he had stayed he would certainly have died; and for the one who remained and was stricken to think that, had he left, he would not have been stricken. If a Muslim entertains none of these thoughts, there is no harm in his going out and distancing himself from it.

I was with Abu ’Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah in Syria in the year of the Plague of ‘Amwas. When the illness (1) flared up and the news reached ‘Umar, he wrote to Abu ’Ubaydah, wishing to bring him out of it:

“Peace be upon you. To proceed: a need has arisen that I wish to discuss with you face-to-face. I therefore obligate you, once you read this letter, not to put it down before you set out for me.”

Abu ’Ubaydah realised that the Commander of the Believers merely wanted to remove him from the epidemic, so he said, “May Allah forgive the Commander of the Believers,” and wrote back:

“O Commander of the Believers, I understand the need you have for me, yet I am with an army of Muslims and I cannot bring myself to prefer my own safety over theirs. I do not wish to leave them until Allah decrees His judgment for me and for them. Release me, then, from the order you have placed upon me (2), O Commander of the Believers, and let me remain with my troops (3).”

When ‘Umar read the letter he wept. The people asked, “O Commander of the Believers, has Abu ’Ubaydah died?” He replied, “No—but it is as though it has already happened.”

He then wrote to him again: “Peace be upon you… (4) You have settled the people in low-lying ground; move them to a high, open place.”

Abu Musa said: When that letter reached him, he summoned me and said, “Abu Musa, the letter of the Commander of the Believers has come, as you can see. Go out and choose a campsite for the people and I shall follow you with them.” I returned home to prepare for departure and found my wife had been stricken. I went back to him and said, “By Allah, something has happened in my family.” He asked, “Perhaps your wife has been stricken?” I replied, “Yes.” He ordered a camel for me and had it saddled. When he placed his foot in the stirrup he was stricken and said, “By Allah, I have been afflicted.” He then travelled on with the people until he halted at al-Jābiyah, and the plague was lifted from them.

Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq (5) narrated, from Abān ibn Ṣāliḥ, from Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, from Rabbah—a man of his tribe who had taken charge of his mother after his father’s death and had witnessed the Plague of ‘Amwas—who said: When the illness intensified, Abu ’Ubaydah addressed the people, saying, “O people, this illness is the mercy of your Lord (6), the answer to your Prophet’s supplication, and the death that carried off the righteous before you. Abu ’Ubaydah asks Allah to allot Abu ’Ubaydah his share.” He was then stricken and died, and he appointed Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal over the people. Mu‘ādh addressed them, saying, “O people, this illness is the mercy of your Lord, the answer to your Prophet’s supplication, and the death that carried off the righteous before you. Mu‘ādh asks Allah, exalted is He, to allot the family of Mu‘ādh their share.” His son ‘Abd al-Raḥmān was then stricken and died; after that he stood and supplicated