The traditions narrated by the Sunni

Once we were with Ibn Mass’ood in his house when someone asked him: “Had your prophet told you how many caliphs would be after him?” Ibn Mass’ood said: “Yes, he had. But no one has asked me such a question before you. You are the youngest of these people. I have heard the Prophet (S) saying: “After me there will be (caliphs) as the number of the chieftains of Prophet Moses (as).”

“A man came to Abdullah bin Mass’ood and asked him: “Had your prophet told you how many caliphs would be after him?” Ibn Mass’ood said: “Yes, he had. But no one has asked me about this matter before you whereas you are too young. The Prophet (S) said: “There will be as the number of the chieftains of Moses (as).”

One day we were sitting with Abdullah bin Mass’ood in his house. He was reciting Qur’an for us. A man asked him: “O Abu Abdurrahman, have you asked the messenger of Allah (as) about how many caliphs will rule this umma after him?” Ibn Mass’ood said: “No one has asked about this since I have come from Iraq. Yes, we have asked him and he said: “They are twelve as the number of the chieftains of the Israelites.”

“One day a nomad came when Abdullah bin Mass’ood was among his companions. The nomad asked: “Is Abdullah bin Mass’ood among you?” Bin Mass’ood said: “Here I am. What do you want?” The nomad said: “I want to ask you if you have heard the Prophet (S) talking about how many caliphs will be after him.” Bin Mass’ood said: “No one asked me about this since I had come from Iraq. Yes, he (the Prophet (S)) said: “The caliphs are twelve like the number of the chieftains of the Israelites.”

“While we were sitting with ibn Mass’ood after the sunset and he was teaching us the Qur’an, a man asked him: “O Abu Abdurrahman, have you asked the Prophet (S) how many caliphs this umma will have?” Ibn Mass’ood said: “No one asked me about this since I had come from Iraq. Yes, he (the Prophet (S)) said: “Your caliphs are twelve as the number of the chieftains of the Israelites.”

Prophet (S) had said: “This matter (the religion) is still prevailing until twelve guardians of Quraysh (pass away).” Then he mentioned the rest of the tradition.

Prophet (S) had said: “This umma will still prevail over its enemies until twelve caliphs, all of whom are from Quraysh, will pass away.” When the Prophet (S) went back home, some people of Quraysh came to him asking: “Then what will happen?” He said: “Then commotion will happen.” The same was narrated by Zuhayr bin Mo’awiya from Ziyad bin Khaythama from ibn Jurayj from al-Aswad bin Sa’eed al-Hamadani from Jabir bin Samra.

I heard the Prophet (S) saying: “After me twelve emirs will rule.” Then he said something that I could not understand. I asked some people and asked my father, who was nearer to the Prophet (S) than me. My father said that the Prophet (S) had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

I sent a letter with my servant Nafi’ to Jabir bin Samra asking him to tell me of something he had heard from the Prophet (S). He wrote to me: “I have heard the Prophet (S) saying on the eve of the Friday, in which al-Aslami has been stoned: “This religion is still prevailing until the Day of Resurrection or until twelve caliphs, who are all from Quraysh, will rule over the people.” The same was narrated by Abbad bin Ya’qoob from Hatam bin Issma’eel. Another one was narrated by Muhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hakam from ibn Abu Fudayk from ibn Abu Thi’b from Muhajir bin Missmar.

Prophet (S) had said: “This religion is still prevailing until twelve caliphs will have ruled.” Then he said something that I could not understand. I asked my father and he said that the Prophet (S) had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

“Once I was with my father near the Prophet (S). He said: “There will be twelve emirs after me.” Then he lowered his voice and said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

“I heard the Prophet (S) saying that there would be twelve emirs after him. Then he said something that I could not understand. I asked some people what he had said. They told me that he had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

"The Messenger of Allah (saw) delivered a sermon to us at ʿArafah and said: ‘This religion will remain strong, honored, and dominant over those who oppose it. It will not be harmed by those who separate from it or oppose it until twelve [leaders] rule.’ The people began to speak, and I did not understand what was said, so I asked my father: 'O my father, what did the Messenger of Allah mean by "all of them"?’ He said: ‘All of them will be from Quraysh.’" From the narration of al-Nufaylī al-Ḥarrānī, he said: Zuhayr ibn Muʿāwiya narrated to us, and he said: Ziyād ibn Khaythama narrated to us, and he said: al-Aswad ibn Saʿīd al-Hamdānī narrated from Jābir ibn Samura, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘The affairs of this nation will continue to be upright, and it will prevail over its enemies until twelve caliphs pass, all of them from Quraysh.’ When he returned to his home, delegations of Quraysh came to him and asked: ‘What will happen after that?’ He said: ‘Then there will be chaos.’"

Prophet (S) had said: “There will be twelve emirs after me.” But Hussayn said: “There will be twelve caliphs…” Then the Prophet (S) said something that I could not understand. I asked some people and asked my father. He said that the Prophet (S) had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

Prophet (S) had said: “This umma will still be strong and prevailing over its enemy until twelve caliphs will have passed away.”

Prophet (S) had said: “This religion will still be strong and prevailing without being harmed by its opponents until twelve caliphs will have passed away.” Then the Prophet (S) said something that I could not understand. I asked my father what the Prophet (S) had said. My father said that the Prophet (S) had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

I heard the Prophet (S) saying: “Islam will still be strong until twelve caliphs (pass away).” Then he said something that I could not understand. I asked my father what the Prophet (S) had said. He said to me: “He said: All of them are from Quraysh.”

Once the Prophet (S) made a speech before us and I heard him saying: “This matter (the religion) will remain strong and prevailing over its opponents until twelve (caliphs) will have ruled. All of them…” Then people began talking and I could not understand what the Prophet (S) had said after “all of them”. I asked my father what the Prophet (S) had said after that and he told me that he had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

My father and I went to the Prophet (S). I heard him saying: “This umma will still keep to this (religion) until twelve emirs (or twelve caliphs) will have ruled.” Then he lowered his voice and I could not understand what he had said after that. My father was nearer to him than me. When we went out, I asked my father what the Prophet (S) had said after that. He told me that the Prophet (S) had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

I heard the Prophet (S) saying: “After me, there will be twelve emirs ruling my umma.” Then he said something that I could not hear. I asked some people and asked my father, who was nearer to the Prophet (S) than me. My father said that the Prophet (S) had said: “All of them are from Quraysh.”

I have heard the Prophet (S) saying: “This religion will remain firm until there will be twelve caliphs from Quraysh.” And he mentioned the rest of the tradition.

(24) Abdul Wahab bin Abdul Majeed narrated tradition from Dawood from his father from ash-Shi’bi from Samra bin Jundub from the Prophet (S). (The same tradition narrated by Anass bin Malik that we have mentioned at the beginning of this chapter; tradition no.6).

“There is no doubt that it has been mentioned in the Book of Allah that twelve (caliphs) will rule over people.”

“We were with Shufiy al-Asbahi when he said that he had heard Abdullah bin Amr saying: “I heard the Prophet (S) saying: “There will be twelve caliphs after me.”

“O Abut-Tufayl, count twelve ones from bani Ka’b bin Lu’ay and then fighting and killing occur.” The traditions narrated by the Sunni concerning this subject are so many. They confirm that the Prophet (S) has mentioned twelve men to be the caliphs after him.