Home Hadith Hadith 5506
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague
breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 76, Hadith 43
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Some people from the tribes of `Ukl and `Uraina came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and embraced Islam and
said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We are owners of livestock and have never been farmers," and they found
the climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered that they be given some camels
and a shepherd, and ordered them to go out with those camels and drink their milk and urine. So they
set out, but when they reached a place called Al-Harra, they reverted to disbelief after their conversion
to Islam, killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When this news reached the Prophet (ﷺ) he sent
in their pursuit (and they were caught and brought). The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that their eyes be branded
with heated iron bars and their hands be cut off, and they were left at Al-Harra till they died in that
state.
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`Umar bin Al-Khattab departed for Sham and when he reached Sargh, the commanders of the
(Muslim) army, Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah and his companions met him and told him that an epidemic
had broken out in Sham. `Umar said, "Call for me the early emigrants." So `Umar called them,
consulted them and informed them that an epidemic had broken out in Sham.
Those people differed in their opinions. Some of them said, "We have come out for a purpose and we
do not think that it is proper to give it up," while others said (to `Umar), "You have along with you.
other people and the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so do not advise that we take them to this
epidemic." `Umar said to them, "Leave me now." Then he said, "Call the Ansar for me." I called them
and he consulted them and they followed the way of the emigrants and differed as they did. He then
said to them, Leave me now," and added, "Call for me the old people of Quraish who emigrated in the
year of the Conquest of Mecca."
I called them and they gave a unanimous opinion saying, "We advise that you should return with the
people and do not take them to that (place) of epidemic." So `Umar made an announcement, "I will
ride back to Medina in the morning, so you should do the same." Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to
`Umar), "Are you running away from what Allah had ordained?" `Umar said, "Would that someone
else had said such a thing, O Abu 'Ubaida! Yes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what
Allah has ordained. Don't you agree that if you had camels that went down a valley having two places,
one green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green one only if Allah had ordained that,
and you would graze them on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?"
At that time `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf, who had been absent because of some job, came and said, "I
have some knowledge about this. I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'If you hear about it (an
outbreak of plague) in a land, do not go to it; but if plague breaks out in a country where you are
staying, do not run away from it.' " `Umar thanked Allah and returned to Medina.