2 of 2 · 18 AH · 639 CE · 'Amwas and Jordan, Syria
Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah رضي الله عنه
The Plague of 'Amwas
In 18 AH, 'Umar travelled toward Syria and was met at Sargh by Abu 'Ubaydah and the commanders, who told him that a plague had broken out in the land. The Muslims were divided on whether to continue. 'Umar decided to turn back, and Abu 'Ubaydah asked him, "Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?" 'Umar said, "Yes, we flee from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah."
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf then arrived and reported that the Prophet ﷺ had said that if you hear of a plague in a land, do not go to it, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave it fleeing from it. 'Umar praised Allah and went back (Sahih al-Bukhari 5729; Sahih Muslim 2219).
'Umar later wrote to Abu 'Ubaydah urging him to come to him, saying he needed him. Abu 'Ubaydah understood the real reason and answered that he was one of the soldiers and could not leave them. He stayed, and died of the plague at about fifty-eight. His last words to his men are reported to be a plea to fear Allah. Mu'adh ibn Jabal succeeded him and soon died too.
Taking precautions and trusting Allah are not rivals; and a leader stays with his people.
When have you stayed with people through a hard time when leaving was possible?
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5729 Sahih · in the two Sahihs
- Sahih Muslim 2219 Sahih · in the two Sahihs
- Musnad AhmadGrade not recorded here
- al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'Historical report
What the hadith grades mean
- Sahih (authentic): an unbroken chain of trustworthy, precise narrators, free of hidden flaws or contradiction. It is acted upon.
- Hasan (good): like sahih, but a narrator's precision is slightly lighter. It is also accepted and acted upon. "Hasan sahih" means it reaches sahih by its routes.
- Da'if (weak): a break in the chain or a narrator who is not reliable enough. It is not used to establish beliefs or rulings.
- Very weak (munkar, matruk): a seriously flawed chain or a narrator accused of lying. It is not relied on at all.
- Mawdu' (fabricated): falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ. It may not be narrated as his words except to warn against it.
- The two Sahihs: every hadith with a full chain in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim is accepted as sahih by the scholars of hadith.
- Historical report: biographies and histories (Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabari) record events with chains that are often incomplete. They are used for the story, not for rulings.
- Hadith scholars grade a narration; the four madhhabs do not. Where a hadith carries a ruling, the page shows which schools act on it.
Create a free account to keep your place as you go. Create a free account · Sign in