is people who have read a little bit, but are not grounded enough in knowledge to make Islamic verdicts or fatwā, yet they do so anyway. يُفْسِدُونَ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُصْلِحُونَ — they cause more problems than they rectify.

And he also mentioned نِصْفُ طَبِيبٍ — half a doctor. Someone who is not an expert but has read a few things. If you are still in medical school, you should not be making these decisions — you should leave them to the people who are grounded in this knowledge. And the problem now is it is not even نِصْفُ فَقِيهٍ or نِصْفُ طَبِيبٍ — it is لَا طَبِيبٌ وَلَا فَقِيهٌ. This person has absolutely no knowledge, yet they are making these statements, fear-mongering, scare-mongering, telling people, "If you do this, this will happen to you," without any sort of evidence.

Ikhwān fillāh, don't listen to these people and don't be among these people. Follow the evidence wherever it takes you, follow the scholars wherever they take you, and follow the guidelines that you are being given by those who know. Because when we do this, ikhwān fillāh, it will keep us from falling astray in matters of Deen when we follow our scholars, and it will keep us from falling astray in matters of dunyā as well. And there is nothing wrong with allowing people who have more knowledge than you to make decisions regarding this.

The Prophet ﷺ himself said to the Companions:

You know better than I do in the affairs of your worldly life. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2363)

Rasūlullāh ﷺ is saying this. So it is fine — we don't have all the answers, and that is okay.

The Vaccine — Hesitancy and Educating Yourself

Ikhwān fillāh, another thing I wanted to highlight before I finish the khuṭbah is that yes, there is a vaccine that is being used all over the world right now. Now, I appreciate when people have some hesitancy — that is fine, and you're not sure. What do you do as a Muslim when you're not sure or you're hesitant? You absorb more information, you educate yourself, you don't make decisions based upon no ʿilm. Which is why I am encouraging you to follow the masjid's social media pages — we will be putting out, or have put out, a video detailing some important information related to the vaccine and information that you need to know.

Closing Du'ā'

I ask Allah Almighty to return us to the way we were before this happened. I ask Allah Almighty to heal our sick and to forgive those who have passed away. I ask Allah Almighty to lift this illness from all of us.

وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. وَصَلَّى اللَّهُمَّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ.