O ʿAqīl! By the Knower of what is hidden, the Forgiver of every sin, the faithful Guardian of covenants, and the venerable, built Kaʿbah—verily you are the one who has arrived with the gift: the Indian sword-blade and the Rudaynī spear-shaft.
They replied, “You have spoken the truth, O Satīḥ.” He continued, “By the Bringer of joy, by the rainbow, by every lesion and the stricken who lies prone, by the palm-trees, the fresh dates and the dried dates: the raven, whenever it passes, gives an omen, and it has told me that these men are not of Jumah but trace their lineage to Quraysh of al-Baṭḥāʾ.”
They said, “You have spoken truly, O Satīḥ. We are the people of the Sacred House; we have come to visit you because news of your knowledge reached us. Tell us what will happen in our own time and thereafter—perhaps you possess some knowledge of it.”
He said, “Now you have told the truth. Hear from me, by the inspiration Allah has granted me. O gathering of Arabs, you live in an age of senility; the discernment of Arabs and non-Arabs is alike—no knowledge and no understanding. Yet from among your descendants there will arise people of insight: they will seek every type of knowledge, smash the idol, reach the barrier, slay the foreigners, and pursue the spoils.”
They asked, “O Satīḥ, who will those people be?”
He answered, “By the House with its pillars, the sanctuary and its inhabitants: out of your posterity youths will indeed emerge. They will destroy the idols, denounce the worship of Satan, proclaim the oneness of the All-Merciful, spread the religion of the Just Judge, raise lofty buildings, and even seek legal opinions from young men.”
They said, “O Satīḥ, from whose line will they spring?”
He replied, “By the noblest of the noble, by the One who keeps count of extravagance, who shakes the sand-dunes of al-Aḥqāf, who multiplies what is multiplied: thousands will emerge from the stock of ʿAbd Shams and ʿAbd Manāf—an emergence marked by discord.”
They said, “Alas for what you tell us, O Satīḥ! From which land will they come forth?”
He said, “By the Ever-lasting, whose reach knows no limit, they will surely come out of this very land: a young man who guides to right guidance, who will repudiate Yaghūth and al-Fanad, disown the worship of rivals, and worship a Lord who is unique. Allah will then take him in death—praised, absent from the earth, witnessed in heaven. After him, the Truthful One will assume authority; when he judges he judges with truth, restoring rights, neither clumsy nor rash. Then the Ḥanīf will take charge—experienced and noble—spurning the word of the harsh, hosting the guest, and perfecting pure monotheism. After him, the caller to his cause will succeed him, testing matters; multitudes will gather around him.