“Once I asked Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) about the meaning of this saying of Allah, “We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger…,” and he said: “O Jabir, it has a general meaning and a special meaning. The special meaning is that hunger will afflict Kufa and especially the opponents of Muhammad’s progeny and will perish them. As for the general meaning, there will be terror and hunger in Sham that have never been faced before. Hunger will be before the rising of al-Qa’im (as) but terror will be after his rising.”