Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1917
The caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb
طَاعُونَ عَمَوَاسَ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ، وَمُعَاذٌ وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنْ أَشْرَافِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ. وَمَاتَ فِيهِ خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا. وأَوْرَدَهُ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ فِي سنة ثماني عشرة. وقَالَ سَيْفٌ بن عمر: إِنَّمَا كَانَ فِي سَنَةِ سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ. ( وعَمَوَاسُ بِفَتْحِ الْعَيْنِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ وَالْمِيمِ وَالْوَاوِ، وَبَعْدَ الْأَلْفِ سِينٌ مُهْمَلَةٌ. وَسَرْغٌ بِفَتْحِ السِّينِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ، وَسُكُونِ الرَّاءِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ، وَآخِرُهُ غَيْنٌ مُعْجَمَةٌ ). وهَذَا الطَّاعُونُ مَنْسُوبٌ إِلَى بُلَيْدَةٍ صَغِيرَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا: عَمَوَاسُ. وَهِيَ بَيْنَ الْقُدْسِ وَالرَّمْلَةِ، لِأَنَّهَا كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا نَجَمَ هَذَا الدَّاءُ بِهَا، ثُمَّ انْتَشَرَ فِي الشَّامِ مِنْهَا فَنُسِبَ إِلَيْهَا وعَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ الْبَجَلِيِّ قَالَ: أَتَيْنَا أَبَا مُوسَى وَهُوَ فِي دَارِهِ بِالْكُوفَةِ لِنَتَحَدَّثَ عِنْدَهُ، فَلَمَّا جَلَسْنَا قَالَ: لَا تَحِفُّوا، فَقَدْ أُصِيبَ فِي الدَّارِ إِنْسَانٌ بِهَذَا السَّقَمِ، وَلَا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَنَزَّهُوا عَنْ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ، فَتَخْرُجُوا فِي فَسِيحِ بِلَادِكُمْ وَنُزَهِهَا حَتَّى يَرْتَفِعَ هَذَا الْبَلَاءُ، فَإِنِّي سَأُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَا يُكْرَهُ مِمَّا يُتَّقَى، مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَظُنَّ مَنْ خَرَجَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ أَقَامَ مَاتَ، وَيَظُنُّ مَنْ أَقَامَ فَأَصَابَهُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ خَرَجَ لَمْ يُصِبْهُ، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَظُنَّ ذَلِكَ هَذَا الْمَرْءُ الْمُسْلِمُ، فَلَا عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ وَأَنْ يَتَنَزَّهَ عَنْهُ، إِنِّي كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ الْجَرَّاحِ بِالشَّامِ عَامَ طَاعُونِ عَمَوَاسَ كتاب عمر بن الخطاب إلى أبي عبيدة بن الجراح فَلَمَّا اشْتَعَلَ الْوَجَعُ وَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عُمَرَ، كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ لِيَسْتَخْرِجَهُ مِنْهُ. أَنْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَرَضَتْ لِي إِلَيْكَ حَاجَةٌ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشَافِهَكَ بِهَا، فَعَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ إِذَا نَظَرْتَ فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا أَنْ لَا تَضَعَهُ مِنْ يَدِكَ حَتَّى تُقْبِلَ إِلَيَّ. قَالَ: فَعَرَفَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ أَنَّهُ إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَسْتَخْرِجَهُ مِنَ الْوَبَاءِ. فَقَالَ: يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ! ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنِّي قَدْ عَرَفْتُ حَاجَتَكَ إِلَيَّ، وَإِنِّي فِي جُنْدٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لَا أَجِدُ بِنَفْسَيْ رَغْبَةً عَنْهُمْ، فَلَسْتُ أُرِيدُ فِرَاقَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ فِيَّ وَفِيهِمْ أَمْرَهُ وَقَضَاءَهُ، فَخَلِّنِي مِنْ عَزِيمَتِكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَدَعْنِي فِي جُنْدِي. فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ عُمَرُ الْكِتَابَ بَكَى، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَمَاتَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ؟ قَالَ: لَا، وَكَأَنْ قَدْ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّكَ أَنْزَلْتَ النَّاسَ أَرْضًا غَمِقَةً، فَارْفَعْهُمْ إِلَى أَرْضٍ مُرْتَفِعَةٍ نَزِهَةٍ. قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى: فَلَمَّا أَتَاهُ كِتَابُهُ دَعَانِي فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا مُوسَى، إِنَّ كِتَابَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَدْ جَاءَنِي بِمَا تَرَى، فَاخْرُجْ فَارْتَدْ لِلنَّاسِ مَنْزِلًا حَتَّى أَتْبَعَكَ بِهِمْ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي لِأَرْتَحِلَ، فَوَجَدْتُ صَاحِبَتِي قَدْ أُصِيبَتْ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي أَهْلِي حَدَثٌ. فَقَالَ لَعَلَّ صَاحِبَتَكَ قَدْ أُصِيبَتْ ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. فَأَمَرَ بِبَعِيرِهِ فَرُحِّلَ لَهُ، فَلَمَّا وَضَعَ رِجْلَهُ فِي غَرْزِهِ طُعِنَ، فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أُصِبْتُ. ثُمَّ سَارَ بِالنَّاسِ حَتَّى نَزَلَ الْجَابِيَةَ، وَرُفِعَ عَنِ النَّاسِ الْوَبَاءُ. وعَنْ شَهْرِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ، عَنْ رَابَةَ - رَجُلٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ، وَكَانَ قَدْ خَلَفَ عَلَى أُمِّهِ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ، وَكَانَ قَدْ شَهِدَ طَاعُونَ عَمَوَاسَ - قَالَ: لَمَّا اشْتَغَلَ الْوَجَعُ، قَامَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ فِي النَّاسِ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ هَذَا الْوَجَعَ رَحْمَةٌ بِكُمْ، وَدَعْوَةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ، وَمَوْتُ الصَّالِحِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَإِنَّ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَقْسِمَ لِأَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ حَظَّهُ. فَطُعِنَ فَمَاتَ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى النَّاسِ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ، فَقَامَ خَطِيبًا بَعْدَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ هَذَا الْوَجَعَ رَحْمَةٌ بِكُمْ، وَدَعْوَةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ، وَمَوْتُ الصَّالِحِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَإِنَّ مُعَاذًا يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَقْسِمَ لِآلِ مُعَاذٍ حَقَّهُمْ. فَطُعِنَ ابْنُهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، فَمَاتَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ فَدَعَا لِنَفْسِهِ، فَطُعِنَ فِي رَاحَتِهِ، فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا ثُمَّ يَقْلِبُ ظَهْرَ كَفِّهِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِمَا فِيكِ شَيْئًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا. توجيه عمرو بن العاص الناس بالتحصن في الجبال من الطاعون فَلَمَّا مَاتَ اسْتُخْلِفَ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، فَقَامَ فِيهِمْ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ هَذَا الْوَجَعَ إِذَا وَقَعَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْتَعِلُ اشْتِعَالَ النَّارِ، فَتَحَصَّنُوا مِنْهُ فِي الْجِبَالِ. فَقَالَ أَبُو وَائِلَةَ الْهُذَلِيُّ: كَذَبْتَ، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ صَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، وَأَنْتَ شَرٌّ مِنْ حِمَارِي هَذَا. فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا أَرُدُّ عَلَيْكَ مَا تَقُولُ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَا نُقِيمُ عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ خَرَجَ وَخَرَجَ النَّاسُ فَتَفَرَّقُوا وَدَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ. قَالَ: فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ مِنْ رَأَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا كَرِهَهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ وَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَى عُمَرَ مُصَابُ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ وَيَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، أَمَّرَ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَلَى جُنْدِ دِمَشْقَ وَخَرَاجِهَا، وَأَمَّرَ شُرَحْبِيلَ بْنَ حَسَنَةَ عَلَى جُنْدِ الْأُرْدُنِّ وَخَرَاجِهَا. وَقَالَ سَيْفُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ شُيُوخِهِ قَالُوا: لَمَّا كَانَ طَاعُونُ عَمَوَاسَ وَوَقَعَ مَرَّتَيْنِ لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُمَا، وَطَالَ مُكْثُهُ، وَفَنِيَ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، حَتَّى طَمِعَ الْعَدُوُّ، وَتَخَوَّفَتْ قُلُوبُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لِذَلِكَ. قُلْتُ: وَلِهَذَا قَدِمَ عُمَرُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الشَّامِ فَقَسَّمَ مَوَارِيثَ الَّذِينَ مَاتُوا لَمَّا أَشْكَلَ أَمْرُهَا عَلَى الْأُمَرَاءِ، وَطَابَتْ قُلُوبُ النَّاسِ بِقُدُومِهِ، وَانْقَمَعَتِ الْأَعْدَاءُ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ لِمَجِيئِهِ إِلَى الشَّامِ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ وَالْمِنَّةُ. قُدُومِ عُمَرَ إِلَى الشَّامِ بَعْدَ الطَّاعُونِ لَمَّا هَلَكَ النَّاسُ فِي الطَّاعُونِ كَتَبَ أُمَرَاءُ الْأَجْنَادِ إِلَى عُمَرَ بِمَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ مِنَ الْمَوَارِيثِ، فَجَمَعَ النَّاسَ وَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: قَدْ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أَطُوفَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي بُلْدَانِهِمْ لِأَنْظُرَ فِي آثَارِهِمْ، فَأَشِيرُوا عَلَيَّ، وَفِي الْقَوْمِ كَعْبُ الْأَحْبَارِ، وَفِي تِلْكَ السَّنَةِ أَسْلَمَ، فَقَالَ كَعْبٌ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، بِأَيِّهَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَبْدَأَ ؟ قَالَ: بِالْعِرَاقِ. قَالَ: فَلَا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ الشَّرَّ عَشَرَةُ أَجْزَاءٍ، تِسْعَةٌ مِنْهَا بِالْمَشْرِقِ وَجُزْءٌ بِالْمَغْرِبِ، وَالْخَيْرَ عَشَرَةُ أَجْزَاءٍ تِسْعَةٌ بِالْمَغْرِبِ وَجُزْءٌ بِالْمَشْرِقِ، وَبِهَا قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ وَكُلُّ دَاءٍ عُضَالٍ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنَّ الْكُوفَةَ لَلْهِجْرَةُ بَعْدَ الْهِجْرَةِ، وَإِنَّهَا لَقُبَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ، لَيَأْتِيَنَّهَا يَوْمٌ لَا يَبْقَى مُسْلِمٌ إِلَّا وَحَنَّ إِلَيْهَا، لَيُنْتَصَرَنَّ بِأَهْلِهَا كَمَا انْتُصِرَ بِالْحِجَارَةِ مِنْ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ. فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: إِنَّ مَوَارِيثَ أَهْلِ عَمَوَاسَ قَدْ ضَاعَتْ، أَبْدَأُ بِالشَّامِ فَأُقَسِّمُ الْمَوَارِيثَ وَأُقِيمُ لَهُمْ مَا فِي نَفْسِي، ثُمَّ أَرْجِعُ فَأَتَقَلَّبُ فِي الْبِلَادِ وَأُبْدِي إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْرِي. فَسَارَ عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَيْهَا عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَاتَّخَذَ أَيْلَةَ طَرِيقًا، فَلَمَّا دَنَا مِنْهَا رَكِبَ بَعِيرَهُ وَعَلَى رَحْلِهِ فَرْوٌ مَقْلُوبٌ، وَأَعْطَى غُلَامَهُ مَرْكَبَهُ، فَلَمَّا تَلَقَّاهُ النَّاسُ قَالُوا: أَيْنَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ؟ قَالَ: أَمَامَكُمْ، يَعْنِي نَفْسَهُ، فَسَارُوا أَمَامَهُمْ، وَانْتَهَى هُوَ إِلَى أَيْلَةَ فَنَزَلَهَا، وَقِيلَ لِلْمُتَلَقِّينَ: قَدْ دَخَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَيْهَا وَنَزَلَهَا، فَرَجَعُوا [ إِلَيْهِ ]. وَأَعْطَى عُمَرُ الْأُسْقُفَّ بِهَا قَمِيصَهُ، وَقَدْ تَخَرَّقَ ظَهْرُهُ، لِيَغْسِلَهُ وَيُرَقِّعَهُ، فَفَعَلَ، وَأَخَذَهُ وَلَبِسَهُ، وَخَاطَ لَهُ الْأُسْقُفُّ قَمِيصًا غَيْرَهُ فَلَمْ يَأْخُذْهُ. فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الشَّامَ قَسَّمَ الْأَرْزَاقَ، وَسَمَّى الشَّوَاتِيَ وَالصَّوَائِفَ، وَسَدَّ فُرُوجَ الشَّامِ وَمَسَالِحَهَا، وَأَخَذَ يُدَوِّرُهَا، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ عَلَى السَّوَاحِلِ مِنْ كُلِّ كُورَةٍ، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَعَزَلَ شُرَحْبِيلَ بْنَ حَسَنَةَ وَقَامَ بِعُذْرِهِ فِي النَّاسِ وَقَالَ: إِنِّي لَمْ أَعْزِلْهُ عَنْ سُخْطَةٍ، وَلَكِنِّي أُرِيدُ رَجُلًا أَقْوَى مِنْ رَجُلٍ. وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَمْرَو بْنَ عُتْبَةَ عَلَى الْأَهْرَاءِ. وَقَسَّمَ مَوَارِيثَ أَهْلِ عَمَوَاسَ، فَوَرَّثَ بَعْضَ الْوَرَثَةِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ، وَأَخْرَجَهَا إِلَى الْأَحْيَاءِ مِنْ وَرَثَةِ كُلٍّ مِنْهُمْ. وَخَرَجَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ فِي سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَرْبَعَةٌ. وَرَجَعَ عُمَرُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فِي ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ.
Translation
✧ The Plague of ʿAmawās In which died Abū ʿUbaydah, Muʿādh, Yazīd b. Abī Sufyān, and others among the nobles of the Companions and others. In it died twenty-five thousand. Ibn Jarīr mentioned it in the year eighteen. Sayf b. ʿUmar said: It was only in the year seventeen. (ʿAmawās with fatḥah on the unpointed ʿayn, the mīm, and the wāw, and after the alif an unpointed sīn. Sargh with fatḥah on the unpointed sīn, sukūn on the unpointed rāʾ, and at its end a pointed ghayn). This plague is attributed to a small town called ʿAmawās. It lies between al-Quds and al-Ramlah, because the first appearance of this disease was there, then it spread through Syria from there, so it was attributed to it. On the authority of Ṭāriq b. Shihāb al-Bajalī, he said: We came to Abū Mūsā while he was in his house in al-Kūfah to converse in his presence. When we sat down, he said: Do not crowd together, for a person in the house has been struck by this illness. There is no harm in your withdrawing from this town and going out into the open spaces of your lands and their pleasant places until this affliction lifts. I shall inform you of what is disliked among the things to be guarded against: that he who goes out should think that had he stayed he would have died, and he who stays and is struck should think that had he gone out he would not have been struck. If this Muslim man does not think that, then there is no harm in his going out and withdrawing from it. I was with Abū ʿUbaydah b. al-Jarrāḥ in Syria in the year of the Plague of ʿAmawās. The letter of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb to Abū ʿUbaydah b. al-Jarrāḥ When the illness flared up and that reached ʿUmar, he wrote to Abū ʿUbaydah to extract him from it: Peace be upon you. Now then, a need of mine has arisen for you which I wish to tell you directly. I adjure you, when you look at this letter of mine, not to put it down from your hand until you come to me. He said: Abū ʿUbaydah knew that he only wanted to extract him from the epidemic. He said: May Allah forgive the Commander of the Faithful! Then he wrote to him: O Commander of the Faithful, I have recognized your need of me. I am among an army of the Muslims; I find no desire in myself to be away from them. I do not wish to part from them until Allah executes in me and in them His command and decree. Release me from your adjuration, O Commander of the Faithful, and leave me among my army. When ʿUmar read the letter, he wept. The people said: O Commander of the Faithful, has Abū ʿUbaydah died? He said: No, but it is as if he has. He said: Then he wrote to him: Peace be upon you. Now then, you have lodged the people in a low, waterlogged land. Move them up to high, pleasant ground. Abū Mūsā said: When his letter came to him, he summoned me and said: O Abū Mūsā, the Commander of the Faithful's letter has come to me with what you see. Go out and seek a dwelling place for the people until I follow you with them. I returned to my dwelling to make ready to depart, and found my wife had been struck. I went back to him and said: By Allah, something has happened in my family. He said: Perhaps your wife has been struck? I said: Yes. He ordered his camel to be saddled for him. When he placed his foot in the stirrup, he was stabbed. He said: By Allah, I have been struck. Then he marched with the people until he encamped at al-Jābiyah, and the epidemic was lifted from the people. On the authority of Shahr b. Ḥawshab, from Rābah—a man of his people, who had married his mother after his father, and who had witnessed the Plague of ʿAmawās—he said: When the illness grew intense, Abū ʿUbaydah stood among the people as a preacher and said: O people, this illness is a mercy to you, and the supplication of your Prophet, and the death of the righteous before you. Abū ʿUbaydah asks Allah to allot Abū ʿUbaydah his share. He was stabbed and died, and he appointed Muʿādh b. Jabal over the people. He stood as a preacher after him and said: O people, this illness is a mercy to you, and the supplication of your Prophet, and the death of the righteous before you. Muʿādh asks Allah to allot the family of Muʿādh their due. His son ʿAbd al-Raḥmān was stabbed and died. Then he stood and prayed for himself, and was stabbed in the palm of his hand. I saw him look at it, then turn the back of his hand, then say: I would not love to have in exchange for what is in you anything of this world. The direction of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ to the people to fortify themselves in the mountains from the plague When he died, ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ was appointed over the people. He stood among them as a preacher and said: O people, when this illness falls, it blazes like fire. Fortify yourselves from it in the mountains. Abū Wāʾilah al-Hudhalī said: You have lied, by Allah. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and you are worse than this donkey of mine. He said: By Allah, I will not answer you for what you say, and by Allah, we will not remain upon it. He said: Then he went out, and the people went out and scattered, and Allah turned it away from them. He said: That reached ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb concerning the view of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ, and by Allah he did not dislike it. Ibn Isḥāq said: When the affliction of Abū ʿUbaydah and Yazīd b. Abī Sufyān reached ʿUmar, he appointed Muʿāwiyah over the army of Damascus and its land tax, and appointed Shuraḥbīl b. Ḥasanah over the army of Jordan and its land tax. Sayf b. ʿUmar said, on the authority of his shaykhs, they said: When the Plague of ʿAmawās occurred and struck twice, the like of which was not seen, and its stay was prolonged, and a great many people perished, until the enemy coveted and the hearts of the Muslims feared because of that. I say: For this reason ʿUmar came to Syria afterwards and divided the inheritances of those who had died when their matter had become confusing to the commanders, and the hearts of the people were soothed by his arrival, and the enemies were suppressed on every side because of his coming to Syria. To Allah be praise and grace. The arrival of ʿUmar in Syria after the plague When the people perished in the plague, the commanders of the armies wrote to ʿUmar about the inheritances in their hands. He gathered the people and consulted them and said to them: It has become clear to me that I should make a circuit of the Muslims in their lands to look into their remnants. Advise me. Among the people was Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, and in that year he had accepted Islam. Kaʿb said: O Commander of the Faithful, with which do you wish to begin? He said: With Iraq. He said: Do not do so, for evil is ten parts, nine of them in the east and one part in the west, and good is ten parts, nine in the west and one part in the east. In it is the horn of Satan and every chronic disease. ʿAlī said: O Commander of the Faithful, al-Kūfah is the migration after the migration, and it is the dome of Islam. A day will come to it when no Muslim remains but that he yearns for it. Victory will be won through its people just as victory was won through the stones from the people of Lot. ʿUmar said: The inheritances of the people of ʿAmawās have been lost. I begin with Syria and divide the inheritances and establish for them what is in my mind, then I return and travel through the lands and show them my command. He departed from al-Madīnah, leaving ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib as his deputy over it, and took the road to Aylah. When he drew near it, he mounted his camel with a reversed fur over his saddle and gave his servant his riding mount. When the people met him, they said: Where is the Commander of the Faithful? He said: Ahead of you, meaning himself. They went ahead of them, and he reached Aylah and alighted there. It was said to the greeters: The Commander of the Faithful has entered it and alighted, so they returned to him. ʿUmar gave the bishop there his shirt, whose back had become tattered, to wash and patch it. He did so, and took it and put it on. The bishop sewed for him another shirt, but he did not take it. When he arrived in Syria, he divided the stipends, designated the winter and summer expeditions, closed the gaps of Syria and its frontier posts, and began to inspect them. He appointed ʿAbd Allāh b. Qays over the coasts of every province, appointed Muʿāwiyah, and dismissed Shuraḥbīl b. Ḥasanah. He made his excuse among the people and said: I did not dismiss him out of displeasure, but I want a man stronger than a man. He appointed ʿAmr b. ʿUtbah over the granaries. He divided the inheritances of the people of ʿAmawās, making some heirs inherit from others, and sent them out to the living among the heirs of each of them. Al-Ḥārith b. Hishām went out with seventy of his household, and only four of them returned. ʿUmar returned to al-Madīnah in Dhū al-Qaʿdah.
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