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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islamic Question & Answer Question 4 : Who Are the 'imams'? ANSWER: The honorable prophet during his lifetime, had already declared that after him, twelve noble persons will reach leadership and all of them will be from the Quraish, and that Islam's dignity and honor will be achieved during their time.

Jabir bin Samarah said: "I heard the messenger of Allah (p) saying, Islam will continue to flourish until the time of twelve caliphs, then said something that I didn't hear, so I asked my father as to what he had continued to say, to which he replied, "All are from Quraish." In the history of Islam, the caliph is he who is the protector of Islam's dignity and can be no one other than the twelve Imams whom the Shia believe in, because the twelve caliphs whom the prophet introduced were immediately after his holiness, known as his successors and caliphs.

Now let us find out who exactly who these twelve caliphs are? If we bypass the four caliphs whom the Sunni's refer to as 'Al-Khulfa Al-Rashideen', then does it mean that the rest of the caliphs did not bring any dignity? The life history of the Umayyid's and abbasides, and the caliphs who were present as that time, attest to this. However, the Shias twelve Imams who were all the manifestation of piety during their lifetime, were preservers of the tradition of the messenger of God.

The companions, their disciples, the later generations and the historians attested to their knowledge and authority, and these revered twelve Imams are known to be the following: Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hasan bin Ali (Al- Mujtaba) Hussein bin Ali. Ali ibn Al- Hussein (Zainul-Abideen) Muhammed bin Ali (Al-Baqir). Ja'afer bin Muhammed (Al-Sadiq) Musa bin Ja'afer (Al-Kazim) Ali ibn Musa (Al-Reza). Muhammed bin Ali (Al-Taqi). Ali ibn Muhammed (Al-Naqi). Hassan bin Ali (Al-Askari). Imam Mehdi (Al-Qaem).

Widely transmitted narrations are recorded about him as being the awaited Mehdi whose descendence is fromour honorable prophet, by many Muslim narrators. For further acquaintance with the life of these great leaders whose names were mentioned by God's messenger (p), refer to the following books: Tadhkira Al-Khawas (Al-Ummah) Kaifiyyat Al- Athar. Wafeyat Al-Aayan.

Aayan Al-Shia (written by seyyid Muhsin Al-Ameen Al-Amili) which is more comprehensive than the above mentioned books Sahih Muslim, vol.6 p.2 print: Egypt. Question 5 .