The Islamic world—minus Shia Iran, as explained below—is not suffering from COVID-19 the way non-Muslim nations are because Islam naturally makes Muslims “cleaner” than infidels.

Such is the contention Muslims around the world are currently making. Thus, the recent article, “Coronavirus – an Islamic Perspective,” begins as follows:

Allāh has blessed us with a religion that is complete and perfect for all times and places.  Allāh tells us in the Qur’ān: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion”

We also have in the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam), the best of examples, as Allāh says in the Qur’ān:“Surely there was a good example for you in the Messenger of Allāh”

Whatever problem or issue a Muslim is facing [the article goes on to talk about coronavirus], he returns back to Allāh and his Messenger for guidance; there is nothing that happens in the life of a Muslim except that his religion has a solution to it.

The idea is that those who follow Allah’s commandments (as recorded in the Koran) and the prophet’s example (as recorded in the hadith)—in a word, those who uphold sharia—will not suffer what infidels suffer, in this case, COVID-19.

The fact that coronavirus is plaguing Iran—to us, a “Muslim” nation, to Sunnis (who make up 90 percent of Islam) a “heretical” nation—is actually strengthening this argument: Shias reject most hadiths used by Sunnis—that is, they reject what most Muslims consider authentic records of Muhammad’s example—and are therefore suffering accordingly.

From television programs to social media, Muslims everywhere are trumpeting these convictions.  They are attributing the relatively small number of COVID-19 cases among Sunni nations to Islam’s ritual washing (wudu, which is apparently less stringent among Shias).  They are, moreover, boastfully reveling in a hadith where Muhammad reportedly said, “Cleanliness is from belief.”  This, they say, is proof that the more Muslims submit to the teachings of Islam, the “cleaner”—and therefore healthier—they become.