Madina

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, came in view of Uhud and said, "This is a mountain which lovesus and we love it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that Aslam, the mawla of Umar ibn al-Khattabinformed him that he had visited Abdullah ibn Ayyash al-Makhzumi. Hesaw that he had some nabidh with him and he was at that moment on theway to Makka. Aslam said to him, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab loves thisdrink." Abdullah ibn Ayyash therefore carried a great drinking bowland brought it to Umar ibn al-Khattab and placed it before him. Umarbrought it near to him and then raised his head. Umar said, "Thisdrink is good," so he drank some of it and then passed it to a man onhis right. When Abdullah turned to go, Umar ibn al-Khattab called himand asked, "Are you the person who says that Makka is better thanMadina?" Abdullah said, "I said that it was the Haram of Allah, andHis place of security, and His House was in it." Umar said, "I am notsaying anything about the House of Allah or His Haram." Then Umarrepeated "Are you the person who says that Makka is better thanMadina?" He replied, "I said that it was the Haram of Allah and Hisplace of security, and His House was in it." Umar said, "I am notsaying anything about the House of Allah and His Haram." Then Abdullahleft.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abd al-Hamidibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn al-Khattab from Abdullah ibn Abdullahibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal from Abdullah ibn Abbas that Umar ibn al-Khattab set out for ash Sham and when he was at Sargh, near Tabuk, thecommanders of the army, Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah and his companions,met him and told him that the plague had broken out in ash-Sham. IbnAbbas said, "Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'all the first Muhajir untome.' He assembled them and asked them for advice, informing them thatthe plague had broken out in ash Sham. They disagreed. Some said, 'Youhave set out for something, and we do not think that you should leaveit.' Others said, 'You have the companions of the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, and the rest of the people with you,and we do not think that you should send them towards this plague.'Umar said, 'Leave me.'

Then he said, 'Summon the Ansar tome.' They were summoned and he asked them for advice. They acted asthe Muhajirun had and disagreed as they had disagreed. He said, 'Leaveme.' "Then he said, 'Summon to me whoever is here of the aged men ofQuraysh from the Muhajirun of the conquest.' He summoned them and notone of them differed. They said, 'We think that you should withdrawthe people and not send them towards the plague.' Umar called out tothe people, 'I am leaving by camel in the morning,' so they set out.Abu Ubayda said, 'Is it flight from the decree of Allah?' Umar said,'Better that someone other than you had said it, Abu Ubayda. Yes. Weflee from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. What would youthink if these camels had gone down into a valley which had twoslopes, one of them fertile, and the other barren. If you pastured inthe fertile part, wouldn't you pasture them by the decree of Allah? Ifyou pastured them in the barren part, wouldn't you pasture them by thedecree of Allah?'

''Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf arrived and he hadbeen off doing something and he said, 'I have some knowledge of this.I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, say, "If you hear about it in a land, do not go forward to it.If it comes upon a land and you are in it, then do not depart inflight from it." ' Umar praised Allah and then set off."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir andfrom Salim ibn Abi'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umar ibn Ubaydullah that Amiribn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas heard his father ask Usama ibn Zayd, "Have youheard anything from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, about the plague?" Usama said, "The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The plague is apunishment that was sent down on a party of the Banu Israil or whoeverwas before them. When you hear of it in a land, do not enter it. If itcomes upon a land and you are in it, do not depart in flight from it.'"

Malik said that Abu'n-Nadr said, "That is, do not departwith no other intention but flight."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abdullah ibnAmir ibn Rabia that Umar ibn al-Khattab went out to ash-Sham. When hecame to Sargh, near Tabuk, he heard that the plague had broken out inash-Sham. Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf told him that the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you hear that aland has a plague in it, do not go forward to it. If it comes upon aland which you are in, do not depart in flight from it." Umar ibn al-Khattab came back from Sargh.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibnAbdullah that Umar ibn al-Khattab turned people back at Sarghaccording to the hadith of Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf.

Yahya related to me that Malik said, "I heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'A night in Rukba (a valley near Taif,) is morepreferable to me than ten nights in ash-Sham.' "

Malik said,"He meant to lengthen and preserve their lives because of the severityof the plague in ash-Sham ."