English translation
[5784] 98 - (2219) It was narrated from 'Abdullâh bin 'Abbâs that 'Umar bin Al-Khaţţâb set out for Ash-Shâm, and when he was in Sargh he was met by the commanders of the troops, Abû 'Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrâh and his companions, who told him that pestilence had broken out in Ash-Shâm. Ibn 'Abbâs said: 'Umar said: 'Call the first Muhâjirîn for me.' So I called them, and he consulted them and told them that pestilence had broken out in Ash-Shâm. They had a difference of opinion. Some of them said: 'You have come out for a purpose and we do not think that you should go back.' Some said: 'You have the remainder of the people and the Companions of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ with you; we do not think that you should continue with them to where this pestilence is.' He said: 'You may go.' Then he said: 'Call the Anshâr for me,' so I called them for him, and he consulted them, and they did the same as the Mujâhirîn had done, and had the same difference of opinion. He said: 'You may go.' Then he said: 'Call for me those who are here of the elders of the Quraish who migrated after the conquest of Makkah. I called them and no two men among them differed. They said: 'We think that you should go back with the people and not take them to where this pestilence is.' Umar called out to the people: 'In the morning I will be mounted, so get on your mounts in the morning.’ Abū ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrāh said: ‘Are you fleeing from the Decree of Allāh?’ ‘Umar said: ‘Would that someone other than you had said that, O Abū ‘Ubaidah’ – because ‘Umar did not like to disagree with him – ‘Yes, we are fleeing from the Decree of Allāh to the Decree of Allāh. Do you think that if you had camels and they came down into a valley that had two sides, one that was green and verdant and one that was barren, and you took them to graze in the verdant side, would that not be by the Decree of Allāh? And if you took them to graze on the barren side, would that not also be by the Decree of Allāh?’ Then ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Awf came, who had been absent on some errand, and said: ‘I have some knowledge about that. I heard the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ say: “If you hear that it (the plague) is in a land, do not go there, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave, fleeing from it.” ‘Umar bin Al-Khaṭṭāb praised Allāh, then he went back.