one of God’s swords [i.e. Khalid] has taken it.” [^37] 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. [^38]

[^37]: al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 298; Bukhārī, Maghāzī, 44.

[^38]: al-Khafājī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, iii, 210; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzī, Zād al-Ma‘ād (Taḥqīq: Arnavūd), iii, 385.

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.” [^39] “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.” [^40] 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.

[^39]: Musnad, v, 220, 221.

[^40]: Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 340; Musnad, iv, 273.

Again, according to an authentic narration, he declared: “‘Uthman will be killed while reading the Qur’an.” [^41] “And it may be that God will cause him to be dressed in a shirt at that time. His deposal may also be sought.” [^42] These events, too, all took place exactly as predicted.

[^41]: al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 103.

[^42]: See, al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 100.

Also according to an authentic narration, while cupping the Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace), ‘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,” [^43] 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.

[^43]: al-‘Asqalānī, al-Maṭālib al-’Ālīya, iv, 21; al-Haythamī, Majma‘ al-Zawā’id, no: 2708; al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 554.

Again, according to an authentic narration, he foretold the emergence of the Umayyad dynasty [^44] and the tyrannical rule of many of its monarchs,

[^44]: Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 338; ‘Alī al-Qārī, i, 683; al-Khafājī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, i, 179.