Are Makkah and Madinah protected from the plague and pandemics such as swine flu?

Praise be to Allah.

Makkah and Madinah are not entirely safe from epidemics. There was an epidemic in Madinah during the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him). Al-Bukhaari (2643) narrated that Abu’l-Aswad said: I came to Madinah and there was a sickness there, and they were dying quickly. I sat with ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)…

But it is proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that the plague will not enter Madinah. According to some versions of the hadith, it will not enter Makkah either.

Al-Bukhaari (1880) and Muslim (1379) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “On the roads leading to Madinah there are angels and neither the plague nor the Dajjaal will enter it.”

Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath:

In some of the narrations of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah it says: “Madinah and Makkah are surrounded by angels; on every road leading to them there is an angel, and neither the Dajjaal nor the plague will enter it.” Narrated by ‘Umar ibn Shabbah in Kitaab Makkah, via Shurayh from Fulayh from al-‘Alaa’ ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The men of its isnaad are the men of as-Saheeh. End quote.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Abu’l-Hasan al-Madaa’ini that no plague had ever occurred in Makkah and Madinah.

Al-Adhkaar, p. 139.

But some of the scholars stated that the plague entered Makkah in 749 AH.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) responded to that by noting that it was not the plague; rather it was some other epidemic, but the one who narrated that thought that it was the plague.

Conclusion:

Makkah and Madinah are protected against the plague, but they are not protected against other diseases and epidemics.

We ask Allah to grant safety and well-being to all the Muslims.

And Allah knows best.