Hadith 961:149
Isma'il narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Abu Qilabah, that the plague occurred in Ash-Sham. Amr ibn al-Aas said: "This scourge has occurred, so flee from it into the mountain passes and the valleys." This reached Mu'adh, and he did not believe what he [Amr] said. He said: "Rather, it is martyrdom, a mercy, and the supplication of your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. O Allah, give Mu'adh and his family their share of Your mercy." Abu Qilabah said: I recognized the martyrdom and I recognized the mercy, but I did not know what the supplication of your Prophet was, until I was informed that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was praying one night when he said in his supplication: "Fever then, or plague; fever then, or plague," three times. When morning came, a person from his family said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, I heard you tonight making a supplication." He said: "And did you hear it?" He said: "Yes." He said: "I asked my Lord not to destroy my nation by famine, and He granted it to me. I asked Him not to empower an enemy against them from other than themselves who would violate them, and He granted it to me. I asked Him not to clothe them in sects and make some of them taste the might of others, but He refused me—or he said: He withheld it from me. So I said: 'Fever then, or plague; fever then, or plague; fever then, or plague,'" three times.
حدثنا إسماعيل، عن أيوب، عن أبي قلابة، أن الطاعون وقع بالشام، فقال عمرو بن العاص: إن هذا الرجز قد وقع ففروا منه في الشعاب والأودية، فبلغ ذلك معاذا فلم يصدقه بالذي قال فقال: بل هو شهادة ورحمة ودعوة نبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم اللهم أعط معاذا وأهله نصيبهم من رحمتك. قال أبو قلابة: فعرفت الشهادة وعرفت الرحمة ولم أدر ما دعوة نبيكم حتى أنبئت أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، بينما هو ذات ليلة يصلي إذ قال في دعائه: " فحمى إذا أو طاعون، فحمى إذا أو طاعون ". ثلاث مرات، فلما أصبح قال له إنسان من أهله: يا رسول الله، لقد سمعتك الليلة تدعو بدعاء. قال: " وسمعته؟ " قال: نعم. قال: " إني سألت ربي أن لا يهلك أمتي بسنة فأعطانيها، وسألته أن لا يسلط عليهم عدوا من غيرهم فيستبيحهم فأعطانيها، وسألته أن لا يلبسهم شيعا، ويذيق بعضهم بأس بعض فأبى علي، أو قال فمنعنيها، فقلت: حمى إذا أو طاعونا حمى إذا أو طاعونا حمى إذا أو طاعونا " ثلاث مرات