After the time of Amirul Momineen (a.

After the time of Amirul Momineen (a.s.), in the time of the descendants of Marwan Ibn al-Hakam (2/623-reigned 64/684-65/685), it became the custom among the court and the army to adopt the Persian style. Since the Arab style was recommended by the religion, the Persian fashion came to be thought of as a kind of religious monstrosity. Thus the fish are compared, as regards their monstrous form, with the “monsters” (musukh, pl. of mamsukh: turned monster) who adopted shaved beards.

The hadith thus contains a prophecy by Amirul Momineen (a.s.), peace be upon him, to the effect that a style will be adopted.] Previous…