Ubayd Allah al-Wassafi (1) likewise transmitted the report from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr, adding: “and his prized she-camels were led along with him.”

Yet the wording preserved from al-Wassafi diverges: Yaʿla ibn ʿUbayd related it from him with the name “al-Hasan,” and Zuhayr narrated the same, also mentioning “al-Hasan.”

Abu ʿUbaydah ibn al-Muthanna said: “On the Day of the Camel the commander of the left flank was al-Husayn.”

Ahmad, in his Musnad, recorded: Muhammad ibn ʿUbayd narrated to us, Shuraybil ibn Mudrik narrated to us, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Nujay (2), from his father:

He travelled with ʿAli and used to carry his vessel of ablution water. When they drew level with Ninawa on their march to Siffin, ʿAli called out, “Be patient, Abu ʿAbd Allah, upon the bank of the Euphrates.”

I asked, “What do you mean?”

He replied, “One day I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ and his eyes were overflowing with tears. He said: ‘Gabriel has just left me and informed me that al-Husayn will be killed. He then said: Shall I let you smell (3) some of the earth from the place where it will happen?’

“I said, ‘Yes.’

“So he stretched out his hand, took up a handful of soil, and gave it to me; I could not restrain my tears (4).”

This chain is singular, yet it has corroborating reports.

Yahya ibn Abi Zaʾidah transmitted—from an unnamed man—from al-Shaʿbi—that ʿAli, while standing on the bank of the Euphrates, said: “Patience, Abu ʿAbd Allah.”

ʿUmārah ibn Zādhān reported to us—Thabit, from Anas—who said:

The Angel in charge of the rain sought permission to visit the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Umm Salamah, guard the door for us.”

Al-Husayn then entered, burst in, and began clambering over the Prophet ﷺ while the Messenger of Allah kept kissing him.

The Angel said, “Do you love him?”

He replied, “Yes.”

The Angel said, “Your community will kill him; if you wish, I can show you—”