It is narrated from Abdullah bin Mas'ud that we were with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when some young men from Banu Hashim appeared before us. When the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them, tears came to his eyes and his color changed. I said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we are seeing something on your face which we do not like." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Allah Almighty has preferred the Hereafter over this world for my Ahl al-Bayt. After me, my Ahl al-Bayt will face trials, division, and exile. Until a people come from the east with black flags; they will demand the truth but it will not be given to them. Then they will fight and will be victorious. Then their demand will be accepted but they will not accept it until the matter of caliphate is handed over to a man from my Ahl al-Bayt. Then he will fill the earth with justice as those before him had filled it with oppression and injustice. If any of you finds this, he should go to them even if he has to crawl over snow."

It is narrated from Abu Mahal who says: I said to Abu Ja'far, "Is a king appointed as a governor over work?" He replied, "Do not become a governor over anything for them. If you are appointed as a governor, then fear Allah and fulfill the trust."

It is narrated from Abu Ja'far who says: Do not prepare a book for the people, nor write anything for them with a pen.

It is narrated from Abu Wa'il who says: I went to Ubaydullah bin Ziyad in Basra when there were three hundred thousand in jizya from Isfahan before him. Ibn Ziyad said, "O Abu Wa'il, what do you think about a person who died leaving behind such a large inheritance?" I replied with a hint, "What if this is wealth acquired through dishonesty?" Ibn Ziyad said, "That would be evil upon evil." Then he said, "O Abu Wa'il, when I come to Kufa, come to me; perhaps I may do good to you." Abu Wa'il says: "If you had gone to him before consulting me, I would have said nothing, but now that you have consulted me, it is my duty to advise you." Then Alqamah said: "I do not like that I should have two hundred thousand dirhams and be honored over an army, because I cannot reach their worldly gains as much as they can harm my religion."

It is narrated from Mu'adh that he said: In the last era, there will be sinful reciters, wicked ministers, treacherous trustees, oppressive overseers, and lying leaders.

It is narrated from Salamah bin Qais who says: I met Abu Dharr, and he said: O Salamah bin Qais! Preserve three things: Do not gather two wives together, you will not be able to do justice even if you are very eager; secondly, do not become a collector of charity, because either he is one who diminishes or one who increases; do not go near the king, because the more you reach their world, the more they will take away from your religion.

It is narrated from ‘Ammarah bin ‘Abd who says that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Beware of the doors of the rulers, for they are places of tribulation. Except that tribulation comes in a doubtful form and departs manifest (i.e., when tribulation arises, the truth and correctness are not clear and evident; when it passes, a person realizes that his action was a mistake).

It is narrated from Abdur Rahman, who says: I think it is narrated from Qais bin Sakan, who says: Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said from the pulpit: I have overcome the tribulation. If I were not among you, so-and-so and so-and-so would not have been killed. By Allah, if you had not abandoned action out of reliance, I would have told you what glad tidings the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave regarding you, because of fighting those people who, while seeing their misguidance, also knew that we are upon guidance. Then he said: Ask me questions. Then he said: Beware, ask me questions, for whatever you ask me about the Day of Judgment and what is related to it among you, or about that army of which a hundred people attained guidance and a hundred went astray, I will inform you of its details.

Then a man stood up and said: O Commander of the Faithful, tell us about the trial (fitnah). The Commander of the Faithful said: When the questioner asks, he should do so with understanding, and when the one questioned is asked, he should remain steadfast. After you, great matters will arise and such tribulations will occur that will make a person defective and will make a person's color pale. By the One Who split the seed and sent the winds! If you lose me and then disliked matters descend and great trials descend, then many questioners will slip and many questioned will stand with bowed necks. This will happen when your war breaks out and the fighting flares up, and it becomes a trial for the people of the world until Allah grants victory to His remaining righteous servants.

Then a man stood up and said: O Commander of the Faithful, tell us some news about the tribulations. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the tribulation comes, it comes in a doubtful form, and when it goes, it returns clear and evident. Indeed, tribulations circulate like winds; they surround one city and leave another. So help those people who held the banners on the days of Badr and Hunayn, so that you may be helped and rewarded. Beware, listen carefully! Indeed, the most fearful tribulation in my view is the one that will be blind and dark. Its turmoil will be specific, but its trial will be a general calamity. That tribulation will reach the one who sees it, and will miss the one who closes his eyes to it. In that tribulation, those on falsehood will prevail over the people of truth until the earth is filled with oppression and injustice. Then the first to break the sheath of that tribulation, to subdue its power, and to uproot its pegs will be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

Listen, soon after me you will encounter evil people who will be like a furious she-camel that bites with its mouth, kicks with its feet, strikes with its forelegs, and does not allow its milk to be taken. Listen, this tribulation will continue upon you until there is no supporter for you in your city except one who benefits the people of falsehood or is harmless to them. Until none of you will be helped by them except as much as a master helps his slave (i.e., very little help). By Allah, if they gather you under every star, Allah will gather you on a day in which they will have no share.

Then a man stood up and said: O Commander of the Faithful! Will there be any group after this? He replied: No, then there will be various groups, but your grants, your Hajj, and your journeys will be the same, and your words will be different. Saying this, he interlaced his fingers. A man asked: How will this be, O Commander of the Faithful? He replied: People will kill each other; this will be a great and ignorant tribulation. In this tribulation, there will be no Imam of guidance, nor any banner to be seen. We, the Ahl al-Bayt, will be the saviors from it, and we will not be its instigators. Then he said: O Commander of the Faithful, what will happen after this? Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Allah will separate this tribulation through a man from the Ahl al-Bayt, just as skin is separated from meat. Then he will make them taste the cup of torment. At that time, the Quraysh will become victims of the love of the world.

Hazrat Ka'b said that for every era, kings are appointed. When Allah Almighty intends good for a people, He sends among them someone who reforms them, and when He intends evil for a people, He appoints pleasure-seeking people as their kings.

Zadhan reports from Alim that we were with him on the roof, and a companion was also with him. During the days of the plague, funeral processions began to pass by us, so he said: Did not the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that none of you should wish for death, for death causes deeds to cease, and a person is not returned so that he may please Allah? Then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: You will hasten to seek death because of six things: because of the rule of fools, the increase of the king’s special soldiers, the selling of judgments, the cheapening of blood, and because of young boys who make the Qur’an into flutes, whom people will put forward in prayer so that they may listen to the Qur’an in a singing manner, even though they are the least in understanding among them.