Aisha reported: She asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about plagues, and he said, “It is a punishment that Allah sends upon whomever He wills, but Allah has made it mercy for the believers. Any servant who resides in a land afflicted by plague, remaining patient and hoping in reward from Allah, knowing that nothing will befall him but what Allah has decreed, then he will be given the reward of a martyr.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5734
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ الطَّاعُونِ فَأَخْبَرَهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابًا يَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَجَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَلَيْسَ مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَقَعُ الطَّاعُونُ فَيَمْكُثُ فِي بَلَدِهِ صَابِرًا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَنْ يُصِيبَهُ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ إِلَّا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ الشَّهِيدِ
5734 صحيح البخاري كتاب الطب باب أجر الصابر في الطاعون