Hammad Ibn Habib Kufi narrates: “One year, I had set out for Hajj accompanied by some people. Just as we passed by a place called Zubalah, a dreadful wind with black dust began to blow. Its intensity was so great and severe that everyone in the group were left scattered. I found myself alone and lost in a place with no water or trees. It was not long before night fell. Staring into the distance, my eyes perceived the silhouette of a single tree and I began trudging towards it. As I approached the tree, I witnessed that a youth, dressed in white apparel and scented with musk, also came up to the tree.
‘This person must be one of the auliya of Allah!’ I thought.
I concealed myself fearing that if I came forward, he would move away to another place. The youth readied himself for his prayers, recited:
يَا مَنْ حَاذَ کُلََّ شَيْءٍٍٍ مَلَکُوْتاً
and then started his prayers. I noticed that there was a spring of water nearby. I performed my ablution and stood behind the youth for my prayers. I observed that in the course of his prayers, when the youth reached the verses that narrated Divine chastisement and punishment, he would repeat them with wailing, weeping and lamentation. After the prayers, the youth began to walk away from his place, all the while supplicating:
يَا مَنْ قَصَدَهُ الضَّالُّونَ
Fearing that I might lose him, I rushed toward him and pleaded: “I place you under the oath of He Who has taken away exhaustion from you and instilled within you the ecstasy of this solitude! Have pity upon me for I have lost my way and I (also) desire to be adorned with your traits and attributes.”
“If you had truly placed your trust in Allah, you would never have lost your way. Now follow me,” replied the youth.
Saying this, he went to one side of the tree and, taking hold of my hand, brought me to a place by means of tayy al-ardh7. It became apparent to me that morning had dawned.
“Good news for you, for this place is Makkah,” said the youth.
I realized that I could hear the voices of the pilgrims who had come there to perform the Hajj. I turned to the youth and asked: “I place you under the oath of He, upon Whom you have pinned your hopes for the Day of Judgment! Tell me, who are you?”
“Since you have placed me under oath, I shall inform you of my identity. I am ‘Ali Ibn Husain (Zainul ‘Abidin),” the youth answered.’”( Pand-e-Tarikh, Volume 5, Page 182; Biharul Anwar, Volume 11, Page 24 )