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1021 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; Ibn Numayr narrated to us, from Ismaʿil ibn Abi Khalid, from Tariq ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman, who said:
When the plague struck al-Sham, it raged fiercely. The people cried out, “This is nothing but the Flood—only without water!” News of this reached Muʿadh ibn Jabal—may Allah have mercy on him—so he rose and addressed them, saying:
“It has reached me what you are saying. In truth, this is a mercy from your Lord—exalted is He—a response to the supplication of your Prophet ﷺ, and it carried off the righteous before you. Yet fear something far more severe: that one of you should return to his home not knowing whether he is a believer or a hypocrite. And beware the rule of immature youths.”
١٠٢١ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ: وَقَعَ الطَّاعُونُ بِالشَّامِ، فَاسْتَعَرَ فِيهَا، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ: مَا هَذَا إِلَّا الطُّوفَانُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مَاءٌ، فَبَلَغَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ (رحمه الله)، فَقَامَ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَغَنِي مَا تَقُولُونَ، إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ رَحْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ – Exalté soit-Il –، وَدَعْوَةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ ﷺ، وَكَفَتِ الصَّالِحِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ خَافُوا مَا هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَغْدُوَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ لَا يَدْرِي أَمُؤْمِنٌ هُوَ أَوْ مُنَافِقٌ، وَخَافُوا إِمَارَةَ الصِّبْيَانِ "