Fifth Objection: it is Not Permissible for the Imams to Be Only Twelve, Since the Proof of God Must Remain Upon This Ummah Until the Day of Resurrection

Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 19

Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma

Book 1, Chapter 19

Fifth Objection: it is Not Permissible for the Imams to Be Only Twelve, Since the Proof of God Must Remain Upon This Ummah Until the Day of Resurrection
3 Ahadith · 1 Commentary
Commentary 1

اعتراض آخر قالت الزيدية لا يجوز أن يكون من قول الأنبياء إن الأئمة اثنا عشر لأن الحجة باقية على هذه الأمة إلى يوم القيامة و الاثنا عشر بعد محمد ص قد مضى منهم أحد عشر و قد زعمت الإمامية أن الأرض لا تخلو من حجة. فيقال لهم إن عدد الأئمة عليه السلام اثنا عشر و الثاني عشر هو الذي يملأ الأرض قسطا و عدلا ثم يكون بعده ما يذكره من كون إمام بعده أو قيام القيامة و لسنا مستعبدين في ذلك إلا بالإقرار باثني عشر إماما و اعتقاد كون ما يذكره الثاني عشر عليه السلام بعده.

Zaidiyyah say: It is not possible that it should be a statement of prophets that the number of Imams be twelve because the Divine Proof (Hujjat) on this Ummah shall remain till the Judgment Day and after His Eminence, Muhammad (sw), from the twelve, eleven have passed away, whereas the Imamites believe that the earth is never devoid of the Divine Proof (Hujjat). We reply as follows: Imams are indeed twelve in number and it is the twelfth of them that would fill up the earth with justice and equity. And then it would be as he says; that whether there would be another Imam after him of there will be apocalypse. We do not confess to anything more than that the Imams are twelve and we believe that whatever the twelfth Imam says will be there after him.

Hadith 1

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ فَهْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ مُوسَى الْوَجِيهِيِ‌  عَنِ الْمِنْهَالِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ عليه السلام يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَخْبِرْنِي بِمَا يَكُونُ مِنَ الْأَحْدَاثِ بَعْدَ قَائِمِكُمْ قَالَ يَا ابْنَ الْحَارِثِ ذَلِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ ذِكْرُهُ مَوْكُولٌ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ أَنْ لَا أُخْبِرَ بِهِ إِلَّا الْحَسَنَ وَ الْحُسَيْنَ.

Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq from Abdul Aziz bin Yahya from Ibrahim bin Fahad quoting from Muhammad bin Uqbah from Husain bin Hasan from Ismail bin Umar from Umar bin Musa Wajihi  from Minhal bin Amr from Abdullah bin al-Harith that he said: I asked Ali (as) “O Amiral Momineen, please inform me of the events that shall occur after your Qaim.” He replied: “O ibn Harith it is something that only he is entrusted to say. And the Messenger of Allah (sw) made me promise that except for Hasan and Husain, I shall not tell anyone anything about it.”

Hadith 2

عمر بن موسى الوجيهى زيدى له كتاب قراءة زيد بن عليّ  عليه السلام و قال: سمعت زيد ابن على يقول: هذا قراءة أمير المؤمنين  عليه السلام.

Umar ibn Musa al-Wajeehi Zaidi has a book titled 'Qira'at Zaid ibn Ali (as),' and he said: I heard Zaid ibn Ali saying: This is the recitation of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as)."

Hadith 3

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْجَلُودِيُّ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ حَفْصٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ الشَّيْبَانِيِ‌ عَنِ الضَّحَاكِ بْنِ مُزَاحِمٍ عَنِ النَّزَّالِ بْنِ سَبْرَةَ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ فِي حَدِيثٍ يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ أَمْرَ الدَّجَّالِ وَ يَقُولُ فِي آخِرِهِ لَا تَسْأَلُونِّي عَمَّا يَكُونُ بَعْدَ هَذَا فَإِنَّهُ عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ حَبِيبِي عليه السلام أَنْ لَا أُخْبِرَ بِهِ غَيْرَ عِتْرَتِي قَالَ النَّزَّالُ بْنُ سَبْرَةَ فَقُلْتُ لِصَعْصَعَةَ بْنِ صُوحَانَ مَا عَنَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِهَذَا الْقَوْلِ فَقَالَ صَعْصَعَةُ يَا ابْنَ سَبْرَةَ إِنَّ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ خَلْفَهُ هُوَ الثَّانِي عَشَرَ مِنَ الْعِتْرَةِ التَّاسِعُ مِنْ وُلْدِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عليه السلام وَ هُوَ الشَّمْسُ الطَّالِعَةُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا يَظْهَرُ عِنْدَ الرُّكْنِ وَ الْمَقَامِ فَيُطَهِّرُ الْأَرْضَ وَ يَضَعُ الْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ فَلَا يَظْلِمُ أَحَدٌ أَحَداً فَأَخْبَرَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عليه السلام أَنَّ حَبِيبَهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص عَهِدَ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ لَا يُخْبِرَ بِمَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ غَيْرَ عِتْرَتِهِ الْأَئِمَّةِ و يقال للزيدية أ فيكذب رسول الله ص في قوله إن الأئمة اثنا عشر فإن قالوا إن رسول الله ص لم يقل هذا القول قيل لهم إن جاز لكم دفع هذا الخبر مع شهرته و استفاضته و تلقي طبقات الإمامية إياه بالقبول فما أنكرتم ممن يقول إنّ و يقال للزيدية أ فيكذب رسول الله ص في قوله إن الأئمة اثنا عشر فإن قالوا إن رسول الله ص لم يقل هذا القول قيل لهم إن جاز لكم دفع هذا الخبر مع شهرته و استفاضته و تلقي طبقات الإمامية إياه بالقبول فما أنكرتم ممن يقول إنّ قَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ. ليس من قول الرسول ع.

Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq who said: Narrated to us Abdul Aziz bin Yahya al-Jaloodi from Husain bin Maaz from Qais bin Hafas from Yunus bin Arqam from Abu Sinan Shaibani from Zahhak bin Muzahim from Nizal bin Sabra from Amirul Momineen Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) in a tradition in which there is description of Dajjal. At the end of this tradition the Imam says: “Do not ask me about the conditions following this. This is a covenant that I have made with my dearest one (the Prophet) that I would not inform about this to anyone except my descendants.” Nizaal bin Sabra says that I asked Sa’sa bin Sauhan what Amirul Momineen (as) meant by this? He replied, ‘O ibn Sabra, he is the same behind whom Prophet Isa (as) would pray. He shall be the twelfth descendant and he would be the ninth descendant of Husain bin Ali (as). He would be the one for whom the Sun would rise from the west and he shall reappear between the Rukn and Maqaam. Then he would purify the earth and establish the scales of justice. Then no one would be able to oppress another. Then Amirul Momineen (as) said that the dearest one of Amirul Momineen (as), the Messenger of Allah (sw) had taken an oath from him that he must not inform anyone about the events after this except his purified descendants. [Al-Saduq says:] And Zaidiyyah shall be asked: Can you deny that the Messenger of Allah (sw) said that the Imams after him would be twelve? If they say that the Messenger of Allah (sw) did not make such a statement they would be asked: If it is possible for you to reject this report inspite of the fact that it is well-known, beneficial and it is accepted by Imamiyah sect, it is just as if someone were to allege that the Messenger of Allah (sw) sayings: ‘Min kuntu mawla…’ is not of his real sayings. ’