Who are they?

Who are they?’ He (a.s.) replied, “He, my son, Hasan, and he, my son, Husain.” Then he (a.s.) took the hand of his grandson Ali Ibn Husain (a.s.) who was then a suckling child and said, “Then eight descendants from his progeny one after the other.

They are those about whom Allah has promised in His book وَ وَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ ‘And a father and what he begets.’(Surah Balad (90): Verse 3) So, the term ‘father’ (in this verse) implies the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and myself and ‘what he begets’ connotes eleven of my successors.’ I asked, ‘O Ameer al-Momineen!

Is it possible for two Imams to be present at the same time?’ He (a.s.) replied, ‘Yes, except for the fact that one has to remain silent and not speak till the other dies.’ Faraaed al-Simtain[^7]: Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said, ‘Surely, my caliphs, my successors and the proofs of Allah upon the creatures after me are twelve. The first of them is my brother and the last is my son.’ He (s.a.w.a.) was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)!

Who is your brother?’ He (s.a.w.a.) replied, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib.’ Again he (s.a.w.a.) was questioned, ‘And who is your son?’ He (s.a.w.a.) responded, ‘The Mahdi, who will fill the earth with justice and equality as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. I swear by the one Who raised me as a giver of glad tidings with truth! If only one day remains for the world to come to an end, Allah will prolong this day till He brings forth in it my son Mahdi.

The Spirit of Allah, Eesa, the son of Maryam, will descend and pray behind him. The earth will light up with the resplendence of its Lord. His (Mahdi) government will encompass the east and the west.’ Faraaed al-Simtain[^8]: Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said, ‘I am the chief of the messengers while Ali is the chief of the successors.

Surely my successors after me are twelve, first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and the last of them is Al-Qaem (a.s.).’ Yanaabi al-Mawaddah[^9]: Imam Zain al-Aabedin (a.s.) narrates from his father Sayyed al-Shuhada al-Husain (a.s.) from his father the chief of the successors Ameer al-Momineen Ali (a.s.) that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said, ‘The Imams after me are twelve.