for himself; thereupon he was struck in the palm of his hand. I saw him gazing at it and then turning over the back of his hand (1), saying, “I would not wish to exchange for what is in you even a single thing of this world.”
When he died, he appointed ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ to succeed him over the people. ʿAmr addressed them, saying, “O people, when this sickness descends it flares up like fire, so seek protection from it in the mountains (2).”
Abu Wāthilah al-Hudhalī (3) retorted, “By Allah, you have lied! I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and you are more contemptible than this donkey of mine.”
ʿAmr replied, “By Allah, I will not argue with what you say, and—by Allah—we shall not remain here.” He then departed, and the people departed with him, scattering, and Allah lifted the plague from them. News of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ’s action reached ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, and—by Allah—he did not dislike it.
Ibn Isḥāq said: When word reached ʿUmar of the deaths of Abū ʿUbaydah and Yazīd ibn Abī Sufyān, he appointed Muʿāwiyah over the army of Damascus and its revenues, and Shuraḥbīl ibn Ḥasanah over the army of Jordan and its revenues.
(Sīf ibn ʿUmar narrated from his shaykhs:) When the Plague of ʿAmwās struck twice, the like of which had never been seen, and it lasted a long time, vast numbers of people perished. The enemy grew bold, and the hearts of the Muslims were shaken. I say: For this reason ʿUmar later travelled to Syria and distributed the inheritances of those who had died, once the matter had become confusing for the governors. The people’s hearts were set at ease by his arrival, and the enemies were cowed on every side by his coming to Syria. All praise and gratitude belong to Allah.
(4) Sīf also said—after mentioning ʿUmar’s arrival following the Plague of ʿAmwās at the end of year 17 AH—When he intended to return to Madinah, in Dhū’l-Ḥijjah of that year, he addressed the people, praised Allah and extolled Him, then said:
“Indeed, I have governed you and, if Allah wills, I have discharged what was incumbent upon me in the charge Allah has entrusted to me over your affairs. We have laid before you your shares, your dwellings, and your expeditions (5); we have conveyed to you what we possess. We have mustered armies for you, prepared the frontier posts (6), settled you in your homes, and broadened for you—so far as your state revenues and the Syrian lands for which you fought have reached. We have specified your provisions and ordered for you your stipends, rations, and spoils. Whoever knows of a matter that ought to be acted upon, let him inform us so that we may act upon it, if Allah wills; there is no power except with Allah.”
When the time for prayer arrived the people said, “Would you not command Bilāl to give the adhān?” So he ordered him, and Bilāl gave the call. There was not a single person who had witnessed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while Bilāl was giving the adhān except that he wept (7) until his beard was soaked; ʿUmar wept more than anyone, and those who had not witnessed him ﷺ wept because of their weeping and their remembrance of him ﷺ.