Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa al-Qadi al-Barti said: In the year 342 Hijri, in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, in the mosque of Darqatn, Abu Sahl Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ziyad al-Qattan narrated hadith to us, in such a way that it was being read to him and I was listening.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set out towards Syria. When he reached the place called Sargh, the commander of the army, Abu Ubaidah, and his companions met him. They informed him that a plague had spread in Syria. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Call the early Muhajirun to me." He called them and consulted them, informing them that a plague had spread in Syria. They differed in their opinions; some said, "You have set out for a task, so we do not think it is good to return." Others said, "Your companions are the remaining people and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so we do not think it is good that you take them to a place of disease." Then he said, "Call the Ansar to me." He called the Ansar and consulted them as well, and they followed the way of the Muhajirun and differed in their opinions. He said, "Alright, you may go." Then he said, "Call to me the elders (old men) of the Quraysh who migrated at the time of the conquest of Makkah." Two of them said, "We think you should return the people and not take them to the place of the plague." So Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) announced among the people to return. Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?" Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Abu Ubaidah, I wish you had not said that. Yes! We are fleeing from the decree of Allah, but we are going towards the decree of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. What do you think: if your camel descends into a valley with two sides, one green and the other dry and barren, and you graze it on the green side, is that not by the decree of Allah? (At that moment) Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived, as he had come for some task. He narrated a hadith: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and, gesturing with his hand, said: 'This is a Book from the Lord of the Worlds in which are the names of the people of Paradise, their fathers' names, and their tribes from the beginning to the end. (Now) neither can anything be added to them nor subtracted. And this is a Book from the Lord of the Worlds in which are the names of the people of Hell, their fathers' names, and their tribes from the beginning to the end. Neither can anything be added to them nor subtracted. Allah, the Exalted, has finished with these matters. One group is in Paradise and one in Hell. Whoever is among the people of Paradise, his end will be upon the deeds of the people of Paradise, even if he has done every kind of deed. And whoever is among the people of Hell, his end will be with the people of Hell, even if he has done every kind of deed.'"

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that when Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) returned from Shaam, I went to him while he was taking a nap in his tent. I waited for him outside the tent. When he woke up from his sleep, I heard him saying these words: O Allah! Forgive me for the mistake of returning from "Sargh".

Salim bin Abdullah narrated that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) turned the people back, keeping in view the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that he said: I was discussing the matter of prayer with Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), when suddenly Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us and said: "Shall I not tell you something which I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" We said: "Why not." He said: "I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: When any one of you is praying and he doubts about the number of rak‘ahs he has prayed, he should continue his prayer until he is certain of having exceeded (the required number), that is, until he is sure that he has prayed extra rak‘ahs."