If you get news of the outbreak of a plague in a land, do not enter it, and if it breaks out in a land in which you are, do not leave it

عن أسامة بن زيد رضي الله عنهما مرفوعاً: «إذا سمعتم الطاعونَ بأرض فلا تدخلوها وإذا وقع بأرض وأنتم فيها فلا تخرجوا منها».

Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you get news of the outbreak of a plague in a land, do not enter it, and if it breaks out in a land in which you are, do not leave it.”

Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim · hadeethenc:5737

Grading: Authentic hadith (as published by the source; the grader is not named)

Explanation from the source

If a plague or epidemic breaks out in a part of the world that the person is not in, then it is not permissible for him to enter that plagued land so as to protect his health and the health of others. If the plague breaks out in a land that he is already in, then it is not permissible for him to leave that land, and he should be patient and accept whatever Allah decrees for him to receive the due reward for that.

Topics: Belief in the Divine Decree and Fate

Source: HadeethEnc.com, published by HadeethEnc.com. Version API snapshot retrieved 2026-10-11 (the source publishes no version number) (retrieved 2026-10-11). Published by HadeethEnc.com. Shown unmodified; not reviewed by a scholar.