Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو حَامِدٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحَافِظُ الْإِسْفِرَايِينِيُّ بِهَا أنبأ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ زَاهِرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ ثنا يَزِيدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ ثنا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُثَنَّى عَنْ ثُمَامَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ ؓ أَنَّهُ رَكِبَ فِي الْبَحْرِ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَوَجَدُوا سَمَكَةً طَافِيَةً عَلَى الْمَاءِ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ أَطَيِّبَةٌ هِيَ لَمْ تَغَيَّرْ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْ قَالَ فَكُلُوهَا وَارْفَعُوا نَصِيبِي مِنْهَا وَكَانَ صَائِمًا هَكَذَا
English Translation
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Messenger of Allah about plague. He told her that it is a punishment that Allah sends upon whom He wills, and that Allah made it a mercy for the believers. No servant remains in his land during a plague, patient and expecting reward, knowing that nothing will afflict him except what Allah has decreed, except that he will have a reward like that of a martyr.