'Umar went to Syria and as he came to Sargh, information was given to him that an epidemic had broken out in Syria. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf narrated to him that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said: When you hear of its presence in a land, don't move towards it, and when it breaks out in a land and you are therein, then don't run away from it. So 'Umar b. Khattab came back from Sargh. Salim b. 'Abdullah reported that 'Umar went back, along with people on hearing the hadith reported on the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf. (Using translation from Muslim 2219d)   

أَنَّ عُمَرَ ؓ خَرَجَ إِلَى الشَّامِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سَرْغَ بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ الْوَبَاءَ قَدْ وَقَعَ بِالشَّامِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلَا تَقْدُمُوا عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَا تَخْرُجُوا فِرَارًا مِنْهُ فَرَجَعَ عُمَرُ مِنْ سَرْغَ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَأَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ عُمَرَ إِنَّمَا انْصَرَفَ بِالنَّاسِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ  

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." (Using translation from Bukhārī 5728)   

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِالطَّاعُونِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَا تَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَقُلْتُ أَنْتَ سَمِعْتَهُ يُحَدِّثُ بِهِ سَعْدًا وَلَا يُنْكِرُهُ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ  

[Machine] "From the Prophet ﷺ : This plague is the remains of a punishment with which a nation was afflicted. When it occurs in a land, do not enter it. And if it occurs in a land where you are present, do not leave it." Abu Al-Husayn ibn Bishran informed us that Ismail ibn Muhammed Al-Saffar narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ubaydullah Al-Munadi, who narrated from Wahb ibn Jarir, who mentioned it."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ هَذَا الطَّاعُونُ بَقِيَّةُ رِجْزٍ وَعَذَابٍ عُذِّبَ بِهِ قَوْمٌ فَإِذَا كَانَ بِأَرْضٍ فَلَا تَهْبِطُوا عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَا تَخْرُجُوا عَنْهُ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ بِشْرَانَ أنبأ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ الْمُنَادِي ثنا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ فَذَكَرَهُ  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said: "Indeed, this plague is a punishment and a remaining torment with which people were punished. So when it happens in a land and you are in it, do not leave it to escape from it. And when it happens in a land that you are not in, do not enter it."  

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ هَذَا الطَّاعُونَ رِجْزٌ وَبَقِيَّةُ عَذَابٍ عُذِّبَ بِهِ قَوْمٌ فَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ فِيهَا فَلَا تَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فِرَارًا مِنْهُ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَلَسْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the plague, and she (a woman) said: "The Prophet of Allah ﷺ informed me that it is a punishment that Allah sends upon whomever He wills. He made it a mercy for the believers. So, when a servant of Allah resides in a land wherein the plague has broken out, and he remains patient and expects the reward from Allah, knowing that nothing will afflict him except what Allah has written for him, then he will receive a reward similar to that of a martyr."  

سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَنِ الطَّاعُونِ فَقَالَتْ حَدَّثَنِي نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ عَذَابٌ يَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَجَعَلَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَلَيْسَ عَبْدٌ يَقَعُ الطَّاعُونُ فَيُقِيمُ بِبَلَدِهِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَنْ يُصِيبَهُ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللهُ لَهُ إِلَّا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ شَهِيدٍ