And we cry over the fate of the Ummah after you have gone.

And we cry over the fate of the Ummah after you have gone." The Prophet, peace upon him and his progeny said: "Be it clear to you that you will be suppressed and weakened after I have gone." ‘Ali (as)'s last narration to Asbagh He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad Saeed al-Hamdani, who reported from Abu Awanah Musa ibn Yusuf al-Qattan al-Kufi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Sulaiman al-Muqri al-Kindi, from Abd al-Samad ibn ‘Ali al-Nawfili, from Abu Ishaq al-Sabeei', from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah al-Abdi, who said: When Ibn Muljam hit the fatal blow to Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, we passed by him in the morning, myself and al-Harith and Swaid ibn Ghaflah and other friends.

We stopped at the door and just as we heard the weeping, we wept also. So al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, came to us and said: "Amirul Mu’mineen requests you to return to your homes." So all except myself, departed. Again there was intense wailing from inside the house, and I wept also.

Hasan, peace be upon him, came out again and said: "Did I not ask you to leave?" I said: "By Allah, O son of the Prophet of Allah, my heart does not allow me to go, and my feet refuse to carry me, till I see Amirul Mu’mineen, may Allah bless him." He said: Then he (i.e. al-Hasan) paused and entered. And soon after, he came out allowing me to enter. As I entered, I saw Amirul Mu’mineen sitting with support, with a yellow headband tied round his head, drained of blood and his face pale.

I could not discern which one was more yellow, his face or the headband. So I fell over him, kissed him and kept on crying. He said: "Do not cry O Asbagh, for it is my way to Paradise." So I said to him: "May I be your ransom, I know full well that you are proceeding to Paradise. I weep because I will terribly miss you, O Amirul Mu’mineen!

May I be your ransom, please narrate to me a tradition which you heard from the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, for I fear that I might never chance to hear from you anything after this day." He said: "Yes, O Asbagh. Once the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, called me and said: 'O ‘Ali, go to my mosque, climb the pulpit and summon the people to gather before you. Then, after praising Allah, Most High, and lauding Him, and invoking abundant blessing upon me, say: 'O People!

I am a messenger from the messenger of Allah to you.