ISIS issues advisory on dealing with epidemic, asks to avoid travelling to and from countries hit by the coronavirus outbreak

As the world grapples to control the spread of coronavirus, with most countries closing their border for foreign visitors, Islamic terror organisation ISIS has also taken steps to avoid its members from being infected.

The Islamic State has issued an advisory on how to protect against epidemics. The terror group published already known Islamic verses on epidemics and hygiene on its newsletter al-Naba.

In its latest edition of al-Naba, ISIS has published a full-page infographic containing Sharia guidelines on dealing with epidemics, without specifically mentioning coronavirus. The advisories include:

• To adopt protection from causes of illness and avoid them, and to stay away from sick people. It asks to “flee from the one afflicted with leprosy as one ould flee from the lion”.
• No to travel to areas affected by an epidemic and not to exit from such places. The relevant verse says, “torment sent by God on whomsoever He wills, and God has made it a mercy for the believers. Whosoever dwells in his land patient and awaiting as the plague falls, knowing that it will only strike the one for whom God has decreed, for that person is the likes of the reward of a martyr”.
• Covering mouth when coughing and sneezing. “The Messenger of God (SAWS) would place his hand or clothing on his mouth when he sneezed, and in this way reduced or diminished his voice,” according to the translation of the Arabic verse published by ISIS.
• Washing hands before eating and drinking. The quoted Sharia verse says, “When one of you wakes from his sleep, let him not dip his hand into the vessels until he washes it three times, for he does not know where his hand spent the night”.
• To cover the vessels and tie the waterskin.
• To put trust in God and seek refuge in Him from illness.

The ISIS advisory also says that diseases do not strike by themselves, but they attack on the command and decree of God.

By quoting Sharia guidelines that forbad entering the land of epidemic, the ISIS has essentially asked its members to not go to the countries hit by the Coronavirus outbreak, which means the Islamist terrorists will not strike several countries for the time being, including several European and west Asian countries which are regularly hit by the terror organisation.