What is the ruling on judging epidemics to be punishments upon specific countries?

The rulings concerning epidemics and diseases are not tied to the lands in which they occur, but rather to the individuals afflicted by them. They can strike believers and disbelievers, the righteous and the wicked. They might be a mercy and an elevation for special believers, a forgiveness and purification for disobedient Muslims, and a punishment and retribution for the unjust infidels, each according to their state. The plague afflicted some of the most excellent members of this Ummah, among them Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah and Mu'adh ibn Jabal. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The plague is a torment or a punishment that was sent upon the Children of Israel, or upon those who were before you. So, if you hear of it in a land, do not enter it; and if it occurs in a land while you are in it, do not leave it, fleeing from it." He also said: "It was a punishment that Allah would send upon whomever He willed, then Allah made it a mercy for the believers. There is no servant who is in a land where it occurs, and he remains there, not leaving the land, patiently enduring and seeking reward [from Allah], knowing that nothing will befall him except what Allah has decreed for him, but that he will have a reward like that of a martyr." Leprosy afflicted great righteous individuals, such as the noble companion Mu'ayqib ibn Abi Fatimah al-Dawsi. The point is that these diseases can be a mercy and an elevation for one person, and a retribution and an expedited punishment for another. The difference lies in their status with Allah the Almighty.