[Machine] Omar gathered the early immigrants and consulted them. They disagreed with him, with some advising him to turn back and not expose the people to this pandemic, while others said it was the will of God and he had set out for a purpose, so he should not turn back. Omar ordered them to disperse, and then he called upon the Ansar for their consultation. They also had different opinions, but eventually agreed that Omar should turn back with the people. Omar gave the order, and then he mounted his camel and said to the people, "I am going back. I will see what I decide. Follow me." He proceeded, and in the morning he said, "If someone besides you had said that, Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, I would have dismissed him as fleeing from the decree of Allah." Abu Ubaidah replied, "Indeed, this is what I mean, fleeing from one degree of Allah to another. Have you not seen that if a man descends into a valley, one side of it is barren and the other side is fertile? Isn't it true that if he tends to the barren side, he tends to it by the decree of Allah, and if he tends to the fertile side, he tends to it by the decree of Allah?" Then Omar left Abu Ubaidah and they both reconsidered for a while. Then Abdul Rahman bin Auf came, who had been absent for some of his own affairs. He came while the people were arguing, and he said, "I have knowledge about this." Omar asked, "What is it?" He replied, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a land while you are in it, do not leave that land.'" Omar praised Allah and returned to the people, ordering them to turn back. Ibn Shihab said, "Salim bin Abdullah informed me that Abdullah bin Omar and Abdullah bin Amr bin Rabia said: 'Omar only changed his mind based on the advice of Abdul Rahman bin Auf.'"
عُمَرُ اجْمَعْ لِيَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ فَجَمَعْتُهُمْ لَهُ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَاخْتَلَفُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ ارْجِعْ بِالنَّاسِ وَلَا تُقْدِمْهُمْ عَلَى هَذَا الْوَبَاءِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ قَدَرُ اللهِ وَقَدْ خَرَجْتَ لِأَمْرٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعْ عَنْهُ فَأَمَرَهُمْ فَخَرَجُوا عَنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ادْعُ لِيَ الْأَنْصَارَ فَدَعَوْتُهُمْ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَسَلَكُوا سَبِيلَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ فَاخْتَلَفُوا كَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ فَأَمَرَهُمْ فَخَرَجُوا عَنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ادْعُ لِي مَنْ كَانَ هَاهُنَا مِنْ مَشْيَخَةِ مُهَاجِرَةِ الْفَتْحِ فَدَعَوْتُهُمْ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَاجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ عَلَى أَنْ يَرْجِعَ بِالنَّاسِ فَأَذَّنَ عُمَرُ ؓ فِي النَّاسِ إِنِّي مُصَبِّحٌ عَلَى ظَهْرٍ فَأَصْبَحُوا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنِّي مَاضٍ لِمَا أَرَى فَانْظُرُوا مَا آمُرُكُمْ بِهِ فَامْضُوا لَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ قَالَ فَرَكِبَ عُمَرُ ؓ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلنَّاسِ إِنِّي أَرْجِعُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ ؓ وَكَانَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُخَالِفَهُ أَفِرَارًا مِنْ قَدَرِ اللهِ؟ فَغَضِبَ عُمَرُ ؓ وَقَالَ لَوْ غَيْرُكَ قَالَ هَذَا يَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ نَعَمْ أَفِرُّ مِنْ قَدَرِ اللهِ إِلَى قَدَرِ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا هَبَطَ وَادِيًا لَهُ عُدْوَتَانِ وَاحِدَةٌ جَدْبَةٌ وَالْأُخْرَى خَصِبَةٌ أَلَيْسَ إِنْ رَعَى الْجَدْبَةَ رَعَاهَا بِقَدَرِ اللهِ وَإِنْ رَعَى الْخَصْبَةَ رَعَاهَا بِقَدَرِ اللهِ؟ قَالَ ثُمَّ خَلَا بِأَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ فَتَرَاجَعَا سَاعَةً فَجَاءَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ ؓ وَكَانَ مُتَغَيِّبًا فِي بَعْضِ حَاجَتِهِ فَجَاءَ وَالْقَوْمُ يَخْتَلِفُونَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عِنْدِي فِي هَذَا عِلْمًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ مَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِهِ فِي أَرْضٍ فَلَا تَقْدَمُوا عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَا يُخْرِجَنَّكُمُ الْفِرَارُ مِنْهُ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ عُمَرُ ؓ فَرَجَعَ وَأَمَرَ النَّاسَ أَنْ يَرْجِعُوا قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ وَعَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَامِرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ قَالَا إِنَّ عُمَرَ ؓ إِنَّمَا رَجَعَ مِنْ سَرْغَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ