Miracle 62: Predicting the Allegiance of One Thousand Men from Kufa

It is narrated in al-Kharaij Wa al-Jaraih,

‘And from it is what the hadith have mentioned with about Imam Ali (a.s.), from his words before his battling the three sects after having pledged allegiance to him (a.s.): ‘I am Commanded with fighting the allegiance-breakers, and the deviants, and the renegades’ – meaning the battles of the Jamal, and Siffeen, and Al-Nahrwan. So, I fought them’. And the matter transpired upon what he (a.s.) had said, regarding what he (a.s.) had informed with.

He (the narrator) said, ‘And he (a.s.) said to Talha and Zubair when they had sought permission from him (a.s.) regarding the going out to perform the Umrah: ‘No, by Allah! You are not intending the Umrah, but you are intending Basra’. It happened what he (a.s.) had said.

And he (a.s.) said to Ibn Abbas and informed him about their having sought permission regarding the Umrah: ‘I permitted to them along with my knowledge with what they were intending upon with the treachery. So, I made it apparent with Allah, being upon them both, and that Allah, the Almighty will be returning their plots and will grant me victory with them’. And it happened like what he had said.

And he (a.s.) said at Ziqar, and he (a.s.) had sat to take the allegiances: ‘There will be coming to you all, from the direction of Kufa, a thousand men, neither exceeding by a man nor reducing by a man. They will be pledging allegiance to me upon the death’.

Ibn Abbas said, ‘I was alarmed at that and I feared that the people would reduce from the numbers or increase in it, so they would spoil the matter upon us, and I counted the people, and their numbers were fulfilled to nine hundred and ninety-nine men. Then my going to the people was terminated. So, I said, ‘We are for Allah, the Almighty and we are returning to Him. What carried him (a.s.) upon what He (a.s.) said?’

While I was thoughtful regarding that, when I saw a person coming until he came closer, and he was a man having a woollen cloak upon him, and with him was a sword and a shield, and a canteen. He went near Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) and said, ‘Extend your hand! I shall pledge allegiance to you’.

He (a.s.) said: ‘Upon what will you pledge allegiance to me?’ He said, ‘Upon the listening and the obedience, and the fighting in front of you or Allah, the Almighty Grants victory to you’. He (a.s.) said: ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Oweys Al-Qarny’.

He (a.s.) said: ‘Yes, Allah, the Almighty is the Greatest! My beloved Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had informed me that I shall be meeting a man from his (s.a.w.a.) community called Oweys Al-Qarny. He would happen to be from the party of Allah, the Almighty. He will die upon the martyrdom. There shall enter in his intercession, like (the numbers of tribes of) Rabie and Muzar’. Ibn Abbas said, ‘That cheered us’’.¹

Footnotes

1. Behar al-Anwaar, Vol. 41, Chp 114, Trad 29 ↩