39/32. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2218d — Plague Question Answered by Usama
The Plague, Ill Omens, Soothsaying And The Like
Plague Hadith Explained Through Usama b. Zaid
Sahih Muslim : 2218d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2218d
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو، بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّ عَامِرَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ سَعْدَ بْنَ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَنِ الطَّاعُونِ، فَقَالَ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ أَنَا أُخْبِرُكَ عَنْهُ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هُوَ عَذَابٌ أَوْ رِجْزٌ أَرْسَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَوْ نَاسٍ كَانُوا قَبْلَكُمْ فَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلاَ تَدْخُلُوهَا عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا دَخَلَهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فِرَارًا " .
Amir b. Sa'd Narrated from:
A person asked Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas about the plague, whereupon Usama b. Zaid said: I would inform you about it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: It is a calamity or a disease which Allah sent to a group of Bani Isra'il, or to the people who were before you; so when you hear of it in land, don't enter it and when it has broken out in your land, don't run away from it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2218dIn-book reference : Book 39, Hadith 127USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 26, Hadith 5496
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2218d
In this plague Hadith, a person asked Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas about plague, and Usama b. Zaid stepped in to report what he knew from Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. He said it is a calamity or disease that Allah sent to a group from Bani Isra'il or to people before this community. Then the Prophet’s guidance is quoted: if people hear of plague in a land, they should not enter it; and if it breaks out in their own land, they should not run away from it. Searches like plague hadith, Islamic plague guidance, and do not flee plague hadith all fit this narration. The report teaches that knowledge should be passed on carefully and that movement during plague has clear limits in this text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Do not enter a land after hearing that plague has broken out there.
- If plague breaks out where someone already is, the report says not to flee from it.
- The Hadith describes plague as a calamity or punishment linked to earlier people.
- The teaching encourages careful movement and steadiness during a serious outbreak.
