Abu `Ali Ahmad b. al-Hasan b. `Ali b. `Abduwayh narrated to us. He said: Abu `Abdillah Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Abi’l Rijal al-Baghdadi narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. `Abdus al-Harrani narrated to us. He said: `Abd al-Ghaffar b. al-Hakam narrated to us. He said: Mansur b. Abi’l Aswad narrated to us from Mutrif from al-Sha`bi from his uncle Qays b. `Abd. He said: We were sitting in a circle with `Abdullah b. Mas`ud when a Bedouin came and said: Which one of you is `Abdullah? `Abdullah b. Mas`ud said: I am `Abdullah. He said:

Has your Prophet (s) ever told you how many caliphs would come after him? He said: Yes, twelve, like the number of chiefs of the Children of Israel.