banner and been struck; now Ja‘far has taken the banner and been struck; now one of God’s swords [i.e. Khalid] has taken it.”(38) 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 Prophet had described.(39)

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.”(40) “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.”(41) He thus predicted the six-month-long caliphate of Hasan and the period of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and, following that, the transition of Caliphate to monarchy and monarchy’s being beset 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.”(42) “And it may be that God will cause him to be dressed in a shirt at that time. His deposal may also be sought.”(43)

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(38) al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak iii, 298; Bukhari, Maghazi 44.
(39) al-Khafaji,Sharh al-Shifa:iii,210;Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi,Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq:Arnavud)iii,385.
(40) Musnad v, 220, 221.
(41) Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa: i, 340; Musnad iv, 273.
(42) al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak iii, 103.
(43) See, al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak iii, 100.