Ibn Hibban

Aamir bin Sa’d narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him): Once, he heard his father asking Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zaid, may Allah be pleased with them, whether he had heard anything from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the plague. Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zaid, may Allah be pleased with them, replied: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The plague is a calamity that was sent upon the Children of Israel—or perhaps he said, upon those before you. So when you hear that it has broken out in a land, do not go there, and if it occurs in a land where you are present, do not flee from it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Syria. When he reached the place called "Sargh," he met the commander of the army, Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him), and his companions. They informed Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that a plague had spread in Syria. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Call for me the earliest Muhajirun." I called them, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) consulted them and informed them that a plague had spread in Syria. There was a difference of opinion among them regarding this matter. Some of them said, "We do not think it is appropriate for you to turn back from the purpose for which you set out." While others said, "With you are only a few people and the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so we do not think it is appropriate for you to enter a plague-stricken area." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You may leave." Then he said, "Call for me the Ansar." I called them, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) consulted them. They followed the path of the Muhajirun, and there was a similar difference of opinion among them as well. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You may leave." Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Call for me the elders of the Quraysh who migrated at the time of the conquest of Makkah." I called them, and there was no difference of opinion between any two of them regarding this matter. They all said, "We think you should return with the people and not enter the plague-stricken area." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) announced among the people that, "We will depart tomorrow, so make your preparations." Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "If anyone other than you had said this (it would not have grieved me so much). O Abu Ubaidah!" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not like his disagreement. He said, "We are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. What do you think, if you had camels and you brought them down into a valley, one side of which was lush and green and the other side barren, would it not be that if you grazed them on the green side, it would be by the decree of Allah, and if you grazed them on the barren side, it would also be by the decree of Allah?" Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Yes." The narrator says: Then Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived; he had not been present earlier due to some work. He said, "I have knowledge regarding this matter. I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'If you hear that it (the plague) has broken out in a land, do not go there, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not flee from it.'" The narrator says: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) praised Allah for this and returned from there.