Umar bin Khattab set out for Sham, and Abu Talha and Abu Ubayda bin Jarra came out to meet him.They said, "Commander of the Believers, with you are the leading and finest companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and we have left behind us something like a raging fire," meaning the plague, "so turn back this year."So Umar turned back. When the following year came, he traveled there and entered.
أن عمر بن الخطاب أقبل إلى الشام فاستقبله أبو طلحة، وأبو عبيدة بن الجراح، فقالا: يا أمير المؤمنين، إن معك وجوه أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ وخيارهم، وإنا تركنا من بعدنا مثل حريق النار، يعني الطاعون، فارجع العام، فرجع عمر فلما كان العام المقبل، جاء فدخل.
No references are available.
Tahawi narrated it in Sharh Maani (6893) from Muhammad bin Khuzayma, who said, Hajjaj told us, who said, Hammad told us, who said, Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abu Talha told us, from Anas bin Malik, and he related it. Its chain of transmission is sahih. Ibn Hajar also declared it sahih in Bazl Maun (p. 241).The story of Umar setting out for Syria, then returning from there after Abdul-Rahman bin Awf informed him, was also narrated by others from Umar, both at length and in brief, but I will content myself with this much.