Prophetic Prophecy regarding the

death of Zul Thadiya in the Battle of Nehrwaan

Ibrahim bin Dizeel narrates from the words of Aa’mash in his book ‘Siffeen’, who narrates from Zayd bin Wahab: When Ali (a.s.) overthrew the ‘Khawarij’ with his spears, and said: “Find the body of Zul Thadiya”. They began to search his body and found it beneath other bodies on a low lying and irregular surface and brought near Imam Ali (a.s.); hairs like those of a cat’s moustache were grown on his chest; his holiness pronounced the ‘Takbeer’ and all the people began to say ‘Allah o Akbar’ along with him out of happiness.

 He similarly narrated from Muslim e Zabbi, who narrated from Habba e Arani that he said: Zus Thadiya was a black and stinking man who has hands like the breasts of women, which used to be stretch till the height of the other hands when it was pulled and when it was left alone, it used to take the same form just like the shape of a woman’s breast. Hairs were grown over them like the hairs of a cat’s moustache; when his body was found, they cut off that hand and placed it over a spear, and Imam Ali (a.s.) said in a loud voice:

          “The Almighty said the truth and His Prophet (p.h.u.h.) righteously delivered his message”.

Since the time of Asr, his holiness and his companions repeated this same line until sunset or near the time of sunset.

Ibn e Dizeel narrates that when Imam Ali (a.s.) lost patience over the search of Zus Thadiya’s body, he said: “Bring the Prophet’s camel’’.

It was brought for him and his holiness mounted it while the rest of the people moved behind it and searched the dead bodies, then he said: turn over the bodies which have fallen down facing the ground, then they searched each and every body carefully until they found his body and Imam Ali (a.s.) went into prostration thanking Allah.

And a large group of people have narrated that when Imam Ali (a.s.) asked for the Holy Prophet’s camel, he said: Bring it to me, that camel will guide us towards it. At last, the camel stood beside a stack of bodies and Zus Thadiya’s body was pulled out from beneath the bodies.

Awaam bin Hoshab narrates from his father who narrated from his grandfather Yazid bin Raweem who said: Ali (a.s.) said on the day of Nehrwaan:

          “Today, we will kill four thousand men of Khawarij and Zus Thadiya will be one of them”.

And when Khawarij was crushed in the battle, and Imam Ali (a.s.) decided to find his body, and I walked behind his holiness as well. Imam Ali (a.s.) ordered me to bring four thousand arrows for him, then he mounted the camel of Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and commanded me to place an arrow over every body.

I was walking ahead of Imam Ali (a.s.) and he moved behind me while the people moved behind him. I kept on placing the arrows over the dead bodies until one arrow was left in my hand, I looked at Imam (a.s.) and found his faced saddened when he said: “Neither did I lie, nor was I lied”.

Suddenly, we heard the sound of trickling water from a low lying surface, Imam (a.s.) said: Search here! I began to search and found a body lying inside water. I held a leg and pulled it saying, ‘this is the leg of a human’. Imam Ali (a.s.) quickly descended his camel and held the other leg of the body and we pulled it out together, and when we placed it on the surface, we found that it was Zus Thadiya’s body.

Imam Ali (a.s.) said in a loud voice, ‘Allah o Akbar’ and then went in prostration for thanking the Almighty, while all the other men were shouting out the ‘Takbeer.

Many of the reporters have narrated that the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said to his companions one day:

“Indeed, one of you will fight for the interpretation of Quran, just as I fought for the revelation of Quran’.

Abu Bakr asked: O Messenger of Allah! Is that me?

He replied: No.

Umar asked: Is it me?

He replied: No, it is someone who is stitching his shoes.

And then he indicated towards Imam Ali (a.s.)[1].[2]

This narration emphasis on the righteousness of the battles fought by Imam Ali (a.s.) and the misguidance of those who fought against him, be the ‘Nakitheen’, the ‘Qasiteen’ or the ‘Mariqeen’.

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