Aslam, the freed slave of Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that he went to meet Abdullah bin Ayyash on the road to Makkah. He found nabidh with him (nabidh is the water in which dates or grapes are soaked). Aslam said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) liked this drink very much(1). Abdullah bin Ayyash filled a large bowl and brought it to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and placed it before him. He picked it up to drink, then raised his head and said: This drink is very good, then he drank it. After that, he gave it to the person sitting on his right. When Abdullah bin Ayyash turned to leave, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) called him and said: Do you say that Makkah is better than Madinah? Abdullah bin Ayyash said: It is the sanctuary of Allah and a place of safety, and His house is there. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am not asking about Allah’s house and the sanctuary(2). Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Do you say that Makkah is better than Madinah? Abdullah bin Ayyash said: In Makkah is Allah’s sanctuary and a place of safety, and His house is there. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am not saying anything about Allah’s house and the sanctuary, then Abdullah bin Ayyash went away(3).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) set out towards Syria(1). When he reached Sargh (Sargh is a village in the valley of Tabuk), he met the senior officers of the army, such as Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions(2). They said: There is an epidemic in Syria these days. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Call the senior Muhajirun who migrated first. So he called them. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) consulted them and informed them that there was an epidemic in Syria. They differed; some said: You have set out for work (to look after the condition of the people), it is not appropriate to return. Some said: There are other people and companions with you, it is not appropriate to take them into this epidemic. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Go, and said: Call the Ansar. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I called the Ansar and they came. He consulted them, and they also said similar to what the Muhajirun had said, and likewise differed. He said: Go, then said: Call the elderly people of Quraysh who migrated after the conquest of Makkah. I called them. Not even two of them differed; rather, all said: In our view, it is appropriate that you return and do not take the people into this epidemic. When Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had the people announced that in the morning I will mount my camel (and return to Madinah), then in the morning all the people mounted their camels and set off. At that time, Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah, the Glorious and Majestic? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I wish someone else had said this(3). Yes, we flee from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah(4). If you have camels and you enter a valley with two sides, one side is green and lush and the other is dry and barren, if you graze your camels on the green and lush side, you grazed them by the decree of Allah, and if you grazed them on the dry and barren side, you grazed them by the decree of Allah(5). Meanwhile, Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived, and he had gone somewhere for some work. He said: I have knowledge of this matter. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When you hear that there is an epidemic in a land, do not go there, and when an epidemic breaks out in a land and you are present there, do not flee from it." Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: At that time, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) praised Allah, the Glorious and Majestic, and departed(6).

Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him): What have you heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the plague? He said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“The plague is a punishment that was sent upon a group from the Children of Israel,”or he said,“upon those before you. So when you hear that it has broken out in a land, do not go there, and when it breaks out in a land where you are, do not flee from it.”Abu Nasr said: Do not leave with the intention of fleeing.

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Amir bin Rabi'ah that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set out towards Syria. When he reached Sargh, he received news that there was an epidemic in Syria. So Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When you hear that there is an epidemic in a land, do not go there, and when an epidemic breaks out in the land where you are, do not flee from it." Upon hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) returned from Sargh.

It is narrated from Hazrat Salim bin Abdullah that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) returned from Sargh after hearing the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him).

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, was informed that Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said that a house in Rukbah (Rukbah is a place between Umrah and Dhat Irq) is more beloved to me than ten houses in Sham (Syria).
Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This was because there was an epidemic in Sham, and there was no illness in Rukbah; there, there was hope for a long life.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Adam (peace be upon him) and Musa (peace be upon him) argued, and Adam (peace be upon him) prevailed over Musa (peace be upon him). Musa (peace be upon him) said: Are you the same Adam (peace be upon him) who led people astray and expelled them from Paradise? Adam (peace be upon him) said: Are you the same Musa (peace be upon him) to whom Allah gave knowledge of everything and chose you with His message? He said: Yes. Then Adam (peace be upon him) said: Even so, do you blame me for a deed which had already been written in my destiny before I was created?"

It is narrated from Hazrat Muslim bin Yasar Johani that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about this verse: «﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَنْ تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ﴾ [الأعراف: 172] » That is: "And remember when your Lord brought forth from the loins of Adam all his descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, saying: 'Am I not your Lord?' They said: 'Yes, indeed, You are our Lord.' We did this lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'We were unaware of this.'"

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the explanation of this verse was also asked from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, created Adam, then He passed His right hand over him and brought forth offspring from him, and said: 'I have created these for Paradise, and they will do the deeds of the people of Paradise.' Then He passed His left hand over his back and brought forth offspring, and said: 'I have created these for Hell, and they will do the deeds of the people of Hell.'"

A man said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Then what is the benefit of doing deeds?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah creates a servant for Paradise, He makes him do the deeds of the people of Paradise, and even at the time of death he dies while doing good deeds, so Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, admits him to Paradise. And when He creates a servant for Hell, He makes him do the deeds of the people of Hell, until even at the time of death he dies while doing evil deeds, so He admits him to Hell."

It reached Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I am leaving among you two things; you will not go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger."

It is narrated from Hazrat Tawus al-Yamani that he said: I met several companions who used to say: Everything is by destiny. Tawus said: I heard from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that he said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Everything is by destiny, even incapacity and cleverness."