For those who claim that these successors are the companions of the Prophet (saw), then we end with a total 4 leaders in number, and
if these were the divinely chosen leaders then I ask who is the 5th, the 9th and 12th of them?
In shia Islam the belief is that the 12 divinely chosen leaders are all from the household of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). In both
sunni and shia Islam there exists a belief that towards the end of time there would emerge a man from the Ahul-Bayt (as) of Prophet
Muhammad (saw), who would have the same name as the Prophet (saw) who would come to fill the world with truth & justice as it
was filled with injustice & corruption. His name is Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan Al-Mahdi (as), and is commonly referred to as the
Mahdi (as).
In shia Islam he is the 12th divine leader. So as I mentioned before the belief in the Mahdi (as) is found in both sunni and shia Islam.
However something which I have always been perplexed by is this; in the case of sunni Islam, they recognize the Mahdi (as), and yet
they do not have any knowledge of his father, grand-father or great grand-father. How could it be possible to recognize the last of them
yet not know the pure offspring which he comes from? How can we recognize the last of them and not give credit to the rest of them
(pbut)?
There are many narrations which give evidence that the Mahdi (as) will be from the Ahlul-Bayt (as) of Prophet Muhammad (saw)
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is
left (before the day of judgment), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person
from my Ahlul-Bayt who will be called by my name. He will fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of
injustice and tyranny (by then)."
References: Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v2, p86, v9, pp 74-75 ; Sunan Abu Dawud, v2, p7; Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, pp 84,376; V3,
p63 ; al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, by al-Hakim, v4, p557 ; Jami' al-Saghir, by al-Suyuti, pp 2,160 ; al-Urful Wardi, by al-Suyuti, p2 ;
al-Majma', by al-Tabarani, p217 ; Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v9, p144 ; Fat'h al-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, by
Ibn Hajar Asqalani, v7, p305 ; al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p249 ; al-Tathkirah, by alQurtubi, p617 ; al-Hawi, by al-Suyuti, v2, pp 165-166 ; Sharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, by al-Zurqani, v5, p348 ; Fat'h alMugheeth, by al-Sakhawi, v3, p41 ; Kanz al-Ummal, v7 P186 ; Iqd al-Durar Fi Akhbar al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, v12, Ch. 1 ; al-Bayan
fi Akhbar Sahib al-Zaman, By Ganji al-Shafi'i, Ch. 12 ; al-Fusool al-Muhimmah, by Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki, Ch. 12 ; Arjahul Matalib,
by Ubaidallah Hindi al-Hanafi, p380 ; Muqaddimah, by Ibn Khaldoon, p266
As well as: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition 4085
The Prophet (saw) said: "al-Mahdi is one of us, the members of the household i.e. Ahlul-Bayt (as)."
If this is not sufficient perhaps this could clarify the matter even further. From Both Biblical as well as Qur’anic verses we know that
Prophet Abraham (as) had 2 sons, Isaac (as) and Ishmael (as). From Isaac came Jacob (as), and from him the 12 tribes of Israel and it
is from the lineage of Ishmael (as) that Prophet Muhammad (saw) is born.
Genesis 17: 20.
“And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him and I have made him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly:
twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation”.
Again we see that from the lineage of Ishmael, the same lineage of Prophet Muhammad (saw), that 12 princes will be born, and these
princes will have a great nation.
So who are these 12 princes?
On the night of the death of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) he dictated his will and he mentioned these 12 Princes by name.
The Will of Prophet Muhammad (saw)
“O Father of Al Hassan, bring me a leaf and a paper”, and he dictated his will until he came to a position where he said "O Ali, there
will be twelve Imams and after them there will be twelve Mahdi’s. You, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams; God has named you
in his heavens Ali Al Mortada, The Prince of the believers, Grand truthful, the bright Farouq (Judge and differentiating between true
and false), the trusted, and the Mahdi (rightly guided). These names may not be truly attributed to other than you. O Ali, you are my
guardian on my own family, their living and their dead! My women, whom you maintain shall find me tomorrow, and whom you
reject I am acquitted of her. I will not see her and she will not see me on the day of resurrection, and you are the successor (Khalifa) on
my nation after me. If the day of death comes to you, hand it over to my son Hassan the very beneficial. Then if the day of death
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