one of God’s swords [i.e. Khalid] has taken it.”1 Two to three weeks later Ya‘la b. Munabbih returned from the battlefront. In his presence, the Noble Prophet described the details of the battle, and Ya‘la swore by God that what had taken place at the battle was exactly the same as the Bringer of Sure News (UWBP) had described.2
According to an authentic and certain narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said: “After me, the caliphate will last thirty years; then it will be rapacious monarchy.”3 “The beginning of this affair is prophethood and mercy; then it will be mercy and caliphate; then it will be rapacious monarchy; then it will be arrogance and tyranny.”4 He thus predicted the six-month-long caliphate of Hasan and the period of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and, following that, the transition from caliphate to monarchy and monarchy’s being plagued by intrigues and tyranny. This is exactly what later occurred.
Again, according to an authentic narration, he declared: “‘Uthman will be killed while reading the Qur’an.”5 “And it may be that God will cause him to be dressed in a shirt at that time. His deposal may also be sought.”6 These events, too, all took place exactly as predicted.
Also according to an authentic narration, while cupping the Prophet (UWBP), ‘Abdullah b. Zubayr tasted his blessed blood. Then the Prophet (UWBP) said: “Woe unto the people for what shall befall them at your hands, and woe unto you for what shall befall you at their hands,”7 predicting that ‘Abdullah would lead the Muslims with extraordinary bravery, would face terrible attacks, and that because of him fearsome events would befall people. What he foretold came about exactly: during Umayyad rule, ‘Abdullah b. Zubayr declared his caliphate in Mecca, heroically fought in many battles, until finally Hajjaj the Tyrant attacked him with a large force, and following a fierce battle the illustrious hero was martyred.
Again, according to an authentic narration, he foretold the emergence of the Umayyad dynasty8 and the tyrannical rule of many of its monarchs,
al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 298; Bukhari, Maghazi, 44.
al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 210; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnavud), iii, 385.
Musnad, v, 220, 221.
Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 340; Musnad, iv, 273.
al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 103.
See, al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 100.
al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 21; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, no: 2708; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 554.
Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 338; ‘Ali al-Qari, i, 683; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 179.