Jurisprudential Exploration of the Responsibility of the Islamic Government for Natural Calamities and Epidemic Diseases

Natural calamities and certain epidemic diseases are as old as the human history. Nobody alone can cope with natural events such as floods, earthquakes, and epidemic diseases like Coronavirus disease. To cope with them, firm decisions must be made and all governmental facilities should be made use of. The question arises whether the Islamic government undertake responsibilities and perform its duties in these conditions or not. Or the case may be that fiqh does not place any responsibility for these things on the government. According to a set of traditions (riwÁyÁt), it is incumbent upon everybody, including members of the government, to make all their efforts to take care of Muslims’ affairs and resolve their problems. As some Muslim jurists (fuqahÁ) have explicitly stated, taking care of the general affairs of the Muslims are intended by the traditions, and in view of the fact that in the case of social or natural events, Muslims are in more need of help than any other time, they cannot be helped but by their government. Furthermore, regarding the fact that the measures taken by the state are definitely part of the public interests, according to the principle of expediency in Islamic fiqh, the government should assume responsibilities for ensuring public interests.