Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 31483 — What the Prophet (peace and blessings)

Sayyiduna Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, he would say something quietly about which he (peace and blessings be upon him) had not told us. So we said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when you (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed just now, you said something quietly that we could not understand. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Have you noticed my reciting? We said: Yes. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I recalled the story of one of the prophets, to whom the armies of his people were made subject. He looked at those armies and said: Who can match them? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was said to him: Choose one of three things for your people: either an outside enemy will be given power over them, or hunger and starvation, or death. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He put these three things before his people. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: His people said: You are the Prophet of Allah; you choose one for us. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So he stood for prayer. He also said: Whenever they feared anything, they would take refuge in prayer. So that prophet prayed and then said: O Allah, as for giving an enemy power over them, do not do that; or hunger, not that either; but grant death. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Death was given power over his people, and in three days seventy thousand of his people went to sleep in the valley of death. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So what I was reciting quietly, which you heard, was this supplication: O Allah, only with Your help do I plan, only with Your help do I attack, and there is no strength to do this except with Your help.