The Twelve Imams in Shia Traditions

[Syed Ali Mehdi Shah Naqvi]

كمال الدين وتمام النعمة - للشيخ الجليل الأقدم الصدوق - ج ١ - الصفحة ٢٨٦
Kamal Ud Deen by Sheikh Sadooq

حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي قال: حدثنا موسي بن عمران النخعي، عن عمه الحسين بن يزيد، عن الحسن ابن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبيه، عن الصادق جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن آبائه عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: حدثني جبرئيل عن رب العزة جل جلاله أنه قال:
من علم أن لا إله إلا أنا وحدي، وأن محمدا عبدي ورسولي، وأن علي بن أبي طالب خليفتي، وأن الأئمة من ولده حججي أدخله الجنة برحمتي، ونجيته من النار بعفوي، وأبحث له جواري، وأوجبت له كرامتي، وأتممت عليه نعمتي، وجعلته من خاصتي وخالصتي، إن ناداني لبيته، وإن دعاني أجبته، وإن سألني أعطيته، وإن سكت ابتدأته، وإن أساء رحمته، وإن فر مني دعوته، وإن رجع إلى قبلته وإن قرع بابي فتحته. ومن لم يشهد أن لا إله إلا أنا وحدي أو شهد بذلك ولم يشهد أن محمدا عبدي ورسولي، أو شهد بذلك ولم يشهد أن علي بن أبي طالب خليفتي، أو شهد بذلك ولم يشهد أن الأئمة من ولده حججي فقد جحد نعمتي، وصغر عظمتي، و كفر بآياتي وكتبي، إن قصدني حجبته، وإن سألني حرمته، وإن ناداني لم أسمع نداءه، وإن دعاني لم أستجب دعاءه، وإن رجاني خيبته، وذلك جزاؤه مني و ما أنا بظلام للعبيد.
فقام جابر بن عبد الله الأنصاري فقال: يا رسول الله ومن الأئمة من ولد علي ابن أبي طالب؟ قال: الحسن والحسين سيدا شباب أهل الجنة، ثم سيد العابدين في زمانه علي بن الحسين، ثم الباقر محمد بن علي وستدركه يا جابر، فإذا أدركته فأقرئه مني السلام، ثم الصادق جعفر بن محمد، ثم الكاظم موسى بن جعفر، ثم الرضا علي بن موسى، ثم التقي محمد بن علي، ثم النقي علي بن محمد، ثم الزكي الحسن بن علي، ثم ابنه القائم بالحق مهدي أمتي الذي يملأ الأرض قسطا و عدلا كما ملئت جورا وظلما، هؤلاء يا جابر خلفائي وأوصيائي وأولادي وعترتي
من أطاعهم فقد أطاعني، ومن عصاهم فقد عصاني، ومن أنكرهم أو أنكر واحدا منهم فقد أنكرني، بهم يمسك الله عز وجل السماء أن تقع على الأرض إلا بإذنه، وبهم يحفظ الله الأرض أن تميد بأهلها

Narrated by:
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā ibn al-Mutawakkil (may God be pleased with him) said:
Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿAbd Allāh al-Kūfī narrated to us, from Mūsā ibn ʿImrān al-Nakhaʿī, from his uncle al-Ḥusayn ibn Yazīd, from al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ḥamzah, from his father, from al-Ṣādiq Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, from his father, from his forefathers (peace be upon them), who said:

The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ said:

Jibrā’īl (Gabriel) told me on behalf of the Lord of Might and Majesty (جل جلاله):

_“Whoever acknowledges that there is no god but Me alone, that Muḥammad is My servant and Messenger, that ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib is My caliph, and that the Imams from his descendants are My proofs—

I will enter him into Paradise through My mercy, save him from the Fire through My pardon, grant him My companionship, make My honor obligatory upon him, complete My blessings upon him, make him among My chosen ones.

If he calls upon Me, I will respond to him; if he asks Me, I will give him; if he is silent, I will initiate [giving]; if he sins, I will forgive him; if he flees from Me, I will call him back; if he returns to Me, I will accept him; if he knocks on My door, I will open it for him._

And whoever does not testify that there is no god but Me alone, or testifies to that but does not testify that Muḥammad is My servant and Messenger, or testifies to that but does not testify that ʿAlī is My caliph, or testifies to that but not that the Imams from his offspring are My proofs—he has rejected My blessing, belittled My greatness, disbelieved in My signs and books.

If he seeks Me, I will veil Myself from him; if he asks Me, I will deprive him; if he calls upon Me, I will not hear him; if he prays to Me, I will not answer; if he has hope in Me, I will disappoint him.

That is My recompense for him, and I am not unjust to My servants.”_

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Then Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī stood and said:

“O Messenger of Allah, and who are the Imams from the descendants of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib?”

The Prophet ﷺ replied:

“Al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, the leaders of the youth of Paradise.
After them, their son in their time: ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn).
After him, Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī (al-Bāqir)—and you, O Jābir, will live to see him; when you do, convey my salām to him.
Then Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad (al-Ṣādiq),
Then Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar (al-Kāẓim),
Then ʿAlī ibn Mūsā (al-Riḍā),
Then Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī (al-Taqī),
Then ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad (al-Naqī),
Then al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī (al-Zakī),
Then his son, the Qāʾim with the truth, the Mahdī of my nation, the one who will fill the earth with justice and equity as it was filled with oppression and tyranny.

---

“These, O Jābir, are my successors, my trustees, my sons, and my progeny.
Whoever obeys them has obeyed me.
Whoever disobeys them has disobeyed me.
Whoever denies them, or even denies one of them, has denied me.
Through them, Allah holds up the heavens so they do not fall on the earth—except by His permission.
And through them, He protects the earth from shaking with its inhabitants.”

[Syed Ali Mehdi Shah Naqvi]

1. محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عن

He's from Mashaikh of Sadooq for whom Sheikh Sadooq while narrating hadiths used رضي الله عن strong evidence of his high status as a Shia Hadith Scholar. 

Those who say he is majhool, have no evidence, nor they have any evidence to reject sadooqs tardeeh

Note: ("tardeeh" (تَرْضِيَة) refers to the act of saying "رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ" (may Allah be pleased with him) after mentioning someone).

2. محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي (Thiqa)

http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/3006_معجم-رجال-الحديث-السيد-الخوئي-ج-١٥/الصفحة_280#top
http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/3021_المفيد-من-معجم-رجال-الحديث-محمد-الجواهري/الصفحة_495

3. موسي بن عمران النخعي (Thiqa)

http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/3021_المفيد-من-معجم-رجال-الحديث-محمد-الجواهري/الصفحة_637

4. الحسين بن يزيد (Thiqa)

http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/3021_المفيد-من-معجم-رجال-الحديث-محمد-الجواهري/الصفحة_192
 

5th & 6th are Ali Bin Abi Hamza & Hasan Bin Ali Bin Abi Hamza who were Waqifis, have been cursed by some and have also been called liars. They can be discussed later.

Edited April 19 by Syed Ali Mehdi Shah Naqvi

[Syed Ali Mehdi Shah Naqvi]

As for Ali Bin Abi Hamza, and Hasan Bin Ali bin Abi Hamza

They being waqifis, narrate this tradition naming 12 imams from Imam Sadiq (عليه السلام) who even they consider an Imam. I was wondering if these waqifi people later turned back to being 12vers. They certainly could've initially been waqifi as many shia at times were confused about who'd be the next imam but then later when the recognized the next imam, they accepted him

It's mentioned in Kitab Al Duafa by Al-Ghadairi
32 - علي بن أبي حمزة - لعنه الله -. أصل الوقف، وأشد الخلق عداوة للولي من بعد أبي إبراهيم (عليهما السلام).

32 – ʿAlī b. Abī Ḥamza – may God curse him – the root of Waqf (ie. a founder of the Wāqifī sect), the most intense of creation in enmity to the Walī after Abū Ibrāhīm . عليه السلام

Kitāb al-Ḍuʿafāʾ, ʿAlī b. Abī Ḥamza, Hadith #1

https://thaqalayn.net/hadith/17/17/32/1

However, the book itself being disconnect from Ibn Tawus to Al-Ghadairi (chainless transmission) without any ijaza doesn't prove much

However, these two have been criticized by others too.

From Rijal Al-Kashi:
عن علي بن أبي حمزة قال قال لي أبو الحسن يعني الأول عليه السلام يا علي أنت وأصحابك أشباه الحمير

On the authority of `Ali ibn Abi Hamzah who said: “Abu al Hassan (i.e., the first) `alayh al Salam said to me, ‘O, `Ali. You and your companions resemble donkeys.’

(It was said to Ali Bin Abi Hamza by Imam (عليه السلام))

Then from Bihar Al Anwar:

"روى الأشعري عن عبد الله بن محمد، عن الخشاب، عن أبي داود قال: كنت أنا وعيينة بياع القصب عند علي بن أبي حمزة البطائني - وكان رئيس الواقفة - فسمعته يقول: قال أبو إبراهيم عليه السلام: إنما أنت وأصحابك يا علي أشباه الحمير، فقال لي عيينة: أسمعت؟ قلت: إي والله لقد سمعت، فقال: لا والله لا أنقل إليه قدمي ما حييت."

Al-Ash‘ari narrated from ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad, from al-Khashshab, from Abu Dawud who said:

"I was with ʿUyaynah, the seller of reeds, at the house of Ali ibn Abi Hamzah al-Bata'ini – and he was the leader of the Waqifiyya – when I heard him say:
Abu Ibrahim (peace be upon him) [i.e., Imam Musa al-Kazim] said:
“You and your companions, O Ali, are just like donkeys.”
So ʿUyaynah said to me, “Did you hear that?”
I said, “Yes, by Allah, I heard it.”
Then he said, “By Allah, I will never step foot in this place again for as long as I live.”"

These are narrations that led to their unreliability and people also called them liars i'm sure due to these.

However, Imam (عليه السلام) calling someone a donkey, it doesn't equates to lying, rather it equates to being dumb or maybe he misunderstood very clear things etc whatever maybe the reason.

They were waqifi and were called donkeys by Imam.

See the point, the narration where Imam (عليه السلام) called him a donkey, comes from the person himself which is a strong shahid of his honesty. And earlier scholars relied on him and quoted his hadiths in books for which they testified in intros to be authentic, authoritative and reliable is evidence for his trustworthiness as a hadith transmitter and musannif.

Besides, lets assume he was an anti-twlever shia, narrating from his imam a tradition with names of twelve imams, is strong shahid of his honesty and origin of hadiths in early 12ver shiaism.