Plagues Are A Mercy

How Sahaba accepted Destiny & Plagues – معاذ بن جبل

The plague of Amwas (طاعون عمواس‎), was a Bubonic Plague epidemic that afflicted Syria-Palestine in 638–639 and some Sahaba were present.

It is reported in “Siyar A’lam al-Nubala”, (1/458):

وطعن معاذ في كفه، فجعل يقلبها، ويقول: هي أحب إلي من حمر النعم

Signs of this plague appeared in the hand-palm of Mu’adh [Ibn Jabal].
He turned it over and said:
“THIS IS MORE BELOVED TO ME THAN OWNING RED [EXPENSIVE] CAMELS!”

End quote.

This was their level of faith and world view.

From a materialistic perspective, it’s utter loss and destruction.

But from a spiritual perspective, it is considered a mercy (رحمة للمؤمنين) and the person who dies from plagues is considered a martyr (ومن مات في الطاعون فهو شهيد).

Thousands of people were martyred and buried in mass-graves.

People asked Mu’adh to supplicate to God so this “filth” (plague) is removed.

He went around, saying:

أيها الناس إن هذا الوجع رحمة ربكم
“O people, this suffering is a mercy from your Lord.”

He meant: if believers are infected by these plagues, they should seek God’s reward in it.

They should consider it a blessing in disguise and not consider it a curse. The sins of believers are wiped out with suffering – even if its a prick of a thorn.

It does not mean that we should not take precautionary measures and protect ourselves from plagues – we should.

However, when it reaches us, we accept fate and fully trust in our Lord – seeking His reward.

This make no sense from a materialistic perspective.

However, once we start seeing the world with a spiritual lens: then every curse will turn into a blessing.

In Sahih Bukhari, 3474 – it is reported by Aisha:

“I asked Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about the plague. He told me that it was a Punishment sent by Allah on whom he wished, and Allah made it a source of mercy for the believers, for if one in the time of an epidemic plague stays in his country patiently hoping for Allah’s Reward and believing that nothing will befall him except what Allah has written for him, he will get the reward of a martyr.”

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي الْفُرَاتِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَعْمَرَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الطَّاعُونِ، فَأَخْبَرَنِي ‏ “‏ أَنَّهُ عَذَابٌ يَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ جَعَلَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ، لَيْسَ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَقَعُ الطَّاعُونُ فَيَمْكُثُ فِي بَلَدِهِ صَابِرًا مُحْتَسِبًا، يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُصِيبُهُ إِلاَّ مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ، إِلاَّ كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ شَهِيدٍ ‏”‏‏.‏

https://sunnah.com/bukhari/60/141