Among these were his mentions of the Pharaohs and tyrants of the Umayyads, the Abbasids, and others, even mentioning their names, the names of their fathers, their surnames, their titles, how long each would rule, who would be deposed, who would be killed, and who would die in his bed. He described each of them by his traits, characteristics, actions, and conduct, in addition to what would occur in their kingdoms of those rebelling against them, the signs that would appear, and the influences that would occur in the regions, among other things that would take long to explain.

AND NO SOUL PERCEIVES IN WHAT LAND IT WILL DIE

And the saying of the Mighty and Majestic: {And no soul perceives in what land it will die}.

(155) Among this is what my master and sheikh Abu al-Fath—may God sanctify his soul—narrated to me: Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Yusuf the Judge narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, who narrated that Amir Almuminin, Mighty is His Might, was met by Shirshir ibn Sawar, the Persian landowner (dihqan), while he was heading toward the Khawarij. After a long conversation, our Master said to him: "O Dihqan, truly in this day of ours and this night of ours, one hundred thousand of them shall die: some on land, some at sea, some on the mountain peaks, in the depths of valleys, in ruins, and in inhabited places."

Then he pointed with his hand toward the dark mass of the army, looked at Sa'd ibn Abi Mus'ada al-Harithi, and said: "And this man is among them; he is spying on us." Sa'd fell unconscious on his face and died instantly.

And the saying of the Mighty and Majestic: {Indeed, God is Knowing and Acquainted}. These are five traits He reserved for Himself apart from His creation and beings. To this, the Book testified and the Messenger pointed in his discourse—that He is the Lord to whom he calls and the God upon whom he relies, and He is the One Acquainted with them.