The Plague of Amwas

al-Baladhuri, in Futuh al-Buldan, reports that the plague of Amwas was in 18 AH, and that a number of Muslims died in it. It falls within the conquest of al-Sham and in Amwas. ¹

Among them was Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, who was the commander and was fifty-eight years old. Among them was Muadh ibn Jabal of Banu Salima of the Khazraj, known as Abu Abd al-Rahman, who died in the district of al-Uqhuwana in Jordan at the age of thirty-eight. ¹

al-Baladhuri reports that Abu Ubayda appointed a successor when he was dying, and then gives a disagreement. It was said that he appointed Iyad ibn Ghanm al-Fihri; it is also said that he appointed Amr ibn al-As, and Amr then appointed his son. ¹

He reports, quoting Abdallah ibn Qays, that he was among those who met Umar with Abu Ubayda when Umar came to al-Sham. The people of Adhri'at, who were the muqallisun, met him with swords and sweet basil. Umar wanted to stop them. Abu Ubayda said that this was their custom, and that stopping them might be understood as a breach of their covenant. Umar said: "Leave them." ¹

The date is derived from the Hijri year, and the data record no specific page for this text.

The speaker recounts that Umar, in his last days as he says, intended to spend two months in Syria and two in Egypt to see the conditions for himself rather than rely on reports (needs_source) ².

He recounts that when Umar reached Syria, the plague had spread there, and people hesitated over entering. Ibn Umar then reported that he had heard the Prophet ﷺ say: if plague is in a land and you are outside it, do not enter it; if it is in a land and you are within it, do not leave it. Umar turned back ².