After the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who will be his successors? The religion, which according to its own claim is supposed to remain eternal and unbroken until the end of the world and guide humanity towards salvation, what mechanism does it provide for its preservation and protection in society, and who is responsible for its leadership in the community?
The issue of religious leadership after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his succession is one of the important topics in Islam. Nearly all of the Islamic ummah and the different Muslim sects agree on the principle that in order to preserve and implement the laws of Islam, the existence of successors to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is unavoidable. However, the disagreement arises regarding the specific qualities these successors should have and how they should be determined. With this clarification, we need to see what plan the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) outlined for the future of the community after him, particularly regarding succession and the leadership of the Muslim community.
By referring to the authentic Islamic sources, both from Sunni and Shia traditions, we find that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) identified twelve successors after him. This hadith is narrated not only by Shia hadith scholars but also by Sunni scholars from the most trusted sources, such as the “Sahih” collections and “Musannaf” books, which are considered the most authoritative hadith collections in Sunni Islam. Some of the narrations include:
a) In Sahih Muslim, from “Jabir ibn Samurah,” it is narrated that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “This religion will remain strong and enduring until the Day of Judgment, as long as there are twelve caliphs, all of whom are from the Quraysh, and they hold your leadership.” This wording has also been narrated by different sources with variations.
b) From “Anas ibn Malik,” it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “This religion will remain stable and enduring as long as twelve people from Quraysh exist, and when they pass away, the earth will be overturned.”
c) In another narration, “Abdullah ibn Mas’ud” says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The caliphs after me will be twelve in number, just like the twelve leaders of the Children of Israel.”
These hadiths explicitly state that the number of successors will be twelve, and all of them will be from the Quraysh. The hadiths further explain that after these twelve caliphs, the earth will face turmoil and the Day of Judgment will come. These hadiths are cited by various companions of the Prophet, such as Jabir ibn Samurah, Anas ibn Malik, and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, among others.
From these narrations, it is clear that the number of successors to the Prophet (peace be upon him) is twelve, and they will all be from the Quraysh. After the twelfth successor, the world will face upheaval and ultimately the end of times.
However, it should be noted that these narrations, which appear in Sunni sources, do not explicitly mention the names of these twelve caliphs. This has caused confusion and difficulty for some Sunni scholars in identifying these twelve figures and reconciling them with historical figures.
In contrast, according to Shia narrations, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explicitly named each of his twelve successors. Shia Muslims, specifically the Twelver Shia, believe that these twelve successors, also known as the Twelve Imams, are the rightful leaders of the Muslim community after the Prophet. They hold that the twelfth Imam, Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), is the last of the twelve and will return in the future as the savior of humanity.
The belief in twelve caliphs, and particularly the role of the twelfth Imam, is an essential part of Shia Islam, and the notion of the twelfth Imam’s extended life and eventual reappearance is fundamental to the faith. Some prominent Sunni scholars have also acknowledged that Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) is one of these twelve caliphs.
Thus, the existence of the twelve successors of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) continues until the end of the world, and their leadership is seen as a divine promise. The twelfth Imam, who is currently in occultation, will reappear and establish justice and peace throughout the world, fulfilling the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
(Adapted from the book Ma‘ālim al-Madrasatayn by Allama Sayyid Murtadha Asgari, translated into Persian by Mohammad Javad Karami)