Ahmad b. al-Hasan al-Qattan narrated to us. He said: Abu Yazid Muhammad b. Yahya b. Khalid b. Yazid al-Maruzi narrated to us in Ray in the month of Rabi` al-Awwal in 302 AH. He said: Ishaq b. Ibrahim al-Hanthali – known as Ishaq b. Rahuwayh – narrated to us in 238 AH. He said: Yahya b. Yahya narrated to us. He said: Hisham narrated to us from Mujalid from al-Sha`bi from Masruq. He said: We were with `Abdullah b. Mas`ud showing our codices to him when a young man said to him:

Did your Prophet tell you how many caliphs there would be after him? He said: You are young in age, yet none before you has asked me this question. Yes, our Prophet (s) told us that there would be twelve caliphs after him, like number of chiefs of the Children of Israel.