Question: May Allah be good to you. Abu Abdullah from Riyaadh send a question saying:
In relation, O Shaikh, to these mental/psychological illnesses which are many and of different types in our present time. Were these known during the lifetime of the Salaf or are they recent? And what are their causes, may Allah reward you?
Answer: “Allah, the Almighty is capable of all things. He brings forth punishments to the people in accordance of what they do of sins. It has come in a Hadith regarding the people at the end of times, that when people change their religion, He will punish them with plagues and sicknesses that were not known to their predecessors. What attests to that is what the questioner refers to of recent sicknesses. Like cancer, AIDS, and different chronic sicknesses, which there is no treatment for as a punishment for them. Allah even causes these sickness to be in things which they did not imagine. He causes it to occur due to impoverishment, to occur in birds, and He causes it to occur in what He wants, the Almighty. As it is well known nowadays and the world is terrified about it. The people are always giving, taking, establishing conferences, seminars, and consultations regarding their treatment. This is all proof of the truthfulness of what the Prophet (ﷺ) informed in terms of the coming of chronic sicknesses. This is despite the advancement of medicine. Medicine has progressed enormously; however, Allah is not incapable of doing something nor can anyone put back His Judgement except through His obedience, supplication to Him, and returning to Him. Yes”.
[https://www.alfawzan.af.org.sa/node/3953]
Translator’s Note:
The Hadith the Shaikh is referring to is the following:
Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned to us and said:
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ خَمْسٌ إِذَا ابْتُلِيتُمْ بِهِنَّ وَأَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ تُدْرِكُوهُنَّ لَمْ تَظْهَرِ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي قَوْمٍ قَطُّ حَتَّى يُعْلِنُوا بِهَا إِلاَّ فَشَا فِيهِمُ الطَّاعُونُ وَالأَوْجَاعُ الَّتِي لَمْ تَكُنْ مَضَتْ فِي أَسْلاَفِهِمُ الَّذِينَ مَضَوْا . وَلَمْ يَنْقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِلاَّ أُخِذُوا بِالسِّنِينَ وَشِدَّةِ الْمَؤُنَةِ وَجَوْرِ السُّلْطَانِ عَلَيْهِمْ . وَلَمْ يَمْنَعُوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ إِلاَّ مُنِعُوا الْقَطْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَلَوْلاَ الْبَهَائِمُ لَمْ يُمْطَرُوا وَلَمْ يَنْقُضُوا عَهْدَ اللَّهِ وَعَهْدَ رَسُولِهِ إِلاَّ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأَخَذُوا بَعْضَ مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ . وَمَا لَمْ تَحْكُمْ أَئِمَّتُهُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَيَتَخَيَّرُوا مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ
‘O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge with Allah lest you live to see them: Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but plagues and diseases that were never known among the predecessors will spread among them. They do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity and the oppression of their rulers. They do not withhold the Zakah of their wealth, but rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them. They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, but Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands. Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another [Saheeh Ibn Majah no. 3262]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
