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The following are some of the [miraculous] events of that night, which became to everybody as plain as daylight: The disappearance of the water from the lake Sadah; the overflowing of the river Samâvah, which is one of the watercourses of Syria, and had been dry during one thousand years. ... During that night also the palace of Naushirvân, the strength of which will be mentioned in the record of the Khalifate of Abu Ja’far Manssûr the Abbaside, so trembled that fourteen of its pinnacles fell to the ground. This event filled the mind of Kesra with terror and apprehension, which, however, he did not communicate to anyone, until at last he one day convoked his intimate friends and courtiers, and wished to do so, when all of a sudden news arrived from Estakhar that the fire of the chief temple of Persia, which had been burning for a thousand years, had become extinguished. Having searched their historical books for the meaning of this sign, they found that it portended 'decline of power.' At this information the smoke of amazement ascended into the receptacle of the brains of Naushirvân, and his dismay was much augmented. On that occasion the Mobed of Mobeds—i.e., the chief ecclesiastical dignitary of the Magi—represented that he had during that night seen fleet and obstinate camels in a dream, which were leading Arab horses until they had crossed the Tigris and dispersed in Persia. Naushirvân asked for the interpretation of this vision, and the Mobed replied that according to his opinion some catastrophe must have happened in Arabia. must have happened in Arabia. Kesra then despatched a courier to No'mân Munzer, who had been appointed by him governor of the country, and asked him to procure a learned man able to solve any questions that might be proposed to him on a certain subject. Accordingly No'mân sent a man called A'bd-ul-Masih, whose utterances were looked upon with great confidence by the Arabs. When this individual arrived, he was asked by Naushirvan whether he would be able to answer a question, and he replied that he would try to do so; but in case he should himself be unable, he would point out a man who could give information on that important affair. After the question had been stated to A'bd-ul-Masih, he rejoined that only Sattih, who lived in Syria, could answer this inquiry. Accordingly he was ordered by Naushirvân to depart to that country for the purpose of uplifting the veil of mystery from the countenance of the Kesra's wishes, and arrived, after terminating his journey, at the dwelling of Sattih, whose bedside he approached, but found him in the agony of death, so that he received no answer to the numerous salutations and greetings sent by Naushirvân. Then A'bd-ul-Masih recited a few distichs to the effect that he had been sent by Naushirvân, but could not obtain a reply to solve various difficult queries. When Sattih had heard these verses of A'bd-ul-Masih he raised his head and said: "A'bd-ul-Masih has come to my bedside at a time when I am about to enter the grave, O A'bd-ul-Masih! The king of the Beni Sâsân—i.e., Naushirvân—has sent thee on account of the trembling of the palace, the decline of power, the extinction of the fires of Persia, and the dream of the Mobed of Mobeds!" He further said: "As soon as Muhammad the elect—u. w. b.—is sent, and the recital—i.e., reading of the Qurân—begins, the river Samavah will flow, and the lake Savah will become exsiccated; the fire of the chief temple of Persia will be extinguished, the dignity of the Persians, of the Syrians, and of Sattih will cease, i.e., the government of Persia will be destroyed, and Sattih, taking leave from the perishable, will hasten to the eternal abode. According to the fourteen pinnacles that fell from the Kesra's palace, fourteen individuals of the Sasanians, some of whom will be females, shall be encircled with the garlands of royalty, and will hereafter undergo great sufferings and hardships." After uttering these words Sattih ceased to speak and his soul was severed from his body.
— MIRKHVAND