BOOK ID
Title: Muntakhab ul - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: selected narrations about the twelfth imam
Author (s): Ayatullah Lutfullah as-Safi al-Gulpaygani
Translator (s): Dr. Shabeeb Rizvi
Publisher (s): Naba Organization
Category: Imam al-Mahdi Hadith Collections
Featured Category: Shi&039;a beliefs explained
Person Tags: Imam Mahdi
vol 1 ISBN: 964-8323-26-7
Congress Classification: BP۵۱/۱/ص ۲م ۸۰۴۹۵۲ ۱۳۸۴
Dewey decimal classification: ۲۹۷/۹۵۹
National bibliography number: م ۸۴-۱۵۰۴
- - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
volume 1
point
Muntakhab al-Athar Fi l-Imam al-Thani `Ashar (Vol. 1) This text, which is available in two volumes and is authored by Ayatullah Lutfullah as- Safi al-Gulpaygani, presents a handful of precious narrations about the 12th Awaited Imam. These narrations forecasting the coming of 12 Caliphs and their description and this text presents the implications and interpretations of these authentic traditions.
Preface
In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful
Blessings of Allah be on you, O Saaheb al-Amr, help me and forsake me not
All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and salutations be on the trustworthy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , the chief of the messengers, our master, Abi al-Qasim Muhammad, and his pure progeny, Allah’s blessings be on him and on the twelve Imams, his successors, the guides, the guided ones.
There is no doubt that after the Holy Quran – which is the strong rope and no falsehood touches it from in front of it and from behind it, a descent from the Wise, the Praiseworthy – what is available with the Muslims of the Prophetic traditions and the noble quotations on the authority of his sinless family, who are one of the two heavy things (ثقلین) that the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) has ordered us to follow, is a great treasure- chest of knowledge and a voluminous, majestic heritage.
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It is replete with real cognition, training programs, ethical, political and social teachings, principles of development, progress and human rights, civic obligations, etc from the true and correct teachings and intelligent laws, strong and powerful ways, which if fastened on to by mankind, will prevent it from falling in the abyss of corruption, oppression, conceit and slavery. Moreover, no powerful tyrant or oppressor can ever subdue and weaken them.
Muslims certainly did not fall in their present state of social corruption, discord, dispute, disharmony, authority of the evil, domination of the unbelievers, and a straitened life except for the fact that they turned away from this wise, divine path and the ignorance of some of them regarding the strength of these constructive, guided teachings. They preferred to opt for anything offered by the East or the West.
Therefore, their state was like that of a trader, whose treasure was full of precious stones and jewelry but he is neither aware of them and nor their value. Instead, he buys sand and stones in lieu of the price of pearls, thereby costing him his respect, majesty, freedom and independence. But he does not open his treasure-trove to check the varieties of precious stones and jewelry available with him, whose like can neither be found in the markets nor with any trader.
Yes, the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “Nothing takes you closer to paradise and distances you from hell except that I have ordered you to do it. And nothing takes you nearer
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to hell and makes you further from paradise but that I have refrained you from it. [1] ”
Surely the traditions comprise of what man needs. Hence, it is obligatory on us to make the requisite preparations for them i. e. to learn them and ponder deeply over them universally, in societies, gatherings, at all appropriate places, in books, magazines, radio, television, etc. By Allah! I don’t know anybody who has learnt these traditions and their contents, and thought of them as paralleled except by Allah, that in his heart was some disease.
Indeed the politics of the day did not deem it preferable that the Muslims should benefit from the traditions and that they should be attentive towards this great scientific wealth and prudent systems due to their (politicians) being distant from the true life of the Muslims in beliefs, politics, governance and ethics. Consequently, the Muslims became seekers after being the sought ones, they became servants after being masters just as the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) had prophesied “They will serve but they will not be served. ”
In the first era, tragedy was afflicted (on the Muslim nation) through the prohibition on the compilation of the traditions, while on the other hand, they had to encounter the disasters inflicted by the Jews. People like Ka’b al-Ahbaar became the confidantes of the rulers and their reference in the interpretation of Quran, stories of the prophets, history and other important issues.
This was despite the fact that when the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) saw some of them
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reading or researching the books of the people of the book [1] , he (s. a. w. a. ) remarked: “Had Musa been alive today he would have but followed me. ” [2] And despite the presence of an Imam like Ali ibne Abi Talib (a. s. ) , who was the door of the city of knowledge, a truth endorsed by the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) himself. And his (s. a. w. a. ) saying: “Ali is with the truth and truth is with Ali and it will not separate from him. ” And despite the presence of his (s. a. w. a. ) pure progeny (Ahlebait a. s. ) amongst them regarding whose relationship with the Quran the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) remarked: “Surely these two will not part from each other till they meet me at the Hauz-e-Kausar (on the day of Judgement). ”
In the second era, which commenced with the Umayyad dynasty and ended with the reign of Abbasides particularly Ma’moon al-Rasheed, the politics of the governance aimed at opposing the Islamic laws was the order of the day. The proponents of these policies, intending to weaken the Muslims in governance, control, wealth, etc. introduced Greek Philosophy whose atheistic views and basics were in total contrast with the teachings of the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) and the guidance of the prophets (a. s. ) concerning the recognition of Allah, His excellent names, His perfect attributes and His prudent actions. Notwithstanding the fact that some of those who were involved in these heresies insisted that there existed complete consonance between the two schools of thought (that of the prophets (a. s. ) and philosophy).
The
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school of the prophets (a. s. ) and their call for monotheism as explained by the Holy Quran in the most eloquent manner and complete style and on whose strong principles there is total agreement, one cannot find any difference of opinion even on one single issue. While the school of the philosophers who have numerous differences in their basics and principles could neither compile a basic set of laws unanimously, nor present before mankind a specific path based on theory as well as practice which could guide it to prosperity.
Indeed the philosophers differed in their views on creation and resurrection to such an extent that you cannot find two amongst them agreeing completely on any one principle. Each one of them has his own way that he treads and a path that he traverses. Except those amongst them who fastened to the rope of revelation of prophets (a. s. ) and relied on their guidance and followed the directions of the infallible Imams (a. s. ) were not deceived by the views of the philosophers and did not deliberate on issues prohibited by the Islamic canon.
One who probes their books and their terminologies will realize that the language, tone and tenor of the philosophers is in direct contrast with that of the prophets (a. s. ) and the followers of their shariah.
Allah the Almighty, the Creator of all things, does what He pleases. He raised the Messengers, compensates the servants for their deeds, sustains them, listens to their supplications and answers them. He is described with only
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those attributes which He has used for Himself and not those names by which the philosophers have named Him like the First Cause.
Those names which are not appropriate to be used for Allah instead of the beautiful and real names of Allah like Creator (خالق) , Sustainer (رازق) , Forgiving (غفّار) , Oft-turning (توّاب) , etc. except with the help of some interpretation, justification and elaboration. For, none of the beautiful names of Allah are synonymous with the First Cause, nor is there any conceptual similarity between them and the names used by the philosophers.
The one who researches their works will also know that the concept of the Creator, the created and creation which sets apart Allah from His creation, is completely different from the terms used by the philosophers like cause, effect and causation, on which depends the explanation of the relation between the temporal (حادث) and the eternal (قدیم). Of course, the various details and elaborations of the aforementioned discussions can be found in various philosophical books.
It is not our case whether it is possible or not to reconcile between the call of the prophets (a. s. ) , the Quranic knowledge, the traditions of the Ahlebait (a. s. ) (equals of Quran) and whatever our Islamic sages (whose steadfastness on their path and their reliance in their way as per the guidance of the Quran and the traditions is established) have explained and elucidated. The fact remains without doubt that the Muslims during the lengthy course of history and prolonged centuries were involved in debates
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and disputes concerning the problems, which were impossible to comprehend and to reach to their reality was unattainable and a duty that was not imposed by the Shariah. Moreover, they did not seek guidance from the light of Quran nor from the traditions as was the right of these two lights.
Had it not been for a group of single minded devoted scholars of Quranic interpretation, traditions and Islamic sciences, those who did not study except in the school of Quran and traditions and did not benefit but through the knowledge of the Ahlebait (a. s. ) and did not ask save the people of remembrance (Ahle Zikr) and did not question except from those whose knowledge was from the knowledge of Allah, the High and those who possessed the revelation of the prophets (a. s. ) specially what the Archangel Jibraeel (a. s. ) brought to the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) , certainly and surely all the effects and inheritance of the prophethood would have been destroyed.
Yes, these great scholars, who were the students of the Islamic teachings and the school of Quran, the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) , Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) and all other Imams (a. s. ) , enjoy a great right upon us. Indeed, they have protected the traditions and Islamic knowledge through the centuries and eras till it has reached to us in its original form, with its message carrying the strongest, real, divine and most beautiful Islamic understanding.
Today, in our times, the Muslims are being tested with modern, materialistic, secular philosophy. A
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group of Muslims became inclined either towards the materialistic civilization of the West or towards the atheist East. Consequently, most believed in the West while a few subscribed to the East.
Behind these inclinations too, Eastern as well as Western political influences played a dominating role. Their propagandists advertised as to what the non-Muslims had achieved of industrial development and technological progress. As a result, some of them thought that these progress and development was due to their scientific basics.
So, they began to propagate materialistic teachings and Marxist principles and encouraged the youth to do away with Islamic manners and teachings. A number of those who considered themselves amongst the civilized and the enlightened supported this move. These so-called intellectuals, civilized and enlightened people had nothing in them but extreme obeisance for the materialistic societies and scorn for thought- provoking Islamic principles. They attempted to interpret Islamic doctrines and its values on the basis of materialistic ideology or even the atheistic Marxism.
Briefly, these self-styled intellectuals transformed the entire scenario in the field of management, politics, economics, training, art, technology, etc. Surely, the calamity inflicted by them and the deviations propagated in the name of civilization was a great tragedy indeed.
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--------------------
[1]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 2, p. 74, H. 2
[1]: Old Testament (Taurah) , the Psalms (Zaboor) and New Testament (Injeel)
[2]: Tafseer-e-Qurtubbi, vol. 13, p. 355.
Islam, with its solid divine laws withstood all the deviations in all its modes in every era and time. History has recorded these ideological victories over a period of time.
Its great book (the Holy Quran) guides towards that which is most upright as it was at the time of its revelation.
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It has continued to remain so over numerous eras and centuries till the present fifteenth century and shall remain so till the Day of Judgment. For, Islam is a divine religion and a heavenly revelation. It has come for humanity of all centuries till Allah inherits the earth and whatever is in it. It has come for survival and eternity for the guidance of all the nations and realization of justice amongst them because it is not satisfied with the domination of one nation over another or of one country over the other and does not deem fit to lower a nation before another.
It has come to bring an end to life on earth by the establishment of a divine and just government at the hands of the seal of successors and proofs (peace be upon them all) so that the religion, all of it, be for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. That all the nations be united and there remains no difference between the white and the black, the red and the yellow. All of them will be equal before the Truth.
Today humanity has lost faith in all materialist schools and ideologies and secular systems. Therefore, it is obligatory and essential upon the Muslims, specially the scholars of the day, to present the principles of the Divine Upright religion for the confused mankind. They must explain for them the immense social power and strength, desperately needed by mankind, available in the teachings and explanations of Quran and the
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Sunnah, as expounded by the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and his holy progeny (a. s. ).
O Muslims! Be grateful for this great bounty and don’t be negligent about it or God forbid, neither turn away from it nor disbelieve in it.
وَلاَ تَکُونُواْ کَالَّذِینَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَ هُمْ لاَ یَسْمَعُونَ. إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابَّ عِندَ اللهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُکْمُ الَّذِینَ لاَ یَعْقِلُونَ.
And be not like those who said, We hear, and they did not obey. Surely the vilest of animals, in Allah’s sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand. (Surah Anfaal (8): Verses 21, 22)
Be careful from becoming apostates concerning the signs of Allah and His religion. Surely Allah, the High says:
إِنَّ الَّذِینَ یُلْحِدُونَ فِی آیَاتِنَا لَا یَخْفَوْنَ عَلَیْنَا أَفَمَن یُلْقَى فِی النَّارِ خَیْرٌ أَم مَّن یَأْتِی آمِنًا یَوْمَ الْقِیَامَةِ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِیرٌ.
Surely they who deviate from the right way concerning Our communications are not hidden from Us. What! is he then who is cast into the fire better, or he who comes safe on the day of resurrection? Do what you like, surely He sees what you do. (Surah Fusselat (41): Verse 40)
Therefore, ponder over the oceans of these divine sciences and extract from it priceless pearls. It is necessary for you to travel and wander in its gardens whose vastness is more than the distance between the heavens and the earth. So, pluck from its beautiful and fragrant flowers and its delicious spiritual fruits. From this Islamic heritage, derive that which is the soul of your
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life, the correctness of your vision, the safety of your thought, the regulation of your living, your world and your hereafter. Do not seek any alternative for it and be a student of the school of traditions (hadith) and be a disciple of the institution of Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and his holy progeny, the truthful Imams (a. s. ). Allah, the High, admonishes:
یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللهَ وَکُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِینَ
O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and be with the true ones. (Surah Taubah 9: 119)
The Traditions about the Twelve Caliphs
From the traditions which the knowledge of every researcher and student seeks, rather which is obligatory on every Muslim to be acquainted with it and not to transgress it till he comprehends its contents and knows its matter thoroughly, is the successive traditions concerning the number of caliphs and Imams and those who will rule this nation.
Surely, the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) has not stated these traditions merely as prophecies. Nay, these are religious injunctions; knowing them and believing in them is obligatory. Although these traditions sound as prophecies in nature, yet essentially they are religious dictates. These are documentary evidences for the distinguished and eminent personalities whose like and equal cannot be found amongst the Muslims. They are twelve in number; none can either increase their number or decrease it.
Undoubtedly, this is a subject worth deliberation, research and investigation to understand its meaning because its traditions fall in the category of successive traditions (الاحادیث المتواتره). They talk about the system of
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leadership and rule after the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) , and as to who will take over the reins of mastership.
Moreover, it talks about those who will be responsible for governance, support and defence of Islam, establishment of justice, enjoinment of good, prohibition of evil, protection of the borders, security of the cities and implementation of divine laws. From these traditions, one can understand that Allah, the High and His Messenger (s. a. w. a. ) have not left this important issue unattended to. Nobody will have any argument against Allah and His Messenger (s. a. w. a. ) regarding this subject, if he has not done enough research or made sufficient preparations. If somebody attempts to justify that he could not deliberate enough on these traditions along with their explanations as their conclusions were unfavourable for the present government and its scholars, then such excuses and justifications will not be accepted.
Scholars were not permitted to voice their opinions freely on such issues because the minimum punishment for this crime would be a long period of incarceration and intensive flogging. Hence, they were in a state of utter confusion and perplexity vis-à-vis these traditions. Those who did write their explanations and interpretations actually came up with nothing. Some of them even confessed their helplessness in understanding these traditions. Consequently, the majority of the Muslim nation remained ignorant of the true meaning of these traditions and were deprived of guidance through them. This was not the first glass bottle to be broken in Islam.
Here, with the strength and power
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of Allah, we shall attempt to explain these traditions in an order that some will elucidate the others; some will support the others till there is no need for further explanations on the subject. Plus, we will also bring forth appropriate commentaries for these traditions or explanations on the comments given on these traditions, Inshallah.
These traditions have been classified in groups as per their topics and it is only proper that we inform about them over here:
• Those traditions that talk only about numbers and the restriction put on the number of caliphs, like the traditions of Ibne Masood and Anas and some traditions of Jaaber Ibn Samarah.
• Those traditions that are an addendum to it (All of them will be from Quraish). Such traditions abound from Jaaber. One can also find in them (All of them will be from Bani Haashim) as Qunduzi has brought in Yanaabiul Mawaddah and Sayyid Ali Ibn Shahab in Al-Mawaddatul Qurbaa.
• Those traditions that suggest that these caliphs will be equal in number to the chiefs (Nuqabaa) of Bani Israel and Musa (a. s. ) , and the companions (Hawaari) of Eesa (a. s. ).
• Here we have explained the traditions by dividing them in a few groups:
• Traditions that establish that these caliphs will be from the Ahle Bait (a. s. ).
• Traditions which prove that the last of them is Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ).
• Traditions which inform that the first amongst them is Ali (a. s. ) and last amongst them is Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ).
• Traditions which establish that nine amongst these caliphs will
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be the descendants of Imam Husain (a. s. ) like the one which says, “The first amongst them is Ali (a. s. ) , the second and the third are al-Hasan (a. s. ) and al-Husain (a. s. ) , the two grandsons of the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and the remaining nine are from the progeny of al-Husain (a. s. ). ”
• Traditions which suggest that the ninth of these nine will be Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ).
• Traditions, and there are many of them, that explain their names, their personas and their attributes.
It should be borne in mind that quite often amongst these numerous traditions, some chain of narrators can be found that are defective, thereby preventing us to completely rely on them independently. Except for the fact that the authenticity of such traditions are supported and endorsed by other reliable traditions, thereby doing away with the shortcomings.
Finally, let us state the purpose of writing this book, with the help of Allah, the Kind, the Loving.
The reader should know that:
We have not brought out these traditions to investigate them and therefore often we have not felt the need of mentioning some of them.
This is the first volume of this voluminous book concerning our Master Hazrat Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) and is captioned as “Muntakhabul Asar” (A Selection of Traditions). We have selected them so that the masses may derive independent benefit from it, underlining the significance of Caliphate, the status of Wilayah and Imamah. Allah, the High, informs us:
یَوْمَ نَدْعُو کُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ
On that day We will call every people with their Imam. (Surah Bani Israel 17:
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71)
إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِکُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
You are only a warner and (there is) a guide for every people. (Surah Ra’d 13: 7)
His Holiness Ayatullah Lutfullah Saafi Golpaygani
Chapter 1: Traditions that Denote the Number of the Twelve Caliphs
Chapter One: Traditions that Denote the Number of the Twelve Caliphs and that Surely they are Equal to the Number of the Chiefs (Noqabaa) of Bani Israel and the Companions (Hawaari) of ‘Isa (a. s. )
1. Musnad-e-Tayalesi [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that I heard the Messenger of Islam (s. a. w. a. ) say, “Surely Islam will always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs in it. ” Then he said something, which I didn’t understand. I asked my father ‘What did the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
2. Musnad-e-Tayalesi [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say during a sermon “Surely Islam will always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs in it. ” Then he said something, which I didn’t understand. I asked my father ‘What did the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
3. Al Fetan [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This affair shall always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs it. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
4. Musnad-e-Ahmad [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “There will be twelve caliphs after me, all of them will be from Quraish. ” They asked, ‘Then what will happen? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) said: “Then there will be turmoil (haraj). ”
5. Musnad-e-Ahmad [5]:
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Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) say, “There will be twelve caliphs for this nation. ”
6. Musnad-e-Ahmad [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah al-Sewaaee says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say during his last pilgrimage (Hajj al-Widaa): “Surely this religion will always overcome its opponents and no enemy or deserter can ever harm it till there are twelve caliphs from my nation in it. ” ‘Then he uttered something that I could not understand. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied: “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
7. Musnad-e-Ahmad [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah al-Sewaaee says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say during his last pilgrimage (Hajj al-Widaa): “Surely this religion will always overcome its opponents and no enemy or deserter can ever harm it till there are twelve chiefs from my nation, all of them …”
Then whatever the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, I could not hear while my father was closer to the mount of Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) than me. I asked, ‘O father! What did the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say which I could not hear? ’ He replied, ‘He was saying, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
8. Musnad-e-Ahmad [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah al-Sewaaee says, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us thus: “Surely this religion shall always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs in it. ” Then he uttered something, which I could not understand because the people were crying and shouting. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied,
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“All of them will be from Quraish. ”
9. Musnad-e-Ahmad [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us at Arafaat thus: “This affair (Islam) shall always remain mighty, impregnable and victorious against the all its opponents till it is ruled by twelve, all of them …” I could not understand after that so I asked my father, ‘What did he say after all of them? ’ He replied: “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
10. Musnad-e-Ahmad [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us at Arafaat thus: “This affair (Islam) shall always remain mighty, impregnable and victorious against the all its opponents till it is ruled by twelve all of them will be from Quraish…”
11. Musnad-e-Ahmad [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that I and my father came to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , who was saying: “This affair shall always remain righteous till there are twelve chiefs. ” Then he said something, which I did not understand. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He answered, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
12. Musnad-e-Ahmad [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This affair shall always remain closely united till there are twelve caliphs in it all of them will be from Quraish. ”
13. Musnad-e-Ahmad [5]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say: “This affair will always survive till there are twelve chiefs in it. ” Then he uttered something, which I could not hear. I asked about it from my father. He replied,
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“All of them will be from Quraish. ”
14. Musnad-e-Ahmad [1]: Aamir Ibn Sa’d narrates that I asked Jaaber Ibn Samarah regarding the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). He replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said: “The religion (Islam) shall always be upright till there are twelve caliphs from Quraish. ”
15. Musnad-e-Ahmad [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This affair (Islam) will always remain mighty, impregnable and victorious against its enemies till there are twelve caliphs. ” Then he said something, which I could not hear because of the people. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied: “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
16. Sahih al-Bukhari [3]: Abd al-Malik says that I heard Jaaber Ibn Samarah say: ‘I heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) say, “There will be twelve chiefs” Then he said something which I could not hear. My father informed that he said: “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
17. Sahih al-Muslim [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that I went to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) with my father and heard him say: “This affair will not come to an end till twelve caliphs pass in it. ” Then he said something, which I could not hear. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He answered, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
18. Sahih al-Muslim [5]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that I heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) say: “The affair of the people shall continue to survive till twelve people rule over them. ” Thereafter the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) uttered something that I did
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not follow. I asked my father, ‘What did the Messengerof Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
19. Sahih al-Muslim [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “This religion shall always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs. ” Then he said something, which I did not follow. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He said, “They are all from Quraish”.
20. Sahih al-Muslim [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) said: “This affair shall always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs. ” Then he said something, which I did not understand. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
21. Sahih al-Muslim [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that I went to Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) with my father and heard him say, “This religion shall always remain mighty and impregnable till there are twelve caliphs in it. ” Then he uttered something, which I could not hear because of the people. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “They are all from Quraish. ”
22. Sahih al-Muslim [4]: Aamir Ibn Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqaas says that I sent a letter to Jaaber Ibn Samarah with my slave Naafe’ stating, ‘Inform me of what you heard from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ He wrote to me, ‘On the day of Friday, on the eve of al-Aslami’s stoning, I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “This religion shall survive till the Hour is established
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or there are twelve caliphs (ruling) upon you. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
23. Sunan Abi Dawood [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “This religion shall always remain mighty till there are twelve caliphs. ” Thereafter the people began proclaiming, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ and wailing. Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said something slowly. I asked my father, ‘O father! What did he say? ’ He replied, “They are all from Quraish. ”
24. Sunan al-Tirmidhi [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said: “There will be twelve chiefs after me. ” Thereafter he uttered something which I did not follow. I asked the person who was following me. He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ” Abu Eesa says, ‘This tradition is Hasan and Sahih. ’
25. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [3]: Jaaber narrates that the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) said: “Islam will always be mighty till there are twelve caliphs. ”
26. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I along with my father, were in the presence of Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) when he said: “There will be twelve strong supports for this nation. Whoever forsakes them will not harm them. ” Then the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) whispered something which I did not hear. Later I asked my father ‘What did he whisper? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
27. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [5]: Jaaber narrates that one day I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressing us thus: “This religion shall always be mighty, impregnable and victorious upon the one who opposes it till twelve rulers
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(rule over it). ” At this juncture the people made a lot of noise due to which I could not hear what he said after ‘all of them’. So, I asked my father, ‘O father! What did he say after all of them? ’ He informed, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
28. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [1]: Jaaber says I heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) say in the final pilgrimage (Hajj al-Widaa) , “This affair shall always overcome the one who opposes it. No enemy or opponent will harm it till there will be twelve caliphs from Quraish. ”
29. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [2]: Jaaber says, ‘I was in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and he was saying, “The affair of this nation shall always be dominant till there are twelve. ” Then he uttered something, which I could not hear. My father was sitting closer to him, so I asked him, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “They are all from Quraish. ”
30. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [3]: Jaaber narrates that I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) with my father. He (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The affair of this nation shall always remain straight and upright till there are twelve caliphs. ” Then he said something slowly. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
31. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah al-Sewaaee narrates that I accompanied my father to the mosque while the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was delivering a sermon. I heard him say, “There will be twelve caliphs after me. ” Thereafter he
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lowered his voice and I could not understand what he said. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
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[1]: Musnad-e-Tayalesi, vol. 3, pg. 105, Tr. No. 767, published at Hyderabad, Deccan (India) in 1321 A. H. ; Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 258, Tr. No. 1964.
[2]: Musnad-e-Tayalesi, vol. 6, pg. 180, Tr. No. 1278.
[3]: Al-Fetan, vol. 1, pg. 39, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 2; Al-Malaahem wa al -Fetan, pg. 32, chap. 29.
[4]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 92; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 33, Tr. No. 33860 narrating from Tabaraani.
[5]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 106.
[1]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 87.
[2]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 87
[3]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 93.
[1]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 93; Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 116, chap. 6, Tr. No. 17.
[2]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 96.
[3]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 97; al-Malaahem by Ibn al-Munaadi, pg. 113.
[4]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 107.
[5]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 97.
[1]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 86; al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 1, pg. 218, Tr. No. 1808; Lawaame’ al-Uqool, vol. 5, pg. 150.
[2]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 98. I say: In Musnad thirty-four traditions have been narrated on the authority of Jaabir Ibn Samarah concerning the twelve caliphs.
[3]: Sahih al-Bukhari, part 4, Kitab al-Ahkaam; Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 241, Tr. No. 1896, pg. 277, Tr. 2044, al-Sunan al-Waaredah fi al-Fetan, vol. 5, Tr. 10.
[4]: Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Imaarah.
[5]: Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Imaarah.
[1]: Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Imaarah; al-Malaahim of Ibn al-Munaadi, pg. 112; Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 90 and 106; Firdaus al-Akhbaar, Tr. No. 7740; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 32, Tr. No. 33851, al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 214, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 16.
[2]: Sahih al-Muslim, Kitaab al-Imaarah; Al-Malaahim of Ibn al-Munaadi, pg. 113.
[3]: Sahih al-Muslim, Kitaab al-Imaarah; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 32, Tr. No. 33850; al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer,vol. 2,pg. 213, Tr. No. 1791.
[4]: Sahih al-Muslim, Kitaab al-Imaarah, Mukhtasar al-Sahih al-Muslim by Tirmidhi, Tr. No. 1196, Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 5, pg. 89, Musnad-e-Abi Ya’laa, vol. 13, pg. 456, Tr. No. 23 (7463) , al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 218, Tr. No. 1809, Kanz al-Ummaal,vol. 12, pg. 32, Tr. No. 33855, al-Ghaibah by No’mani, pg. 120, part 6, Tr. No. 9.
[1]: Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitab al-Mahdi; Taarikh-e-Baghdad, vol. 12, pg. 126, No. 516. I say: Ibn Kathir has explained this tradition in al-Bidaaya wa al-Nihaayah, vol. 1, pg. 18
[2]: Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Fetan, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 2223; Kanz al-Ummaal, Tr. No. 33803 narrating from Tirmidhi; Tarikh-e-Baghdad, vol. 14, pg. 353, No. 7673; Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2,pg. 236, Tr. No. 1875 and pg. 248, Tr. No. 1923 and pg. 251,Tr. No. 1936 and pg. 283, Tr. No. 2063; Al-Ghaibah of No’mani, pg. 123, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 14 and pg. 120 Chap. 6, Tr. No. 8.
[3]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 214, Tr. No. 1792 and 1793.
[4]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 214, Tr. No. 1794, al-Mo’jam al-Awsat, vol. 3, pg. 437, Tr. No. 2943, Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 33, Tr. No. 33858.
[5]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 214, Tr. No. 1795.
[1]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 215, Tr. No. 1796, Kanz al-Ummaal, Vol. 12, pg. 33, Tr. No. 33852, Lawaame al-Uqool, vol. 5,pg. 151.
[2]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2,pg. 215, Tr. No. 1797; Kanz al-Ummaal, Vol. 12, pg. 33, Tr. No. 33853.
[3]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 215, Tr. No. 1798.
[4]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 215,Tr. No. 1799; Kifaayaa al-Asar, pg. 50, chap. 6, Tr. No. 2.
[1]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 216,Tr. No. 1801.
survive till twelve chiefs live in it. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) lowered his voice due to which I could not hear. When the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) became silent I asked my father, ‘What was it that he uttered in a low voice? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
33. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah narrates that I accompanied my father to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and sat with him. Then he said, “Islam shall always remain dominant till there are twelve chiefs or caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
34. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This religion shall always survive till there are twelve caliphs. ” Ismail says, ‘I thought my father said that the entire nation will gather on them. ’
35. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “No enemy can harm this religion till there are twelve caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
36. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [5]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This affair shall always survive till there are twelve caliphs. ”
37. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [6]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “Surely this affair shall always remain dominant.
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No opponent can harm it till there are twelve chiefs. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
38. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The affair of this nation shall always remain straight and dominant over its enemy till there are twelve caliphs amongst them. All of them will be from Quraish. ” Thereafter he returned to his house followed by the Quraish. They asked him, ‘What will happen after that? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “There will be mischief and corruption. ”
39. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I was in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) with my father when he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Surely this affair will neither pass nor come to an end till twelve caliphs live in it. ” Then he spoke something which I did not understand. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
40. Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while he was delivering a sermon atop the pulpit saying, “There will be twelve strong people from the Quraish. The one who bears enmity against them, his enmity will not harm them. ” Then I turned back and saw that Umar Ibn Khattaab and my father were amongst the audience. They confirmed for me what I had heard.
41. Al-Mo’jam al-Awsat [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I accompanied my father to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ). He prayed with us and after he had finished with his salutations, the people
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pointed out with their hands on the right side and the left side. He (s. a. w. a. ) remarked, “Why is it that you are turning your hands to the right and to the left as if they (hands) are the tails of a rebellious horse? Whenever anyone of you does salaam, then he should do so to the one who is on his right side as well as on his left side. ”
Then when they prayed with him (s. a. w. a. ) too they did not do that. Later we sat with him (s. a. w. a. ) and he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Islam will always be victorious till there are twelve chiefs or caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
42. Al-Malaahim by Ibn Munaadi [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah, while mentioning the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) narrated that he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Religion shall always be impregnable and its followers shall overcome its opponents till there are twelve caliphs. ” Thereafter, the people were standing and sitting due to which, when he uttered something I didn’t hear. I asked my father and my brother, ‘What did he say? ’ He said, “They are all from Quraish. ”
43. Al-Mustadrak Alaa al-Sahihain [2]: Jaaber narrates that I was with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) when I heard him say, “The affair of this nation shall always remain dominant till there are twelve caliphs. ” Then he said something, which I could not hear, while my father was sitting closer to him than me. I asked him, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
44. Tayseer
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al-Wusool [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah relates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This affair will always remain mighty and impregnable till there are twelve caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘Then what will happen? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Then there will be mischief. ”
45. Nihaayah al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah [2]: It is recorded in the Sahihain (Sahih-e-Bukhari and Sahih-e-Muslim) on the authority of Abd al-Malik Ibn Umair that Jaaber Ibn Samarah has narrated from the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , “There will be twelve caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
46. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah [3]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah narrates that I accompanied my father to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and heard him say, “There will be twelve caliphs after me. ” Then he lowered his voice. I asked my father, ‘What did he say with a low voice? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
47. Taarikh al-Khulafaa [4]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah narrates from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) that he said, “This affair shall always remain mighty and victorious over its opponents till there are twelve caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
48. Al-Jam’ bayn al-Sahihain [5]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) say, “Surely, there will be twelve chiefs after me. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
49. Firdaus al-Akhbaar [6]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘This religion shall always survive till there are twelve men in it. All of them will be from Quraish. ’
50. Al-Ghaibah by No’maani [7]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )
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state, “There will be twelve chiefs after me. ” Then he said something that I didn’t hear. I asked the people and my father, who was nearer to him than me. He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
51. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘I came to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and heard him say, “Surely, this affair (Islam) will not come to an end till it is ruled by twelve caliphs. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) whispered something. I asked my father, ‘What did he say? ’ He replied, “They are all from Quraish. ”
52. Kamaal al-Deen [2]: Jaaber Ibn Samarah says, ‘We were with the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) when he said, “Twelve (Caliphs) will follow this affair (Islam). ” The people started screaming due to which I could not hear what he said thereafter. I asked my father, who was closer to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) than me, ‘What did the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say? ’ He replied, “All of them will be from Quraish and their likes will not be seen. ”
53. Musnad-e-Ahmad [3]: Masrooq relates that we were sitting with Abdullah Ibn Masood while he was reciting the Quran for us. Somebody asked him, ‘O Abaa Abd al-Rahmaan, did you ask the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) how many caliphs will rule this nation? ’ Abdullah Ibn Masood replied, ‘Since I have come to Iraq, nobody has asked me this question before you. Yes, we did ask the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and he replied, “Twelve, like the number of chiefs (nuqabaa) of Bani Israel. ”
54. Al-Ghaibah of No’maani [4]:
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Masrooq narrates that we were sitting with Ibn Masood after the Maghrib prayers and he was teaching the Quran. Somebody asked him, ‘O Abaa Abd al-Rahmaan, did you ask the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) as to how many caliphs will this nation have? He replied, ‘Since I have come to Iraq, nobody has asked me this question before you. Yes, he (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Your caliphs will be twelve equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
55. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abdullah Ibn Masood says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) state, “There will be twelve Imams after me. All of them will be from Quraish. ”
56. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Masrooq narrates that we were with Abdullah Ibn Masood showing our copies of Quran to him when a youth asked him, ‘Did your Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) promise to you as to how many caliphs will be there after him? ’ He replied, ‘You are very young in age but you has asked something which nobody before you have asked. Yes, he (s. a. w. a. ) did promise us that after him there will be twelve caliphs equal to the number of chiefs of Bani Israel. ’
57. Kefaayah al-Asar [3]: Abul Qaasim Etaab narrates from Matraf, ‘We were sitting in the mosque with Abdullah Ibn Masood when an Arab came and enquired, ‘Who is Abdullah Ibn Masood amongst you? ’ He replied, ‘Yes, I am Abdullah Ibn Masood. What do you want? ’ The Arab asked, ‘O Abdullah! Did your Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) inform you as to how many caliphs will be there amongst you? ’
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He answered, ‘Since I have come to Iraq, nobody has asked me this question before you. Yes, twelve, equal to the number of chiefs of Bani Israel. ’
58. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Masrooq narrates that I asked Abdullah (Ibn Masood) , ‘Did the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) inform you as to how many caliphs will be there after him? ’ He replied, ‘Yes, twelve caliphs. All of them will be from Quraish. ’
59. Muqtazab al-Asar [2]: Masrooq narrates that we were sitting with Abdullah Ibn Masood while he was reading the Quran for us when somebody asked him, ‘O Abaa Abd al-Rahmaan, did you ask the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) how many caliphs after him will rule this nation? ’ He replied, ‘Since I have come to Iraq, nobody has asked me this question. We asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and he responded, “Twelve in number, equal to the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
60. Al-Malaahem [3]: Aun Ibn Abi Jaheefah relates from his father Wahab Ibn Abdullah al-Sewaaee al-Kufi that we were with the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and while delivering a sermon, he (s. a. w. a. ) prophesied, “Know that the affair of my nation shall always be righteous till there are twelve caliphs in it. All of them will be from Quraish. ” Then he lowered his voice, then he (his father - Wahab) said, ‘O my son all of them will be from Quraish. ’
61. Kanz al-Ummaal [4]: This religion shall always be upright till there are twelve from Quraish. When they are no more, the earth will be destroyed with all its inhabitants (Ibn Najjaar
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from Anas).
62. Al-Ebaanah [1]: Anas relates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This religion shall always be upright till there are twelve from - Volume 1 , Page 29 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
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[2]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 226,Tr. No. 1841.
[3]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 228, Tr. No. 1849 and Tr. 1850 and 1851; al-Malaahim by Ibn Munaadi, pg. 112.
[4]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 229,Tr. No. 1852; al-Malaahim by Ibn Munaadi, pg. 113; Al-Sunan al-Waaredah fi al-Fetan, vol. 2, Tr. No. 9, and vol. 5, Tr. 4; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12,pg. 33, Tr. No. 33856; al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 107, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 38.
[5]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2,pg. 236, Tr. No. 1876.
[6]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 238, Tr. No. 1883.
[1]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 282, Tr. No. 2059; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 32, Tr. No. 33848; al-Bidaayaa wa al-Nihaayaa, vol. 1, pg. 17; al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 119, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 7
[2]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 285, Tr. No. 2068 and 2069.
[3]: Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, pg. 286, Tr. No. 2073; Majmaa az-Zawaaed, vol. 5, pg. 191, Chapter, ‘The Caliphs are Twelve. ’ I say: Tabaraani in his al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer, vol. 2, has brought this tradition of Jaabir from thirty-seven chain of narrators. It is clear that Jaabir has heard the tradition concerning the twelve caliphs on more than one occasion from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , like the eve of the stoning of Al-Aslami, in the last pilgrimage at Arafaah, when he went to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) alongwith his father and when he heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) delivering a sermon in the mosque. It is for the readers to refer and deliberate on this subject.
[4]: Al-Mo’jam al-Awsat, vol. 1, pg. 474, Tr. No. 863.
[1]: Al-Malaahim by Ibn Munaadi, pg. 113; Al-Ghaibah al-No’maani, pg. 103, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 33
[2]: Al-Mustadrak alaa al-Sahihain, Kitaab-o-Ma’refat al-Sahaabaa, vol. 3, pg. 317-617,
[1]: Tayseer al-Wusool Elaa Jame’ al-Usool, vol. 2, pg. 34, Kitaab al-Khilafah wa al-Imaarah, Chap. 1.
[2]: Nihaayah al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah, vol. 1, pg. 17. I say: I could not find the tradition in these exact terms in the Sahihain. Probably, these were found in a manuscript other than the one available with us or possibly the narrator has simply conveyed the concept instead of being accurate with words.
[3]: Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, Chap. 77, pg 445; al-Mawaddah al-Qurbah, pg. 215.
[4]: Taarikh al-Khulafaa, The chapter of the duration of the Caliphs, pg. 7. I say: This tradition has also been narrated in Al-Sawaaeq, chap. 1, pg. 18, in a number of ways.
[5]: Kashf al-Yaqeen, Chap. 2, pg. 71.
[6]: Firdaus al-Akhbaar, vol. 5, pg. 7705.
[7]: Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 120, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 8.
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 51, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 3. I say: Numerous Imamite scholars have narrated this tradition in various ways through different chain of narrators. For example, Allamah Majlisi in Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, Al-Taraaef, pg. 168-172, Al-Khesaal, pg. 469-473, Tr. Nos. 12-30, Al-Umdah by Ibn Bitreeq, E’laam al-Waraa by Tabarsi, etc.
[2]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 272, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 21.
[3]: Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol. 1, pg. 398; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 33, Tr. No. 33857; Muntakhab Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 5, pg. 312; Taarikh al-Khulafaa, pg. 7; Majma al-Zawaaed, vol. 5, pg. 190 (The Chapter of Twelve) ; Al-Mataaleb al-Aaliyah, vol. 2, pg. 196, Tr. Nos. 2040 and 2041, Al-Durr al-Manthoor by Jalaaluddin al-Suyuti under the Quranic verse, “And We raised amongst them twelve chiefs. ” (Surah Maaedah (5): verse 12) ; Mutashaabehaat al-Quran, vol. 2, pg. 53; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 258; Mustadrak al-Sahihain, vol. 4, pg. 501; Musnad Abi Ya’laa, vol. 8, pg. 444, Tr. No. 65 (5031) , vol. 9, pg. 222, Tr. No. 356 (5322).
[4]: Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 118, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 5.
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 27, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, Chap. 41, pg. 282, Tr. No. 103; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 129.
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 23, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, Chap. 41, pg. 229, Tr. No. 8 narrating from al-Uyoon, al-Khesaal, Kamaal al-Deen; Al-Lawaame’ al-Elaahiyyah, pg. 286.
[3]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 25, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 3. I say: This tradition has also been narrated by Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 271; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 467, Tr. No. 8 (The Chapter of Twelve) ; Al-Uyoon, vol. 1, pg. 49, Tr. No. 11; Al-Amaali (of Shaikh Saduq) , pg. 275, Majlis 51, Tr. No. 6.
[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 279, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 26; Al-Insaaf, pg. 292, Tr. N. 264; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, Chap. 41, pg. 255, Tr. No. 72.
[2]: Mutazab al-Asar, pg. 3, Tr. No. 1; Isbaat al-Hudaat (by Shaikh Hurr al-Aameli) , vol. 3, pg. 196.
[3]: Al-Malaahem by Ibn Al-Munaadi, pg. 113; Mustadrak Alaa al-Sahihain, vol. 3, pg. 618; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 33, Tr. No. 33849; Majma al-Zawaaed, vol. 5, pg. 190; Al-Istinsaar fi Nass Al-Aimmah al-Athaar, pg. 25; Akhbaar Isbahaan, vol. 2, pg. 176 The Chapter of Meem.
[4]: Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 34, Tr. No. 33861.
[1]: Kash al-Astaar, part 1, pg. 99 narrating from al-Ebaanah; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 384, Manaaqeb of Ibn Shar Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 290; Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 3 & 4, Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 267, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 87; Al-Insaaf, pg. 361.
Quraish. When they pass away the earth will swallow all its inhabitants. ”
63. Al-Ghaibah by No’maani [2]: Anas Ibn Maalik relates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “This affair (Islam) shall always survive till there remain in it twelve strong people from Quraish. ” The tradition thereafter continues till its end.
64. Kefaayah al-Asar [3]: Anas Ibn Maalik narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The Imams after me will be twelve. ” Then he lowered his voice and I heard him say, “They are all from Quraish. ”
65. Al-Manaaqeb [4]: Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “There will be twelve caliphs from us. Allah will help them against those who oppose them, and those who bear enmity against them will not harm them…”
66. Kefaayah al-Asar [5]: Abu Saeed Al-Khudri narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) prayed with us the first prayers, then he turned his noble face towards us and addressed thus, “O gathering of my companions! The likeness of my Ahle Bait amongst you is like that of Nuh’s Ark and the door of Hittah in the Bani Israel. Then hold on to my Ahle Bait after me and the rightly guided Imams from my progeny, you will never be misguided. ” It was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams will there be after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Twelve, from my Ahle Bait (or he said)
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from my progeny. ”
67. Sharh Ghaayah Al-Ahkaam [1]: Abu Qataadah narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Imams after me will be equal to the cheifs of the Bani Israel and the companions of Eesa (a. s. ). ”
68. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Abu Qataadah relates that I heard the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) say, “How can the nation (of Muslims) be destroyed, while I am the first of it and twelve Imams will be its leaders after me? Surely, only they will be annihilated who will mix mischief with this. I am not from them and they are not from me. ”
69. Kefaayah Al-Asar [3]: Salmaan narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “There will be twelve Imams after me equal to the number of months in a year. From us is the Mahdi of this nation, for him is the occulation of (Prophet) Musa, the brightness of (Prophet) Eesa, the forbearance of (Prophet) Dawood and the patience of (Prophet) Ayyub. ”
70. Kefaayah Al-Asar [4]: Salmaan Al-Faarsi relates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “There will be twelve Imams after me. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “All of them will be from Quraish. Thereafter, our Qaim will emerge who will cure the hearts of the believers. Beware; they (the Imams) are more knowledgeable than you so don’t teach them. Beware; surely they are my progeny, from my flesh and my blood. Any nation that attempts to trouble me concerning them, may Allah not make my intercession (shafa’ah) reach them! ”
71. Kefaayah Al-Asar [5]: A’raj quotes Abu Hurairah who narrates
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from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) that he said, “Certainly, I leave amongst you two weighty things (saqalain) , the Book of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He – whoever follows it will be on guidance and whoever forsakes it will be deviated; then my Ahle Bait. I remind you of Allah concerning my Ahle Bait (he repeated this thrice). ” I (A’raj) asked Abu Hurairah, ‘Are his wives his Ahle Bait? ’ He replied, ‘No, his Ahle Bait are his progeny and his family and they are the twelve Imams, whom Allah has mentioned in his saying,
و جعلها کلمة باقیة فى عقبه...
“And He has placed a remaining word in his posterity. ” (Surah Zukhruf 43: 28. )
72. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Abu Hurairah relates that I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) when this verse was revealed, إنما انت منذر و لکل قوم هاد “You are only a warner and for every nation there is a guide. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) recited it for us and said, “I am only a warner, do you know the guide? ” We said, ‘No, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “He is the repairer of shoes. ”
At this juncture, the necks were raised (in expectation) , when Ali (a. s. ) emerged from one of the rooms with the shoe of Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) in his hand. The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) turned towards us and stated, “Surely he (Ali) is the import of my declaration, the Imam after me, the husband of my daughter and the father
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of my grandsons. We are the Ahle Bait, Allah has dispelled uncleanness from us and purified us from all impurities. He will fight after me for the interpretation (of Quran) just as I struggled for its descent. He is an Imam, the father of illustrious Imams. ”
He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Then how many Imams will be there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Twelve, equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. From us is the Mahdi of this nation. Through him, Allah will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. The earth will not be devoid of them but that it will be destroyed along with all its inhabitants. ”
73. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Umar Ibn Khattaab narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Imams after me will be twelve. ” Then he lowered his voice and I heard him say, “All of them will be from Quraish. ”
74. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Wathelah Ibn Al-Asqa’ narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “My love and that of my Ahle Bait is beneficial in seven places, whose fear is great: At the time of death, in the grave, during resurrection, presentation of books (of deeds) , reckoning (حساب) , scale (میزان) and the path (صراط).
Then, whosoever loves me and loves my Ahle Bait and clinges on to them after me, we will be his intercessors on the day of judgement. ” He was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah
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(s. a. w. a. )! How should we cling on to them? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Surely the Imams after me are twelve. Then whoever loves them and follows them, he will be successful and saved. And whoever disobeys them and turns away from them, he will be deviated and misguided. ”
75. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Wathelah Ibn Al-Asqa’ narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “When I was made to ascend the sky and reached the ‘Sidrah Al-Muntahaa’, Allah, the Majestic, came near to me and addressed me, ‘O Muhammad! ’ I replied, ‘Yes, my Master. ’ He said, ‘Surely, whenever I have sent a prophet, I have not brought his days to an end but that I have appointed a successor after him.
Then, appoint Ali Ibn Abi Taalib as the Imam and successor after you. Indeed, I have created both of you from one light and I have created the rightly guided Imams from the lights of you both. Would you like to see them O Muhammad? ’ I responded, ‘Yes, O Lord. ’ He ordered, ‘Raise your head. ’ I raised my head and saw the lights of the Imams after me, twelve lights. I asked, ‘O Lord! Whose lights are these? ’ He retorted, ‘The lights of the Imams after you, the trustees, the infallibles. ’”
76. Al-Kaafi [2]: Imam Abu Ja’far II (Ali Naqi) (a. s. ) narrates that Ameer Al-Momineen (a. s. ) said to Ibn Abbas, “Surely, the night of power (لیلة القدر) occurs every year. In this night, the affairs of that year descend. For these affairs, there are
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masters after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ” Ibn Abbas inquired, ‘Who are they? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “I and eleven from my progeny, Imams and those with whom the angels converse (محدّثون). ”
77. Al-Kaafi [1]: (From the above chain of narrators) , the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) advised his companions, “Believe in the night of power, for surely, it is for Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and his eleven descendants after me. ”
78. Al-Manaaqeb [2]: Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Believe in the night of power, for surely the affairs of the entire year descend in it. For these affairs, there are masters after me and they are Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and eleven descendants from his progeny (a. s. ). ”
{Similar traditions have been narrated by Jaaber Ibn Abdullah on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and by Ibn Abbas on the authority of Ameer Al-Momineen (a. s. ). }
79. Faraaed Al-Simtain [3]: Abu Tufail narrates, ‘I was present in the funeral of Abu Bakr the day he died. I also witnessed the day when allegiance was paid to Umar while Ali (a. s. ) was sitting in a corner when a young Jew (who was nicely dressed and was from the progeny of Haroon, the prophet) walked in, came up to Umar and asked him, ‘O chief of the believers! Are you the most knowledgeable of this nation about their book and the affairs of their prophet? ’ (On hearing this) , Umar lowered his head.
The youth asked again, ‘I am addressing you’ and repeated his question.
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Umar asked, ‘What do you want? ’ The youth replied, ‘I am confused and doubtful about my religion. ’ Umar ordered, ‘Go to this young man. ’ The Jew asked, ‘Who is he? ’ He replied, ‘He is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and the husband of Fatemah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ The Jew turned towards Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and asked a few questions which Ali (a. s. ) duly replied.
Finally, he asked, ‘Inform me of Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) , how many just Imams will follow him? And in which Paradise does he reside and who shall accompany him in his Paradise? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “O Harooni! Surely, for Muhammad there are twelve caliphs, just leaders. One who forsakes them will not harm them nor are they petrified at the opposition of the opponents.
Surely, they are firmer in religion than firmly entrenched mountains. Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) resides in his Paradise with the twelve just Imams. ” The Jew remarked, ‘You have spoken the truth. By Allah, Who there is no god except Him, certainly I have found this in the books of my father Haroon written with his own hands and dictated by my uncle Moosa (a. s. ). ’ (The tradition continues till) , thereafter the Harooni shrieked and broke his rosary while uttering, ‘I witness that there is no god but Allah, He is One and there is no partner for Him. ’
80. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Abu Tufail narrates on the authority of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) that the Messenger
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of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “ (O Ali) You are the successor upon the dead from my Ahle Bait and the caliph upon the living from my nation. Your war is my war and your peace is my peace. You are an Imam, the father of eleven Imams from your posterity, Imams, purified and infallible.
From them is the Mahdi, who will fill the earth with justice and equity. Then woe unto those who bear malice against you. O Ali! If a man loves a stone for the sake of Allah, Allah will gather him with that stone. Thus, your lover and your follower and the lovers of the Imams from your descendants after you will be raised with you, while you are with Me at the highest level. You are the distributor of Paradise and Hell. You will make your friends enter Paradise and throw your enemies in Hell. ”
81. Dalaael Al-Imamah [1]: Muhammad Ibn Sinaan Al-Zaaheri narrates from Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad (a. s. ) who vide his ancestors narrates from Ameer Al-Mumineen (a. s. ) , “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to me, ‘O Ali! When eleven Imams from your descendants will be completed, the eleventh one will be the Mahdi from my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). ’”
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[2]: Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 119, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 6; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 281, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 102.
[3]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 76, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 6; pg. 77, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 7; pg. 78, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 9; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 311, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 153, 154, 155 & 156; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 127 (from Hafsaah) and Tr. 193 (from Heshaam Ibn Anas)
[4]: Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashub, vol. 1, pg. 291; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 269, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 91.
[5]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 33, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 9.
[1]: Kasf al-Astaar, pg. 74, part 1, First Edition; pg. 109, 2nd Edition narrating from Sharh Ghaayah Al-Ahkaam; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 139, Chap. 22, Tr. No. 1-3; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 166; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 332, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 192.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 141, Chap. 22, Tr. No. 4 & 5; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 300; Al-Seraat Al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 115; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 26, pg. 333, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 193.
[3]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 43, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 2; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 303, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 141
[4]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 44, Chap. 5, Tr. No 3; An-Insaaf, Tr. No 235; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 303, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 142.
[5]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 87, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 5; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 315, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 161.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 87, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 6; Al-Insaaf, pg. 83, Tr. 75; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 315, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 162. I say: This tradition is supported by the traditions brought by Suyuti in Al-Durr Al-Manthoor in his exegesis of the Holy Quran under the verse, “You are only a warner and for eery nation there is a guide. ” (Surah Ra’d (13): verse 7) When this verse was revealed the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) placed his hand on his chest and declared, “I am the warner. ” And pointed towards the shoulder of Ali (a. s. ) and remarked, “O Ali! You are the guide, through you the guided ones will receive guidance after me. ” (Al-Durr Al-Manthoor, vol. 4, pg. 45). Similar quotes have been recorded by Ibn Jurair Tabari (in his exegesis, vol. 13, pg. 108 under the same verse) , Ibn Murduwayh, Abu Noaim in Al-Ma’refah, Al-Dailami, Ibn Asaaker and Ibn Najjaar. Traditions on this subject are abundant. Those interested may refer to Shawaahed Al-Tanzeel by Haakem Al-Haskaani, vol. 1, pg. 293-303.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 90, Chap. 10, Tr. No. 1; Al-Manaaqeb, vol. 1, pg. 295; Al-Insaaf, pg. 298, Tr. No. 276.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 108, Chap. 15, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, pg. 6, Tr. No. 2; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 322, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 177.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 110, Chap. 15, Tr. No. 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 303, Tr. No. 282; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 323, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 179.
[2]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 532 Tr. No. 11; Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 304, Chap. 26, Tr. No 19; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 479; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 60, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 3; pg. 141, Tr. No. 106; Al-Irshaad, pg. 374, Tr. No. 3; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 310, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 767-14; Mir’aat Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 229; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 373, Chap. 42, Tr. No. 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 127, Tr. No. 116; E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 369; Kash Al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 448; Rawzah Al-Waaezeen, vol. 2, pg. 261; Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 220, Chap. 29, Tr. No. 3; Taqreeb Al-Ma’ref, pg. 182.
[1]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 533, Tr. No. 12; Mir’aat Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 229; Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 280, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 30; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 480, Tr. No. 48; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg 310, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 768-15; Ithbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 393, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 233; Al-Istensaar, pg. 7; Al-Insaaf, pg. 128; E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 370.
[2]: Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 298.
[3]: Faraaed Al-Simtain, vol. 1, pg. 354, Chap. 66, Tr. No. 280; Al-Abaqaat, vol. 2, pg. 240, Tr. No. 12. Refer to Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 530, Tr. No. 5.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 151, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 72, Tr. No. 62; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 335, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 196.
[1]: Dalaael Al-Imamah, pg. 236, Chapter of ‘Necessity of Al-Qaaem’s Recognition’, Tr. No. 8; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 109, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 831.
82. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Heshaam Ibn Muhammad narrates from his father that when Ameer Al-Mumineen (a. s. ) was martyred, Imam Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) went on the pulpit to speak to the people. Tears flowed from his eyes due to which he sat down for a while. Then, he stood up again
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and said, “All praise is for Allah, Who was One in His beginning, respected for Divinity in His everlastingness and Great for His Greatness and Power. He created all what He created, without any example preceding His creation. Our Lord is Gracious by the Grace of His Lordship. He knows the goodness of what He split and by the laws of His Power He created what He created.
There is neither decline for His Kingdom nor termination for His duration. He is above all things high and near to everything. He manifested Himself for His creation without being seen while He was at the highest observation point. He became veiled on account of His Light and Sublime in His Highness. He became hidden from His creation and raised to them a witness against them. He sent amongst them Prophets as givers of good news and warners so that the one who is destroyed is destroyed after explanation and the one who gains life does so after explanation.
That the people may realise about their Lord of what they were ignorant concerning Him and recognise His Lordship after they have denied it. And all praise is for Allah the One Who conferred the caliphate upon us the Ahle Bait (a. s. ) and we dedicate our mourning for Ameer Al- Mumineen (a. s. ) to Him. Indeed the East and the West have been afflicted (with this tragedy). By Allah! He did not leave behind any dirhams or dinaars but four hundred dirhams. He intended to
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buy from it a slave for his family. Indeed my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) has informed me that twelve Imams from his Ahle Bait (a. s. ) will rule the affair (Islam). There is none amongst us but that he will be killed (with sword) or poisoned. ”
83. Isbaat Al-Raja’h [1]: Imam Sadiq (a. s. ) narrates vide his ancestors from Imam Hasan Al-Mujtaba (a. s. ) who says, “I asked my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) concerning the Imams after him. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “The Imams after me are equal to the chiefs of Bani Israel. Allah has endowed them with my knowledge and my understanding. You, O Hasan, are from them. ” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! When will the Qaem from us Ahle Bait emerge? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) answered, “O Hasan! His likeness is like that of the Hour. Allah has hidden his information from the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. He will not come but suddenly. ”
84. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Umme Salmah says, ‘I asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) regarding the saying of Allah,
فَأُوْلَئِکَ مَعَ الَّذِینَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَیْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِیِّینَ وَالصِّدِّیقِینَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَالصَّالِحِینَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِکَ رَفِیقًا
(Qur’an Surah Nisa 4: 69)
He (s. a. w. a. ) replied,
الَّذِینَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَیْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِیِّینَ
“Those upon whom Allah has bestowed from the Prophets” implies me; “the truthful ones” refers to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) ; “the witnesses” are Hasan and Husain (a. s. ) ; “the righteous” indicates Hamzah and “how good friends are they” refers to the twelve Imams after me.
85. Al-Ghaibah by No’maani [3]: Abdullah Ibn
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Umar says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “There will be twelve caliphs after me”
86. Kamaal Al-Deen [1]: Imam Muhammad Al-Baaqer (a. s. ) narrates vide his ancestors from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) that he said, “I give you glad tidings – and he (s. a. w. a. ) repeated this thrice. The similarity of my nation is like that of rain. One does not follow whether its beginning is good or its end. Surely, the likeness of my nation (Ahle Bait a. s. ) is like that of a garden from which one group is fed in one year and another is fed in another year so much so that the last group, which is fed from it, is the broadest of them all, like an ocean, the deepest and tallest of them all and the best of them in love.
How can that nation be destroyed which begins with me and which will end with twelve righteous ones, the possessors of intellect, after me and Maseeh Eesa, the son of Mariyam? Only those who spread mischief between these two eras will be destroyed. They are not from me and I am not from them. ”
87. Kamaal Al-Deen [2]: Ameer Al-Mumineen (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The Imams will be twelve from my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). Allah, the High, will grant them my understanding, my knowledge and my wisdom and He will create them from my clay (طینت). Then woe unto the arrogant ones against them after me, who will break my relations
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concerning them. What is wrong with them (opponents)? May Allah not make them reach my intercession! ”
88. Kamaal Al-Deen [1]: Imam Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “How can that nation be destroyed whose foremost are me, Ali and eleven of my descendants, the possessors of signs and whose last is Maseeh, the son of Mariyam. But between these two eras, he will be destroyed who is not from me and I am not from him. ”
89. Al-Ghaibah by Shaikh Tusi [2]: Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O Ali! Myself, you and eleven of my descendants are the buttons of the earth, its stumps and its mountains. Due to us Allah has prevented the earth from swallowing its inhabitants. When the twelfth of my descendants will pass away, the earth will swallow up all its inhabitants and they will not be warned. ”
90. Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob [3]: Jaaber Al-Jo’fi narrates from Imam Al-Baaqer (a. s. ) in a lengthy tradition concerning the saying of Allah,
فَقُلْنَا اضْرِب بِّعَصَاکَ الْحَجَرَ فَانفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَیْناً قَدْ عَلِمَ کُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ
(Qur’an Surah Baqarah 2: 60)
That he (a. s) said, “Certainly, the people of Moosa, when they complain to him about drought and thirst, they asked him for water and Moosa (a. s. ) provided for them the same.
Then you heard what Allah said for him. Similarly, some believers came to my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Will you introduce
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unto us who are the Imams after you? ’ …… (the traditions continues till his saying) “Then surely, when I got Ali married with Fatema, I left behind eleven Imams from the progeny of Ali. They will be, including Ali, twelve Imams. All of them will be guides for your nation. Each nation (in its time) will be guided through the Imam of their time and they will know their Imam like the people of Moosa knew the place of their drink. ”
91. Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob [1]: Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “From my Ahle Bait there will be twelve chiefs, those who will be talked to by the angels (محدّثون) and those who will be granted understanding (مفهّمون). From them is the one who will rise with the truth (القائم). He will fill the earth with justice as it would be fraught with injustice. ”
92. Al-Khesaal [2]: Abu Najraan says that Abu Al-Khuld has narrated to us on oath that this nation will not be destroyed till there will be twelve caliphs in it. All of them will act on guidance and true religion.
93. Kamaal Al-Deen [3]: Makhool was asked concerning the saying of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) that there will be twelve caliphs after me. Makhool replied, ‘Yes. ’
94. Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob [4] narrates from the book Kashf Al-Hayrah: Ameer Al-Mumineen (a. s. ) said, “I warn you concerning Allah. Are you aware that Allah has revealed in Surah Hajj,
یَا ایُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ آمَنُوْا ارْکَعُوْا وَاسْجُدُوْا وَاعْبُدُوْا رَبَّکُمْ...
“O
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you who believe! Bow down and prostrate and worship your Lord …” (till the end of the surah).
At this juncture, Salman stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) who are these upon whom you are a witness while they are witnesses upon the people, whom Allah has chosen and He has not placed upon them in the religion from the difficulties of the nation of Ibrahim? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “By this verse Allah meant thirteen special people other than this nation. ” Salman requested, ‘Explain them for us, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “I, my brother Ali and eleven of my descendants. ” They said, ‘O Allah! Yes…’
95. Kamaal Al-Deen [1]: Sulaim Ibn Qais Al-Hilaali relates that I heard Ali (a. s. ) say, “No verse from the Quran descended on the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) but that he recited it for me and dictated it, while I jotted it down. He taught me its interpretation, its exegesis, its abrogating verse, its abrogated verse, its clear verse and its ambiguous verse. He prayed to Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, that he should teach me its understanding and its memorisation. Consequently, I never forgot even one verse from the Book of Allah, nor the knowledge, which he dictated to me and I had written it down.
He did not leave anything which Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, taught him from the permissible and the prohibited, the commands and the prohibitions, the past and the present, obedience as well
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as defiance, but that he taught me and I memorised it. I did not forget even one word from these. Then he placed his hand on my heart and prayed to Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, that He should fill my heart with knowledge, understanding, wisdom and light. I did not forget any of these nor was there anything which I did not write. ”
I asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , do you fear forgetfulness for me afterwards? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “I do not fear for you forgetfulness or ignorance. Indeed, my Lord, mighty is His Majesty, has informed me that He has responded to my prayer for you and your partners, those who will follow you. ” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who are my partners after me? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Those whom Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has accompanied with Himself and me in His verse
اطیعوا الله و اطیعوا الرسول واولى الامر منکم..
. “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the possessors of authority amongst you…”
(Qur’an Surah Nisaa 4: 59)
I inquired, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who are they? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “My successors till they reach unto me at the pond (of Kausar). All of them are guides and guided. One who forsakes them will not harm them. They are with the Quran and the Quran is with them, - Volume 1 , Page 43 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
--------------------
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 160, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, pg. 361, Tr. No. 265; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 43, pg. 363, Chap. 17, Tr. No. 6; Al-Awaalem, vol. 16, pg. 140, Tr. No. 5.
[1]: Al-Arbaeen also called as Kefaayah Al-Muhtadi, pg. 41, under the second tradition; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 650, Tr. No. 809; Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 167, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 9.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 182, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 2; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aasob, vol. 1, pg. 283.
[3]: Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 104, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 34; Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi, pg. 89; Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 291; E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 364-365; Muqtazab Al-Asar, pg. 5, Tr. No. 5; Taqreeb Al-Ma’ref, pg. 175; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 237, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 30; Isabaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 197, Tr. No. 144; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 190.
[1]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 269, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 14; Oyoon Akhbaar Al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 52, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 18; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 475-476, Tr. No. 39; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 242, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 48.
[2]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 281, Tr. No. 33; Oyoon Akhbaar Al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 64, Tr. No. 32; Al-Ikhtesaas, pg. 208; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 243, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 52; Isbaat Al-Hodaat, vol. 2, pg. 394, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 236.
[1]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 281, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 34; Oyoon Akhbaar Al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 65, Tr. No. 33; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 394, Tr. No. 237, Chap. 9; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 244, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 53.
[2]: Al-Ghaibah by Shaikh Tusi, pg. 138, Tr. No. 102; Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 534, Tr. No. 17; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 1, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 89, pg. 460; Miraat Al-Uqool by Allamah Majlisi, vol. 6, pg. 232, Tr. No. 17; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 259, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 79; Taqreeb Al-Ma’ref, pg. 175; Al-Istensaar, pg. 8.
[3]: Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 282.
[1]: Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aasob, vol. 1, pg. 300; Al-Mo’tabar, pg. 24, Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 534, Tr. No. 18.
[2]: Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 474, Tr. No. 32; Kashf Al-Astaar, pg. 109; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 472, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 117 narrating from Oyoon Akhbaar Al-Reza (a. s. ).
[3]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 273, Tr. No. 22.
[4]: Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 284.
[1]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 284, Tr. No. 37; Kitaab Sulaim Ibn Qais, pg. 38; Al-Ghaibah of No’mani, pg. 75, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 10.
neither it will separate from them, nor will they separate from it. Due to them my nation will be helped, due to them they
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will receive rains, due to them calamity will be dispelled from them and their prayers will be accepted. ” I requested, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Name them for me. ”
He (s. a. w. a. ) rejoined, “This son of mine” and he placed his hand on the head of Hasan, “then this son” and he kept his hand on the head of Husain (peace be on them both) , “then his son Ali, who will be born in your life, so convey my salaam to him and thus twelve (Imams) will be completed. ” I prayed, “May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , name each one of them for me. ”
So, he (s. a. w. a. ) named them one by one. By Allah! O brother of Bani Hilaal, amongst them, is the Mahdi of this nation, Muhammad, the one who will fill the earth with justice and equity like it has been fraught with injustice. By Allah! Surely I know who will pay allegiance to him between the Rukn and the Maqaam (in Kaabaa) and I know their names and their fathers and their tribes.
96. E’laam Al-Waraa [1]: Abu Tufail narrates that Abdullah Ibn Umar said to me, ‘O Abu Tufail! I counted the number of caliphs after the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ). Then, there will be killing and fighting.
97. Al-Ghaibah of No’maani [2]: Imam Muhammad Al-Baaqer (a. s. ) looked at Humraan and cried. He (a. s. ) said, “O Humraan! I am amazed at the people as to how they neglect or forget or pretend to forget.
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They forgot the saying of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) when he was ill. People had come to visit him and were sending salutations on him, when he (s. a. w. a. ) began grieving for his family. At that moment Ali (a. s. ) came, saluted (the Prophet s. a. w. a. ) but could not walk past the crowds nor did they make place for him. When the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) saw this, he raised his head and called out, “Come to me O Ali. ”
When the people saw this, some of them leaned on the others and made way for him till he passed by them and reached the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) who made him sit by his side and said, “O people! This is what you are doing to my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) in my life while I am seeing, then what will you do after my death?! By Allah! You will not gain proximity to my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) but that you will be nearer to Allah in levels and you will not distance yourself from them or turn away from them a single step but that Allah will turn away from you. ”
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O people! Listen (to what I am saying to you). Beware! Surely, satisfaction, bliss and love are for the one who loves Ali (a. s. ) , befriends him, follows him, his virtues and my successors after him. It is my right upon my Lord that He answers me concerning them. Certainly, they are twelve successors and whoever follows
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them, indeed he is from me while Ibrahim (a. s. ) is from me and I am from Ibrahim (a. s. ). My religion is his religion and his religion is my religion. His relation is my relation and my relation is his relation. My virtue is his virtue while I am superior to him and (I am) not proud. My claim is verified by the saying of my Lord,
ذریة بعضها من بعض والله سمیع علیم
98. Al-Radd Alaa Al-Zaidiyyah [1]: Ibn Abbas narrates that I asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while he was on his deathbed, ‘When that will occur from which we seek refuge in Allah (i. e. your demise) , then to whom (should we refer)? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) pointed out towards Ali (a. s. ) and remarked, “To him, for surely he is with the truth and the truth is with him. He will be followed by eleven Imams, whose obedience will be obligatory like my obedience. ”
99. Al-Radd Alaa Al-Zaidiyyah [2]: Musannaa narrates from his father that he asked Aishaa as to how many successors will the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) have? She replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed me that there will be twelve successors after him. ’ Musannaa’s father asked her, ‘Who are they? ’ She replied, ‘Their names are written with me, as per the dictation of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ He requested her, ‘Show them to me. ’ But she refused.
100. Kamaal Al-Deen [3]: Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad (peace be on them both) in a lengthy tradition has talked about a Jew who came to Umar
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and posed a few questions to him, who directed him to Ali (a. s. ). Among the questions that the Jew asked Ali (a. s. ) was, ‘How many guided Imams does this nation have that if someone follows them will not be harmed? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “Twelve Imams. ” The Jew remarked, ‘You have said the truth, by Allah. Surely, Haroon (a. s. ) has written the same on the dictation of Moosa (a. s. ). ’
101. Kamaal Al-Deen [1]: Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) , in a lengthy tradition has talked about the questions which a young Jew has enquired from Ali (a. s. ) and to which he (a. s. ) has responded. The Jew asked, ‘Inform me as to how many Imams, those who are guides and rightly guided, will be there for this nation that if someone forsakes them, will not harm them? And inform me where is the position of Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) in paradise? And from his nation who will be with him in paradise? ’
Ali (a. s. ) replied, “As for your question that how many Imams, who are guides and rightly guided, will be there for this nation, then certainly there will be twelve guides and rightly guided Imams for this nation. He who forsakes them, will not harm them. As for your question, where is the place of Muhammad in paradise, (know that) it is in the most superior and most noble place (called as جنّة عدن). As for your question, from his nation who will be with him in paradise, (know that) these are the twelve guided Imams. ” The youth
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exclaimed, ‘You have said the truth. By Allah, Who there is no god except Him, certainly this is written with me as per the dictation of Moosa (a. s. ) and penned by Haroon (a. s. ) in his own handwriting. ’
102. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Abu Khalid Al-Kabuli narrates, ‘I went to Imam Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) while he was sitting in his prayer niche. I too sat down, when he turned to me and was caressing his beard. ’ I asked, ‘O master! Inform me how many Imams will be there after you? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “Eight. ” I inquired, ‘How? ’ He (a. s. ) reasoned, “For, the Imams after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) will be twelve equal to the number of the grandsons. Three were in the past and I am the fourth. There will be eight righteous Imams from my descendents. Whoever loves us and acts as per our command, will be at the highest grade. But whoever hates us and rejects us or rejects even one of us, then indeed, he has denied Allah and His signs. ”
103. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Zaid Ibn Ali Ibn Husain narrates that my father was in the company of a few of his friends, when a person stood up and asked, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger, has your Prophet informed you as to how many Imams will be there after him? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “Yes, twleve Imams equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
104. Kefaayah Al-Asar [3]: Sulaiman Al-Qasri relates that I asked Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) concerning the
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Imams. He (a. s. ) replied, “Their number will be equal to the months of a year. ”
105. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Husain, a son of the fourth Imam, Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) narrates that a person enquired from my father concerning the Imams. He (a. s. ) replied, “ (They will be) twelve in number, seven will be from his descendants and placed his hand on the shoulder of my brother Muhammad (al-Baaqer). ”
106. Al-Kaafi [2]: Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) said, “Surely Allah sent Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) to the Jinn and the humans and He has appointed twelve successors after him. Some have passed while others are yet to come. The tradition (سنّة) continues through each successor. The successors of Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) are on the tradition (سنّة) of the successors of Eesa (a. s. ) and they are twelve in number. Ameer Al-Momineen (a. s. ) was on the tradition (سنّة) of Maseeh (a. s. ). ”
107. Oyoon Al-Akhbaar Al-Reza [3]: Zoraarah says that I heard Imam Abu Jafar (al-Baaqer) (a. s. ) say, “We are twelve Imams from the progeny of Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ). All of them are the spoken ones (محدّثون) after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) is amongst them. ”
108. Al-Kaafi [4]: Sama’ah Ibn Mehraan narrates that I and Abu Baseer were with Muhammad Ibn Imraan, the slave of Imam Muhammad Baaqer (a. s. ) in his house at Mecca. Muhammad Ibn Imraan said, ‘I heard Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) say, “We are the twelve spoken ones (محدّث). ”’ At this Abu Baseer asked him, ‘You heard from Imam Sadeq (a. s. )? ’ So he swore on oath that he had
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indeed heard from him. To which Abu Baseer retorted, ‘But I have heard it from Imam Baaqer (a. s. ). ’
109. Al-Kaafi [1]: Karraam says that I took a pledge that I will not have lunch ever till the Qaem of Aale Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) reappears. So, I went to Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) and said to him, ‘A person from your Shias has taken an oath on Allah that he will not take lunch till the Qaem of Aale Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) reappears. ’
Imam (a. s. ) advised, “O Karraam! You fast instead but do not fast on the two Eids nor the three days after the Eid Al-Zoha nor when you are traveling or when you are sick. For surely, when Husain (a. s. ) was martyred, the heavens, the earth and whatever is on them and the angels cried, ‘Our Lord! Permit us to destroy the creatures that we may replace the earth with a new one because of what they have violated of Your sanctity and martyred the chosen one. ’ Allah revealed to them, ‘O My angels, O My heavens and O My earth, be calm. ’ Then He lifted a curtain from the many curtains behind which were Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) and his twelve successors (a. s. ). Then He took the hand of the Qaem from them and said, “O My angels, O My heavens and O My earth, through him I will gain victory. ” He repeated this thrice.
110. Al-Kaafi [2]: Abi Hamzah says that I heard Imam Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) say, “Surely, Allah created Muhammad and Ali and
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eleven of his descendants from the Light of His Greatness. Then He made them stand as shadows in the resplendence of this Light. They worship Him before He created the creation, glorifying Him and purifying Him. And these are the Imams from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ”
111. Kamaal Al-Deen [1]: Abu Hamzah narrates that Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) said, “There will be twelve Mahdi (guided leaders) from us. ”
112. Kamaal Al-Deen [2]: Abu Baseer says that I heard Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) say, “From us there will be twelve Mahdi. Six have passed and six are remaining. Allah will do with the sixth as He pleases. ”
113. Kamaal Al-Deen [3]: Ibrahim Al-Karkhi narrates that I went to Abu Abdillah Jafar Ibn Muhammad Al-Sadeq (a. s. ) and was sitting in his presence when Abu Al-Hasan Musa Ibn Jafar (a. s. ) entered while he was a boy. I stood up, kissed him and sat with him. Then Abu Abdillah (a. s. ) remarked, “O Ibrahim! Know that, he is your master after me. Know that, concerning him one group will be destroyed while another will be saved. Then may Allah curse his killer and multiply His chastisement for the one who fights against him.
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[1]: E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 365; Kitaab Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi, pg. 89, Tr. No. 6; Al-Manaaqeb, vol. 1, pg. 291; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 105, Section 4, Tr. No. 35; Tarikh-e-Baghdad, vol 6, pg. 263, No. 3296; Majama’ Al-Zawaaed, vol. 5, pg. 190; Al-Faaeq, vol. 3, pg. 125
[2]: Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 91, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 22.
[1]: E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 365; Al-Siraat Al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 121; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 126, Tr. No. 871
[2]: E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 365; Qasas Al-Anbiya, pg. 370, Tr. No. 447; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 615, Section 34, Tr. No. 640 and vol. 1, pg. 666, Section 74, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 874; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 300, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 137; Al-Siraat Al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg 122, Chap. 10.
[3]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 300, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 8; Oyoon Al-Akhbaar Al-Reza, vol. 1, pg. 52, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 19; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 476, Tr. No. 40; Al-Ehtejaaj, pp. 226-227; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 374, Chap. 42, Tr. No. 5; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 322, Chap. 9, Section 4, Tr. No. 121 and vol. 3, pg. 9, Section 28, Tr. No. 598.
[1]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 297, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 5; Kitaab Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi, pg. 97.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 236, Chap. 32, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 388, Chap. 44, Tr. No. 2.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 238, Chap. 32, Tr. No. 3; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 389, Chap. 44, Tr. No. 4.
[3]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 224, Chap. 30, Tr. No. 3.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 238, Chap. 32, Tr. No. 4; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 389, Chap. 44, Tr. No. 5.
[2]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 532, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 10;Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 326, Chap. 32, Tr. No. 4; Oyoon Al-Akhbaar Al-Reza, vol. 1, pg. 55, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 21; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 478, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 43; Al-Irshaad, vol. 2, pg. 374, Chap. 55, Tr. No. 1; Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi, pg. 141, Tr. No. 105; Kashf Al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pp. 447 & 506; E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 266; Rawzah Al-Waaezeen, pg. 261; Isbaat Al-Wasiyyah, pg. 204; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 296, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 85; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 392, Chap. 45, Tr. No. 4; Taqreeb Al-Maarif, pg. 176; Mir’aat Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 228, Chapter conerning the twelve Imams, Tr. No. 10.
[3]: Oyoon Al-Akhbaar Al-Reza, vol. 1, pg. 56, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 24; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 480, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 49; Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 531, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 7 & vol. 1, pg. 533, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 14; Mir’aat Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 230, Tr. No. 14; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 308, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 763/10 & 764/11; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 393, Chap. 45, Tr. No. 6.
[4]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 534, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 20; Oyoon Al-Akhbaar Al-Reza, vol. 1, pg. 56, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 23; Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 335, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 6 & pg. 339, Tr. No. 15; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 478, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 45; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 313, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 775/22; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 294, Chap. 45, Tr. No. 7; Mir’aah Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 235, Tr. No. 20.
[1]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 534, Chap. 184, Tr. 19; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 94, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 26; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 312, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 774/21; Mir’aah Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 234, Tr. No. 19; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 402, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 13.
[2]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 530, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 6; Mir’aat Al-Uqool, vol. 6, pg. 222; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 307, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 762/9; Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 318, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 1; E’laam Al-Waraa, pg. 369; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 142, Section 85, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 924.
[1]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 338, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 14; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 398, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 4.
[2]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 338, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 13; Oyoon Al-Akhbaar Al-Reza, vol. 1, pg. 69, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 37.
[3]: Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 338, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 5 & pg. 647, Chap. 55, Tr. No. 8; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 90, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 21; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 401, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 12.
grandfather, he will be the inheritor of this knowledge and his laws in his judgements, the treasure-chest of Imamat and the fountainhead of wisdom. The tyrant king of Bani
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(Abbas) will kill him after his amazing acts, due to envy.
But Allah (Mighty and Glorified be He) will convey His affairs even if the polytheists dislike it. And Allah will bring forth from his progeny the completion of twelve Mahdi (guided leaders). Allah has chosen them for His nobility, permitted for them the abode of His Holiness and the twelfth awaited one is from them, as if with an open sword standing in front of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) in his defence. ”
Then a person from the friends of Bani Umayyah entered due to which Imam had to cut short his speech. I returned to Abu Abdillah (a. s. ) eleven times that he (a. s. ) may complete his talk but was unable to do so. In the coming year, which was the second year, I went to him while he was sitting. He (a. s. ) said, “O Ibrahim! He is the one who will provide salvation to his Shias after intense straitening, lengthy calamities, grief and fear. Then congratulations to him who finds his time. This is enough for you O Ibrahim. ” Ibrahim said, ‘Then nothing was dearer to my heart or soothed my eyes more than this talk. ’
114. Al-Taraaef [1]: In his book Tafseer Al-Quran Al-Suda, who is amongst the ancient and reliable commentators of the Ahle Sunnah, writes, ‘When Saarah dislike the position of Haajarah, Allah the High, revealed to Ibrahim Al-Khaleel (a. s. ) ordering, “Go with Ismaaeel and his mother till you reach to my House at Makkah. For surely,
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I will spread his progeny and will make them as a standard against the one who disbelieves in Me. I will appoint from them a great Prophet, the one who will dominate all religions. I will select from his progeny twelve great personalities and will make his descendants equal to the number of the stars of the sky. ”
It is recorded in Kashf Al-Astaar and it is mentioned that a group has narrated from Al-Suda that he said, ‘Whatever has been mentioned in the Torah in the first chapter of Exodus is very near. That is, after the ending of the story of Saarah and what Allah prophesied to Ibrahim (a. s. ) concerning his affair and his progeny when He (Mighty and Glorified be He) said, “And indeed, I have accepted your prayers concerning Ismaaeel and I have heard you regarding My blessings on him. Soon, I will multiply his (descendants) and twelve great personalities will be born from him. I will make them Imams like great branches. ” This is found in some of the ancient compilations, but in the present manuscript available with us, it is inscribed, “Twelve nobles will be born from him. And I will make from him a great nation…”
115. Al-Ghaibah by Shaikh Tusi (a. r. ) [1]: Ibn Abbas narrates that Jibraeel (a. s. ) descended with a book from Allah upon the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , in which there were twelve golden rings (in chain form). Then he said to him (s. a. w. a. ) , “Surely, Allah the High, conveys salaam to you and
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orders you that you hand over this book to the chosen one from your family after you. He will separate from it the first ring and do according to what is in it. When he is about to expire, he should hand it (the chain of the remaining eleven rings) over to his successor after him. Thus, the first will hand over to the last, one after the other. ”
The Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) did as he was ordered. Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) separated the first of them (the rings) and acted as per its instructions. Then he (a. s. ) handed it (the chain of the remaining eleven rings) over to Hasan (a. s. ) , who separated his ring and acted upon it. He (a. s. ) handed over to Husain (a. s. ) , who passed it (the chain of the remaining ten rings) on to Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ). This went on from one to another till it reached the last one amongst them.
116. Muqtazab Al-Asar [1]: Abd Al-Aziz Ibn Khuzair narrates that I heard Abdallah Ibn Abi Awfaa say that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) prophesied, “There will be twelve caliphs from the Quraish after me. Thereafter, there will be widespread mischief. ” I (Abd Al-Aziz) asked, ‘Did you (Abd Allah) hear it from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He replied, ‘Yes, I heard from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ That day Abdallah Ibn Abi Awfaa was wearing a silk cap.
117. Basaaer Al-Darajaat [2]: Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) predicted, “From my progeny,
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there will be twelve Muhaddath (those with whom the angels converse). ” On hearing this, Abdallah Ibn Zaid, who was Imam’s cousin, exclaimed unbelievingly, ‘Glory be to Allah! There will be محدّث? ’ Abu Jafar (a. s. ) turned to him and retorted, “By Allah! Surely your brother knows about it. ” On this he kept quiet. Then Abu Jafar (a. s. ) remarked, “This is the thing in which Abu Al-Khattaab was destroyed. He could not follow the interpretation of (the difference between) a محدّث and a Prophet. ”
118. Muqtazab Al-Asar [1]: Hasan Ibn Abu Al-Hasan Al-Basri narrates directly (مرفوعًا) that Jibraeel (a. s. ) came to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and said, “O Muhammad! Allah orders you to get Fatemah (a. s. ) married to your brother Ali (a. s. ). ” The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) called for Ali (a. s. ) and said to him, “O Ali! I am getting you married to my daughter Fatemah (a. s. ) , the chief of the women of the universe and the most beloved of them to me after you. From you two (will be born) the two chiefs of the people of Paradise. The slain and oppressed martyrs in the earth will be after me. They are the bright chosen ones, through them Allah will dispel the darkness, enliven the truth and destroy falsehood. Their number is the number of the months of a year. Eesa the son of Maryam (a. s. ) will pray behind the last of them. ”
119. Muqtazab Al-Asar [2]: Abaan Ibn Umar says that I was with Abu Abdillah (a. s. ) when Sufyaan Ibn Mus’ab Al-Abdi entered and asked,
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‘May I be held your ransom, what is your view concerning the saying of Allah, High be His remembrance,
وَ عَلَى الْاعْرَافِ رِجَال یَعْرِفُوْنَ کُلاًّ بِسِیْمَاهُمْ
(Qur’an Surah A’raaf 7: 46)
He (a. s. ) replied, “They are the twelve successors from the progeny of Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ). None recognises Allah except the one who recognises them and they recognise him. ” He inquired, ‘Then what is A’raaf, may I be held your ransom? ’ He (a. s. ) retorted, “A hillock of musk on which are the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and the successors. They recognise each and every one by their foreheads. ”
120. Man Laa Yahzoroh al-Faqih [1]: Abu al-Jaarood narrates from Imam Abu Jafar (a. s. ) who cites on the authority of Jaaber Ibn Abdillah Al-Ansaari, ‘I went to Fatemah (a. s. ). There was a tablet placed before her in which were the names of the successors from her progeny. I counted upto twelve, one of them was Al-Qaem (a. s. ) , three were named Muhammad and four were named as Ali (peace be on them all). ’
121. Al-Hidaayah [2]: Imam Zain Al-Aabedeen (a. s. ) narrates a lengthy tradition from his father Abi Abdillah Al-Husain, the chief of the martyrs (a. s. ) in which he has discussed as to what will happen to him, his family and his friends till the talk reached to me (Imam Zain Al- Aabedeen (a. s. ) ). At this juncture, Zohair Ibn Al-Qain and Habib Ibn Al-Mazaaher asked Imam Husain (a. s. ) concerning me (Imam Zain Al- Aabedeen (a. s. ) ) , ‘What will be his condition? ’ pointing towards me. Tears welling in his eyes, Imam Husain (a. s. ) replied, “Allah
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did not terminate my progeny till the end of this world, then how do they reach unto him while he is the father of eight Imams? ”
122. Al-Iqbaal [1]: In a lengthy tradition, Imam Hasan Al-Askari (a. s. ) has spoken about the recognition of the new moon and explained in it the number of Imams (a. s. ) and that they are twelve.
123. Al-Fetan [2]: Abdullah Ibn Masood narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) stated, “There will be twelve caliphs after me equal to the number of the chiefs (نقباء) of Moosa. ”
124. Al-Musnad [3]: Masrooq narrates that we were sitting with Abdullah in the mosque and he was reciting for us (the Quran) when a man entered and asked him, ‘O son of Masood! Has your Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) informed you as to how many caliphs will be there after him? ’ He replied, ‘Yes. Like the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ’
125. Kefaayah Al-Asar [4]: Abu Zarr (a. r. ) narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) saying, “Whoever loves me and my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , then he and we are like this – indicating with his index and middle fingers. ”
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “My brother is the best of successors, my grandsons are the best of grandsons. Soon Allah, Blessed and High be He, will bring out from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) , noble Imams. And from us is the Mahdi of this nation. ” I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams will follow you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “Equal to the number of
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the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
126. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Abu Zarr Al-Ghaffaari (r. a. ) narrates that I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) during the illness in which he (s. a. w. a. ) expired. He (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O Abu Zarr! Bring my daughter Fatemah to me. ” He says, ‘I stood up and went to her and said, ‘O Chief of the Maidens! Answer your father’. ’
He says, ‘She wore her covering and came out till she reached the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). On seeing her, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) fell on her. She cried and the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) cried too due to her crying and embraced her. Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O Fatemah! Don’t cry, may your father be your ransom. For, you will be the first one to join me while you will be oppressed and your rights will be usurped. After me soon there will appear the hatred of hypocrisy wearing the garb of religion. You will be the first to meet me at the pond (of Kausar). ”
She (a. s. ) asked, “O father! Where shall I meet you? ”
He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “You will meet me at the pond while I am giving drink to your followers and your enthusiasts and am driving away your enemies and those who hate you. ”
She (a. s. ) asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! If I don’t meet you at the pond? ”
He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Then I will meet you at the scale (میزان). ”
She (a. s. ) enquired, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! If I don’t meet you at the scale? ”
He (s. a. w. a. )
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replied, “You will meet me at the صراط, while I will be saying, ‘Salute, salute the followers of Ali (a. s. ). ”
Abu Zarr (r. a. ) says, ‘Her heart was contented. ’ Then the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) turned towards me and said, “O Abu Zarr! She is a part of me. Whoever harms her has indeed harmed me. Beware! She is the chief of the women of the Universe, her husband is the chief of the successors, her two sons, Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) are the chiefs of the youth of paradise.
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[1]: Al-Taraaef, pg. 172, Tr. No. 269; Kasf Al-Astaar, pp. 141-142.
[1]: Al-Ghaibah by Shaikh Tusi (a. r. ) , pg. 134, Tr. No. 98; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 209, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 9 & vol. 63, pg. 535, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 30.
[1]: Muqtazab Al-Asar, pg. 4, Tr. No. 4; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 371, Chap. 41 under Tr. No. 234.
[2]: Basaaer Al-Darajaat, pg. 320, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 4; Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 66, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 6; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 26, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 6, pg. 67.
[1]: Muqtazab Al-Asar, pg. 29, Tr. No. 17; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 57, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 272, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 94; Isbaat Al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 201, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 155.
[2]: Muqtazab Al-Asar, pg. 48; Al-Ghadeer, vol. 2, pg. 295; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 24, pg. 252, Chap. 62, Tr. No. 14.
[1]: Man Laa Yahzoroh al-Faqih, vol. 4, pg. 180, Tr. No. 5408.
[2]: Al-Hidaayah, Chapter of narrations from Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) ; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 654, Chap. 9, Section 67, Tr. No. 825
[1]: Iqbaal Al-Aamaal, pg. 14, Chap. 4 concerning the importance of the first night of the month of Ramadhaan.
[2]: Al-Fetan, vol. 1, pg. 31, Tr. No. 1; Al-Malaahem wa Al-Fetan, pg. 32, Chap. 29, Sec. 1; Al-Jaame’ Al-Sagheer, vol. 1, pg. 91; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 106, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 37 & pg. 116, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 1 & 2; Kanz Al-Ummaal, vol. 12, pg. 23, Tr. No. 33859.
[3]: Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol. 1, pg. 406; Kashf Al-Yaqeen, pg. 118, Chap. 19.
[4]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 35, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 294, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 122
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 36, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 2; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 288, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 110.
They are Imams whether they are standing or sitting and their father is better than both of them. Soon, nine infallible and just Imams will emerge from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and from us is the Mahdi of this nation. ” I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams will be there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
127. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Anas Ibn Maalik narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) led us in the morning prayers. Thereafter, he (s. a. w. a. ) faced us and said, “O my companions! Whoever loves my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) will be raised with us. Whoever fastens to my successors after me, indeed he has fastened to the strongest rope. ” Abu Zarr Al-Ghaffaari (r. a. ) stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams will be there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ” Again he asked, ‘All
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of them will be from your Ahle Bait (a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “All of them will be from my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , nine will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and the Mahdi is amongst them. ”
128. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Abu Hurairah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us as follows, “O people! Whoever intends to live my life and die my death, then he must accept the mastership of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) and follow the Imams after him. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams are there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of the grandsons (اسباط of Bani Israel). ”
129. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Zaid Ibn Arqam says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us in a sermon. After praising Allah and glorifying Him, he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “I advise you to fear Allah from Whom the servants cannot be needless. Surely, one who is inclined towards piety will be guided in this world and know that death is path of the worlds, the fate of the surviving ones and seizes the standing ones. Those who flee from it are helpless but to meet it. It destroys every pleasure, does away with every bounty and dispels all happiness.
The world is the abode of destruction. It will dislodge all its inhabitants. It is a fresh sweet meat which is sweet for its seeker. May Allah have mercy on you, gather the best possible provision from it as you can and do
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not seek from it what is more than necessary for you. Do not look longingly towards what the extravagant ones enjoy.
Beware! Surely the world disguises, turns away, becomes worn out and seeks leave. But know that, the hereafter then enters and embraces with an announcement.
O people! As if I am at the pond (of Kauthar) seeing that some of you come to me while others are driven away. I plead, ‘O Lord! They are from me and from my nation. ’ It will be said, ‘Do you understand what they have done after you? By Allah! They turned on their backs after you. ’
O people! I advise you (to fear) Allah and be good to my progeny and my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). For surely they are the truth and the truth is with them. They are the rightly guided Imams after me and the trustworthy infallibles. ” Abdullah Ibn Abbas stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , how many Imams will be there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel and the companions of Hazrat Eesa (a. s. ). Nine of them will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and from them is the Mahdi of this nation. ”
130. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Charity (صدقه) is not permitted for me and my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). ” We asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who are your Ahle Bait (a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “My Ahle Bait (a. s. ) are my progeny. They are my
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flesh and my blood. They are the Imams after me and equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
131. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Waaselah Ibn Al-Asqa’ narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “Faith shall not be complete except with the love of us Ahle Bait (a. s. ). Certainly, Allah, Blessed and High be He, has promised me that none shall love us Ahle Bait (a. s. ) but a pious believer and none shall hate us but an unfortunate hypocrite.
Then congratulations to the one who fastens unto me and the pure Imams (a. s. ) from my progeny. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams (a. s. ) will follow you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
132. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “I am the chief of the Prophets. Ali is the chief of the successors. My grandsons are the best grandsons. From us are the infallible Imams (a. s. ) from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and from us is the Mahdi of this nation. ”
At this juncture, a bedouin Arab stood up and enquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams will follow you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of grandsons, the companions of Eesa (a. s. ) and the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
133. Kefaayah Al-Asar [3]: Huzaifah Ibn Usaid narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say on his pulpit, “O people! Surely I will depart from you and you
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will come to me at the Pond (of Kauthar) , the breadth of which is more than the distance between Basrah (in Iraq) and San’aa (in Yemen). In it are silver goblets equal to the number of stars. When you come to me, I will ask you about the two weighty things (ثقلین). Then be careful as to how you treat them after me. The greater weighty thing (ثقل اکبر) is the Book of Allah, a part of which is with Allah and a part of it is with you.
Then, hold on to it and you will never deviate. Never seek to replace my progeny, Ahle Bait (a. s. ) because the Gracious, the All-Knowing has informed me that these two shall never separate from each other till they meet me at the Pond. (O people! As if I am at the Pond) waiting for you to come to me but soon some of you shall be driven away from me. I will plead, ‘My Lord! These are from me and from my nation. ’ It will be said, ‘O Muhammad! Do you know what they did? They turned on their backs after you. ’
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) continued, “I advise you to be good to my progeny, my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) (and he repeated this thrice). ” Salman rose and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Will you inform me about the Imams after you? Are they not from your progeny? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “Yes, the Imams after me are from my progeny and
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equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Nine of them will be from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ). Allah has granted them my knowledge and my understanding. Therefore, do not teach them because they are more learned than you and follow them because they are with the truth and the truth is with them. ”
134. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Huzaifah Ibn Usaid narrates that when Salman asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) about the Imams, I heard him answer, “The Imams after me are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Nine of them will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). From us is the Mahdi of this nation. Know that they are with the truth and the truth is with them. Then see how you treat them after me. ”
135. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Waaselah Ibn Al-Asqa’ narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Consider the position of Ahle Bait (a. s. ) (vis-à-vis yourselves) like the position of the head with regards to the body and the eyes to the head. Surely, the head cannot be guided but through the eyes. Follow them after me and you will never be deviated. ” Then we asked about the Imams. He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “The Imams after me from my progeny, my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
136. Kefaayah Al-Asar [3]: Imraan Ibn Haseen narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us thus, “O people! Soon I will depart from you and go to
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the unseen (world). I advise you to be good to my progeny. ” Salman stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Are not the Imams after you from your progeny? ’
He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Yes, the Imams after me are from my progeny. They are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Nine of them will be from Husain’s (a. s. ) offspring. The Mahdi of this nation is from us. Whoever fastens unto them, then indeed he has fastened to the rope of Allah. Do not teach them because they are more knowledgeable than you. Follow them because they are with the truth and the truth is with them till they come to me at the Pond. ”
137. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Imraan Ibn Haseen narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Ali (a. s. ) , “You are the inheritor of my knowledge and you are the caliph after me. After me, you will teach the people what they do not know. You are the father of my two grandsons and the husband of my daughter. From your offspring is the progeny, the infallible Imams. ” Salman asked him about the Imams. He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “They are equal to the number of chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
138. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Huzaifah Ibn Usaid says that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say on the pulpit when they asked him about the Imams (except for the fact that he has not mentioned the name of Salman in his tradition) , “The Imams after
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me are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Beware! They are with the truth and the truth is with them. ”
139. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Ameer Al-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “If anyone from the progeny of a Prophet carries the name of the Prophet, Allah deputes to them an angel who guides them. Surely, from the Imams after me, there is (an Imam) whose name is my name and the one who Moosa Ibn Imran has named.
Surely, the Imams after me are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Allah has granted them my knowledge and my understanding. Whoever opposes them has opposed me. Whoever rejects and denies them, than indeed he has rejected and denied me. Whoever loves me (or loves them) in the way of Allah, surely, he will be from the successful ones on the day of judgment. ”
140. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Ameer Al-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a. s. ) narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “Soon my nation will be divided into seventy-three sects. One sect amongst them will be the saved ones while the remaining shall be destroyed. The saved one are those who will fasten to your mastership, take from your knowledge and will not act whimsically. As for the remaining ones, they shall not find any path. ” I asked about the Imams. He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “They are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
141.
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Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Sedaad Ibn Aws narrates that on the day of Jamal (battle of Jamal) , I said unto myself, ‘I will neither fight with nor against Ali. ’ Hence, I stopped till it was noon. As night approached, Allah inspired in my heart that I should fight with Ali. I duly obliged and the result was what eventually transpired. Later, I returned to Madina and paid a visit to Umme Salmah.
She asked me, ‘From where are you coming? ’ I replied, ‘From Basrah. ’ She inquired, ‘You were on which side? ’ ‘O mother of believers! I had refrained from fighting till noon but later Allah (Mighty and Glorified be He) inspired me to fight alongside Ali’, was my response. She said, ‘Excellent. I have indeed heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “Whoever fights against Ali, has fought against me and whoever has - Volume 1 , Page 67 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
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[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 73, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 3; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 310, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 150.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 86, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 3; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 314, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 159; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 301.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 102, Chap. 13, Tr. No. 3; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 320, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 173.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 89, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 7; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 316, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 163.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 109, Chap. 15, Tr. No. 2; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 322, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 178.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 113, Chap. 16, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 323, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 181.
[3]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 127, Chap. 18, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 228, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 185.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 129, Chap. 18, Tr. No. 2; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 329, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 186.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 111, Chap. 15, Tr. No. 4; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 323, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 180.
[3]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 131, Chap. 16, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 330, Chap.. 41, Tr. No. 188.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 132, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 213; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 330, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 189.
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 130, Chap. 15, Tr. No. 3; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 329, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 187.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 154, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 8; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 336, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 197; Al-Insaaf, pg. 57, Tr. No. 158
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, pg. 155, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 9; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 336, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 198.
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, p. 180, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 1; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 346, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 213
fought against me, has fought against Allah. ”
I asked, ‘Then, do you think that right was with Ali? ’ She replied, ‘Yes, by Allah. Ali is with truth and truth is with Ali. By Allah! The nation of Muhammad has not dealt justly with their Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , when they forwarded whom Allah (Mighty and Glorified be He) and His Messenger (s. a. w. a. ) withheld and restrained whom Allah, the High, and His Messenger (s. a. w. a. ) advanced.
They protected their families in their houses and brought forth the family of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) for slaughter. Indeed, I have heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “For my nation, there will be a
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sect and a succession. So, bring it together whether they congregate or split and acquire the middle path. Take care of my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). If they fight, you fight too and if they are at peace, you be at peace as well. If they withdraw, you retreat too because the truth is with them wherever they are. ”
I asked, ‘Who are his Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , whom we are ordered to fasten unto? ’ She replied, ‘They are the Imams after him (s. a. w. a. ) who, as he said, are equal to the number of the chiefs of the Bani Israel. Ali, his (s. a. w. a. ) two grandsons and nine from the posterity of Husain are his (s. a. w. a. ) Ahle Bait (a. s. ). They are the purified and infallible Imams. ’ I exclaimed, ‘By Allah! In this case, the people are destroyed. ’ She retorted, ‘Each group is proud for what is with them. ’
142. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Ishaaq Ibn Ammar narrates from Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad, who in turn narrates from his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The Imams after me are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel and the companions of Eesa (a. s. ). Whoever loves them is a believer and whoever bears hatred against them is a hypocrite. They are Allah’s proofs in His creation and His signs among His them. ”
143. Kefaayah Al-Asar [2]: Jaaber Ibn Yazeed al-Jo’fi narrates from Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baaqer (a. s. ) , who in turn narrates from his father Ali Ibn Husain Zain al-Abedeen (a. s. ) that Imam Hasan Ibn Ali
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(a. s. ) remarked, “The Imams are equal to the number of the chiefs of the Bani Israel. From us is the Mahdi of this nation. ”
144. Kefaayah Al-Asar [1]: Abbas Ibn Sahl al-Saaedi narrates from his father, ‘I asked Fatemah al-Zahra (a. s. ) concerning the Imams (a. s. ). ’ She replied, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, ‘The Imams after me are equal to the number of the chiefs of the Bani Israel. ”
145. Al-Khesaal [2]: Masruq cites that a person came to (Abdullah) Ibn Mas’ud and asked, ‘Has your Prophet informed you as to how many successors will follow him (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He replied, “Yes. None before you has asked me this question while you are the youngest of them all in age. The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) had said, ‘There will be twelve (successors) after me equal to the number of the successors of Moosa (a. s. ). ”
146. Al-Manaaqeb [3]: A’mash quotes on the authority of Imam Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) , “I asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , ‘Inform me, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Will there be a Prophet after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘No. I am the seal of the Prophets but twelve Imams will follow me, who will uphold justice and will be equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel…”
147. Al-Kaafi Fi Al-Fiqh [4]: The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed that the number of Imams after me will be equal to the number of chiefs of Bani Israel.
148. Taqreeb Al-Maaref [5]: It has been reported directly on the authority of the Messenger of Allah
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(s. a. w. a. ) that he (s. a. w. a. ) remarked, “The number of Imams after me are equal to the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”
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--------------------
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, p. 166, Chap. 21, Tr. No. 4; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 340, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 203
[2]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, p. 224, Chap. 30, Tr. No. 2; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 483, Chap. 43, Tr. No. 2
[1]: Kefaayah Al-Asar, p. 197, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 6; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 352, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 223
[2]: Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, p. 468, The Chapter of Twelve, Tr. No. 9. He has brought a similar tradition in the same chapter, Tr. No. 10; Behaar Al-Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 233, Chap. 41, Tr. Nos. 16 & 17
[3]: Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, p. 300
[4]: Al-Kaafi Fi Al-Fiqh by Abu al-Salaah al-Halabi, p. 99
[5]: Taqreeb Al-Maaref, p. 126
Chapter 2: Documented Traditions Concerning the Twelve Imams Elaborating Those Brought in the First Chapter
Chapter Two: Documented Traditions Concerning the Twelve Imams (a. s. ) , Elaborating Those Brought in the First Chapter [1]
149. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah [2]: Abu Tufail Aamir Ibn Waathelah – he is the last companion of the Prophet to die as per the consensus of the Ulema – narrates from Ali (a. s. ) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, ‘O Ali! You are my successor. Your war is my war and your peace is my peace. You are an Imam and the father of eleven Imams, pure and infallible.
From them is the Mahdi, one who will fill the earth with justice and equity. Then woe unto those who bear malice against them! O Ali! If a person loves you and your progeny for the sake of Allah, indeed Allah will raise him with you and with your progeny while all of you are with me in the highest levels. You will be the distributor of the Paradise and the Hell. You will make your lovers enter the Paradise while your enemies will go to Hell. ’”
150. Muqtazab al-Asar [3]: Ma’roof Ibn Kharbudh al-Makki narrates from Abu Tufail Aamir Ibn Waathelah al-Kenaani says that I heard Ali (a. s. ) say, “Every year in the Night of Power (Lailah al-Qadr) , descends on the successors after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) what descends. ” He (a. s. ) was asked, ‘And who are the successors, O Ameer al-Momineen? ’
He (a. s. ) replied, ‘I
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and eleven of my offspring. They are the Imams, the addressed ones (محدّثون) [1] . ’ Ma’roof says, ‘I met Abu Abdillah, the slave of Ibn Abbas in Mecca and conveyed to him the contents of this tradition. ’ He responded, ‘I have heard the same tradition from (my master) Ibn Abbas and he recited ‘And We have not sent down before you any prophet or messenger or muhaddath”.
وَمَا اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ نَبِىٍّ وَ لاَ رَسُوْلٍ وَ لاَ مُحَدَّث
And he said, ‘By Allah! They are the Muhaddathoon. ’
151. Al-Irshaad [2]: Zuraarah narrates that I heard Imam Abu Jafar al-Baaqer (a. s. ) state, “All the twelve Imams from the progeny of Muhammad are Muhaddath, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and eleven of his descendants. The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and Ali (a. s. ) , they are the two fathers. ”
152. Kitaab Sulaim Ibn Qais [3]: Sulaim narrates from Ali (a. s. ) that he said, “O Sulaim! Surely, my successors are eleven Imams from my progeny. All of them are Muhaddathoon. ” I asked, ‘O Ameer al-Momineen! Who are they? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “He, my son, Hasan, and he, my son, Husain. ” Then he (a. s. ) took the hand of his grandson Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) who was then a suckling child and said, “Then eight descendants from his progeny one after the other. They are those about whom Allah has promised in His book
وَ وَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ
‘And a father and what he begets. ’ (Surah Balad (90): Verse 3)
So, the term ‘father’ (in this verse) implies the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and myself and ‘what
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he begets’ connotes eleven of my successors. ’ I asked, ‘O Ameer al-Momineen! Is it possible for two Imams to be present at the same time? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, ‘Yes, except for the fact that one has to remain silent and not speak till the other dies. ’
153. Faraaed al-Simtain [1]: Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘Surely, my caliphs, my successors and the proofs of Allah upon the creatures after me are twelve. The first of them is my brother and the last is my son. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who is your brother? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib. ’
Again he (s. a. w. a. ) was questioned, ‘And who is your son? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, ‘The Mahdi, who will fill the earth with justice and equality as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. I swear by the one Who raised me as a giver of glad tidings with truth! If only one day remains for the world to come to an end, Allah will prolong this day till He brings forth in it my son Mahdi. The Spirit of Allah, Eesa, the son of Maryam, will descend and pray behind him. The earth will light up with the resplendence of its Lord. His (Mahdi) government will encompass the east and the west. ’
154. Faraaed al-Simtain [2]: Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘I am the chief of the messengers while Ali is the chief of the successors. Surely
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my successors after me are twelve, first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and the last of them is Al-Qaem (a. s. ). ’
155. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah [1]: Imam Zain al-Aabedin (a. s. ) narrates from his father Sayyed al-Shuhada al-Husain (a. s. ) from his father the chief of the successors Ameer al-Momineen Ali (a. s. ) that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘The Imams after me are twelve. The first of them is you O Ali and the last of them is the Qaem through whom Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will conquer the east and the west. ’
156. Kamaal al-Deen [2]: Ali (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘The Imams after me will be twelve. The first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and the last of them is the Qaem. They are my caliphs, my successors, my friends and the proofs of Allah upon my nation after me. The one who accepts them is a believer and the one who denies them is an unbeliever. ’
157. Al-Amaali of Saduq (a. r. ) [3]: Ameer al-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) narrates that I requested the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , ‘Kindly inform me of the number of Imams after you. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘O Ali! They are twelve. The first of them is you and the last of them is the Qaem. ’
158. Meah Manqebah [4]: Ibn Abbas narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, ‘O people! Know that for Allah there is a door. One who enters it will be safe from the hell-fire and
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the great fear (الفزع الاکبر). ’ At this, Abu Saeed al-Khudri stood up and requisitioned, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Guide us to this door that we may recognise it. ’
He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, ‘He is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, the chief of the successors, the leader of the believers, the brother of the Messenger of Lord of the worlds (s. a. w. a. ) and his caliph on the people, all of them. O people! Whoever loves to fasten to the strong rope, which will never split, must hold on to the mastership (ولایة) of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) because his mastership is my mastership and his obedience is my obedience. O people! Whoever desires to take Allah and His messenger as his master, he must follow Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and the Imams from my progeny for surely, they are the treasurers of my knowledge. ’
Here Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansari stood up and enquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! What is the number of these Imams? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘O Jaaber! May Allah have mercy on you, you have asked me about Islam, the whole of it. Their number is equal to the number of months and these with Allah are twelve months in the Book of Allah (since) the day He created the heavens and the earth. Their number is equal to the number of the springs that gushed for Moosa Ibn Imraan (a. s. ) when he struck the stone with his staff and their gushed twelve springs from it. Their number is
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equal to the chiefs of Bani Israel. Allah the High says,
وَلَقَدْ اَخَذَ اللهُ مِیْثَاقَ بَنِى اِسرَائِیلَ وَ بَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمْ اِثْنى عَشَرَ نَقِیْبًا
‘And indeed We took the covenant from the Bani Israel and raised from them twelve chiefs. ’ So, O Jaaber, the Imams are twelve. First of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and the last of them is al-Qaem al-Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). ’
159. Al-Ikhtesaas [1]: Ibn Abbas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “The remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, is worship, my remembrance is worship, the remembrance of Ali is worship and the remembrance of the Imams from his progeny is worship. I swear by the One Who raised me with prophethood and made me the best of creatures! Surely my successor is the most superior of all the successors. Indeed, he is the proof of Allah upon His servants and His caliph upon His creation. From his progeny are the guided Imams after me.
Due to them, Allah restrains the punishment from the people of the earth and prevents the sky from falling on the earth. Due to them He prevents the mountains from being moved, through them He provides rainwater to His creation and causes the growth of vegetation. They are the true friends of Allah and my real caliphs. Their number is equal to the number of the months and these are twleve. Their number is equal to the number of the chiefs of Moosa Ibn Imraan (a. s. ). ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) recited the
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following verse,
وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوْجِ
‘I swear by the mansions of the stars. ’
(Qur’an Surah Buruj 8: 1)
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O son of Abbas! Do you think that when Allah swears by the sky the bearer of constellations, does He only imply the sky and its constellations? ” I asked, ‘Then what is it, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “As for the sky, it’s me. And as for the constellations, they imply the Imams after me. The first of them is Ali and the last of them is Mahdi (a. s. ). ”
160. Al-Ghaibah of No’maani [1]: Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) told me, “O Ali! The rightly guided, infallible Imams from your progeny are eleven. You are the first of them and the last of them will bear the same name as that of mine. When he emerges, he will fill the earth with justice as it would be filled with injustice and oppression. A man will come to him while the wealth is hoarded near him and implore, ‘O Mahdi! Grant me. ’ He will reply, ‘Take (as much as you like) ’. ”
161. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah [2]: Ali Ibn Moosa ar-Reza (a. s. ) narrates on the authority of his forefathers reaching to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) who quotes the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , “Allah has not created any creature more superior and more honoured in front of Him than me. ” Ali (a. s. ) asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Are you superior or Jibraeel? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “O Ali! Surely Allah, Blessed
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and High Be He has granted His messengers superiority over the close angels and granted me superiority over all the prophets and messengers. After me superiority is for you and for the Imams from your progeny after you. O Ali! Surely the angels are our servants and the servants of our lovers.
These angels are those who carry the throne (عرش) and are around it, glorifying Allah with His praise and seeking forgiveness for those who - Volume 1 , Page 77 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
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[1]: It is clear for you that some of the traditions we have brought in the previous chapter explain the fact that there will be twelve Imams from the Bani Hashim, from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). The first of them is Ali (a. s. ) and Hazrat Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) is from them and the last of them. Nine of these will be from the descendants of Imam Husain (a. s. ). The first of them is Ali (a. s. ) , the second is Hasan (a. s. ) , the third is Husain (a. s. ) , the fourth is Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) and the seventh from them is from the offspring of Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baaqer (a. s. ). When these holy and infallible Imams (a. s. ) will depart from this earth, it will be destroyed along with all its inhabitants. These and other such attributes of the infallible Imams (a. s. ) can be found in the following traditions: 49, 62, 66, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 94, 95, 97, 98, 102, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 113, 115, 117, 118, 120, 121, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137 and 147. They reach to 52 traditions and in this chapter another 161 will be added, making the sum total to 213 elucidative traditions.
[2]: Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 85, Chap. 16
[3]: Muqtazab al-Asar, p. 29, Tr. No. 18; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 382, Chap. 42, Tr. No. 9.
[1]: The term muhaddathoon implies those who converse with the angels but cannot see them – Translator.
[2]: Al-Irshaad, vol. 2, pg. 375, Chap. 19, Tr. No. 5; Kash al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 448
[3]: Kitaab Sulaim Ibn Qais, pg. 227.
[1]: Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 312, Chap. 61, Tr. No. 562; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 280, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 27; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 447, Chap. 78 (in brief) ; Ghaayah al-Maraam, pg. 692, Chap. 141, Tr. No. 6; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 51, pg. 71, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 12.
[2]: Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 313, Chap. 61, Tr. No. 564; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 280. Chap. 24, Tr. No. 29; Ghaayah al-Maraam, Chap. 141, Tr. No. 8; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 258 & pg. 445, Chap. 77, & pg. 447, Chap. 78; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 226, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 1; Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 64, Tr. No. 31; Kashf al-Astaar, pg. 74, Section 1.
[1]: Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 492-493, Chap. 94; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 282, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 35; Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 65, Tr. No. 34; Al-Amaali of Saduq (a. r. ) , pg. 97, Majlis No. 23, Tr. No. 9; Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Ashob, vol. 1, pg. 298; Rawzah al-Waaezin, vol. 1, pg. 102.
[2]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 259, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 4; Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 59, Tr. No. 28, Chap. 6; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 145, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 244, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 57; Al-Insaaf, pg. 323, Tr. No. 296; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 369.
[3]: Al-Amaali of Saduq (a. r. ) , Majlis No. 91, Tr. No. 10; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 232, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 15.
[4]: Meah Manqebah, pg. 71, Manqebah No. 41; Al-Yaqeen, pg. 60; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 263, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 84.
[1]: Al-Ikhtesaas, pg. 223, Chap. 71; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 370, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 234.
[1]: Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 92, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 23; Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi (a. r. ) , pg. 135, Tr. No. 99; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 259, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 78 and pg. 281, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 101.
[2]: Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 485, Chap. 93; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 254, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 4; Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 262, Chap. 22, Tr. No. 22; Elal al-Sharaae, pg. 13; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, pg. 335, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 1 and vol. 57, pg. 303, Chap. 39, Tr. No. 16.
believe in our mastership. O Ali! If we were not there, Allah would not have created Adam, Hawwa, Paradise, Hell, Sky and Earth. Then how we are not superior to the angels while we have preceded them in the recognition of our Lord, His glorification, His praise and His holiness? For certainly, the first thing that Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, created were our souls and He made them speak about His Oneness and His Praise. Thereafter, He created the angels.
When they saw our souls in the form of one light, they were overawed with our affair. Immediately, we glorified Allah (تسبیح) that the angels may know that we are created and that surely He, the High, is transcendent of our attributes. The angels emulated our glorification and purified Allah from our attributes.
When the angels observed the greatness of our position, we declared ‘there is no god but Allah’ (تهلیل) that they may know that there is no god except Allah and that we are His servants and not gods who
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are to be worshipped with Him or other than Him. When they witnessed the loftiness of our state, we said, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ (تکبیر) that the angels be informed that Allah is the Greatest and no creature can attain a lofty position but through Him.
When they saw what Allah has made for us from the might and the strength, we confessed, ‘There is no power or strength except that of Allah’ لاَ حَوْلَ وَ لاَ قُوَّةَ اِلاَّ بِالله that the angels may know that there is no power and strength except that of Allah. When they witnessed the bounties that Allah has conferred on us and our obedience, which He has made obligatory for His creatures, we praised Allah (تحمید) that the angels may become aware that all praise is for Allah on His bounties. The angels said, ‘All praise is for Allah. ’ So, through us, they receive guidance to the recognition of Allah’s Oneness, Glorification, Greatness, Praise, etc. And surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, created Adam (a. s. ) and placed us in his offspring.
Then how we are not superior to the angels while they all prostrated before Adam? When I was taken to the heavens during ascension (me’raj) , Jibraeel said the Azaan and the Iqaamah twice and requested, ‘Go ahead, O Muhammad! ’ I asked, ‘Should I go ahead of you O Jibraeel? ’ ‘Yes. Surely Allah, Blessed and High Be He, made His prophets superior to all His angels. He has granted special superiority to you over all of
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them. ’
So, I went ahead, led the prayers (with the angels behind me) and am not proud about it. When I reached to the veils of light, Jibraeel implored again, ‘Go ahead, O Muhammad! ’ And he stepped behind me. I asked, ‘O Jibraeel! Are you forsaking me in such a place? ’ He retorted, ‘O Muhammad! This is my limit, which Allah has defined for me. If I exceed it, my wings will be burnt on account of the transgression of the orders of my Lord, Majestic is His Majesty. ’ The veil of light was removed for me; I reached till where Allah pleased, to the loftiness of His kingdom.
Then I was called out, ‘O Muhammad! You are my servant and I am your Lord. Then worship only Me and rely only on Me. I created you from My Light. You are My messenger to My creation and My proof upon My creatures. I created My paradise for you and for the one who follows you. I created My hell for the one who opposses you. I made My honour obligatory for your successors. ’ I asked, ‘O Lord! Who are my successors? ’ It was said, ‘O Muhammad! Your successors are transcribed on the canopy of My Throne (arsh). ’ I looked and I saw twelve lights and in each light there was a green line on which was the name of one of my successors. The first of them was Ali and the last of them was the Qaem al-Mahdi. ’
I
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enquired, ‘O Lord! Are these my successors after me? ’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad! These are My friends, My lovers, My chosen ones and My proofs upon My creatures after you. They are your successors. By My Might and My Majesty! Certainly I will clean the earth of injustice with the last of them, al-Mahdi. I will make him rule the east of the earth and its west and make the wind subservient to him. I will make him dominate the skies and overcome the causes.
I will help him with My army and assist him with My angels till My call is prevalent and the creatures gather on My Oneness (tauheed). Thereafter, I will prolong his kingdom and will alternate my friends as the rulers of the earth one after the other till the day of judgement. ”
162. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah [1]: A lengthy tradition narrated from Al-Manaaqeb from Abu Tufail Aamir Ibn Waathelah in the incident of the arrival of a Jew of Madina to Ali (a. s. ) and his questions from him. (The Jew) asked, ‘Inform me as to how many Imams will be in this (Muslim) Ummah after its Prophet (s. a. w. a. )? And inform me about the position of Muhammad, where is he in Paradise? And inform me who will stay with him in Paradise? ’
Ali (a. s. ) replied, “After its Prophet, this Ummah will have twelve Imams. Whoever opposes them (Imams) will not harm them. ”
Jew: You have spoken the truth.
Ali (a. s. ): Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) is placed in Jannah Al-Adn in Paradise, which is
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centrally located, is its highest position and is closest to the Throne of the Beneficent, Majestic be His Majesty.
Jew: You have spoken the truth.
Ali (a. s. ): And as for those who will stay with him in Paradise, then these are the twelve Imams, first of them is me and the last of them is the Al- Qaem Al-Mahdi.
Jew: You have spoken the truth.
Ali (a. s. ): Ask anything that you desire.
Jew: Inform me as to how much will you live after your Prophet and will you die a natural death or will you be martyred?
Ali (a. s. ): I will live after him (s. a. w. a. ) for thirty years and this-indicating towards his beard- will be dyed with this- pointing to his head (i. e. prophesying his martyrdom).
Jew: I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). I also witness that surely you are the successor of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ).
163. Sharh-o-Ghaayah al-Ahkaam [1]: Abu Abdillah al-Husain Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) said, “From us are the twelve guided (Imams). First of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and the last of them is Al-Qaem (a. s. ) ”.
164. Rauz al-Jenaan Fi Tafseer al-Quran [2]: The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “The Imams after me are twelve. First of them is Ali, the fourth of them is Ali, the eighth of them is Ali, the tenth of them is Ali and the last of them is Mahdi. ”
165. Al-Manaaqeb [3]: Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) cites on the authority of the Messenger of Allah
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(s. a. w. a. ) , who said, “Surely Allah, the High, has taken my covenant and the covenant of the twelve Imams after me. They are the proofs of Allah upon His creatures. The twelfth of them is al-Qaem, through whom Allah will fill the earth with justice and equality as it would be fraught with injustice and tyranny. ”
166. Faraaed al-Simtain [1]: Asbagh Ibn Nubaatah narrates on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Abbas, who says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “I, Ali, Hasan, Husain and nine descendants of Husain are purified and infallible. ”’
167. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “My Ahle Bait (a. s. ) are (a cause of) protection for the people of the earth like the stars are for the inhabitants of the skies. ” He was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! The Imams after you are from your Ahle Bait (a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Yes. The Imams after me are twelve, of which nine will be from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) , trustees and infallible. From us is the Mahdi of this Ummah. Beware! Surely they are my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) and my progeny, from my flesh and my blood. Those who will hurt me concerning them, I will not intercede to Allah on their behalf (on the day of judgement). ”
168. Kefaayah al-Asar [3]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Imams after me are twelve, nine of them are from the descendants of al-Husain (a. s. )
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and the Mahdi is from them. ”
169. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Ataa narrates that we visited Abdullah Ibn Abbas at Taaef during the illness in which he expired. We were a group of thirty people from the elders of Taaef. He looked very frail. We did salaam to him and sat down. He asked me, ‘O Ataa! Who are these people with you? ’ I replied, ‘They are the elders of this city. Among them are Abdullah Ibn Salmah Ibn Hazrami al-Taaefi, Ammarah Ibn Abi al-Ajlah and Thaabit Ibn Maalik. So I enumerated them for him one by one.
Thereafter, they came forward and said to him, ‘O cousin of Allah’s Messenger (s. a. w. a. )! Surely you have seen the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and heard from him what you heard. Then inform us about the dispute of this Ummah as some have given preference to Ali (a. s. ) over others, while some have placed him after three (caliphs). ’ Ibn Abbas sighed and said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, ‘Ali is with Truth and Truth is with Ali.
He is the Imam and the Caliph after me. So, whoever fastens unto him, will be successful and saved. And whoever turns away from him, will stray and be deviated. Nay! (After my death) he will shroud me, give bath to my corpse and pay off my debts. He is the father of my two grandsons, al-Hasan and al-Husain. There will be nine Imams from the offspring of Husain and from us is the Mahdi of
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this nation. ’
At this Abdullah Ibn Salmah Hazrami asked him, ‘O cousin of Allah’s Messenger! Why have you not introduced these things to us before? ’ He replied, ‘By Allah! Indeed I have conveyed to you what I had heard and advised you. But you don’t like those who advise. ’ Then he continued, ‘O servants of Allah! Fear Allah like the one who takes lessons while he is prepared, really dreads, proceeds slowly, is inclined towards seeking and fears from fleeing.
Then act for your hereafter before your death comes upon you and fasten to the strong rope from the progeny of your Prophet (s. a. w. a. ). For surely, I have heard him (s. a. w. a. ) say, ‘He who fastens to my progeny after me, will be from the successful ones’. ’ Then he (Ibn Abbas) started wailing. People asked, ‘Why are you crying while you enjoy such a high status near the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’
He told me, ‘O Ataa! I am crying for two things: The fear of the one who sees things at the time of death and the separation of the loved ones. ’ Thereafter, the people dispersed and he told me, ‘O Ataa! Hold my hand and take me to the courtyard of the house. ’ I and Saeed held his hands and took him to the courtyard, where he raised his hands towards the sky and said, ‘O Allah! Surely I seek closeness to you through Muhammad - Volume 1 , Page 84 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
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[1]: Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 443, Chap. 76
[1]: Kashf al-Astaar, pg. 109, Section 1 narrating from Sharh-o-Ghaayah al-Ahkaam
[2]: Rauz al-Jenaan, vol. 9, pg. 240 under the exegesis of Surah Taubah, Verse 36
[3]: Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr al-Ashob, vol. 1, pg. 283
[1]: Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 132, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 430 & pg. 313, Chap. 61, Tr. No. 563; Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 209; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 280, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 28; Oyoon-o-Akhabaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 64, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 30; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 19, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 286, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 50 & 108; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 258 narrating from Mawaddah al-Qurbaa; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 110
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 29, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 291; Chap. 41, Tr. No. 114
[3]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 34, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 10; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 293; Chap. 41, Tr. No. 121
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 20, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 287; Chap. 41, Tr. No. 109
and his progeny. O Allah! Surely I seek closeness to you through the mastership of
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(my) teacher, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib. ’ He kept repeating these prayers till he fell on the ground. We waited for a while, after which we picked him up but he was dead (may Allah have mercy on him). ’
170. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Hurairah narrates that I asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) concerning the saying of Allah,
وَ جَعَلَهَا کَلِمَةً بَاقِیَةً فِىْ عَقِبِه لِعَلَّهُمْ یَرْجِعُوْنَ
And he made it a word to continue in his posterity that they may return.
(Qur’an Surah Zukhruf 43: 28)
He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “He (Allah) has placed Imamat in the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). Nine of the Imams will emerge from his offspring and from them is the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) of this nation. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) warned, “If a person stands on one feet between the Rukn and the Maqaam (-e-Ibraheem) but dies in a state bearing hatred against my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , he will enter the fire. ”
171. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Umar Ibn Khattaab narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “O people! Certainly, I am about to depart from you and surely you will meet me at the Hauz (pond of Kausar) , whose breadth is like the distance between San’aa (in Yemen) to Basraa. In it are silver goblets equal to the number of stars. Surely, I will ask you as to how you have dealt with my will concerning the two weighty things (Saqalain).
Thus, beware as to how you treat them after me. The greater heavy thing is the Book of Allah, whose
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one side is in the hands of Allah and another is in your hands. Therefore, fasten unto it and do not distort it. (The second is) my progeny, my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , for indeed, the Gracious, the Knower has informed me that these two will not separate from each other till they meet me at the Hauz. ” I (Umar) asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who is your progeny? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “My Ahle Bait (a. s. ) from the children of Ali (a. s. ) and Fatema (s. a. ) , of which nine righteous Imams from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) , are my progeny. They are from my flesh and my blood. ”
172. Al Manqebah al Meah [1]: Ameer al-Mumineen (a. s. ) says, “By Allah! Indeed the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) appointed me as his successor in his nation. So, I am the proof of Allah upon them after him. My mastership is obligatory on the inhabitants of the heavens like it is on the people of the earth. Surely, the angels discuss my virtues and this is their glorification (تسبیح) with Allah.
O people! Follow me that I guide you to the path of guidance and do not stray right or left, lest you be misguided. I am the successor of your prophet, his heir, the Imam of the believers, their master and their chief. I am the leader of my followers to Paradise and I will drag my enemies to hell. I am the sword of Allah upon His enemies and His mercy on His friends.
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I am the owner of the pond of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , his flag, his station and his intercession. I, Hasan, Husain and nine from the progeny of Husain are the caliphs of Allah in His earth, His trustees upon His revelation, the Imams of the Muslims after their prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and the proofs of Allah upon His creatures. ”
173. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Zaid Ibn Arqam narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Ali (a. s. ) , “You are the Imam and the successor after me. Your two sons are my grandsons, the two Imams and the leaders of the youth of Paradise. Nine from the offspring of Husain are the infallible Imams and from them is the Qaem of us Ahle Bait (a. s. ). ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O Ali! There are no riders on the day of judgement except the four of us. ” At this juncture, a person from the Ansaar stood up and asked, ‘May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who are they? ’
He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “I will be on Allah’s carrier Buraaq, my brother Saleh (the prophet) will be on Allah’s she-camel which was slayed, my uncle Hamzah will be on my she-camel al-Azbaa and my brother Ali will be on a she-camel from the camels of paradise. In his hand, will be the standard of praise (lewaa al-hamd).
He will call out ‘There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. ’ (On seeing him)
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the humans will proclaim, ‘He is not but a proximate angel or a sent prophet or a carrier of the Arsh. ’ An angel from beneath the Arsh will reply to them, ‘O people! He is neither a proximate angel nor a sent prophet nor a carrier of the Arsh. He is the most truthful (الصّدّیق الاکبر) , the greatest distinguisher (الفاروق الاعظم) , Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ). ”
174. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Zaid ibn Arqam narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , “You are the chief of the successors and your two sons are the leaders of the youth of paradise. From the progeny of Husain, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will bring out nine Imams. After I die, a group of people will bear hatred against you in their hearts, deprive you of your rights and join forces against you. ”
175. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Usmaan Ibn Affaan narrates that his father said to him, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Imams (a. s. ) after me are twelve, nine are from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). From us is the Mahdi of this nation. Whoever fastens unto them after me then indeed he has fastened to the rope of Allah and whoever leaves them then he has left Allah. ”
176. Kefaayah al-Asar [3]: Abi Amaamah cites on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , “The Imams after me are twelve. All of them will be from Quraish. Nine will be from the offspring of Husain
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(a. s. ) and the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) is from them. ”
177. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Ammaar (al-Yaasir) recounts, ‘When the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was about to die, he called Ali (a. s. ) and had a lengthy secretive conversation with him. Thereafter, he (s. a. w. a. ) remarked, “O Ali! You are my successor and my heir. Indeed, Allah has granted you my knowledge and my understanding. After I die, some people will bear hatred against you in their hearts and usurp your right. ” On hearing this, Fatemah (a. s. ) started crying and so did Hasan and Husain (a. s. ).
He (s. a. w. a. ) enquired, “O chief of the womenfolk! Why do you cry? ” She (a. s. ) expressed, “O my father! I fear destruction after you. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) consoled, “I give you glad-tidings O Fatemah! You will be the first of the Ahle Bait (a. s. ) to meet me. So, neither cry nor grieve. You are the chief of the women of paradise, your father is the chief of the prophets, your cousin is the chief of the successors and your two sons are the chiefs of the youth of paradise. From the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) , Allah will bring out nine pure and infallible Imams. And from us is the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) of this nation. ”
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) turned to Ali (a. s. ) and informed, “O Ali! None will bathe me and shroud me but you. ” Then Ali (a. s. ) asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who will hand me the water (while I bathe you)? For surely, you are heavy and I cannot change your positions
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(during the bath) singlehandedly. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Surely, Jibraeel will be with you and Fazl will hand over water to you. ”’
He (Ammaar) continues, ‘When the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) expired, Fazl was handing over the water during the ceremonial bath while Jibraeel helped Ali (a. s. ). When the bathing and shrouding was complete, Abbas (Prophet’s uncle) came to Ali (a. s. ) and said, “O Ali! The people have gathered to bury the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) in the graveyard of Baqi and one person is leading them. ”
Ali (a. s. ) came out to the people and said, “O people! Certainly, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was our leader, in life as well as in death. Are you aware that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) has cursed the one who performs salaat on the graves, who takes another god with Allah, who breaks his dentures and ruptures his gums. ” They replied, ‘The affair is in your hands; do as you like. ’ He (a. s. ) said, “Then I am burying the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) in the piece of land where he expired”. ’ Ammaar says, ‘He stood on the door and performed the funeral prayers. Thereafter, he ordered the people to perform the prayers in groups of ten and leave. ’
178. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Sa’d Ibn Maalik says that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O Ali! You are unto me as Haroon was to Moosa (a. s. ) except that there is no prophet after me. You will repay my debts and fulfil my promises. You will fight after me for
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the exegesis of the Quran like I battled for its revelation. O Ali! Your love is faith and bearing malice against you is hypocrisy. Indeed, the Gracious, the Knower has informed me that nine infallible and pure Imams (a. s. ) will emerge from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). From them is the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) of this nation who will establish religion in the last era just as I did it in the beginning. ”
179. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Certainly, twelve Imams will rule this affair (Islam) after me. Nine will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). Allah will grant them my knowledge and my understanding. Those who hurt me concerning them, Allah will prevent my intercession from reaching unto them. ”
180. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Moosa Ibn Abd Rabbeh says that I heard Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) say in the Mosque of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , during the lifetime of his father (a. s. ) , ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) stake, “The first thing that Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, created were His curtains.
Then, He wrote on its pillars, ‘There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is his successor’. Thereafter, Allah created the Tablet (lauh) and wrote on its sides, ‘There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is his successor’. So, whoever thinks that he loves the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) but does not love the successor (Ali) , then indeed he has
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lied. And whoever thinks that he recognises the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) but does not recognise the successor, then again he has disbelieved.
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘Know that my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) are source of security for you, then love them for the sake of my love and fasten unto them that you may never be deviated. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘Who are your Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , O Prophet of Allah? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, ‘Ali, my two grandsons and nine descendants from the progeny of Husain. They are the Imams, trustees and infallible. Beware! They are my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) and my progeny, from my flesh and my blood. ”’
181. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Hamzah Sumaali narrates from Abu Khaled Kaabuli from Imam Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) from his father Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) , who said, “I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while he was in deep thought and sorrowful.
I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! What are you thinking so deeply about? ’ He replied, ‘Son! Ruh al-Ameen (Jibraeel) came to me and informed, ‘O Messenger of Allah! The High, the Highest (Allah) conveys salutations to you and says, ‘Indeed I am about to bring your Prophethood to an end and your life to an end. Thus, hand over the greatest name (الاسم الاکبر) , the heritage of knowledge and the effects of the - Volume 1 , Page 92 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam
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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 86, Chap. 10, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 315, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 160; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 4, pg. 46
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 91, Chap. 10, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 317, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 165
[1]: Al Manqebah al Meah, 32nd Manqebah, pg. 59; Al-Istinsaar, pg. 21.
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 100, Chap. 13, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 319, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 17; Taarikh-e-Baghdad, vol. 11, pg. 112, Tr. No. 5805 and vol. 13, pg. 122, Tr. No. 7106; Kanz al-Ummaal, vol. 13, pg. 153, Tr. No. 36478
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 101, Chap. 13, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 320, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 172.
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 93, Chap. 11, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 317, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 166.
[3]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 106, Chap. 14, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 321, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 175.
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 124, Chap. 17, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 328, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 184.
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 134, Chap. 20, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 231, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 190
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 165, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 340, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 202; Al-Insaaf, pg. 140, Tr. No. 180.
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 170, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 341, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 207; Al-Insaaf, pg. 304, Tr. No. 283
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 177, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 6; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 345, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 212; Al-Insaaf, pg. 58, Tr. No. 48
knowledge of Prophethood to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib.
For certainly, I don’t leave the earth except in it is a learned man through whom My obedience is
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known and My mastership is recognised. Surely, I did not cut off the knowledge of Prophethood from the Unseen from your progeny just as I did not terminate it from the progenies of the Prophets between you and your father Adam (a. s. ). ’
I (Husain) asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who will rule over this affair after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘Your father Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , my brother and my caliph. After Ali, Hasan will rule and you will follow him. Thereafter, there will be nine descendants from your offspring and altogether, twelve Imams will rule this affair. Finally, our Qaem will rise and fill the earth with justice and equality, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. He (the Qaem) will cure the hearts of the believers from his followers. ”
182. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Umm Salmah (r. a. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) used to say, “The Imams after me are (twelve) equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Of these, nine will be from the descendants of Husain. Allah will grant them my knowledge and my understanding. So woe unto those who bear grudge against them! ”
183. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Umm Salmah (r. a. ) recounts that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to Ali (a. s. ) , “Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has granted you the love of the destitute and the weak. So you are satisfied with them being your brothers and they are satisfied with you as their Imam. Congratulations to you and
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to the one who loves you and testifies in you and woe unto the one who bears hatred against you and denies you. O Ali! I am the city of knowledge and you are its gate. No city is approached but through its gate. O Ali! Your lovers are those who turn to Allah and protect (their faith). Your followers are those who are unkempt and in rags (implying the very poor). If I ever swear on Allah, I will do so in good faith. O Ali! Your brothers will rejoice in four places:
• When their souls are captured, and you and I will be their witness.
• During questioning in their graves.
• At the Hauz, and
• On the Seraat
O Ali! War with you is war with me and war with me is war with Allah. Whoever is at peace with you, is at peace with me, and whoever is at peace with me, is at peace with Allah. O Ali! Give tidings to your Shias that certainly Allah is satisfied with them and satisfied with you being their leader and they are satisfied being your follower. O Ali! You are the master of the believers and the leader of the simple, handsome ones. You are the father of my two grandsons and the father of the nine Imams from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ). And from us is the Mahdi of this nation. O Ali! Your Shias are the chosen ones. But for you and your Shias, Allah’s religion would
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not have been durable. ”
184. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Zarr (r. a. ) states that I heard Hazrat Fatemah (s. a. ) say, ‘I asked my father concerning the verse,
وَ عَلَى الاَعْرَافِ رِجَال یَعْرِفُوْنَ کُلاً بِسِیْمَاهُمْ
And the dwellers of the most elevated places shall call out to men whom they will recognize by their marks saying (Qur’an Surah A’raaf 7: 46)
He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “They are the Imams after me, Ali, my two grandsons and nine descendants of Husain. They are the men on the heights (الاعراف). None will enter paradise except he who knows them and they know him. And none will enter the hell except he who denies them and they deny him. Allah is not recognized but through the path of their recognition. ”
185. Al-Amaali [2]: Imam Sajjad (a. s. ) narrates that somebody asked Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. ) , ‘O Abul Hasan! You are addressed as Ameer al-Momineen. Who has enjoined this authority for you upon them? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “Allah, Majestic is His Majesty, has appointed me over them. ” Later, the same person went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and enquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Is Ali (a. s. ) speaking the truth when he (a. s. ) says that Allah has appointed him as Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. ) over the people? ’
On hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) became angry and shot back, “Surely, Ali is Ameer al-Momineen through the mastership granted to him by Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, a promise made by Him beyond His Throne (عرش) and His angels have witnessed the same. Surely
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Ali (a. s. ) is Allah’s caliph and His proof and certainly, he is the Imam of the Muslims. His obedience is joined with the obedience of Allah and his disobedience implies the disobedience of Allah. Whoever is ignorant about him is indeed ignorant about me and whoever recognises him has indeed recognised me.
Whoever denies his Imamat has in fact refuted my Prophethood and whoever rejects him as Ameer al-Momineen has in reality repudiated my Messengership. Whoever refutes his superiority has indeed reduced my position, whoever fights against him, fights against me and whoever abuses him has indeed abused me. For, surely, he is from me, created from my soil (طینت). He is the husband of my daughter Fatemah (a. s. ) and the father of my two sons, Hasan and Husain (a. s. ). ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) delcared, “I, Ali, Fatemah, Hasan, Husain and nine descendants of Husain are the proofs of Allah upon His creatures. Our enemies are the enemies of Allah and our friends are the friends of Allah. ”
186. Al-Kaafi [1]: Sulaym Ibn Qais recounts that I heard Abdullah Ibn Ja’far Al-Tayyaar say, ‘I, Hasan, Husain, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Umar Ibn Umm Salmah and Osaamah bin Zayd were with Moawiyah, when there broke an argument between us and Moawiyah. I said to him that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “I have more authority on the believers than they have on themselves. After me, my brother Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) has more authority on the believers than themselves. When Ali
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(a. s. ) is martyred, Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) will have more authority on the believers than themselves, followed by my son Husain (a. s. ) who will have more authority on the believers than themselves.
When Husain (a. s. ) is martyred, his son Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) will have more authority on the believers than themselves. O Ali! Soon you will meet him. Then his son Muhammad Ibn Ali will have more authority on the believers than themselves and O Husain soon you will meet him. Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) completed the list of twelve Imams, nine of whom will be from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ). ”
Abdullah Ibn Ja’far continues, ‘I sought testimony from Hasan, Husain, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Umar Ibn Umm Salmah and Osaamah Ibn Zaid and they all verified my statement before Moawiyah. ’ Sulaym says, ‘And indeed I heard the same from Salmaan, Abu Zarr and Miqdaad and they in turn had heard it from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ).
187. Manaaqeb Ahlebait (a. s. ) [1]: Jaaber Ibn Abdullah al-Ansaari narrates from Salmaan al-Faarsi, ‘One day we asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who are the Caliphs after you that we may know? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “O Salmaan! Call Abu Zarr, Miqdaad and Abu Ayyub Ansaari to me,” while Umm Salmah the wife of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) was standing behind the door.
Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “All of you testify and seek to understand from me: Surely, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) is my successor and my heir. He will repay my
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debts and fulfil my promises. He is the distinguisher between truth and falsehood. He is the head of the Muslims, the Imam of the pious and the leader of the simple, handsome ones. Tomorrow (on the day of judgement) he will carry the standard of the Lord of the Worlds. He, his two sons and nine Imams from the descendants of Husain are the guides, the guided ones till the day of judgement. I will complain to Allah my nation’s denial of my brother and their oppression on him…” (till the end of the tradition).
188. Al-Amaali of Shaikh Mufeed [1]: The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , “O Ali! I, you, your two sons – Hasan and Husain – and nine descendants from Husain (a. s. ) are the pillars of religion and supports of Islam. Whoever follows us will be saved and whoever turns away from us will go to hell. ”
189. Al-Ghaibah by No’maani [2]: Sulaym Ibn Qais narrates that Ali (a. s. ) said to Talha – in a lengthy tradition while mentioning the superiority of the Muhaajireen and Ansaar with their virtues and merits – ‘O Talha! Did you not witness the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) when he ordered us to bring the skin of an animal that he (s. a. w. a. ) may write on it by which the nation would neither deviate nor differ, your companion remarked, ‘Surely the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) is not in his senses,’ he (s. a. w. a. ) became angry and left it? ’ He (Talha) replied, ‘Yes,
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I witnessed it. ’
Ali (a. s. ) continued, ‘Certainly, when you all left, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed me what he (s. a. w. a. ) had intended to write on it but the Ummah would go against it. Jibraeel (a. s. ) had informed him that indeed Allah knew that the nation would differ and dispute about it. Therefore, he (s. a. w. a. ) had ordered us to bring a book that he may dictate what he had intended to be recorded on the animal hide. I have three witnesses for this: Salmaan, Abu Zarr and Miqdaad.
Thereafter, he (s. a. w. a. ) named the Imams of guidance whose obedience has been made obligatory upon the beleivers till the day of judgement. He (s. a. w. a. ) named me as the first of them followed by my son Hasan, then by Husain and then the nine descendants of my son Husain. Isn’t it so, O Abu Zarr and O Miqdaad? ’
Both of them said, ‘We witness (that we had heard this) from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’ Talha remarked, ‘By Allah! Indeed I have heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Abu Zarr, ‘There is nobody on the face of the earth and in the shades of the trees more truthful and correct in speech than Abu Zarr and I witness that both of them will not testify but the truth and you (O Ali) are more truthful and correct near me than both of them. ’
190. Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais [1]: (Extracted from a lenghty tradition) The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “…O people! Surely Allah
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looked for the third time and selected from them after me twelve successors from my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). They are the chosen ones of my nation. From them are the eleven Imams who will succeed my brother (Ali a. s. ) one after the other. Whenever one passes away, the other will replace him. Their likeness is that of the stars in the sky, just as one star disappears, another appears because they are Imams, guides and guided (by Allah). Whoever conspires against them or forsakes them will not harm them.
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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 183, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 347, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 215; Al-Seraah al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 122, Chap. 10, Section 4
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 184, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 347, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 216; Al-Insaaf, pg. 30, Tr. No. 26
[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 194, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 2; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 296, Tr. No. 10; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 351, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 220
[2]: Al-Amaali of Saduq (a. r. ) , pg. 116, 27th Majlis, Tr. No. 8; Bashaarah al-Mustafa, pg. 24; Al-Nawaader, pg. 72, Chap. 41, Kitaab al-Nabuwwah wa al-Imamah; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 227, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 5; Mashaareq al-Anwaar al-Yaqeen, pg. 55 (briefly)
[1]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1; Kitaab al-Hujjah, pg. 529, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 4; Oyoon, vol. 1, pg. 47, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 8; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 477, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 41; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 270, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 15; Al-Ghaibah by Shaikh Tusi, pg. 137, Tr. No. 101; Al-Ghaibah by No’amaani, pg. 95, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 27; Al-Mo’tabar, pg. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 231, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 13; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 456, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 75 and pg. 660, Tr. No. 848; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 303, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 578; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 154; Al-Insaaf, pg. 165, Tr. No. 173; Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais, pg. 155 (1st edn. ) and pg. 231 (recent edn. ) ; Hilyah al-Abraar, vol. 2, pg. 65, Chap. 17, Tr. No. 2; Kash al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 508; Taqreeb al-Maarif, pg. 177; Miraat al-Oqool, vol. 6, pg. 216, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 4.
[1]: Al-Yaqeen, Chap. 195, pg. 487-488; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, Chap. 10; Maraasid al-Irfaan, vol. 2, pg. 119, Sec. 3, Chap. 10.
[1]: Al-Amaali of Shaikh Mufeed (r. a. ) , pg. 239, 25th Majlis, Tr. No. 4; Bashaarah al-Mustafa, pg. 48; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 271, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 93.
[2]: Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 81, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 11; Kitaab Sulaym (recent edn. ) , pg. 123; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 277, Chap. 41, Tr. 97; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 177.
[1]: Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais, pg. 140 (recent edn. ) ; Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 82, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 12; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 287, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 98; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 178; Mashaareq Anwaar al-Yaqeen, pg. 191; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 657, Chap. 9, Sec. 71, Tr. No. 840
Nay, Allah will impair the one who conspires against them and forsakes them. They are the proofs of Allah in His earth and His witnesses upon His creation. Whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys them has defied Allah. They are with the Quran and the Quran is with them, they will not separate from it nor will it split from them till they meet me at the hauz. The first of the Imams is Ali (a. s. ) , (who is also) the best of them. Then my son, Hasan (a. s. ) , followed by my son, Husain (a. s. ) and then the nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ). Their mother is my daughter. ”
191. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Zohri says that I asked Imam Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) , ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Then as per the promise of your Prophet to you, how many successors will follow him? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “We found in the Sahifah and the Tablet (لوح) twelve names written with their Imamat
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and the names of their fathers and mothers. ” Then he (a. s. ) informed, “From the offspring of my son Muhammad, there will be seven successors and amongst them is the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). ”
192. Al-Kaafi [1]: Zuraarah narrates that he heard Imam Muhammad al-Baaqer (a. s. ) say, “We are twelve Imams. From them are Hasan and Husain, followed by the Imams from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ). ”
193. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Asbagh Ibn Nabaatah narrates that he heard Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) say, “The Imams (a. s. ) after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) are twelve, of which, nine are from the offspring of my brother Husain and from them is the Mahdi of this nation. ”
194. Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais [3]: Salmaan al-Faarsi (in a lengthy tradition) recounts that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to (his daughter) Fatemah (s. a. ) , “Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, glanced at the earth, chose me from them and appointed me as a Messenger and a Prophet. Then, He glanced at the earth for a second time, chose your husband and ordered me that I should get you married to him only.
Also, that I should take him as a brother, minister and successor. And that I should appoint him my caliph in my Ummah. So, your father is the best of Allah’s Prophets and His Messengers (a. s. ) and your husband is the best of the successors and viziers. You are the first of my family to join me after my death.
Thereafter, Allah glanced for a third time at the earth and
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chose you and eleven of the offspring from you and my brother, your husband. You are the chief of the women of paradise and your two sons are the chiefs of the youth of paradise. Me, my brother and the eleven Imams and my successors till the Day of Judgment, all of them are the guides and the guided. The first of the successors after my brother, Hasan, then Husain, followed by the nine descendants of Husain, will be in one level in paradise. (The tradition being lengthy continues till) …By Him in whose hands is my life, from us is the Mahdi of this nation, through whom Allah will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be replete with injustice and oppression. ”
195. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Saalem, the slave of Saaburi, informs that I asked Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) concerning the verse,
أصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَ فَرْعُهَا فِىْ السَّمَآءِ
Its root is firm and its branch is in the sky. (Qur’an Surah Ibraheem 14: 24)
He (a. s. ) elucidated, “Its root is the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , its branch (in the sky) is Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) , Hasan and Husain are its fruits, the nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ) are its twigs and the Shias are its leaves. By Allah! Surely when a person from them (Shias) dies, a leaf from this tree falls. ” I asked regarding the verse
تُؤْتِی أُکُلَهَا کُلَّ حِینٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا
Yielding its fruit in every season by the permission of its Lord? (Surah Ibraheem 14: 25)
He (a. s. ) clarified, “Whatever comes out
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from the Imam’s knowledge to you every year from the Hajj and the Umrah. ”
196. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Mufazzal Ibn Umar relates that I asked Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadeq (a. s. ) about the Quranic verse,
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِیمَ رَبُّهُ بِکَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ
And when your Lord examined Ibraheem with some words, then he completed these [2] what were these words? He (a. s. ) replied, “These were the words that Adam (a. s. ) received from his Lord due to which Allah accepted his repentance. These words were as follows, ‘I ask You for the sake of Muhammad, Ali, Fatemah, Hasan and Husain that You accept my repentance, so Allah accepted his repentance. Surely He is the Oft- turning, the Merciful. ” I asked, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! What is the meaning of ‘he completed these’? ’
He (a. s. ) explained, “It implies that he completed the words till the Qaem, twelve Imams, of whom nine are the descendants of Husain (a. s. ). ” Mufazzal requested, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Please inform me about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, وَ جَعَلَهَا کَلِمَةً بَاقِیَةً فِِیْ عَقِبِه ‘And He made it as a lasting word in his posterity. ’ [3]
He (a. s. ) elaborated, “By this, He implies the Imamate. Allah, the High, has made it in the posterity of Husain till the Day of Judgment. ” Again I inquired, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! How is it that the Imamate continued in the posterity of Husain and not in Hasan’s, although both are the sons of Allah’s Messenger, his grandsons and the chiefs of
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the youths of paradise? ’
He (a. s. ) clarified, “Certainly Moosa and Haroon were Prophets, Messengers and brothers but Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, made Prophethood in the posterity of Haroon and not in that of Moosa (a. s. ) and it does not befit anybody to question Allah’s action. Surely Imamate is the Caliphate of Allah in His earth and nobody can dispute His action as to why He has done so. For surely, Allah, Blessed and High be He, is Prudent in His actions. He is not questioned about what He does but the people will be questioned. ”
197. Faraaed al-Simtain [1]: Sulaym Ibn Qais recounts, ‘I saw Ali (a. s. ) in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) during Usman’s reign while a group of people were talking and discussing about knowledge and jurisprudence. Then, they mentioned about the Quraish, their virtues, their past, their migration, etc. (and the tradition continues till) the people turned to Ali (a. s. ) and said, ‘O Abul Hasan! What restrains you from speaking? ’ He (a. s. ) retorted, “There is none from the living but that he has mentioned the virtue and spoken the truth.
I ask you, O Quraish and Ansaar! Because of whom Allah has granted you superiority? Due to your own selves, or your close relatives, or your family members, or due to somebody other than you? ” They responded, ‘Nay! Allah has granted us and obliged us due to Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) and his close relatives. All these virtues are not because of us or our relatives
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or our family members. ’
He (a. s. ) appreciated, “You have spoken the truth, O Quraish and Ansaar! Were you not knowing that the one through whom you reached the good of this world and the hereafter is from us Ahle Bait (a. s. )? ” (Thereafter, he (a. s. ) commenced listing the virtues and merits of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and his Ahle Bait (a. s. ) and the people affirmed each one of these saying, ‘Yes, by Allah! ’
He also proved his point through Quranic verses and the tradition of mastership in Ghadeer-e-Khumm). (In Ghadeer) Salman stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! What kind of mastership? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “Mastership like my mastership. Whoever considers me to have more authority on him than his own self must also deem Ali (a. s. ) to be having more authority on him than his own self. After this, Allah, His remembrance be high, revealed,
الْیَوْمَ أَکْمَلْتُ لَکُمْ دِینَکُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَیْکُمْ نِعْمَتِی وَرَضِیتُ لَکُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِینًا
This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My bounties upon you and am satisfied with Islam as your religion. (Qur’an Surah Maaedah 5: 3)
On this, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) proclaimed, “Allah is Great (الله اکبر) is the completion of my Prophethood and the mastership of Ali after me is the completion of Allah’s religion. ”
At this juncture, Abu Bakr and Umar stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Are these verses concerning Ali only? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Nay! These are for Ali and for my successors
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till the Day of Judgment. ” They two requested, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Elaborate them for us. ’
He (s. a. w. a. ) consented, “Ali, my brother, my minister, my heir, my successor and my caliph in my nation and after me, the master of every believer. His son, Hasan will follow him, then Husain will succeed him and then the nine descendants of Husain shall follow one after the other. The Quran is with them and they are with the Quran. Neither it will separate from them nor shall they separate from it till they meet me at the Hauz. ”
On hearing this tradition from Ali, they all proclaimed, ‘Yes, by Allah! ’ (The tradition continues till he (s. a. w. a. ) said)
“Then Ali (a. s. ) said, ‘O people! Do you know that Allah has revealed in His Book,
إِنَّمَا یُرِیدُ اللَّهُ لِیُذْهِبَ عَنکُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَیْتِ وَیُطَهِّرَکُمْ تَطْهِیرًا
Surely Allah intends to keep all the filth away only from you, O Ahl al-Bait, and purify you, a purification. ” (Qur’an Surah Ahzaab 33: 33)
On this, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) gathered me, (my wife) Fatemah (s. a. ) and my two sons Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) , and put a cloak on us, saying, ‘O Allah! These are my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) and my flesh. Whatever pains them pains me, whatever hurts them hurts me and whatever distresses them causes anguish to me as well. So, You keep away from them all uncleanness and purify them as they ought to be purified. ’
Umm Salmah inquired, ‘Can I enter, O Messenger of Allah
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(s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “You are on goodness. (But this verse has only been revealed in particular for me, my daughter (Fatemah) , my brother Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , my two sons and the nine descendants of my son Husain (a. s. ). ” (The tradition continues till Ali (a. s. ) started talking about the descent of the verse,
لِیَکُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلُ عَلَیْکُمْ شَهِیْدًا وَ تَکُوْنُوْا
شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ
“That the Messenger may be a witness on you and you may be a witness upon the people. ” (Qur’an Surah Hajj 22: 78)
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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 241, Chap. 32, Tr. No. 7; Al-Insaaf, pg. 147, Tr. No. 142; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 46, pg. 232, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 9.
[1]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 533, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 16; Oyoono Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 56, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 22; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, p. 478, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 25; Al-Irshaad, vol. 2, pg. 375, Chap. 59,Tr. No. 7; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 298, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 84; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 392, Chap. 45, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 137; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 311, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 18, Mer’aat al-Oqool, vol. 6, pg. 231, Chap. 16
[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 233, Chap. 30, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, Tr. No. 91; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 383, Chap. 43, Tr. No. 1.
[3]: Kitaab Sulaym, pg. 8 (Old Edn. ) , pg. 70 (New Edn. ) ; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 262, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 10; Irshaad al-Quloob, vol. 2, pg. 276; Al-Insaaf, pg. 185, Tr. No. 179.
[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 345, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 30; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 134, Chap. 10, Sec. 5 narrating from Saaburi, who asked Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) concerning the verse, “…. its root is firm and its branch is in the sky. ” (Surah Ibraheem (14): Verse 24) , he (a. s. ) explained, “The Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) is its root, Ali (a. s. ) is its branch, Hasan and Husain are its fruits, the nine descendants (Imams) are its twigs and the Shias are its leaves; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 24, pg. 141, Chap. 44, Tr. No. 7.
[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 358, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 57; Ma’ani al-Akhbaar, pg. 126; Al-Khesaal, vol. 1, pg. 304, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 84; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah,; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 283; Irshaad al-Quloob, vol. 2, pg. 280; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 358, Tr. No. 178, Chap. 9 and vol. 3, pg. 84, Sec. 53, Tr. No. 783; Majma’ al-Bayaan from Kitaab al-Noboovat of Shaikh Sadooq (a. r. ) , vol. 1, pg. 200; Noor al-Saqalain, vol. 1, pg. 57, Tr. No. 145 and vol. 4, pg. 597, Tr. No. 27; Taveel al-Ayaat al-Zaaherah, pg. 82, Tr. No. 57 and pg. 541; Tafseer al-Saafi, vol. 1, pg. 138 and vol. 2, pg. 526.
[2]: Surah Baqarah (2): Verse 124
[3]: Surah Zukhruf (43): Verse 28
[1]: Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 1, pg. 312, Simt I, Chap. 58, Tr. No. 250; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 274, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 25; Al-Ghadeer, vol. 1, pg. 163; Al-Ehtejaaj, pg. 145; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 7, Sec. 28, Tr. No. 596.
(Explaining the above verse) , the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “It implies only thirteen people in particular, other than this Ummah. ” Salman (r. a. ) begged, ‘Explain them for us, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “I, my brother Ali and eleven of my sons. ”
They all said, ‘By Allah! Yes. ’
Ali (a. s. ) said, “I ask you for the sake of Allah. Did you know that when the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) stood up for his final sermon, after which he never sermonized again, he (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘O people! Surely I leave behind you two weighty things (ثقلین) , the Book of Allah and my progeny my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). Then fasten unto both of them and you will never deviate. For surely, the Gracious, the Knower has informed and promised me that these two shall not separate from each other till they meet me at the Hauz’. ”
Umar Ibn Khattaab stood up and asked angrily [1]
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[1]: Some ignoramuses don’t accept such quotes concerning about Umar thinking that such a behavior is tantamount to the rejection of Allah’s and His Messenger’s commands and prohibitions. Such defense shows the lack of knowledge concerning Umar’s psychology and attitude. It should be borne in mind that such defense holds no water considering Umar’s past history of questioning the policies and decisions of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) on numerous occasions. He was the one who had objected to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) during the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, concerning the Mut’ah of Hajj and when he (s. a. w. a. ) had asked, ‘Bring me a pen and paper that I may write for you by which you will never be led astray. ’ On this, Umar passed a remark, which I cannot reproduce out of shame in front of Allah, His Messenger and his Ummah. Such rude and undesirable behaviour was not displayed by any of the companions of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) with the exceptions of people like Haarith Ibn No’man Fehri (may Allah curse him and his ilk).