If we cast a glance at the exoteric books reported through the paths of the Sunnis and the Shi'a, we see that our master the Commander of the Faithful was unique in the knowledge of these aforementioned matters and demonstrated the performing of them on repeated occasions. Let us begin with the discussion regarding the knowledge of the Hour. It came in the book Yanabi' al-Mawaddah and in al-Manaqib, the saying of the Commander of the Faithful—Exalted is His might: “Ask me before you lose me, for by Allah, there is no fertile land, nor barren land, nor a group that leads a group astray or guides a group, but that I know its leader, its driver, and its caller until the Day of Resurrection.” And the Day of Resurrection is the day of the Hour.

[91] And from the book al-Qatrah, is his saying—Majestic is His praise: “I have been given the knowledge of deaths, tribulations, the decisive speech, and I have been entrusted with the knowledge of the Qur’an and what is to come until the Day of Resurrection.”

[92] And from the book Mashariq al-Anwar, from a sermon he delivered after returning from killing the Kharijites: “I am the Face of Allah, I am the Side of Allah, I am the Knowledge of Allah. I have with me the knowledge of what has been and what will be until the Day of Resurrection.”

[93] And from the book Al-Kawkab al-Durri: Ibn al-Musayyib said: “There was no one among the companions of Muhammad who would say ‘Ask me’ except Ali bin Abi Talib. And it was heard from him repeatedly, saying on the pulpit: ‘Ask me before you lose me, for I am more knowledgeable of the paths of the heaven than I am of the paths of the earth. For by the One in Whose hand is His soul—his soul is his veil, the Master Muhammad, and the ha [in biyadihi] returns to the Commander of the Faithful—so he swears by his own Essence: