relating to his predictions which have the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning.’ To discover future events through one’s own sagacity and thus succeed even in one hundredth part of the Prophet’s predictions, one would have to be of the highest genius. Even if we merely called him a genius as you call him, could such a man with the sagacity of a hundred geniuses have ever seen anything wrongly? Or could he have ever stooped to reporting it wrongly? Not to heed the word of such a hundredfold genius concerning happiness in both worlds is therefore the sign of a hundredfold madness!

SIXTH SIGN

According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to Fatima: “You will be the first of my Family to join me [after my death].”(53) Six months later, what he said took place.

He also told Abu Dharr: “You will be expelled from here [Madinah], will live alone, and will die alone.”(54) All this came true twenty years later.

Once, as he awakened in the house of Anas b. Malik’s

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(53) Bukhari, Manaqib 25; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba 101; Ibn Maja, Jana’iz 64; Musnad vi, 240, 282, 283; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa: i, 340.
(54) al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak iii, 345; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa: i, 343; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa: i, 700; al-Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya iv, 116 no: 4109; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya v, 8-9; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba iv, 64.