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.

Again, according to an authentic narration, he declared: “‘Uthman will be killed while reading the Qur’an.”[40] “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.

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,”[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.

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

[37] al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 298; Bukhari, Maghazi, 44.

[38] al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 210; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnavud), iii, 385.

[39] Musnad, v, 220, 221.

40 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 340; Musnad, iv, 273.

41 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 103.

42 See, al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 100.

43 al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 21; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, no: 2708; al-Hakim, al- Mustadrak, iii, 554.