A Christian hermit...

A Christian hermit, who lived in a cave near the camping grounds, was sent for and asked to point out a well. He assured Ali that there was no well in the vicinity but there was a cistern near by, which contained not more than three buckets of rain water. Ali then said, 'I know, however, that some of the Bani Israel prophets ________________________ 1 Ibn Khaldun.

of ancient times had fixed their abode in this place and had dug a pit for their stock of water.' The hermit replied that he also had heard of it, but it had been shut up for ages and all traces of it were lost; and that there was an old tradition that none but a prophet or one sent by a prophet would discover and re-open it.

"He then, says the Arabian tradition, 1 produced a parchment scroll written by Simeon bin Safa (Simon Cephos), one of the greatest apostles of Jesus Christ, predicting the coming of Muhammad, the last of the Prophets, and that this well would be discovered and re-opened by his lawful Heir and Successor. Ali listened with becoming reverence to this prediction ; then turning to his attendants and pointing to a spot, he said, 'dig there'.

They dug, and after a time came to an immense stone, which having been removed with difficulty, the miraculous well stood revealed, affording a seasonable supply to the army, and furnishing an unquestionable proof of the legitimate claim of Ali as the Successor of the Prophet. The venerable hermit was struck with conviction; he fell at the feet of Ali, embraced his knees, and never afterwards would leave him." W. Irving's of Mohamed p. 180.

Having offered thanks to God, and taking water sufficient for the army, Ali resumed his march. Crossing the Mesopotamian desert, he reached Riqqa on the banks of the Euphrates. A bridge of boats was constructed and the army 'crossing the river advanced westward, where it met the Syrian outposts at Sur-al-Rum. After some skirmishes between the vanguards of the two armies, the enemy gave way and Ali's army advancing forward ________________________ Rawdzat-al-Safa vol. ii, p.

292; Jame-al-Tawarikh, p. 183 etc. The Early History of Islam with special reference to the position of Ali, during the Life of the Holy and after. Chp. XXI Saiyid Safdar Hosain. came in sight of the main body of Moawiya's forces, already stationed at Siffin, (Zhilhajj 36 A. H. or May 657 A. D.). Tabri (Vol VI, page 577), Rawdzat-al-Safe Vol.