The people of Syria were mentioned in the presence of ʿAli bin Abi Talib ؓ when he was in Iraq. They said: Curse them, O Ameer al-Muʿmineen. He said: No, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “The abdal (people who are close to Allah) will be in Syria, and they will be forty men. Every time one of them dies, Allah will replace him with another man. By virtue of them rain is sent and through them victory is achieved against the enemy and punishment is warded off from the people of Syria.ʿ  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ الْأَبْدَالُ يَكُونُونَ بِالشَّامِ وَهُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلًا كُلَّمَا مَاتَ رَجُلٌ أَبْدَلَ اللهُ مَكَانَهُ رَجُلًا يُسْقَى بِهِمُ الْغَيْثُ وَيُنْتَصَرُ بِهِمْ عَلَى الْأَعْدَاءِ وَيُصْرَفُ عَنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ بِهِمِ الْعَذَابُ