Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tabarani:17429ʿUbayd b. Ghannām > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Muʿāwiyah > Dāwud b. Abū Hind > Shahr b. Ḥawshab > al-Ḥārith b. ʿAmīrah al-Zubaydī > And Qaʿ al-Ṭāʿūn Bi-al-Shhām Faqām Muʿādh Fakhaṭabahum Biḥimṣ

[Machine] The plague struck Damascus, so Mu'adh stood and addressed them in Hims, saying, "Indeed, this plague is the mercy of your Lord, the supplication of your Prophet, and the death of the righteous before you."  

الطبراني:١٧٤٢٩حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ غَنَّامٍ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ثنا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ثنا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ عَنْ شَهْرِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ قَالَ

وَقَعَ الطَّاعُونُ بِالشَّامِ فَقَامَ مُعَاذٌ فَخَطَبَهُمْ بِحِمْصَ فَقَالَ «إِنَّ هَذَا الطَّاعُونَ رَحْمَةُ رَبِّكُمْ وَدَعْوَةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ وَمَوْتُ الصَّالِحِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ»