English Translation

Abdur-Rahman bin Mahdi narrated to us: Sulayman bin al-Mughirah narrated to us, from Thabit, from Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Layla, from Suhayb, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he prayed, would murmur something I could not understand, and would not tell us what it was. He said: Did you notice me? We said: Yes. He said: I was remembering a prophet among the prophets who was given armies from his people, and he said: Who can match these, or who can stand up to these — or similar words. So it was revealed to him: Choose for your people one of three — either We give an enemy other than themselves power over them, or famine, or death. He consulted his people, and they said: You are the Prophet of Allah, so all of that is up to you; choose for us. So he stood for prayer — and they, whenever frightened, would resort to prayer — and he prayed as long as Allah willed. Then he said: O my Lord, as for an enemy other than themselves, no; and famine, no; but death. So death was given power over them, and seventy thousand of them died. So my murmuring which you see is that I am saying: O Allah, by You I fight, and by You I assail, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.