Sahih al-Bukhari 5729

'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal reported from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab £ set out for Syria. When he got as far as Sargh, he met the commanders of the army commanders, Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah and his companions, told him that the plague had broken out in Syria. Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Umar said to me, 'Call the early Muhajirun for me,' and so I called them and he consulted them and informed them that the plague had broken out in Syria. They disagreed. Some of them said, 'You have set out on a matter and we do not think that you should retreat from it.' Others said, 'With you are the rest of the people and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and we do not think that you should expose them to this plague.' He said, 'Leave me.' Then he said, 'Call the Ansar for me,' and I called them and he consulted them. They behaved as the Muhajirun had done and disagreed as they had disagreed. He said, 'Leave me.' Then he said, 'Call for me those who are here of the elders of Quraysh who emigrated before the Conquest of Makka.' So I called them, and there were not two of them who disagreed about it. They said, 'We think that you should return with the people and not expose them to this plague.' So 'Umar made an announcement among the people: 'I am travelling back in the morning, so travel back then as well.' Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah said, 'Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?' 'Umar said, 'If only someone other than you had said that, Abu 'Ubayda!' Yes, we are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. Do you think that if you had camels and they went down into a valley which had two sides, one of which was fertile and the other barren, and you grazed them on the fertile side, that that grazing would be by the decree of Allah, and if you grazed them on the barren side, that that grazing would not be by the decree of Allah?'" 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf, who had been absent on some errand, then came and said, 'I have some knowledge of this. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "When you hear that it is in a land, do not go to it. When it comes to a land where you are, do not leave it, fleeing from it.'" 'Umar praised Allah and then left."