Narrated 'Aisha:

(the wife of the Prophet) that she asked Allah's Apostle about plague, and Allah's Apostle informed her saying, "Plague was a punishment which Allah used to send on whom He wished, but Allah made it a blessing for the believers. None (among the believers) remains patient in a land in which plague has broken out and considers that nothing will befall him except what Allah has ordained for him, but that Allah will grant him a reward similar to that of a martyr."

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا حَبَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي الْفُرَاتِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَعْمَرَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا أَخْبَرَتْنَا أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الطَّاعُونِ فَأَخْبَرَهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ " 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 إِلاَّ مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ، إِلاَّ كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ الشَّهِيدِ ". تَابَعَهُ النَّضْرُ عَنْ دَاوُدَ.