Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

104 l%e Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue uf arbitration
"Verily fitnah is there, verily fitnah is there, verily fitnah is there,
where the horn of the Satan will appear."34z
In these reports, the direction referred to is clearly specified; it
is the east. This explains what is meant by the pointing that is referred
to by the Rifidi ~ b i a In . some ~ ~ ~ other versions of the hadith, the
country referred is specified. It was narrated from NZ' that Ibn
'Umar said: "The Prophet (g) said: '0 Allah, bless us in our Syria; 0
Allah, hless us in our Yemen.' They said: '0 Messenger of Allah, and
in our ~ ajd.'~~~ I think he said the third time: 'There are earthquakes
and fitnah there, and in it the horn of the Satan will appear."'345
It was narrated from S%m ibn Ahdullah ibn 'Umar that he
said: "0 people of Iraq, bow much you ask about minor sins, and
how many major sins you commit! I heard my father, Ahdullah ibn
'Umar, say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (@J say: 'Turmoil will
come from there,' and he pointed towards the east, where the horn of
the Satan will appear."346
According to some reports, the names of some of the tribes
who live in that land are mentioned, and the situation of their people
is described. It was narrated that Abu Mas'ood said: "The Messenger
of Allah (g) pointed with his hand towards Yemen and said: 'Faith
is there, and harshness and hardheartedness are among the uncouth
owners of camels, where the horns of the Satan rise, Rahee'ah and
M~dar."'~~~ This report definitively indicates that what the Prophet
(g) meant when he said "fitnah is there" was the eastern lands, as
the reports clearly state. In some of the reports, the people of that land
are described and some tribes are mentioned by name, which clearly
demonstrates the falseness of the claims made by the Rifidi Shia that
what he was pointing at was 'A'ishah's house. This is an invalid
opinion and a worthless point of view; no one came up with this
understanding or spoke of it except the Rifidi ~hia."'