What happened at the Camel, Siffin and elsewhere

Hasan al-Basri narrates: I heard Sayyiduna Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What will your state be when you are among people whose leaders will enter Paradise while those who follow them (the leaders) will enter Hell? The people submitted: O Messenger of Allah! Even if they act like them? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Even if they have acted like them. The people submitted: O Messenger of Allah! How will that be? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Their leaders will enter Paradise on account of what they had done earlier, and the followers will enter Hell because of what they did afterwards."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, al-Salt bin Dinar, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "My Companions will commit a slip, which Allah Almighty will forgive them on account of their being Companions; and after them some people will follow them, whom Allah Almighty will throw face down into Hell on their nostrils."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Ibrahim bin Abi al-Fayyad; Ibn Yunus said: He narrated munkar (objectionable) reports from Ashhab. I say: This is one of the reports he narrated from Ashhab.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The leader of a fitnah (tribulation) will certainly enter Paradise, and the one who sides with him (the leader) will certainly enter Hell."
Al-Bazzar recorded it from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) both as a mawquf and as a marfu' narration; the narrators of the mawquf narration are the narrators of the Sahih, and the chain of the marfu' narration contains a narrator, Umar bin Habib, who is extremely da'if (weak).

It is reported about Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked: What is the reason that you did not take part in the fighting at the Battle of the Camel? He said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Some people heading for destruction will come out; they will not succeed. The one leading them will be a woman, and those leading them will go to Paradise." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: In the "Sahih" this is reported from this Companion: That nation will be ruined which makes a woman its ruler.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Umar bin al-Hajanna', and al-Dhahabi mentioned this hadith in his biography as one of his munkar (objectionable) narrations; and a narrator, Abd al-Jabbar bin al-Abbas, about whom Abu Nu'aym said: There was no one in Kufa more of a liar than him, while Abu Hatim declared him thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Soon after me there will be disagreement, and it will be about government. If you are able to keep yourself safe from it, then do so."
Abdullah recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him): "Soon there will be a disagreement between you and Aishah. He submitted: O Messenger of Allah! Me? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes! He submitted: O Messenger of Allah! In that case, will I be the most wretched of them? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No! But when that situation arises, return Aishah to her place of safety."
Ahmad, al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Qays bin Abi Hazim narrates: When Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) halted at the place called "Haw'ab" and heard the barking of dogs there, she said: I ought to go back, for I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us (i.e. his pure wives): "Which of you will be the woman at whom the dogs of Haw'ab will bark?" Sayyiduna Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Will you go back? Perhaps Allah Almighty will bring about reconciliation among the people through you.
Ahmad, Abu Ya'la and al-Bazzar recorded it, and the narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his wives: "I wish I knew which woman among you will be the rider of the camel with much hair on its face. She will go out and the dogs of Haw'ab will bark at her; many people will be killed on her right and on her left, and then she will escape after having come close (to destruction)."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were at the house of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), some of the Muhajirun and the Ansar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I not tell you about the best of you? The people submitted: Yes indeed! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The best of you are those who fulfil (their covenants, or their obligations) and are of good character. Indeed, Allah Almighty loves the one who remains hidden and is pious. The narrator says: Meanwhile Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The truth will be with him; the truth will be with him."
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Abu Jarw al-Mazini narrates: I was present with Sayyiduna Ali and Sayyiduna Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) when the two of them came face to face. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: O Zubayr! I ask you by Allah: did you hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "You will fight (against Ali) and you will be in the wrong"? Sayyiduna Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Yes! But I have only remembered it while standing here. Then he went back.
Abu Ya'la recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Malik bin Muslim; al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: His hadith is not authentic.

It is reported about Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that on a Friday he delivered the sermon on the pulpit, and al-Ash'ath stood up before him and said: These red-complexioned ones (the non-Arab clients) have overcome us with regard to you. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Who will excuse me regarding these worthless people? One of them stays behind, turning over on his bed, while those others hasten to the remembrance of Allah. If I were to drive them away, then in that case I would be among the wrongdoers. By Allah! I heard him say: 'They will certainly fight you on the basis of the religion, just as you at first fought them on the basis of it (the religion).'"
Abu Ya'la recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abbad bin Abdullah al-Asadi, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy), while al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is room for consideration about him (fihi nazar).

Abbad bin Abdullah al-Asadi narrates about Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him): "On a Friday Zayd bin Suhan was with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was delivering the sermon on a pulpit made of bricks, with the mawali (freed clients) around him. A man stood up and said something; I do not know what he said. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry, until his face turned red. While we were in this state, al-Ash'ath bin Qays came forward, stepping over the necks of the people, and said: These red-complexioned ones (the non-Arab clients) have overcome us with regard to you. Then Zayd bin Suhan struck my thigh and said: Indeed we belong to Allah Almighty! By Allah! The Arabs will certainly reveal what they used to conceal. Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Who will excuse me regarding these worthless people? One of them keeps turning over on his bed, while other people go out in the morning to the remembrance of Allah. So what do you tell me? Should I drive them away and become one of the wrongdoers? By the One who split the seed and created the soul! I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'They will certainly fight you on the basis of the religion, just as you at first fought them on the basis of it (the religion).'"
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abbad bin Abdullah al-Asadi, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy), while al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is room for consideration about him (fihi nazar); the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Taymi narrates: A certain person entered Madinah in connection with Hajj, and the people came to him to greet him. Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) came and gave greetings. That person said: This man did not help us in (upholding) our right against the falsehood of others. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) remained silent for a while. That person said: What is the reason, why do you not speak now? Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the fitnah (tribulation) appeared and darkness appeared, I said to my camel: Sit down! So it knelt down, until the fitnah ended. That person said: I have read the Book of Allah from beginning to end, but I have not seen these words in it: Sit down! Sit down! The narrator narrates: Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry and said: Since you have said this, I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Ali will be with the truth, or the truth will be with Ali, wherever he may be." That person said: Who else heard this along with you? Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this in the house of Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her). The narrator says: Then he sent a message to Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and asked her about it, and Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had said this in her house. That person said to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): You were never as blameworthy in my eyes before as you are now. Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Why is that? That person said: Had I heard this from the tongue of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I would have remained a servant of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) continuously until my death.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Sa'd bin Shu'ayb, whom I do not know, and the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

Zayd bin Wahb narrates: Once we were sitting around Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), when he said: What will your state be when the household of your Prophet split into two groups and come out, and begin to kill one another with the sword? We asked: O Abu Abdullah! Will that really happen? Then one of his companions asked: O Abu Abdullah! If we live to see that time, what should we do? He said: Look for the group that calls to (the cause of) Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and stay with that group, for that group will be upon guidance.
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Zahdam al-Jarmi narrates: We were conversing at night with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). He said: I am about to tell you something that is neither secret nor public. When the affair of this man reached the point it reached (by this Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) meant Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)), I said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): Withdraw (from people); even if you were hiding in a hole, you would be searched out and pulled out of it. But he did not accept what I said. And by Allah! Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) will certainly become your ruler, because Allah Almighty has said: "Whoever is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir authority; so let him not exceed the limits in killing; he will be helped." Quraysh will certainly force you to follow the ways of the Persians and the Romans, and the Jews, the Christians and the Magians will certainly be followed. Whoever among you at that time holds on to what he recognises as good will be saved, and whoever abandons it, and you will abandon it, you will become like the nations that were destroyed.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the companions of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) set out towards Basra and they received the news that the people of Basra had gathered in support of Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), this weighed heavily on the companions of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and misgivings entered their hearts. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By the One besides whom there is no god! They will certainly prevail over the people of Basra, and Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) will certainly be killed; and then six thousand five hundred and fifty men (the narrator is in doubt: perhaps the words are five thousand five hundred and fifty men) will come out from Kufa to you." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: Confusion arose in my mind. He said: O people of Kufa! When the people of Kufa came, I went out, and I thought: I will examine this; if it turns out as he has said, then it is something he has heard (from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)); otherwise it is a stratagem of war. Then I saw a man from the army and asked him, and by Allah! he stated the very number that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had stated. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: This was one of the things about which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had informed Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Amr al-Bajali, and he is da'if (weak).

Qays bin Adi narrates: On the day of Basra I heard Amr bin Thabit say: I swear by the name of Allah that the enemy army will be routed and they will turn their backs and flee. A man from the Nakha' tribe said: O Abu al-Yaqzan! I seek refuge in Allah from shirk (associating partners with Him), in that you say something of which you have no knowledge. Amr bin Thabit said: In that case I would be worse than a camel whose halter is dragged between Najd and Tihamah, if I say something of which I have no knowledge.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Amr bin Thabit al-Bakri, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Yazid bin Mu'awiyah al-Bakka'i narrates: I was sitting with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him). A woman and a man passed by the two of them, riding on a camel, with their faces turned in opposite directions. One of the two said to the other: Are these the people we used to talk about? The other said: No! With them there will be the flashing of swords.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain is da'if (weak).

Umayr bin Sa'id narrates: We were sitting with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) was also with him. The governor had seized a man, beaten him and mounted him on a camel. The people began to say: This is that very camel, that very camel! A man said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman! Is this the camel we used to hear about? He said: Where is the flashing of swords?
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sa'id bin Kawz narrates: On the occasion of the Battle of the Camel I was with my master. A horseman came and said: O Mother of the Believers! Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Ask him who he is. He was asked: Who are you? He said: I am Ammar bin Yasir. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Ask him: What do you want? Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I ask you by that Allah who sent down the Book upon the Messenger of Allah in your house: do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) as executor (wasi) over his family and concerning his family? Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Allah knows, yes! Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Then what do you intend to do? Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I seek retribution for the blood of the Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). The narrator says: Then he said something more. Then four horsemen came, and one of them called out loudly. The narrator narrates: Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: By the Lord of the Ka'bah! This is Ibn Abi Talib; ask him who he is and what he wants. The people asked: Who are you? He said: I am Ali bin Abi Talib. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Ask him what he wants. The people asked: What do you want? He said: I ask you by that Allah who sent down the Book upon the Messenger of Allah in your house: do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made me "executor" (wasi) over his family and concerning his family? Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Allah knows, yes! Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Then what do you want? Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I seek retribution for the blood of the Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Show me the killers of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) went back and the fighting began. The narrator says: Then I saw Hilal bin Waki', the chief of Banu Tamim; with him was an Abyssinian slave of his who looked like a jinn. He was fighting in front of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and reciting this verse: "I strike them with full force, when Awn and Abu Himat flee, and the people turn aside from the path." Then my attention turned away for a moment, and I saw that this chief and his slave had been killed.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; as for the narrator Sa'id bin Kawz and the one who narrates from him, Asbat bin Amr, I do not know either of them, and the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On the occasion of the Battle of the Camel, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saw heads falling, so he took the hand of Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), placed it on his stomach and then said: What good will there be after this?
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Fahd bin Awf, and he is a kadhdhab (liar).

Muhammad bin Qays narrates: The Day of the Camel was mentioned before Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and she said: People say that this is the Day of the Camel? The people said: Yes! Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I wish that I had remained sitting at that time, just as my other companions (i.e. the other pure wives) remained sitting; and I also wished that I had borne the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) more than ten children, all of them like Abd al-Rahman bin al-Harith bin Hisham and Abdullah bin al-Zubayr.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abu Ma'shar Najih, and he is da'if (weak), but his hadith is written down; the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).