COVID-19 and the Plague of Amwas

An historical account of the Plague of Amwas became significant for the quarantine measures that authorities under the Caliph ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb (644/23) took to contain its spread and the number of prominent Companions that had died. For many in the region, the story of Amwas supplied the ethical impetus to uphold and observe COVID-19 quarantine orders issued by authorities.