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Twelve Imams
\nAdherents of Twelver Shi\u2019ism, the largest branch of Shi\u2019ism, are commonly referred to as Twelvers, derived from their belief in twelve divinely-ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imams. There are traditions narrated from the Prophet about them. Some of these are as follows:
\nBukh\u0101r\u012b narrates from J\u0101bir b. Samra: \u2018I heard the Prophet say that there will be twelve leaders (am\u012br). Then he said something I could not hear. I asked my father and he said all of them are from Quraysh.\u2019
\nMuslim has quoted J\u0101bir as saying: \u2018I went to see the Prophet with my father. I heard him saying that this matter will until there pass twelve caliphs amongst them. Then I could not hear some words. I asked my father and he said: they are all from Quraysh.\u2019
\nMuslim also quotes him saying: \u2018I heard the Prophet say that the affair of the people will continue so long as twelve men will rule them. Then the Prophet said something which I could not hear. I asked my father who quoted the Prophet as saying that all are from Quraysh.\u2019
\nMuslim says: \u2018I heard the Prophet say the affair of Islam will remain strong until twelve caliphs have ruled\u2026 I didn\u2019t hear what he said. I asked my father and he said all will be from Quraysh.\u2019
\nMuslim says: \u2018I went with my father to hear the Prophet speak. He said this religion will remain mighty and strong until twelve caliphs have ruled\u2026 and then he said something I could not hear above the people\u2019s clamour. I asked my father and he said all will be from Quraysh.\u2019
\nMuslim says: one Friday someone was stoned to death, the Prophet said: \u2018This religion will be in force until the Judgment Day. Twelve caliphs will rule and all of them will be from Quraysh.\u2019
\nAll these a\u1e25\u0101d\u012bth have won the approval of Sunn\u012b scholars. Now we refer to traditions from other books:
\nAb\u016b D\u0101w\u016bd narrates from J\u0101bir b. Samra that the Prophet said: \u2018I heard the Messenger of God say that this religion will be mighty as long as twelve caliphs rule. Then, people shouted God is great. Then the Prophet said something which I could not hear. I asked my father to tell me what he said. My father said all of them are from Ban\u016b H\u0101shim.
\nTirmidh\u012b narrates from J\u0101bir: \u2018The Messenger of God said twelve leaders will come after him. Then he said something which I could not hear. I asked someone close to me and he said all of them are from Quraysh.\u2019
\nTirmidh\u012b says this \u1e25ad\u012bth, quoted from J\u0101bir, is authentic.
\nA\u1e25mad records in his Musnad: \u2018The tradition: \u201cI heard the Prophet saying that twelve caliphs will rule this community.\u201d is narrated in thirty-four different variants.\u2019
\nHak\u012bm has also recounted the tradition in his Mustadrak from \u02bfAwn b. Ju\u1e25ayfa from his father. He says he was in the company of his uncle when they heard the Prophet say: \u2018My community will remain righteous until as twelve caliphs rule.\u2019 Then the Prophet said something He could not hear. He asked his uncle what the Prophet said and he said: \u2018They are all from Quraysh.\u2019
\nHe also narrates from J\u0101bir b. Samra: \u2018I heard the Prophet say: @My community will be victorious as long as twelve caliphs rule.\u201d Then he said something he could not hear. I asked my father what the Prophet had said. He told me: \u201cAll of them will be from the Quraysh.\u201d\u2019
\nIbn \u1e24ajar narrates in Saw\u0101\u02bfiq from J\u0101bir b. Samara that the Prophet said: \u2018I will be succeeded by twelve leaders who will all be from Quraysh.\u2019
\nA\u1e25mad narrates from Masr\u016bq that he was with \u02bfAbd All\u0101h b. Mas\u02bf\u016bd, who was teaching him the Qur\u2019an. Someone asked him: \u2018Did you ask the Prophet how many caliphs will rule this community?\u2019 \u02bfAbd All\u0101h b. Mas\u02bf\u016bd replied: \u2018Since I arrived in Iraq, nobody has asked me this question. Of course I asked him! (The prophet) said: \u2018Twelve caliphs like the chieftains of Israel.\u2019
\nThe same tradition is narrated by Kha\u1e6d\u012bb Baghd\u0101d\u012b in his Tar\u012bkh al-Baghd\u0101d.
\nHind\u012b, \u1e6cabar\u0101n\u012b and Hak\u012bm have quoted the same \u1e25ad\u012bth in Kanz al-\u02bfUmm\u0101l, Mu\u02bfjam al-Kab\u012br and Mustadrak respectively.
\nIn T\u0101r\u012bkh al-Khulaf\u0101\u02be, Suy\u016b\u1e6d\u012b quotes Ibn Mas\u02bf\u016bd as saying that the Prophet had said that twelve successors \u2018like the Chieftans of Israel\u2019 will rule the community.
\nThey were all examples of quotes about the rule of the Twelve Imams. Now, the point is to explore the attributes of the twelve caliphs whose rule has been promised in different a\u1e25\u0101d\u012bth quoting the Prophet.
\nSpecifications of the caliphs could be summarized in the following eight points:
\nDignity of Islam
\nDignity of the religion
\nSurvival of the religion
\nRighteousness of the community
\nVictory of the community
\nThese honours are tied to the rule of twelve leaders from Quraysh.
\nThese signs are tied to the sovereignty of twelve caliphs from Quraysh
\nThey are the same number as the Chieftains of the Israelites.
\nThese signs and advantages are among the miracles of the Prophet particularly when other authentic traditions are considered alongside them. For example:
\nThe tradition of Thaqalayn (A famous tradition narrated by more than 20 companions. It has been recorded in \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 Muslim, Mustadrak al-\u1e24\u0101kim and Musnad A\u1e25mad).
\nThe tradition of Saq\u012bfa (narrated in Mustadrak al-\u1e24\u0101kim)
\nA tradition which names the Prophet\u2019s Household as the source of security and guidance. (Mustadrak al-\u1e24\u0101kim)
\nThe Twelve Imams, well-known amongst Muslims, are credited with these attributes. They are the Sh\u012b\u02bf\u012b Imams beginning with Imam \u02bfAl\u012b and ending with the Awaited Imam Mahd\u012b. Anyone familiar with the social and political life of these the Imams will recognise them as infallible individuals with the highest degree of piety. God has preserved His religion under the care of these Imams.
\nIf we consider these Twelve Imams as the ones referred to by these traditions we will find no contradiction. There are no other twelve caliphs beside them who have dignified Islam who this tradition could possibly refer to.
\nUnacceptable interpretations
\nOne group says the twelve caliphs are the Umayyad Caliphs beginning with Yaz\u012bd b. Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya and ending with Marw\u0101n III. This group has omitted three Caliphs from the era \u2013 Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya, \u02bfAbd All\u0101h b. Zubayr and Marw\u0101n b. \u1e24akam \u2013 in a bid to list twelve caliphs: Yaz\u012bd b. Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya, Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya II, \u02bfAbd All\u0101h b. Marw\u0101n, Wal\u012bd b. \u02bfAbd al-Malik, Sulaym\u0101n b. \u02bfAbd al-Malik, \u02bfUmar b. \u02bfAbd al-\u02bfAz\u012bz, Yaz\u012bd b. \u02bfAbd al-Malik, Hish\u0101m b. \u02bfAbd al-Malik, Wal\u012bd b. Yaz\u012bd, Yaz\u012bd b. Wal\u012bd, Ibr\u0101h\u012bm b. Wal\u012bd and Marw\u0101n b. Mu\u1e25ammad. (Fat\u1e25 ul-B\u0101r\u012b)
\nThe individuals whose names are mentioned here have a dark background of corruption, murder and plunder. However, some scholars have claimed that they enjoyed public support. It is surprising to see Ibn \u1e24ajar, this great scholar, confirm such interpretationswithout any research.
\nHow does he say that they were popular without having been pure? The tradition says all twelve caliphs must have been at the peak of piety so that Islam will be glorified in the shadow of their spiritual perfections. Therefore, the yardstick is their intellectual, scientific and religious greatness and not public support for them.
\nIf the criterion is public support how is Yaz\u012bd, who ruled only for three years, is among them? In the first year, he killed Imam \u1e24usayn. In the second year of is rule, people in Mecca and Medina rose up against him. Yaz\u012bd quashed the uprising with bloodshed. In the last year in power, he bombarded the Ka\u02bfba in a bid to defeat \u02bfAbd All\u0101h b. Zubayr.
\nAnother group says that the twelve caliphs who are source of dignity for Islam will rule after the advent of the Mahd\u012b. (Fat\u1e25 al-B\u0101r\u012b) This interpretation is unacceptable because the Prophet has always spoken about what would happen after his own death.
\nStill another group says this refers to those caliphs whom the people accepted: Ab\u016b Bakr, \u02bfUmar, \u02bfUthm\u0101n, \u02bfAl\u012b, Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya, Yaz\u012bd b. Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya, Wal\u012bd, Sulaym\u0101n, Yaz\u012bd II, Hish\u0101m and Wal\u012bd b. Yaz\u012bd b. \u02bfAbd al-Malik. It is not clear why \u02bfUmar b. \u02bfAbd al-\u02bfAz\u012bz is not listed between Sulaym\u0101n and Yaz\u012bd.
\nIn this interpretation, Yaz\u012bd b. Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya is considered a source of dignity for Islam and his crimes are simply ignored. Wal\u012bd b. Yazdi was an enemy of Qur\u2019an. The point is that the twelve caliphs who were competent to succeed the Prophet are nobody else but the Twelve Imams. Others lack the required qualifications. Mu\u1e25ammad Taq\u012b al-Hak\u012bm has an interesting view on this issue:
\nThe number of these leaders and caliphs should not exceed twelve and they are all from Quraysh.
\nIf a parallel drawn between the twelve caliphs and the twelve Chieftains of Israel is that Moses chose his delegates himself, and so did the Prophet with regards to his successors; \u2018And All\u0101h had already taken a covenant from the Children of Israel, and We delegated from among them twelve leaders.\u2019 (Q5:12)
\nThese narrations openly link the survival and dignity of Islam to the twelve caliphs until Judgment Day. Succession to the Prophet will continue until only two people will be remaining on Earth.
\nTherefore, the signs promised for the twelve caliphs only match the Twelve Imams. Moreover, the tradition of Thaqalayn confirms this. The important point is that the Imamate and Caliphate has been granted to these twelve persons due to their qualifications; it is not political power that has been seized by force. A true caliph is a divinely-appointed leader and such only people chosen by God are worthy of such an appointment; popularity does not have any impact on their position. An infallible Imam is always to be accepted, regardless of people\u2019s view.
\nAnother important point is that the traditions are narrated by those who lived at a time the era of these Twelve Caliphs had not yet ended. Now, we will h1ave a brief introduction to the Sh\u012b\u02bfa Imams:
\nImam \u02bfAl\u012b and his battles against three groups of opponents
\n\u02bfAl\u012b b. Ab\u012b \u1e6c\u0101lib is the first infallible successor to the Prophet, who appointed him to lead Muslims on the Day of Ghad\u012br. After the Prophet passed away, Imam \u02bfAl\u012b was to become the leader of Muslims.
\nImam \u02bfAl\u012b\u2019s life can be divided into five periods:
\nFrom birth to the beginning of the Prophet\u2019s mission
\nFrom the beginning of the Prophet\u2019s mission to the Emigration to Medina
\nFrom the Emigration to the Prophet\u2019s passing away
\nFrom the Prophet\u2019s passing away to Imam \u02bfAl\u012b\u2018s caliphate
\nFrom Imam \u02bfAl\u012b\u2018s caliphate to his martyrdom
\nNow we will briefly review the five periods.
\nImam \u02bfAl\u012b was born in the Ka\u02bfba, thirty years after the Year of Elephant (the failed invasion of the Mecca) and ten years before the Prophet\u2019s mission began. \u02bfAl\u012b was five when the Prophet started taking care of him (S\u012bra Ibn Hish\u0101m). \u02bfAl\u012b spent his childhood with the Prophet and was always in his company. (Nahj al-Bal\u0101gha)
\n\u02bfAl\u012b was the first person who announced his belief in Islam (T\u0101r\u012bkh \u1e6cabar\u012b) and wrote down the revelations of the Prophet in Mecca for thirteen years.
\nThe night the Prophet emigrated to Medina, \u02bfAl\u012b slept in his bed as a decoy.
\nDuring this ten-year period, he participated in all the Prophet\u2019s battles, except for T\u0101b\u016bk, and played an instrumental role in the victory of the Muslims over the polytheists.
\nThe period after the Prophet but before he became Caliph lasted twenty-five years. He protested to the ruling regime as he believed that he was entitled to be the Caliph. He never shied away from protecting the teachings of Islam and looking after the needs of the Muslims.
\nAfter the murder of \u02bfUthm\u0101n, \u02bfAl\u012b was named Caliph on consensus. Initially, he refused to accept the post, but he finally agreed upon insistence from the Emigrants and the Helpers.
\nDuring his caliphate, Imam \u02bfAl\u012b fought for justice and revival of the Prophet\u2019s tradition. Opposition to Imam \u02bfAl\u012b led to three uprisings against his rule, which he would refer to as the \u2018Those who broke their pledges\u2019 (n\u0101kith\u012bn), \u2018the wrongdoers\u2019 (q\u0101\u1e63i\u1e6d\u012bn) and \u2018the disobedient\u2019 (m\u0101riq\u012bn).
\n\u2018Those who broke their pledges\u2019
\n\u2018Those who broke their pledges\u2019 refers to those who broke their pledge of allegiance. This battle, known as the Battle of the Camel, broke out after \u1e6cal\u1e25a and Zubayr, who had pledged allegiance to Imam \u02bfAl\u012b, demanded to be named governors of Basra and Kufa but Imam \u02bfAl\u012b turned down their request. In response, \u1e6cal\u1e25a and Zubayr left Medina secretly for Mecca, where they established an army paid for by Umayyad wealth and went on to seize Basra. \u02bfAl\u012b left Medina in order to liberate the city. Near Basra, a bloody battle broke out between the two sides, with \u02bfAl\u012b ultimately claiming victory.
\n\u2018The wrongdoers\u2019
\nBefore Imam \u02bfAl\u012b was named Caliph, Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya had made the preparations to continue his rule in Syria. When Imam \u02bfAl\u012b became Caliph, he immediately dismissed Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya. In response, the latter assembled an army to meet \u02bfAl\u012b at the Battle of \u1e62iff\u012bn. Imam \u02bfAl\u012b\u2019s forces were close to victory but Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya appealed for arbitration. Upon insistence of his followers, Imam \u02bfAl\u012b agreed to take the case to arbitration between Ab\u016b M\u016bs\u0101 al-Ash\u02bfar\u012b and \u02bfAmr b. al-\u02bf\u0100s \u2013 representing \u02bfAl\u012b and Mu\u02bf\u0101wiya, respectively. Imam \u02bfAl\u012b had no option but to agree to arbitration because otherwise the Muslims would have faced a serious crisis. On the day the arbitrators were expected to express themselves, \u02bfAmr tricked Ab\u016b M\u016bs\u0101 into nullifying \u02bfAl\u012b\u2019s claim to the caliphate, and a group of the latter\u2019s supporters rose up against him.
\n\u2018The disobedient\u2019
\n\u2018The disobedient\u2019 are those who forced Imam \u02bfAl\u012b to submit to arbitration. They later regretted their actions and wanted the Imam to reject its results. However, \u02bfAl\u012b was not a man to break his agreement and so they rose up against him, culminating in the Battle of Nahraw\u0101n in which \u02bfAl\u012b scored a decisive victory. However, some of the survivors of this battle harboured a grudge against \u02bfAl\u012b and one of them by the name of \u02bfAbd al-Ra\u1e25m\u0101n b. Muljam, assassinated him on a Rama\u1e0d\u0101n night.
\nImam \u02bfAl\u012b enjoyed a high status throughout his life. The second Caliph, \u02bfUmar b. al-Kha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101b, said: \u2018Women no longer gave birth to a man like \u02bfAl\u012b.\u2019 Lebanese scholar Shab\u012bl Sh\u0101mil describes Imam \u02bfAl\u012b as: \u2018The greatest of the great and a living copy of the Prophet. Neither East or West has ever seen someone like \u02bfAl\u012b since.\u2019 (Sawt al-Nah\u1e0dat al-Ins\u0101niyya) Lebanese writer George Jordac says: \u2018What if the nature mobilized its power and forces to deliver someone as brave, strong, wise and knowledgeable as \u02bfAl\u012b to human society in every period of time?\u2019 (Ibid)<\/p>\n
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