reports, while others, on account of being verified by meticulous researchers, may also be considered to have this certainty.

According to an authentic and certain narration, the Noble Messenger(Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to his Companions: “You will be victorious over all your enemies, will succeed in the conquest of Makkah,(29) Khaybar,(30) Damascus and Iraq,(31) Persia, and Jerusalem,(32) and will share among yourselves the treasures of the rulers of the greatest empires, the Byzantines and the Persians.”(33) He did not say this as a matter of conjecture or personal opinion; he said it as if he had seen it, and what he said came true as predicted. This was despite the fact that at the time he foretold this he had to migrate to Madinah with a handful of followers, with the rest of the world, including the environs of Madinah, hostile to him!

He also repeatedly declared, according to authentic and certain narrations, that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar would outlive him and be his Caliphs, that they would act for God’s sake and within the bounds of the pleasure of God and that of the Prophet, that Abu Bakr’s rule would be short, and that ‘Umar would remain a long time to

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(29) ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Bukhari i, 678, 679. See, Concor-dance.
(30) ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa: i, 679. See, Concordance.
(31) ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa: i, 678. See, Concordance.
(32) ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa: i, 678, 679. See, Concordance.
(33) Bukhari, Jihad 15; Manaqib 25; Iman 3; Muslim, Fitan 75, 76; Tirmidhi, Fitan 41.