Anyone slaying them would be more worthy (of obedience) to Allah than they.

Anyone slaying them would be more worthy (of obedience) to Allah than they." People asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what are their distinguishing marks?" He answered: "Shaved heads." Another of the Prophet's signs is his saying to the Commander .of the Faithful ('Ali): "This community shall betray you after me." He also said to him: "You shall fight after me against those who shall violate their covenant (nakithin), those who shall deviate from the truth (qasitin) and those who shall abandon their faith altogether (mariqin).

Among his prophecies is his foretelling of the slaying of Hujr ibn `Adiyy and his companions by Mu'awiyah.

It is related that Mu'awiyah went to see `A'ishah, who asked: "What made you slay the people of `Adhra' [^28], Hujr and his companions?" He answered: "O mother of the faithful, I considered their death to be for the good of the community, while their remaining alive would have been evil for the community." She said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: `Some people shall be killed in `Adhra' for whom Allah and the inhabitants of heaven will be filled with wrath.' " It is also related that 'Ali said: "O people of Iraq, seven men of `Adhra' shall be slain.

They shall be like the people of the Trench." [^29] This was a reference to the slaying of Hujr ibn `Adiyy and his companions. Still another prophecy was the Prophet's- foretelling of the martyrdom of al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, peace be upon them both. It is related on the authority of Umm Salamah [one of the Prophet's wives] , that the Prophet one day lay down to sleep and woke up disturbed. He lay down again and woke up less disturbed than the time before.

A third time he lay down to sleep, but when he awoke this time, he held some red soil which he began to turn over in his hand. "I asked", Umm Salamah said: " `What is this soil, O Messenger of Allah?' He replied: 'Gabriel has informed me that this one (and he pointed to al-Husayn) shall be killed in the land of Iraq.

I said: "O Gabriel, show me the soil of the spot on which he shall be slain," and this is its soil.' " Anas ibn Malik reported that the angel of rain one day asked permission to visit the Messenger of Allah, and it was granted him. The Prophet said to Umm Salamah: "Keep the door closed, so that no one comes in to disturb us." al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, however, came and forced his way in. He began to throw himself on the Prophet's back. The angel asked: "Do you love him?" "Yes", replied the Prophet.