NEWS
A Study at UoB Confirms the Close Relationship between the Jurisprudence of Priorities and Pandemics
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Ali Al-Sabbagh)
March 2, 2022
A scientific study by a professor at UoB confirmed the close relationship between the jurisprudence of priorities and contemporary issues such as pandemics and epidemics. It stressed the permissibility of religious and medical procedures in combatting epidemics.
The study, prepared by a faculty member in the Department of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies, Dr. Salman Duaij Busaeed, pointed out that the impact of the jurisprudence of priorities is evident in the most important procedures of worship in light of the current pandemic of the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
The study, entitled, “The Jurisprudence of Priorities and its Impact on the Most Important Devotional and Health Procedures to Combat the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Jurisprudential Study” was published in “Al-Tajdeed” magazine, issued by the International Islamic University, Malaysia.
The researcher defined the jurisprudence of priorities as knowledge of the legal rulings that have priority over others, based on legal, passed and rational evidence, taking into account balancing between reality and legitimate interests.
The Assistant Professor of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals stated, “The importance of this research lies in highlighting the relationship between the jurisprudence of priorities brought by Sharia law and the developments of the measures taken to combat the emerging coronavirus (Covid 19), especially with the continuing impact of the pandemic on the world.”
Dr. Busaeed indicated that “the problem of the research was to consolidate the relationship between the jurisprudence of priorities and the religious and medical procedures taken to combat the pandemic.
The study examined issues related to the suspension of prayers in mosques, limits on number of pilgrims, quarantine and isolation, vaccination and related issues, and the requirement for a medical examination before travel as well as contemporary global fatwas related to the religious and medical aspects.
The study, which employed the inductive and descriptive analytical approaches, confirmed the permissibility of suspending congregational and Friday prayers, limiting the number of pilgrims, and suspending Umrah in the event there is a need to prevent the spread of the pandemic among people, based on the principle of taking into account bringing interests and warding off evils in Islamic law, the permissibility of isolating the infected and their contacts according to instructions of health authorities in each country, the permissibility of indirect compulsion to vaccinate by restricting the access of unvaccinated people to some places, depending on the principle of the authority of the guardian to restrict the permissible, and the permissibility of arranging priorities for groups of society to be vaccinated.
The study suggested conducting more studies in the Sharia aspect related to pandemics, and conducting in-depth studies in specific, detailed aspects related to the jurisprudence of priorities and its relationship to epidemics, pandemics, medication and health treatments.
