Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith
The Twelve Caliphs:
Following are the traditions reported about the twelve caliphs (successors), so as to be aware of one of the aspects of falsification and fabrication of hadith, which is our concern in this research. Whatever lies beyond this aspect is out of scope and far from our intention, as we have no right to debate people regarding their beliefs and tenets.
There are numerous traditions foretelling that the successors of the Prophet (S) will be twelve in number. Herewith some of those traditions we passed by, with their different wording without discussing or presenting the meanings of their texts!
Al-Bukhari reported that the Two Shaykhs related from Jabir ibn Samurah (that the Prophet said): "Verily there will be twelve emirs, all being from Quraysh."
In Sahih Muslim it is recorded: "The affairs of people keep in process as long as they be ruled by twelve men, all of whom are from Quraysh."
In another narration: "This affair (successorship) is not to terminate till when being undertaken by twelve caliphs, from among people."
Yet elsewhere it is reported: "Islam is verily safeguarded and kept powerful and inviolable as long as twelve successors are ruling." In another hadith that was reported by al-Bazzaz and al-Tabarrani, Abu Juhayfah
narrated it with the words: "The affair of my Ummah is still all right..." Abu Dawud, from Jabir ibn Samurah, reported it with the same wording with some addition. 444
"On returning home people of Quraysh approached him saying: What would happen then? He said: Then disorder and tumult would be there,".. i.e. sedition and fighting (insurrection).
In another narration by Abu Dawud: "This religion is still established as long as you are governed by twelve caliphs upon whom there is unanimous agreement by the Ummah."
Ahmad recorded it thus: "This affair is still fit and in proper condition..." In another narration by him too: "This affair remains satisfactory and agreeable." While al-Tabarrani reported it with the words: "... they are never harmed by the enmity harboured by those contracting enmity of them."
Whereas it is recorded by Abu Dawud, and reported by Ahmad and al-Bazzaz, in a hadith by Ibn Mas'ud, that he was questioned: How many caliphs will reign over this Ummah? He replied: We have inquired the Messenger of Allah about it and he said: There will be twelve ones exactly the number of the nuqaba’ (chiefs) of the Children of Israel."
Al-Tabarrani reported a hadith transmitted by Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-'As, tracing it back to the Prophet as saying: "When twelve men from the descendants of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy seize power, there will be flicking and tattling till the Day of Resurrection.
Also Ka'b al-Ahbar — as there should be a hadith by him!! since everywhere is a "trace of him!! — reported: "There will be twelve Mahdis, and after them Spirit of Allah will come down (from the heaven) and Kill al-Dajjal.
Though all these traditions indicate the caliphs to be twelve ones, but
they (narrators) have reported a hadith contradicting all of them, which is called the Ark hadith that was reported by the authors of Sunan, and confirmed by Ibn Hibban and other narrators, with these words: (the Prophet said): "Verily successorship after me will last for thirty years, after which it will be supreme power."
Further Abu Dawud reported from Ibn Mas'ud a hadith with a chain going back to the Prophet that he said: "The era of caliphate in Islam will last for thirty-five or thirty-six or thirty-seven years. If they (caliphs) perish, so everyone with his course, and if their religion is established, it will survive for seventy years." Al-Tabarrani and al-Khitabi added to it: People then inquired the Prophet: Is it with the exception of the passed years? He replied : Yes.
Opinions of Some Scholars on These Traditions:
Al-Qadi Iyad said: There are two objections raised regarding this number (i.e. twelve), one of which being: It is contradicted by the Ark hadith uttered by the Prophet (S): "Verily successorship after me will last for thirty years, after which it will be supreme power (mulk)." since throughout these thirty years Muslims were ruled by the Four Caliphs (al-Khulafa' al-Rashidun) and (al-Imam) al-Hasan ibn Ali for several days. The second objection is: Caliphate was undertaken and conducted by caliphs exceeding this number.
In Kashf al-mushkil, Ibn al-Jawzi is reported to have said: I have made untiring and deep investigation concerning the meaning of this hadith, and strived hard to find out its hidden denotation, doing much inquiry about it, but I could not reach my sought aim. That was because of the difference in its words and terms, and I am quite sure that all the
confusion and inconsonance afflicting this hadith being done by the narrators.
Also, al-Suyuti, after citing the statements of the ulama’ in regard of these ambiguous traditions, expressed an odd opinion I cite herewith for the sake of jesting with readers.
"Hence among the twelve successors, we can mention the four caliphs (Rightly-guided), with al-Hasan, Mu'awiyah, Ibn al-Zubayr and Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who altogether constitute eight caliphs. Then it can be added to them al-Mahdi from the Abbasids as his position among them is the same as that of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz among the Umayyads, beside al-Zahir due to his being characterized with justice. After that remain the two awaited (caliphs)!! one of whom being al-Mahdi! as he belongs to the household of Muhammad (S)". But he missed to mention the second awaited one…and may God’s mercy be upon that who said in regard of al-Suyuti that: he was a night wood-cutter.
Before concluding our speech about al-Mahdi, I cite herewith a statement about him uttered by al-Allamah Murtada al-Askari, one of the Iraqi eminent great ulama’, that revealing the belief held by the Ithna Ashari Imami Shi'ah toward al-Mahdi.
In a long reply (to a question) he sent to us, he said:
The Ithna-Ashari Shi'ah hold that the earth was never devoid of an authority for Allah upon His creation, and will never be devoid too. And he either be alive as a prophet to whom it is revealed, or anyone appointed by him to take charge of his Shari`ah after him, and clarify it for his Ummah.
"They consider the traditions you cited in your book pp.210-211,
this number applies neither to the Rashidun, nor the Umayyad caliphs, nor others. Besides, they narrate hundreds of traditions, through their special turuq (chains of transmission) from the Messenger of Allah, that indisputably determine this fact. Also they believe that the Twelfth of these Imams being al-Mahdi, the son of al-Hasan al-Askari, who was born in Samarra' in 255 H., whom they believe to be still alive, as in the case of Noah who lived among his folk for a thousand years save fifty years, and that of Jesus whom they slew not nor crucified but it appeared so unto them, but Allah took him up unto Himself.
"They (Shi’ah) believe that al-Mahdi is existent and alive with the power of Allah that fashioned out of clay a bird and made the fire coolness and peace for Abraham. and having faith in his being existent all that long period is verily an evidence indicating faith in God's power, believing also he is present among people, sighting them like anyone of them without being distinguished by them. Among the advantages they state of his existence, being that when Muslims needing a concealed correct opinion, he would guide some of the ulama’ to the unerring opinion in that matter.
"Concerning the appointed hour of his appearance, they concur that this being a hidden fact unknown but only by Allah, and there be certain signs for his appearance, some of which being inevitable and some others potential, as indicated by traditions. Also they hold that his appearance — as commonly known — will start in Mecca, and his first campaign shall be by an army with the same number of that of the Messenger of Allah during the Battle of Badr, and he will fill the earth with justice, and judge among people according to actuality and facts, though it being incongruous with the testimony of witnesses. In regard of the crypt of occultation, about which it is said to be situated in Hillah or Samarra', I have never heard any Shi'i claiming
occultation of al-Mahdi to be in it, or his existence in it, or his emergence from it. The crypt known in Samarra' might have been an oratory (musalla) that the two Imams Ali al-Hadi and al-Hasan al-Askari made of it a place for worship and performing prayers, as it was a common habit that people used to make a certain separate place for performing prayers, a habit that continued to the present time.
It is noted that most of the traditions on al-Mahdi, cited in Sunnah books were reported by Jabir ibn Samurah.
Fath al-Bari and Ta'rikh al-Khulafa', vol. XIII, pp. 179-183.
That is my book Adwa', 1st edition.