Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah Ansari relates: “Imam ‘Ali (a.s) had been delivering a sermon for us and after he had praised and glorified Allah, (a.s) said: ‘In the forefront of this gathering, there are some companions of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w): Anas Ibn Malik, Barra Ibn ‘azib Ansari, Ash’ath Ibn Qais and Khalid Ibn Yazid Bajalli.’
Then turning towards them, he first said to Anas Ibn Malik: “O’ Anas! If you had heard the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) say about me:
مَن کُنتُ مَولاَهُ فَهَذاَ عَلِيٌّ مَولاَهُ
“Of whomsoever I am the master, this ‘Ali is his master too” and refuse to testify to my leadership today, Allah shall afflict you with leprosy such that white spots shall become manifest upon your head and face and even your turban would fail to conceal them.”
Then addressing Ash’ath, he said: “As for you, O’ Ash’ath! If you had heard the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) say it about me and refrain from bearing witness to it, you shall become blind in both eyes towards the end of your life.
And you, O’ Khalid Ibn Yazid! If you had heard it about me and now conceal it and refrain from testifying in my favour, Allah shall afflict you with a Pagan death.
And you, O’ Barra Ibn ‘azib, if you have heard the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) say this and refuse to bear witness for my wilayah, you shall die in the same place from which you had migrated (towards Madinah).”
Of course, all four of them had been present on the day of Ghadir-e-Khum and had heard this well-known sentence from the Noble Prophet (s.a.w), but later concealed it and denied the event!
Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah Ansari states: “By Allah! After a period, I witnessed Anas Ibn Malik such that he had been afflicted with leprosy to the extent that he could not conceal the white spots of the disease which had erupted on his face and head, even by means of his turban.
I saw Asha’th such that he had become blind in both eyes and used to say: “Thank Allah that ‘Ali (a.s) cursed me about being blinded in my eyes in this world and did not curse me with chastisement in the hereafter for had he done so, I would have suffered eternal chastisement in the hereafter.
I witnessed Khalid Ibn Yazid, who died in his house; his family members desired to bury him in the house but the tribe of Kindah came to know of their intention and attacked them and buried him, according to the Pagan rites, near the door of the house and he died a death of the pre-Islamic era. As for Barra, Muawiyah appointed him the ruler of Yemen and he died there itself, the very place from where he had previously migrated to Madinah.‘”( Hikayat-ha-e-Shanidani, vol. 1, pg. 102; Minhaj al-Bara’h, vol. 12, pg. 216 )