All the Muslims will collect round them in unison.

All the Muslims will collect round them in unison.[^7] Al-Bayhaqi says: "This number (twelve) is found till the period of Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik. After this, there was chaos and disturbance. Then came the Abbasid dynasty. This report has increased the number of Imams.

If we neglect some of their characteristics which came after the disturbance, then their number will be much higher."[^8] And they said: The Caliphs around whom the people had collected were the first three Caliphs, then ‘Ali, until the Battle of Siffin against Mu'awiyah when pages of Qur'an were raised on spears. Then the people collected around Mu'awiyah, and then again at the time of the treaty with Imam Hasan. Then with Mu'awiyah's son Yazid.

But the people did not collect around Imam Husayn (a.s.). He was murdered before he could gain this type of support. When Yazid died, they collected around Marwan after the killing of Abdullah ibn Zubayr. Then they supported the four sons of 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan; Walid, Sulayman, Yazid and Hisham. There was a break between Sulayman and Yazid when 'Umar bin 'Abd al-'Aziz occupied the throne. The twelfth of them was Walid ibn Yazid. After that Hisham collected people around him.

He ruled for four years.[^9] On the basis of this the Caliphate of the twelve Caliphs was valid due to the people's support. The Holy Prophet (S) had given the good tidings of their Caliphate; that they will propagate Islam among the people.

In this connection Ibn Hajar says, "The above reason is correct and it is more preferable." Ibn Kathir says: Whosoever follows Bayhaqi and agrees with his assertion that Jama'ah means those Caliphs who came intermittently till the time of Walid ibn Yazid ibn 'Abd al-Malik the transgressor comes under the purview of the tradition quoted by us criticising and denouncing such people. It is a controversial sect. The Caliphs are till Walid bin Yazid. Their total is more than twelve.

And their argument is that the Caliphate consisted of Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and ‘Ali. (The Righteous Caliphate). After this the Caliphate of Hasan was true because he had been nominated by ‘Ali and the people of Iraq had also pledged their allegiance to him. It continued till the time of his treaty with Mu'awiyah. Then came Yazid the son of Mu'awiyah.