«mahdi and succession»
the author of 'nur-ul-absar' has narrated the same tradition on page 231 from abu na'eem, tabarani and others who in turn have all narrated from abdullahibn omar.(74) the author of «es'aaf-ur-rhagebeen» on page 153 says: 'traditions mention that at the time of his emergence, the angels shall cry out: this is mahdi, the divine representative. therefore, obey him. then the people shall join him.' the author of «yanabi-ul-muwadda» narrates on page 447 from 'fara'ed-us-semtain' from abu na'eem from abu omar that the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) said:- 'mahdi shall emerge and an angel above him shall cry out: this mahdi is the representative of allah. therefore follow him.(75)
the author of «yanabi-ul-muwadda» too has narrated from «fasl-ul-khetab» of anuf a similar tradition on page 435 of his afore-said book.(76)
gibra'eel (gabriel) shall move in front of him and micha'eel on his right. the inhabitants of the heavens and earth and the beasts and birds shall become happy of his presence.(77) the author of «esaaf-ur-rhagebeen» writes on page 152 as such:- 'it has come in traditions that allah, the exalted shall support mahdi with three thousand angels(78) and the people of cave (ahl-e-kahf) shall be among his helpers.
the author says: in the same exegesis, under divine saying of --- the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) has said: verily mahdi (a.s.) shall greet the people of the cave and allah, the exalted, shall make them alive. then they shall answer his greetings. thereafter they shall return back to their places and will not rise until the day of judgement.(79) the author says: 'perhaps, the reason that allah will make them alive is that they may give allegiance to mahdi and as said before. the author of 'esaaf-ur-rhagebeen' mentions that as per of traditions they shall be among his helpers and companions.'
the author of 'esaaf-ur-rhagebeen' too has narrated the same tradition on page 148 of his afore-said book. sayyid mu'min-ibn-hassan shablanji in «nur-ul-absar» narrates (on page 231) from ali-ibn abi talib (peace be upon him) who said: i asked the messenger of allah whether mahdi is from us, the family of muhammad or from some other family. he replied: no. rather he shall be from us. through him, allah shall bring the religion to its completion just as he had expanded it through us.(80) this matter is further strengthened by numerous 'mustafiza' traditions which give indication to this fact that religion shall not come to its stage of completion until twelve caliphs come and pass over it. as research shows, you already know as to what ibn-abil hadeed has narrated about the consensus of the muslims on this fact and that is the duties shall not cease but with mahdi. thus he is the last of the legatees and the religion of islam shall terminate in him just as his great grand-father was the last of the prophets and religion commenced from him.
the author says: all those reasons and arguments which give indication to this fact that the caliphs after the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) are twelve in number and are all from quraish or bani-hashim, give indication to the afore-mentioned matter too. all those reasons have been collected by ahmad hanbal in his book 'musnad'. besides him, other sunni scholars and experts of traditions too have collected those reasonings. the reasons which they have collected cannot be conformed but to what we, the shia ithna ashar, say: the successors to the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) are twelve in number where the first of them is ali-ibn-abi talib, amir-ul-mumineen and the last of them is muhammad-ibn-hassan mahdi (a.s.). may allah place us amongst his followers and helpers.
therefore, i looked and witnessed twelve lights on which was written the names of each of my legatees in green. the first of them was ali and the last of them the 'qaem'.' in the afore-mentioned book, its author narrates (on page 486) from 'manaqib' of khawrazmi and he from abu sulaiman chupaan that the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) said: 'the night when i was being taken towards the heaven .... (and he narrated the same tradition so far as allah says): 'o muhammad, do you wish to meet them? i replied: 'yes my lord'. then allah said: "look towards the right of 'arsh' (throne)." as i looked i suddenly saw ali, hassan, hussein, ali-ibn-hussein, muhammad-ibn-ali, jafar-ibn-muhammad, musa-ibn-jafar, ali-ibn-musa, muhammad-ibn-ali, ali-ibn-muhammad; hassan-ibn-ali and muhammad-ibn-hassan mahdi. amongst them, perhaps mahdi appeared like a sparkling star. thereafter he said: 'o muhammad, they are my hujjats (proofs) upon my servants and they are your legatees.' in the same book, the author narrates (on page 487) from the author of 'faraed-us-semtain' and he from sa'eed-ibn-jubair and he from ibn-abbass that the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) said: 'verily, my legatees and the hujjats (proof) of allah upon the people after me are twelve in number. the first of them is my brother and the last of them is my son.' people asked hazrat: who is your brother? he replied: 'ali'. again he was asked: who is your son? he replied: 'mahdi'. again, in the same book, the author narrates (on page 487) from ibn-abbass that the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) said:- 'i am the chief of the prophets and ali the chief of legatees. verily the legatees after me are twelve in number. the first of them is ali and the last is mahdi.'
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