عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا صَلَّى هَمَسَ شَيْئًا لَا أَفْهَمُهُ وَلَا يُخْبِرُنَا بِهِ قَالَ أَفَطِنْتُمْ لِي قُلْنَا نَعَمْ قَالَ إِنِّي ذَكَرْتُ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أُعْطِيَ جُنُودًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ مَنْ يُكَافِئُ هَؤُلَاءِ أَوْ مَنْ يَقُومُ لِهَؤُلَاءِ أَوْ غَيْرَهَا مِنَ الْكَلَامِ فَأُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ اخْتَرْ لِقَوْمِكَ إِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ إِمَّا أَنْ نُسَلِّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ أَوْ الْجُوعَ أَوْ الْمَوْتَ فَاسْتَشَارَ قَوْمَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالُوا أَنْتَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ فَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْكَ خِرْ لَنَا فَقَامَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَكَانُوا إِذَا فَزِعُوا فَزِعُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَصَلَّى مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَيْ رَبِّ أَمَّا عَدُوٌّ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَلَا أَوْ الْجُوعُ فَلَا وَلَكِنِ الْمَوْتُ فَسُلِّطَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَوْتُ فَمَاتَ مِنْهُمْ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا فَهَمْسِي الَّذِي تَرَوْنَ أَنِّي أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ بِكَ أُقَاتِلُ وَبِكَ أُصَاوِلُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Sayyiduna Suhaib (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray, he would quietly say some words; neither could I understand them nor did he (peace and blessings be upon him) tell us. (One day) he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Did you notice that I say some words? We said: Yes. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I remembered a prophet to whom many armies from his people were given; he, boasting to his people, said: Who is there who can match them? Or who is there who can face them? Or he said something similar. Allah Almighty revealed to him: Choose one of these three matters for your people: We will impose their enemy upon your nation, or hunger, or death. He consulted his people. They said: You are Allah’s prophet, the matter is entrusted to you, so you choose yourself. He began to pray; whenever they were distressed, they would resort to prayer. He prayed as much as Allah Almighty willed, then said: O my Lord, do not impose their enemy upon them, nor hunger; let it be death. Allah Almighty imposed death upon them; in one day, seventy thousand of them died. This was my humming, as you saw; I said: Allahumma bika uqatilu, wa bika usawilu, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. (O Allah! I fight by Your help, and I attack by Your help; there is no power and no strength except with Allah.)