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Plague

Home ➜
History ➜
Khalifa Umar ibn al-Khattab ➜
Alim - Islamic software for Quran and Hadith

1. Pre-Islamic Period

>> Family

>> Hadart Umar In The Days Of Ignorance

>> Hadart Umar And Islam

>> Ta Ha

2. Conversion to Isalm

>> Al-Faruq

3. Early Life in Madina

>> Migration From Mecca

>> Early Days In Madina

4. Battle of Badr

>> Battle Of Badr

>> Captives of Badr

>> Umayr Bin Wahb

5. Life in Madina and Early Battles

>> The Call To Prayer

>> When Umar Slew The Men Who Appealed To Him

>> Battle Of Uhud

>> The Man Whom Umar Envied

>> Hafsa

>> The Jews

>> Battle Of The Trench

6. Treaty of Hudaibiya and Mustaliq

>> Treaty Of Hudaibiya

>> Post Hudaibia-Pact Developments

>> Raid On Al-Mustaliq

7. Umar and Women

>> Ayesha and Umar

>> Purdah For Women

8. Battles Before Conquest of Mecca

>> Expedition To Turbah

>> Battle Of Khyber

9. Mecca and Tabuk

>> The Conquest Of Mecca

>> Battle Of Hunain And Taif

>> Expedition To Tabuk

10. Life After the Conquest of Mecca

>> Rumour Of Divorce By The Holy Prophet

>> The Funeral Of Abdullah Bin Ubayy

>> When Gabriel Appeared In The Shape Of A Man

>> Tidings Of Paradise

>> The Farewell Pilgrimage

11. Death of the Holy Prophet

>> Passing Away Of The Holy Prophet

>> Election Of Abu Bakr As The First Caliph

>> Installation Of Abu Bakr As The Caliph

12. Abu Bakr the First Caliph

>> Usamah's Expedition To Syria

>> Defence Of Madina

>> Umar And Khalid Bin Walid

>> Umar As Adviser

>> Abu Bakr And Umar

13. Umar as Caliph

>> Nomination Of Umar As The Caliph

>> Umar's Inaugural Address

>> Umar's Address About His Conduct

>> Amirul Muminin

>> Umar's Allowance

>> Expulsion Of Jews And Christians From Arabia

14. Islamic Actions and Social Mandates

>> Tarawih

>> Umar And The Holy Quran

>> Umar And Mosques

>> The Hijri Calendar

>> Umar And Drinking

>> Slavery

>> Umar's Control Of Sexuality Laxity

>> Satires And Lampoons

>> The Dhimmis

>> Allowances And Stipends For The Muslims

>> Famines

15. Political and Governmental Actions

>> Umar's Criteria For Appointment As Governors

>> Political Administration

>> Land Administration

>> Army

>> Judicial Administration

>> Public Treasury and Coins

>> Public Words

16. Hadith and Fiqh

>> Umar and Hadith

>> Traditions On Religious Matters

>> Traditions Of Ethical Importance

>> Umar and Fiqh

>> Matters About Fiqh

17. Inter-Personal Relations and Interactions

>> The Land Of Fidak

>> Fay

>> Ushr

>> Khums

>> Imra-ul-Qais

>> Nabigha Al-Dhubyani

>> Zuhair Bin Abi-Salma

>> Aghlab and Labid, the Poets

>> When Umar Was Put To Explanation

>> Umar and Self Remorse

>> Friends Who Could Straighten Him

>> The Man Who Came To Murder Became A Convent

>> Criticism Against Umar

>> The Eid Moon

>> Umar's Attitude To Sinners

>> Abu Sufiyan And Umar

>> Umar's Wife Acts As A Midwife

>> Atika Bint Zaid

>> Umm Hakim

>> Umar Marries A Milkmaid To his Son

>> Umar Flogs His Son To Death

>> The Woman Who Pined For Her Husband

>> Umar And His Whip

>> Umar's Care For The Poor

>> Stipends For Children

>> Umar Finds Clue To Murder

>> Jabala Bin Aiham

>> Harat Umar And Nasr B. Hajjaj Alsalmi

>> Punishment For Illicit Love

>> Dismissal Of A Governor For Writing Poetry

>> Saeed Bin Aamir

>> Umair Bin Saad

>> Mugheera Bin Shu'Ba

>> Abdullah Bin Qart

>> Abu Musa Ashari

>> Trial Of Saad Bin Abi Waqas

>> Amr Bin Al Aas

>> Harith Bin Wahb Yashi

>> Qadama Bin Mazaun

>> Dismissal Of Khalid

>> Ayad Bin Ghanam

>> Abu Ubaid As Commander-In-Chief In Iraq

18. Expansion of Islam and Military Campaigns

>> Battle Of Namaraq

>> Battle Of Kasker

>> Battle Of The Bridge

>> Battle Of Buwaib

>> Campaings In South Iraq

>> S'aad Bin Abi Waqas

>> Campus At Zarud And Sharaf

>> To Qadisiyya

>> Adventures Of Taleaha

>> The Muslims Carried The Earth Of Persia

>> Rustam And Muslim Emissaries

>> The Battle of Qadisiyya

>> Battle Of Qadisiyya The Second Day

>> Exploits Of Abu Mihjan

>> Battle Of Qadisiyya The Third Day

>> Battle Of Qadisiyya The Last Day

>> News Of The Muslim Victory Carried To Umar

>> Al-Khansa

>> Battle Of Burs

>> Battle Of Babylon

>> Battle Of Sura And Deirkab

>> Battle Of Kusa

>> Battle Of Bahrseer

>> Capture Of Al-Madain

>> Heirlooms Of Persia

>> Battle Of Takreet And Mosul

>> Battle Of Jalaula

>> Campaigns Of Khaniqeen And Hulwan

>> Conquest Of Masabzan

>> Campaings Of Heet And Qirqassia

>> Kufa, Basra And Mosul

>> Campaign Of Ahwaz

>> Conquest Of Ahwaz And Dauraq

>> Battle Of Tustar

>> Battle Of Sus

>> Battle Of Junde Sabur

>> Hormuzan

>> Persia On The War Path

>> Umar's Call To Arms

>> No'man Bin Muqarrin

>> March To Nihawand

>> Battle Of Nihawand (First Phase)

>> Battle Of Nihawand (Second Phase)

>> Battle Of Hamadan

>> Umar And The Battle Of Nihaqand

>> Conquest Of Isfahan

>> Conquest Of Rayy

>> Conquest Of Tabaristan

>> Conquest Of Khurasan

>> Campaign In Fars

>> Conquest Of Fars And Sistan

>> Conquest Of Azarbaijan

>> Expedition To Armenia

>> Conquest Of Makran

>> Battle Of Bait Lihya

>> Conquest Of Damascus

>> Battle Of The Meadow Of Brocade

>> Deposition Of Khalid

>> The Raid Of Abul Quds

>> Battle Of Fahl

>> Battle Of Marj-ur-rum

>> Battle Of Emessa

>> Battle Of Yermuk

>> Battle Of Yermuk - The First Two Days

>> Battle Of Yermuk - Third And Fourth Days

>> Battle Of Yermuk - Fifth And Sixth Days

>> Episodes Of Yermuk

>> Conquest Of Syria

>> Fall Of Jerusalem

>> Umar's Address At Jabiah

>> Plague

>> Conquest Of Caesarea

>> The Muslims And The Sea

>> Second Battle Of Emessa

>> Amr Bin Al-aas

>> March To Egypt

>> Battle Of Babylon

>> March To Alexanderia

>> Battle Of Alexandria

>> The Nile

>> Fustat

>> Expedition To Nubia

>> Conquest Of Burqa And Tripoli

19. Death of Umar

>> Shadows Of Death

>> A Persian Stabbed Umar

>> Umar On Death Bed

>> Umar And His Successor

20. Testament and Assessment of Umar

>> Testament Of Umar

>> Elegies And Tributes On The Death Of Umar

>> Distinctions of Umar

>> Holy Prophet's Assessment Of Umar

>> The Holy Prophet's Joint Tributes To Abu Bakr And Umar

>> Assessment Of Umar By The Companions

>> Assessment By Western Writers

>> Assessment Of Umar By Oriental Writers

>> Sayings Of Umar

>> Umar And Sufism

>> Umar's Gift Of Forecasting

>> When Allah Corroborated Umar

>> Wives And Children Of Umar

>> The Coarse Food That Umar Ate

>> Umar's Standards Of Integrity For His Family Members

>> Umar In History

>> Chronology

In the winter of 638-639 virulent plague broke out in Syria, Egypt and Iraq. The plague exacted its heaviest toll in Syria, particularly Amwas, and the plague came to be known as the Amwas plague.

When Umar heard of the outbreak of plague he decided to proceed to Syria personally to watch the measures to be adopted to suppress the epidemic.

When Umar reached Surgh a few stages from Madina, he met Abu Ubaida and other officers of the Muslim army in Syria. He was told that the virulence of the plague was increasing and that people were dying in thousands.

Many persons advised Umar that he should not proceed to the infected area. Umar held a counsel. Abu Ubaida suggested that Umar should visit the infected areas. Abdur Rahman bin Auf quoted a tradition of the Holy Prophet according to which the Holy Prophet had enjoined that when plague was raging one should not go from the non-infected to infected area or vice versa. That settled the issue and Umar decided to return to Madina.

Abu Ubaida did not feel happy at the decision of Umar. He said:

"O Amir-ul-Mumnin, why are you flying from God's will." Umar replied that he merely moved from one will of God to another will.

On return to Madina, Umar addressed a letter to Abu Ubaida asking him to come to Madina as he wanted to consult him on some important matters. Abu Ubaida guessed the purpose of the call and wrote back saying that Fate ruled everythtng, and that he could not move away from Syria to save his own life leaving others in danger.

Umar thereupon asked him to move the troops to a healthier place. Abu Ubaida accordingly moved the troops to Jabiah which was noted for its good climate. A few days after the arrival of the troops at Jabia, Abu Ubaida caught plague and died. Before death he appointed Muadh b. Jabal as his successor.

Some Muslims held that the plague was a calamity. Addressing the troops on the occasion of the Friday prayer, Muadh said that the plague was not a calamity; it was a mercy of God. The son of Muadh caught plague. While his son lay on his death bed, Muadh addressing him said, "My son this is a visitation from God. Let there be no doubt in your heart on this account." The boy said, "You will find me resigned to the will of God" and with these words he breathed his last.

When Muadh returned after burying his son, he fell a prey to plague, and died a few days later. Amr bin Al-Aas succeeded him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Muslim forces in Syria. Amr bin Al-Aas shifted the troops to the hills. This measure proved satisfactory, and plague no longer menaced the troops.

When the fury of the plague was over, leaving Ali in charge of Madina, Umar travelled to Syria accompanied by his slave Yarfa. He first went to Ella in Palestine. A story is told that at Ella, he gave his shirt to the local priest to have it mended. The priest had the shirt mended. He also presented a new shirt to Umar, but he did not accept the gift.

From Ella he proceeded to Damascus. He disbursed the salaries of the troops personally. Calling for the heirs of those who had died in the plague, he put them in possession of their inheritance. He established military outposts at strategic points and had the fortifications strengthened.

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