Imam Musa al-Kadhim

[sixfeetunder]

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) was born in Abwa, a city between Mecca and Medina, on the 7th of Safar in the year 128 AH. The life of Imam al-Kadhim was one of valor and piety. Much as they tried, the enemies of Ahlul Bayt could not prevent him from acting as God's representative on Earth. The miraculous nature of the Seventh Imam's life was found in the fact that although his imprisonment at the hands of the various caliphs of his time spanned such a great length, he continued to guide his followers away from falsehood. Imam Kadhim had entered the Abbasid prisons a young man, and died inside one at the age of 55.

Heir of His Father's Knowledge

The impeccable character of Imam Kadhim personified piety and knowledge. At the time of his life, there was no scholar or scientist of equal caliber to the Imam, a fact proven by the many debates he had with intellectuals of his time. For any layman, such a vast amount of wisdom would have been miraculous; however, Imam Kadhim was the son of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, who had thousands of scholars as his students, most notably the Father of Chemistry, Jabir bin Hayyan (Geber).

The Seventh Imam's mother was Lady Hamida, who was the daughter of a nobleman from present-day Algeria. The 5th Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) is reported to have told Lady Hamida, "You are Hamida (the praised one) in this world and Mahmuda (praiseworthy) in the hereafter." Imam as-Sadiq used to direct the questions of his female followers to the mother of Imam Kadhim, because he was certain her knowledge was more than sufficient to guide them as his answers would have.

His Titles

The high status of Imam al-Kadhim among the believers can be found in the many epithets that he held among them.

Al-Kadhim: Restrainer of His Anger. Imam Kadhim lived during a time of intense cruelty and torture at the hands of the Abbasid caliphate. Despite the efforts of his enemies, Imam Kadhim was patient and would spend his nights praying and in worship of God. Contrary to the manner in which others treated him, Imam Kadhim was known for treating all those who came to him with great humility and granting the request of the needy with the utmost sincerity. Due to his ascetic character, even his enemies would be in awe at the divine nature of Musa ibn Jafar. During his captivity by Yahya Barmaki, the most cruel and unjust guard was appointed to watch the Imam. He would repeatedly insult the Imam and use the most foul of words towards him. However, and as was nature for a prince of Bani Hashim, Imam Kadhim would only speak to the guard in most kind and respectful ways. The guard soon realized the spiritual excellence of Imam Kadhim, changed his way, and eventually became one of the most loyal followers of the Imam. When the caliph found out about the change of heart the guard had, he demanded an explanation. The guard replied, "Under no circumstances can I be harsh to this Chosen Guide. I can sacrifice my life but I cannot bear anything against my Imam."

Bab Al-Hawa'ij: The gateway to fulfilling needs. Over 1300 years have passed and to this day, hundreds of thousands of believers annually make their way to the shrine of Imam Kadhim with their prayers and seek his intercession to God. Similarly in his lifetime, Imam Kadhim would never return a beggar empty-handed and was renowned for his generosity. Regardless of the fact that he was constantly under assault by the tyrannical rulers, Imam Kadhim continued to grant the wishes of the needy. One day a man came to the Imam and pleaded to him that he was indebted 400 Dirhams, his clothes were worn out, and he had no horse to travel on. The Imam gave him 400 Dirhams, his own clothes, and a horse. Finally, the man told then Imam, "Master! I have no need for all these things. I had only come to test the generosity of Ahlul Bayt. I am actually a very wealthy man, and I have brought these 5000 Dirhams for you. It is by way of Khums payment." Imam Kadhim took the money and distributed it among the needy believers. Even after his death, the believers go to the Imam's shrine with prayers for cures for their illnesses, and their supplications are granted by God.

The Honorable Leadership

During Imam Kadhim's era, the Abbasid caliphate began to introduce music and other social ills as part of Islamic culture; however, they also knew that as long as Imam Kadhim was alive, people would be able to realize that they were wrong. As a result, they sought to kill the Imam due to his nobility and spiritual status. There was no doubt that the Seventh Imam was the most religious, knowledgeable in Islamic law, pious and the most generous of his time.
For a period of time, Imam Kadhim was imprisoned in Basra under Isa, who penned a letter to the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid. In the letter, he wrote, "It has been a while that Musa ibn Ja'far is in my jail. I have been watching him all the time and I have put some guards to look over him; however, he has done nothing but worship. I assigned someone to listen to his prayers, but he was never heard cursing us; and as for himself, he asked for nothing but forgiveness and mercy from Allah. I request that you send someone to take Musa ibn Ja'far from me; otherwise, I will set him free, since I cannot keep him in jail anymore." The guards who watched the Imam reported having heard him constantly uttering the following words in his prayer, "O Allah! You are aware that I had asked for a private place to worship You, and You have provided me with such a place; praise shall only be to You."

The 25th of Rajab

The Imam was moved from prison to prison because none of those ordered to kill the Imam were able to carry out such a brutal act. At last, Harun al-Rashid found someone heartless enough to carry out the task. Imam Kadhim was held in Baghdad for four years when he was poisoned by Sindi, the atrocious police chief of Baghdad. He would be martyred three days later on the 25th of Rajab in the year 183 AH at the age of 55. Continuing their policy of hatred towards the Family of the Prophet, the Abbasid leaders ordered the Imam's body to be placed on a bridge. The devotees of the Imam, however, managed to bury him in Baghdad.

The blessed shrine of Kadhimiya houses the bodies of Imam Kadhim and his grandson Imam Muhammad Jawad (peace be upon them). Allama Majalisi described the miraculous nature of the shrine, "In every period there have been so many miracles (mu'jizaat) and demonstrations of power (karamat) at the tomb of these two saints that there is no need to describe cases of the past. In our own times there are so many instances occurring and recurring that to recount them would be a lengthy process."

http://islamicinsights.com/religion/rel ... dium=email

[londonwala]

Bohras do not regard Musa Kadhim as an imam. They believe the ithna asheris are wrong, and that Musa Kadhim’s brother Ismail was the true imam. It is said that Imam Ismail died before the death of their father, Imam Jafar us Sadiq. Can anyone elaborate on this schism?

[think]

start believing in people who can perform miracles with the permission of none other than "Allah". Let the light of Allah shine and fake jadoo gars perish.

[badrijanab]

Below is not my article. I have just copied it from a reliable source.

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem

(1) In the authentic books of Ithnashari Shia (Twelver Shia) it is categorically written: Imam Jaffer Sadik a.s. ne apne bade bete Ismail a.s. per nuss-a-jali ki (PUBLICLY DECLARED NUSS / PUBLIC DECLARATION OF NEXT IMAM). Fir Imam Ismail a.s. ne apne bete Mohammed Shakir a.s. per nuss ki. List of all those books is mentioned below:

(i) Osole Kafi
(ii) Itihazul Hanfaa
(iii) Makrezi
(iv) Shaharistani
(v) Umd'tut Talib (Abu Anoof)
(vi) Al Harkatul Batiniya fil Islam (Syyed Mustafa Ghalib)
(vii) Tareekh Jahankushai (Kwaja Ataullah)
(viii) Tareekh Farishta (Mohammed Qasim)
(ix) Tareekul Alveen (Mohammed Ameen)
(x) Bihar-al-Anwaar (Allahma Majlisi) - very importnat book of Ithna Ashri
(xi) Akhlaaq Mohammed (Syed Sajjad Hussain)
(xii) Anwarul Quran .

(2) Ithnashari ki one of the most authentic book: Osool-a-Kaafi ke Volume I, page# 329 per aur doosri kai Ithnashri ki books me yeh likha hoova ke, "Imam Jaffer Sadik a.s. ne farmaya: Imam Hasan aur Hussain ke baad koi waqat bhi Imamat do (two) bhaiyo ko NAHI mili."

(1) + (2) = Ithnashari shia ki own books yeh PROVE kar rahi he ki sirf Imam Ismail a.s. se hi sahi aur correct Imamat ka silsila chalta he, aur Musa Kazim Imam he hi nahi aur Ithnashari shia ka firqa osoolan galat he.

Alhamdo Lillah he Rabbil Aalameen.

[Muslim First]

badrijanab

He is back,
He is back,
He is back,

[Muslim First]

YAM YAM YAM YAM
Both are wrong
Hamre Hazir Imam Aga Khan hi Sahi Imam hay.

[sixfeetunder]

Most of the Ismaili and non-Ismaili sources agree that Imam Sadiq (AS) had initially designated Ismail as his successor. However, the Ithna Asharis' claim that there was a change of nass by the will of Allah (SWT).

"According to the majority of sources, both Ismailis and non-Ismaili, Imam Sadiq had originally designated Ismail as his successor by the rule of nass. "There cannot be any doubt regarding the historicity of their designation, which provides the basis of the Ismaili claims." (A Short History of the Ismailis, 33).

However, it is a historical fact that Ismail predeceased his father. The Ithna Asharis claim that Allah (SWT) decreed a change in the nass which was confirmed by the fact that Ismail passed away before the death of his father. Some Ismailis agree that Ismail predeceased his father while other Ismailis disagree. Daftary accounts, "According to the Ismaili religious tradition and as reported in some of their sources, Ismail survived his father and succeeded in due course. But most sources relate that he died before his father" (A Short History of the Ismailis, Daftary).

History also accounts for the fact that Imam Sadiq (AS) showed the dead face of his son to many witnesses to confirm his death. The majority of the sources do not dispute that Imam Sadiq (AS) declared Ismail as his successor and that Ismail predeceased his father.

The majority of Ismailis today do not believe that Ismail predeceased his father. According to the current Ismaili creed, Allah (SWT) bestowed Imammate upon Imam Ali (AS), Imam Husayn (AS), Imam Zainul Abideen (AS), Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS), Imam Jafir Sadiq (AS), Ismail, and the Imams that descended from the line of Ismail. Ismailis do not consider Imam Hasan (AS) as an Imam because of their belief that Imammate cannot be transferred between brothers.

[sixfeetunder]

IMAM JA’FAR SADIQ HAS CLEARLY SAID ABOUT THE IMAMATE OF IMAM MUSA KAZIM

Every Imam has mentioned about his successor. Just as Imam Ali Amirul Momeneen appointed Imam Hasan as his successor, Imam Hasan appointed Imam Husain, Imam Husain appointed Imam Zainul Abedin, Imam Zainul Abedin appointed Imam Muhammad Baqir, Imam Muhammad Baqir appointed Imam Ja’far Sadiq, Imam Ja’far Sadiq appointed Imam Musa Kazim , Imam Musa Kazim was appointed Imam during the lifetime of his father as subsequent proofs will testify.

Kirshi in his book ‘Rijaal’ mentions that the first person to hear of the appointment of Imam Musa Kazim was Faiz ibne Mukhtar. Ibn Salit mentions that he with others went to pay their respects to Imam Ja’far Sadiq. Ibn Salit greeted the Imam and said, ‘May my parents be sacrificed upon you, O my beloved Imam, you are our purified Imam and no one who is born is immune from death, and we have come to ask you about your successor’. The Imam pointed towards his sons, and then he pointed towards his son Musa and said that he will be the leader of them all. In him is tact, science, charity and love for the Creator, and whatever difficulties that people come across in their religion, he has all the answers to them and will guide them to the straight path. He has the best possible way of treating people and a wonderful tact of talking to them, and he is one of the doors leading to God.

Dawood Ibne Kasir asked Imam Ja’far Sadiq whom they would have to follow after him, to which the Imam replied that it would be his son Musa. Once Imam Ja’far Sadiq openly proclaimed at a function that his son Musa would be the lawful Imam and rightful successor. At this function his sons Ali and Ishaq were also present and these two were termed as witnesses, and they were considered as learned divines. There were also present on the occasion, companions of Imam Ja’far Sadiq, and such other learned men whose knowledge of Islam was of a very high caliber and these were: Muffazzul bin Oomer, Maazbin Kaseer, Abdulrehman bin Hajjaj, Faiz bin Mukhtar, Yakoob bin Sarraj, Imran bin Aayoon, Abu Baseer, Dawood-e- Rikkee, Yunus bin Zibyaan, Yazid bin Salit, Suleman bin Khaled, Safwanay Jammal.

All of them were made to bear witnesses to the statement of Imam Ja’far Sadiq, regarding the Imamt of Imam Musa Kazim.

Ebrahim-e-Karkhi has mentioned that one day he went to Imam Ja’far Sadiq and whilst he was conversing with the Imam, his child Musa happened to come before them. He kissed the child and the Imam informed them “that after me, my son Musa will be your Imam.” “People will become his enemies and trouble him. But his enemies will suffer and may the wrath of Allah be on these murderers, and God will increase their punishment.” Then the Imam informed me that after Imam Musa Kazim, his son Imam Ali Reza would be the Imam.

Walid bin Sabin narrates that he heard from Abdul Jaleel that Imam Ja’far Sadiq had made Hazrat Ismail his Successor. “I approached the Imam for clarification whether three years back he had proclaimed Hazrat Ismail as his successor?” Then Imam at once replied on oath, that he had never said it and he further said the he named Imam Musa Kazim as his successor.

Obaid Ibne Zorara narrates that the Holy Imam Ja’far Sadiq said “that it is Satan that comes in the form of Janab Ismail and deceives the people. It is absolutely certain that Satan can never appear in the form of a Prophet or an Imam. Now whoever says that my son Ismail is not dead but alive, it can be taken for granted that it is Satan appearing in the shape of Janab Ismail.” Then the Imam informed me that the Imamat is in the hands of God and HE will choose whomsoever He wants.

So God chose my son Musa as Imam, and Satan can never come in the likeness of Imam Musa and I praise the Lord for it. From this it is clear that Satan appeared in the likeness of Janab Ismail to deceive the people and create confusion, and it is also mentioned that Satan appeared in his garb even when he (Janab Ismail) was alive.

Kulaini in Furoo-e-Kafi mentions the followings:

Janab Ismail had in his possession some Dirhams (currency of the place) and he decided to invest this amount with a businessman proceeding to Yemen for a share in a venture. Janab Ismail mentioned this to his father and the Imam informed him that the man was drunkard and to give him money for business or to have anything to do with him was very wrong. Inspite of this advice, Ismail entrusted the amount to this stranger, who swindled him, and the money was lost.
Imam Ja’far Sadiq and Janab Ismail proceeded for the Haj Pilgrimage, and the Imam heard him supplicating to God to have his money returned. The Imam informed him that God would never listen to his request since he went against the wishes of the Imam.

For further related reading, 'The Bohra Faith', an e-book with proper references and page numbers of the source material can be viewed/downloaded from the following link:

http://bohrashia.com/articles.html

[Hanif]

However, it is a historical fact that Ismail predeceased his father. The Ithna Asharis claim that Allah (SWT) decreed a change in the nass which was confirmed by the fact that Ismail passed away before the death of his father. Some Ismailis agree that Ismail predeceased his father while other Ismailis disagree. Daftary accounts, "According to the Ismaili religious tradition and as reported in some of their sources, Ismail survived his father and succeeded in due course. But most sources relate that he died before his father" (A Short History of the Ismailis, Daftary).

Daftary is a twelver Shia himself. Neither the bohoras nor the Ismailis agree with him. IIS is an open minded institution and allows research. It does not control. There are other writers who have not agreed with Daftary.

Having said this, there was anIthanasheri Sheik, , Seth Carney, who had a long following, and who has written A treatise on Ontology, Exoteric and Esoteric Imamah, and Spiritual Practice. He has proved that Musa Kazim's line was wrong.

Al-Kirmani wrote that if you cannot see the Imam amongst you, then the Gaib Imam is wrong and his father was wrong.

Nasir Khusraw, a twelver Shia, converted to Fatimid Ismailism. He was confused by the ayah in the Qur'an which states: Verily those who plight thir fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to God: The Hand of God is over their hands: Then anyone who violates His oath, does so to the harm of his own Soul, and any one who fufils what he has Covenated with God..God will soon grant him a great reward."

Khusraw travelled to Egypt to find the Imam on whose hand he performed the Bayah and converted to Ismailism and converted a lot of the Persians in Central Asia to his faith.

This is the sole reason why the Bohoras and Nizaris insist on having an Ulil Amr amongst you.

[Hanif]

One small request: Please do not write in Hindi or Gujarati without translation. I have difficulty in understanding both and it takes me a long time to understand it. Please accompany it with English translation. Thanks.

[Muslim First]

This is the sole reason why the Bohoras and Nizaris insist on having an Ulil Amr amongst you

Nizaris have their Ulil Amir.
And name and address of Bohra Ulil Amir is?

Or you are OK with present Ulloo Amir and his Sons?

[Hanif]

This is the sole reason why the Bohoras and Nizaris insist on having an Ulil Amr amongst you

Nizaris have their Ulil Amir.
And name and address of Bohra Ulil Amir is?

Or you are OK with present Ulloo Amir and his Sons?

Brother Muslim First,

I do not know the name and address of Bohra Ulil Amr. I know for sure it is not Saifee Mahel or Badri Mahal.
I would not call him Ulloo amir and his sons, because of the way they can control minds of the most educated people around us. Haven't you said that you have such a gentleman in your area who is your friend and who is a millionaire. Does not he ascribe his virtues to this Dai?

I don't know if this is your friend or not, but a guy in Boston and his wife contributed a hefty some to a hospital and did not miss an opportunity to glorify their Dai and their faith.
I have a lot of bohora friends, some like me, who refuse to give in but the majority follow their parents who are totally brain washed. These friends are highly educated, offer their prayers, fast, etc. and grudgingly give but are not willing to listen to others who tell them "What religion demands so much" Their answer is "No religion can survive without money". The only people I see who are thriving well are their Dai and Shezadas. Their sabaks are even more dismal. They know nothing about their faith. All they know are the 7 pillars and their Dai, not even Imams. Their eyes are shut. It is a hopeless case.

[Muslim First]

Br hanif
I must congret you for bucking the system.
Kothar has done amazing job to nearly million Muslims. They have converted a Muslim to human and grave worshippers. My acquaintance with 2 masters and Harvard MBA is a confirmed groupie. Good deed is that they also have donated millions to a local hospital known to cater to less fortunates. This can happen only because theye have kept Kothar happy. I understand he credits his fortunes to Bawa Saheb for success in business and remission of cancer. Allah and his hard work and smartness does not count.

BTW I should have thought some other word for Ulloo

[badrijanab]

Below is not my article. I have just copied it from a reliable source.

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem

(1) In the authentic books of Ithnashari Shia (Twelver Shia) it is categorically written: Imam Jaffer Sadik a.s. ne apne bade bete Ismail a.s. per nuss-a-jali ki (PUBLICLY DECLARED NUSS / PUBLIC DECLARATION OF NEXT IMAM). Fir Imam Ismail a.s. ne apne bete Mohammed Shakir a.s. per nuss ki. List of all those books is mentioned below:

(i) Osole Kafi
(ii) Itihazul Hanfaa
(iii) Makrezi
(iv) Shaharistani
(v) Umd'tut Talib (Abu Anoof)
(vi) Al Harkatul Batiniya fil Islam (Syyed Mustafa Ghalib)
(vii) Tareekh Jahankushai (Kwaja Ataullah)
(viii) Tareekh Farishta (Mohammed Qasim)
(ix) Tareekul Alveen (Mohammed Ameen)
(x) Bihar-al-Anwaar (Allahma Majlisi) - very importnat book of Ithna Ashri
(xi) Akhlaaq Mohammed (Syed Sajjad Hussain)
(xii) Anwarul Quran .

(2) Ithnashari ki one of the most authentic book: Osool-a-Kaafi ke Volume I, page# 329 per aur doosri kai Ithnashri ki books me yeh likha hoova ke, "Imam Jaffer Sadik a.s. ne farmaya: Imam Hasan aur Hussain ke baad koi waqat bhi Imamat do (two) bhaiyo ko NAHI mili."

(1) + (2) = Ithnashari shia ki own books yeh PROVE kar rahi he ki sirf Imam Ismail a.s. se hi sahi aur correct Imamat ka silsila chalta he, aur Musa Kazim Imam he hi nahi aur Ithnashari shia ka firqa osoolan galat he.

Alhamdo Lillah he Rabbil Aalameen.

[humble_servant_us]

BJ
You have listed a number of books from shia sources. Can you please give page numbers or references in these books (if not all atleast a few) so that it becomes easy to locate the tradition.

Osool-a-Kaafi ke Volume I, page# 329 per aur doosri kai Ithnashri ki books me yeh likha hoova ke, "Imam Jaffer Sadik a.s. ne farmaya: Imam Hasan aur Hussain ke baad koi waqat bhi Imamat do (two) bhaiyo ko NAHI mili."

We agree to this. This could also mean that if Imam Musa Kazim(as) is the Imam, Janabe Ismail cannot be an Imam.

(1) + (2) = Ithnashari shia ki own books yeh PROVE kar rahi he ki sirf Imam Ismail a.s. se hi sahi aur correct Imamat ka silsila chalta he, aur Musa Kazim Imam he hi nahi aur Ithnashari shia ka firqa osoolan galat he.

You are jumping to a conclusion very fast. What do you have to say of the traditions from prohet(pbuh) about 12 successors which is a well accepted hadith by sunni and shia sects. Is this a false tradition.

[Hanif]

[quote]You are jumping to a conclusion very fast. What do you have to say of the traditions from prohet(pbuh) about 12 successors which is a well accepted hadith by sunni and shia sects. Is this a false tradition.[/quote

It may be false as the name of the twelve successors do not match. If you want I can provide the list according to the Sunni sources, or may be you can quote the Sunni sources and provide the names. Or better still, you can provide the names according to the Shia sources, as provided by the Prophet SAW.

I think you guys have to give up your claims for 12 successors to match your agenda. First, it was stated, and I had heard in your Vaaz, that 12 princes were mentioned in the Bible and when somebody challenged with the names of the 12 princes mentioned in the Bible, the claim was dropped.

I have seen the Prophet's ahadith and any which way you put the names of the 12 princes, they do not match yours. Now show me a hadith please in which the names of 12 princes match your Imams names.

[humble_servant_us]

Hanif
This will try to answer some of your queries on the number of imams/khalifas after the prophet(pbuh).

http://www.al-islam.org/twelve/


Regarding the names of imams, here is one tradition. There are many more if you want.

On the commentary of the verse 4:59 of Quran in which Allah orders us to obey Ulul-Amr, al-Khazzaz in his book, Kifayatul Athar, gives a tradition on the authority of the well-known companion of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari (RA):

When the verse (4:59) was revealed, Jabir asked the Prophet (PBUH&HF): "We know Allah and the Prophet, but who are those vested with authority whose obedience has been conjoined to that of Allah and yourself?"

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "They are my Caliphs and the Imams of Muslims after me. The first of them is Ali; then al-Hasan; then al-Husain; then Ali son of al-Husain; then Muhammad son of Ali who has been mentioned 'al-Baqir' in the Torah (the old testament). O Jabir! You will meet him. When you see him, convey my greetings to him. He will be succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sadiq (the Truthful); then Musa son of Ja'far; then Ali son of Musa; then Muhammad son of Ali; then Ali son of Muhammad; then al-Hasan son of Ali. He will be followed by his son whose name and nick name will be the same as mine. He will be Proof of Allah (Hujjatullah) on the earth, and the one spared by Allah (Baqiyyatullah) to maintain the cause of faith among mankind. He shall conquer the whole world from the east to the west. So long will he remain hidden from the eyes of his followers and friends that the belief in his leadership will remain only in those hearts which have been tested by Allah for faith."

Jabir said: "O Messenger of Allah! Will his followers benefit from his seclusion?" The Prophet said: "Yes! by Him who sent me with prophethood! They will be guided by his light, and benefit from his leadership during his seclusion, just as people benefit from the sun even though it is hidden in the clouds. O Jabir! This is from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasured knowledge of Allah. So guard it except from the people who deserve to know." (Kifayatul Athar, by al-Khazzaz, p53).

[Muslim First]

(Kifayatul Athar, by al-Khazzaz, p53).

Phony account. Shias have industry of making up riwayats.

[humble_servant_us]

I did not want to present a hadith from shia source because i knew you will never accept it but Hanif had asked for a shia source so it was presented.

The point is there will be 12 khalifas after the prophet(pbuh) and this is very much in the authentic sunni sources also which I think we should agree on.

[anajmi]

Was this book written before the Imam went into hiding or after?

[Muslim First]

Regarding the names of imams, here is one tradition. There are many more if you want.

On the commentary of the verse 4:59 of Quran in which Allah orders us to obey Ulul-Amr, al-Khazzaz in his book, Kifayatul Athar, gives a tradition on the authority of the well-known companion of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari (RA):

When the verse (4:59) was revealed, Jabir asked the Prophet (PBUH&HF): "We know Allah and the Prophet, but who are those vested with authority whose obedience has been conjoined to that of Allah and yourself?"

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "They are my Caliphs and the Imams of Muslims after me. The first of them is Ali; then al-Hasan; then al-Husain; then Ali son of al-Husain; then Muhammad son of Ali who has been mentioned 'al-Baqir' in the Torah (the old testament). O Jabir! You will meet him. When you see him, convey my greetings to him. He will be succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sadiq (the Truthful); then Musa son of Ja'far; then Ali son of Musa; then Muhammad son of Ali; then Ali son of Muhammad; then al-Hasan son of Ali. He will be followed by his son whose name and nick name will be the same as mine. He will be Proof of Allah (Hujjatullah) on the earth, and the one spared by Allah (Baqiyyatullah) to maintain the cause of faith among mankind. He shall conquer the whole world from the east to the west. So long will he remain hidden from the eyes of his followers and friends that the belief in his leadership will remain only in those hearts which have been tested by Allah for faith."

Jabir said: "O Messenger of Allah! Will his followers benefit from his seclusion?" The Prophet said: "Yes! by Him who sent me with prophethood! They will be guided by his light, and benefit from his leadership during his seclusion, just as people benefit from the sun even though it is hidden in the clouds. O Jabir! This is from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasured knowledge of Allah. So guard it except from the people who deserve to know." (Kifayatul Athar, by al-Khazzaz, p53).

This is patent lie of Shias.
Imam Hussein was about 6 years and 5 monts old when Prophet passed away, How did prophet knew all the names of his great, grea great and great great great grand sons?
humble_servant_us use your brain before posting lies of your creed.

[humble_servant_us]

If the prophet(pbuh) knew the name of the last successor AL-Mahdi(as) to which we all agree, it is surprising when he tells us about the intermediate successors you doubt his ilm-e-ghayb and call the tradition a lie.

Anyways if it is a lie for you , you can leave it.

[Muslim First]

Deleted

[Muslim First]

Prophet Had knowledge of Gaib

decided to review this alleged hadeeth in the light of God’s Book – al-Qur’an. Wanted to know if the Qur’an supports this claim and if there is any indication in the Qur’an that the Prophet made predictions about future events – events of the ghaib or unknown – and if it were part of the mission that was assigned to him by God. The following verses from the Qur’an give a completely different picture .

“Say [O Prophet]: ‘It is not within my power to bring benefit to, or avert harm from, myself, except as God may please. And if I knew that which is beyond the reach of human perception, abundant good fortune-would surely have fallen to my lot, and no evil would ever have touched me. I am nothing but a warner, and a herald of glad tidings unto people who will believe.’” (Qur’an 7:188)

I was struck by this extremely plain and logical verse from the Qur’an. The prophet is made to say that if he did have knowledge of the future – ghaib – then no calamities would have befallen him and he would have all the treasures of the world. The history tells us that the Prophet faced severe hardships in his life, which he could have avoided had he known what is in the future.

The above verse is not the only verse where the Prophet is made to declare that he has no knowledge of the ghaib. There are several other verses emphasizing this point. Here are a few examples:

“Say [O Prophet]: ‘I do not say unto you, “God’s treasures are with me,”; nor [do I say], “I know the things that are beyond the reach of human perception”; nor do I say unto you, “Behold, I am an angel”: I but follow what is revealed to me.’ Say: ‘Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? Will you not, then, take thought?’” (Quran 6:50)

This declaration of the Prophet was not new. Prophets before him also made such declarations as well.

Prophet Noah said:

“’And I do not say unto you, “God’s treasures are with me”; nor [do I say], “I know the reality which is beyond the reach of human perception”; nor do I say, “Behold, I am an angel”; nor do I say of those whom your eyes hold in contempt, “Never will God grant them any good”- for God is fully aware of what is in their hearts. Were I to speak thus, verily, I would indeed be among the evildoers.’” (Qur’an 11:31)U

What is revealed to the Prophet of the ghaib is identified clearly in the Qur’an as the stories of the past prophets:

“These accounts of something that was beyond the reach of thy perception We [now] reveal unto thee, [O Muhammad: for] neither thou nor thy people knew them [fully] ere this. Be, then, [like Noah,] patient in adversity – for, behold, the future belongs to the God-conscious!” (Qur’an 11:49)

“This account of something that was beyond the reach of thy perception We [now] reveal unto thee, [O Prophet:] for thou wert not with Joseph’s brothers when they resolved upon what they were going to do and wove their schemes [against him].” (Qur’an 12:102)

It is sad that people invent stories that have no basis in the Qur’an and that defy the Qur’an. Since the Qur’an is the Furqan – the criterion to distinguish between what is correct and what is false, we should always seek its help in determining if a certain idea or report or story – especially as it pertains to the Prophet – is correct or false.

“Or have they a ladder by which they could [ascend to ultimate truths and] listen [to what is beyond the reach of human perception]? Let, then, any of them who have listened [to it] produce a manifest proof [of his knowledge]!” (Qur’an 52:38)

There are traditions that describe the details of the last Day and the “signs” that herald the coming of the last Day. However, Only God knows the coming of the hour and It will come suddenly:

“They will ask thee [O Prophet] about the Last hour: ‘When will it come to pass?’ Say: ‘Verily, knowledge thereof rests with my Sustainer alone. None but He will reveal it in its time. Heavily will it weigh on the heavens and the earth; [and] it will not fall upon you otherwise than of a sudden.’ They will ask thee – as if thou couldst gain insight into this [mystery] by dint of persistent inquiry! Say: ‘knowledge thereof rests with my Sustainer alone; but [of this] most people are unaware.’” (Qur’an 7:187)

“Verily, with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last hour will come: and He [it is who] sends down rain; and He [alone] knows what is in the wombs: whereas no one knows what he will reap tomorrow, and no one knows in what land he will die, Verily. God [alone] is all-knowing, all-aware.” (Qur’an 31:34)

“People will ask thee about the Last hour. Say: ‘knowledge thereof rests with God alone; yet for all thou knowest, the Last hour may well be near!’” (Qur’an 33:63)

In none of the above verses the Prophet is made to say that “yes such and such events will indicate that the Last Hour is near”. It is strange that the Book of God makes no such claims on behalf of the Prophet, and yet, the traditions are full of stories of details will happen near the time of Qiamat and these traditions show – contrary to the reports in the Qur’an – that the Prophet had knowledge of all these future events.

The fact is that it was not the mission of the Prophet to forecast or predict the future, and nowhere is he shown in the Qur’an to ever make any such claims about the ghaib. As opposed to that he is clearly made to identify his mission in the Qur’an in no uncertain terms so that the people after him do not invent false stories about his mission.
The Mission of the Prophet:

“You are NOTHING but a Warner. Surely We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of GOOD NEWS and a WARNER, and there is not a people but a Warner has gone among them.”(Qur’an 35:23-24)

“Do they not reflect that their companion has not unsoundness in mind; he is ONLY A PLAIN WARNER .” (Qur’an 7:184)

“Then, it may be that you will give up part of what is revealed to you and your breast will become straitened by it because they say: Why has not a treasure been sent down upon him or an angel come with him? You are ONLY A WARNER ; and it is Allah that arranges all affairs.” (Qur’an 11:12)

“And We have not sent you BUT as a giver of good news and as a warner .” (Qur’an 25:56)

“Say: ‘I exhort you only to ONE thing, that rise up for Allah’s sake in twos and singly, then reflect’: there is no madness in your companion; he is NOTHING BUT A WARNER to you before a severe chastisement.” (Qur’an 34:46)
“Say: ‘I am ONLY a warner , and there is no god but Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all).’” (Qur’an 38:65)

“ONLY this has been revealed to me: that I am to give warning plainly .”(Qur’an 38:70)

“Say: ‘O people! I am ONLY A PLAIN WARNER to you .’” (Qur’an 22:49)

“’I am commanded ONLY that I should serve the Lord of this city, Who has made it sacred, and His are all things; and I am commanded that I should be of these who submit; and that I should RECITE THE QUR’AN. Therefore whoever goes aright, he goes aright for his own soul, and whoever goes astray, then say: I am ONLY ONE OF THE WARNERS .’” (Qur’an 27:91-92)

“And they say: ‘Why are not signs sent down upon him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner .’” (Qur’an 29:50)
lo
“They say: ‘When will this promise come true if you speak the truth?’ Say: The knowledge is with Allah only, and I am ONLY a plain warner .’”(Qur’an 67:26)

In no uncertain terms the Prophet has been made to emphasize his mission on this earth: He is only here to warn that consequences of bad actions will be bad, and to give good news that the consequences of good actions will be good. He is not here to establish God’s “government” or “kingdom” on earth (God’s government has always been on earth and will always be there whether there are Muslims in the world or not); and he is not here to make predictions of future wars.

The fact is that certain individuals are using falsehood . They promote these false ideas in the guise of “Islam” (Peace). These are the individuals against whom the Qur’an warns:

“When it is said to them:’ Make not mischief on the earth,’ they say: ‘Why, we only want to make peace!’ Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realise (it) not.” (Qur’an 2:11-12)

We should be aware of such people and always use the Qur’an – the Furqan – to distinguish what is right from what is wrong.

wasalam,

[humble_servant_us]

Fair enough. If in your understanding prophet(pbuh) did not have any knowledge about ghaib, then please do not call the sahih books of hadith as sahih, they have traditions about coming of al-mahdi(as). These might be false as per your quranic interpretations and we should very well discard such hadith from the "sahih" books . This brings you to rely only on Quran , and NO SUNNAH, since the sunnah of prophet(pbuh) is supposed to be only available in the authentic sahih books.

[aliabbas_aa]

Regarding the prophecies they were sent down by Allah SWT to the prophet. The prophet by its own did not posses Ilm gaib. He revealed to people what was revealed to him thats it.

[humble_servant_us]

Regarding the prophecies they were sent down by Allah SWT to the prophet. The prophet by its own did not posses Ilm gaib. He revealed to people what was revealed to him thats it.

I think this is implicit, no onc can possess ilm e -gayb on his own. It is always only from Allah(swt). Anyways thank God atleast you agree he(pbuh) had ilm-e-gayb, whereas our friend MF has proved it from Quran that prophet(pbuh) does not have ilm-e-gayb.

[Muslim First]

Regarding the prophecies they were sent down by Allah SWT to the prophet. The prophet by its own did not posses Ilm gaib. He revealed to people what was revealed to him thats it.

I think this is implicit, no onc can possess ilm e -gayb on his own. It is always only from Allah(swt). Anyways thank God atleast you agree he(pbuh) had ilm-e-gayb, whereas our friend MF has proved it from Quran that prophet(pbuh) does not have ilm-e-gayb.

I do think that shias interprete every aya of Qur'an different way. Read my post with your thinking cap on. With affort Inshah Allah you will come to same conclusion.

. Regarding the prophecies they were sent down by Allah SWT to the prophet. The prophet by its own did not posses Ilm gaib. He revealed to people what was revealed to him thats it. .

[Muslim First]

Regarding the prophecies they were sent down by Allah SWT to the prophet. The prophet by its own did not posses Ilm gaib. He revealed to people what was revealed to him thats it.

If Prophet SAW had Ilm e Gaib on his own he would have known all future events.

He would have left clear instruction of succession. Either we would have only one line of Imams or none.
He would have told Hz Hassan that he would be poisoned.
He would have described events of Karbala to Imam Hussein.
He would have knowledge of death of his 2 sons.
He would have knowledge of cruzeds and would have saved many lives.
We would be one Ummah not multiple sects.

I can go on and on.

[Hanif]

Hanif
This will try to answer some of your queries on the number of imams/khalifas after the prophet(pbuh).

http://www.al-islam.org/twelve/


Regarding the names of imams, here is one tradition. There are many more if you want.

On the commentary of the verse 4:59 of Quran in which Allah orders us to obey Ulul-Amr, al-Khazzaz in his book, Kifayatul Athar, gives a tradition on the authority of the well-known companion of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari (RA):

When the verse (4:59) was revealed, Jabir asked the Prophet (PBUH&HF): "We know Allah and the Prophet, but who are those vested with authority whose obedience has been conjoined to that of Allah and yourself?"

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "They are my Caliphs and the Imams of Muslims after me. The first of them is Ali; then al-Hasan; then al-Husain; then Ali son of al-Husain; then Muhammad son of Ali who has been mentioned 'al-Baqir' in the Torah (the old testament). O Jabir! You will meet him. When you see him, convey my greetings to him. He will be succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sadiq (the Truthful); then Musa son of Ja'far; then Ali son of Musa; then Muhammad son of Ali; then Ali son of Muhammad; then al-Hasan son of Ali. He will be followed by his son whose name and nick name will be the same as mine. He will be Proof of Allah (Hujjatullah) on the earth, and the one spared by Allah (Baqiyyatullah) to maintain the cause of faith among mankind. He shall conquer the whole world from the east to the west. So long will he remain hidden from the eyes of his followers and friends that the belief in his leadership will remain only in those hearts which have been tested by Allah for faith."

Jabir said: "O Messenger of Allah! Will his followers benefit from his seclusion?" The Prophet said: "Yes! by Him who sent me with prophethood! They will be guided by his light, and benefit from his leadership during his seclusion, just as people benefit from the sun even though it is hidden in the clouds. O Jabir! This is from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasured knowledge of Allah. So guard it except from the people who deserve to know." (Kifayatul Athar, by al-Khazzaz, p53).

First of all thanks for providing the Twelvers source. The writers are the twelvers.

Bohoras quote their sources and say that their baby Imam appointed the Dais and that they talk to the hidden Imam. And they will quote their sources.

Reverting to the twelve’s, I went through the links that you provided, and went through the Bible and the Sunni sources and nothing matches your claim.

I am sorry I took long to respond, but I like to read and study the links you posted and I shall post my views on them later.

Here are the Sunni sources:

The 77th chapter of Yanābi‘u ’l-Mawaddah of a famous Sunni scholar al-Hāfiz Sulaymān al-Qundūzi al-Hanafi (d. 1294AH/1877AD).
Al-Qundūzi first quotes a well known hadīth of the Prophet that: “There will be twelve caliphs, all from the Quraysh.”
This hadīth has been quoted by many books of ahadith including that of Bukhāri, al-Muslim, Abu Dāwud and at-Tirmidhi
This hadīth cannot apply to the four al-khulafā’u ’r-rāshidun from among his companions, as they were less than twelve.
“And it cannot apply to the caliphs from the tribe of Umayyad, because (a) they were more than twelve; (b) all of them were tyrants and unjust .. and (c) they were not from the Banu Hāshim as the Prophet has said in a hadīth that `all of them will be from the Banu Hāshim'...
“And it cannot apply to the caliphs from the ‘Abbāsids, because (a) they were more than twelve; and (b) they did not comply with (the demands of) the verse Say, `I do not ask of you any recompense for it except the love for (my) near relatives' (42:23),

we read in Mishkat al Masabih:

“I heard the Apostle of Allah say ‘Islam shall not cease to be glorious up to twelve Caliphs, every one of them being from the Quraish”. (And in a narration) “The affairs of men will not cease to decline so long as twelve men will rule over them, every one of them coming from Quraish.
And in a narration: The religion will continue to be established till the hour comes as there are twelve Caliphs over them, everyone of them coming from the Quraish”
Mishkat al Masabih Vol 4 p 576, Hadith 5

Furthermore, in Sahih Muslim we read the following:

“The affairs of the people will continue to be conducted as long as they are governed by twelve men, he then added from Quraish”
Sahih Muslim, Hadith number 4478 English translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui

We read in Sunan Tirmidhi:

“I will be followed by twelve Khalifas all will be Quraysh”.
Sunan Tirmidhi Volume 1 page 813 Urdu Translated by Maulana Badheya al Zaman.

Imam Ahmed recorded the Hadith as follows:

Narrated from Masrooq who said: ‘We were sitting with Abdallah bin Masood while he was reciting the Quran and a man asked him: O Abu Abdul Rahman, did you ask the Messenger of Allah how many caliphs this ummah will have?. Abdallah bin Masood said: No one has asked me this since coming to Iraq except you. He then said: Yes, we did ask the Prophet and He said, "there will be 12, the same count as the chieftans (nuqaba) of Bani Israel”.
(Online) Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal, Volume 1 Hadith No. 3593

al-Hafid Ali bin Abi Bakar al-Haythami stated about the tradition:

Narrated by Ahmad, Abo Ya'ala and al-Bazar, its (chain) include Mujaled bin Saeed, al-Nes'ai said about him thiqa but the majority said about him daeef, the rest of the narrators are thiqa
Majmal Zawaid, Volume 5 Hadith 8967.

We read in al-Mustadrak al-Hakim, Volume 3 page 218 (Published in Hyderabad in 1334):

Aun bin Abi Jahifa narrated from his father: ‘I went to Prophet [s] along with my uncle. He [s] stated: ‘The affair of my Ummah will continue unless there come 12 caliphs’. Then he said something in a low voice. I asked my uncle who was sitting close to Him [s]: ‘O Uncle! What did He[s] say?’ He replied: ‘O Son! He [s] said that all of them will be from Quraish’.

Hafid al-Haythami stated about this hadith:

“This tradition has been recorded by Tabarani in Auwsat and Kabeer and by Bazar too and the narrators of Tabarani are from Sahih”
Majmal Zawaid, Volume 5 page 190, Hadith 8968

Ibn Hajar Makki in his anti-Shia book stated about the 12 Khalifa Hadith:

“There is an Ijma about this hadith being Sahih”
Sawaiq al-Muhriah, page 11

Imam Tirmidhi stated under one of the versions of 12 Caliph Hadith:

“This Hadith is Hasan Sahih and has been narrated by Jabir from various ways”
Sunan Sahih Tirmidhi, Volume 2 page 45, Hadith No. 2149 (Published in 1342 in Delhi)

The duration of all twelve will be until the Day of Judgement. 12 is the crucial number the Prophet (saws) here is only referring to 12 khalifa’s, but how can this be the case when dozens of khalifas ruled the Islamic State? It is clear that the Prophet’s concern was only with 12 of them. These 12 must have some importance, Rasulullah (s) informs his followers of their coming in the capacity of Khalifa’s.

The Sunni interpretation of the 12 Khalifa’s Hadith


It is in accordance with this Sunni belief i.e. that it is the duty of the public to select or elect the Imam of the Ummah that Qari interprets the Hadith of the 12 Caliphs in the following way:
Abu Bakr
Umar
Uthman
Ali
Mu’awiya
Yazid
Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Walid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Sulayman bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Umar bin Abdul Aziz
Yazid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Hasham bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan

Sharh Fiqa Akbar, by Mulla Ali Qari, page 73 (publishers Muhammad Saeed and son, Quran Mahal, Karachi

Ibn Khaldun after including the 5 Rightly Guided Khalifas says:

“Mu’awiya is the 6th, Umar bin Abdul Aziz is the 7th the remaining 5 will be from the Ahl’ul bayt, the lineage of Ali”.
Muqaddimah Volume 2 page 178 Urdu translation by Maulana Raghib Rahmani.

The former grand Mufti of Deobandies, Maulana Muahmmad Shafi states:

“Of the four, Sidiq al Akbar, the Great Farooq, Uthman Ghani, ‘Ali al Murtadha (may Allah be pleased with them) are included after some time Umar bin Abdul Aziz is accepted by consensus as the 5th rightly guided caliph”
Tafseer Maarif al Qur’an Volume 3 page 78

The gap between the death of Maula ‘Ali (as) and Umar bin Abdul Aziz coming to power is several decades, it has been 1300 yrs since he died and he hasn’t mentioned who the remainder seven Khalifa’s, who are they and how will this prediction be fulfilled? It would have been better for the Mufti to fill in the names of the remainder 7, but he didn’t mention any other Khalifa.

After a detailed discussion in ‘Tareekh ul Khulafa’ page 28 Suyuti states:

“The 12 Khalifas mentioned by Rasulullah (s) are the four rightly guided khalifas, Hadhrat Hasan, Hadhrat Mu’awiya, Ibn Zubayr, Umar bin Abdul Aziz is the 8th. Muhtadi should also be counted because during the Abbasid reign he was a just person just like Umer bin Abdul Aziz was from Banu Umayah, Tahir should be counted as 10th caliph because he was a symbol of justice, after these 10, two caliphs remains among those one will be Imam Mahdi who will be from the Ahl’ul bayt”.
Tareekh ul Khulafa page 28

Al Muhaddith Shah Waliyullah Dehlavi was and is still regarded as a high ranking scholar from the Sunni’s. The Deobandi scholar Maulana Siddiqi writes:

“Shah Waliullah of Delhi, the celebrated philosopher, theologian, legist, traditionalist and commentator before whose learning and piety bowed the Arab and non Arab Ulama, found all the qualities of a mujtahid in his person”.
Taken from ‘Awake to the call of Islam’ Vol 2 no 9, Sep-Oct 1974, by the Young Men’s Muslim Association.

This is his interpretation of the aforementioned Hadith.
Abu Bakr
Umar
Uthman
Ali
Mu’awiya
Yazid
Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Walid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Sulayman bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Yazid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Hasham bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Umar bin Abdul Azizl
Walid bin Yazid bin Abdul Malik

Qurrat ul Ainain by Al Muhaddith Shah Waliyullah Dehlavi, page 297

Shah Waliyullah takes Yazid out of the khalifas list because “he could not establish his kingdom, his reign was short and his character was not good”.
Qurrat ul Ainain by Al Muhaddith Shah Waliyullah Dehlavi page 298


We shall now turn to ‘Sirat un Nabi’ by Allamah Shibli Numani. Sufficient as to its rank are the words of the Sunni scholar “Muhammad Atiqul Haque:

“Sirat an Nabi is a unique book on the life of the Prophet and is acclaimed as one of the best books in the world. He wrote only four volumes of this book and the remaining four volumes were written by his disciple, Syed Sulayman Nadvi”.
Muslim Heroes of the World, by Muhammad Atiqul Haque, page 130 (Taha Publishers Ltd, UK)

Allamah Syed Sulayman Nadvi records the names of 12 caliphs cited by Hafiz Ibn Hajar:
Abu Bakr
Umar
Uthman
Ali
Mu’awiya
Yazid
Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Walid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Sulayman bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Umar bin Abdul Aziz
Yazid bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Hasham bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Sirat un Nabi, Volume 3 page 380 published in Lahore

Let us turn to the great Hadith scholar Allamah Waheed uz Zaman Khan Hyderabadi. This figure was a scholar of the Qur’an, he wrote a commentary of Sahih al Bukhari spanning 9 volumes. He also wrote commentaries of Muslim, Nasai, Abu Daud, Ibn Majah, Muwatta Imam Malik and authored ‘Lughat al Hadith’. We will demonstrate how he has contradicted himself in his interpretations of this Hadith. In his Sharh of Bukhari, Tayseer al Bari page 267 he states:

“These 12 have passed through the Ummah, the number from Hadhrat Siddique through to Umar ibn Abdul Aziz are 14. Two reigned for a very short period Mu’awiyah ibne Yazeed and Marwan, if we remove them we have 12 Khalifas”.

In his commentary of Sunan Abu Daud Volume 3 page 347, Allamah Waheed Zaman departs from this position:

“Outwardly this Hadith is difficult. The focus of the Ulema is on the four caliphs via whom the Deen remained intact and the vast bulk of the Ummah were agreed upon them, the remaining Abbasid and Umayyad Khalifas were unjust tyrants, although amongst them just individuals also existed”.

So we see that among Sunni scholars, everyone came up with his own set of 12 caliphs and they have always been confused on this matter :

“There is no one who could tell the correct meaning of this hadith”
Fatah ul Bari, Volume 13 page 183 (Published by Daarul Ma`arifah, Beirut)

In ‘Lughaat ul Hadith’ page 108, letter Jeem [Meer Muhammad Kutb Khana, Karachi] he states:

“There is major difference in determining the twelve, The Imamiah have taken it to mean the 12 Imams. And the Sunni Ulema say different things. Allah (swt) knows who the twelve were. We know that Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali were amongst the twelve thus leaving seven. They will be born at various intervals, some may have already passed by, and some remain. ”.