Musnad Ahmad

Abdullah bin Naji’s father was once traveling with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was responsible for assisting Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with his ablution. When they reached near Nineveh on their way to Siffin, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) called out and said: “Abu Abdullah! Stop at the bank of the Euphrates.” I asked, “Is everything alright?” He replied: “One day I went to the service of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and tears were pouring from his eyes. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Has someone made you angry? Is everything alright that tears are flowing from your eyes?’ He said: ‘It is not that, but the real matter is that just a little while ago Jibreel had just left me. He was saying that Husayn will be martyred at the bank of the Euphrates. Then he said to me, “If you wish, I can let you smell the fragrance of that soil?” I replied in the affirmative, so he stretched out his hand, took a handful of soil, and gave it to me. Since that moment, I have not been able to control my tears.’”