A notice.

Ali, may God be pleased with him, said: "God will relieve the tribulations through a man from us who will inflict severe punishment upon them, giving them nothing but the sword. He will lay the sword on his shoulder for eight months, causing bloodshed, killing and mutilating until they say, 'By God, this is not from the children of Fatima. If he were from her children, he would have mercy on us.' God will incite him against the Banu Abbas and the Banu Umayyah." And from Ali bin Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, he said: "A man will emerge before the Mahdi from his household in the East, carrying the sword on his shoulder for eight months, killing and mutilating, and heading towards Jerusalem. He will not reach it until he dies." In one narration, it says "eighteen months." The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "Black banners will come from the East, their hearts like iron. Whoever hears of them, let him go to them and pledge allegiance to them, even if he has to crawl on the snow." And Al-Husseini, the owner of the black banners, I think he is (Abu Bakr Ibrahim bin Awad al-Baghdadi al-Husseini), and he is the one who pledges allegiance to Al-Mahdi Al-Hasani (Muhammad bin Abdullah). From Abdullah bin Masoud, he said: We came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. He came out to us beaming, and joy was evident on his face. We did not ask him about anything except that he informed us, nor did we remain silent except that he initiated. Then some youths from Banu Hashim passed by, including Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein. When he saw them, he was informed of their passing, and his eyes welled up. We said: "O Messenger of God, we continue to see something in your face that we dislike." He said: "We, the people of the household, God has chosen the Hereafter for us over this world. And indeed, my household will face persecution and dispersion in the land after me, until black banners are raised from the East. They will ask for the truth and will not be given it, then they will ask for it and will not be given it. Then they will fight and be victorious. Whoever among you and your descendants reaches them, let him go to the Imam of my household, even if he has to crawl on the snow, for they are banners of guidance, which they will hand over to a man." - 48 -