Islam Guidance

1. The Successor of the Prophet

1. The Successor of the Prophet

 The Shi‘a Ithnā `Ashari Muslims believe that after the Prophet of Islam, the leadership of the world of Islam fell to Amir al-Mu'minin, ‘Ali (a.s.), and then to his eleven infallible descendants. This belief is as clear as the rays of the morning sun, and those who are unprejudiced and impartial will have no cause to doubt it.

 Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh, one of the prominent companions of the Prophet (a.s.), said, "The day the verse concerning obedience to Allah, the Prophet and the Ulu 'l-Amr was revealed (4:59), I asked the Prophet: `We know Allah and the Prophet, but who is the third?' He said, `They are the Imams, my successors, the first of whom is ‘Ali bin Abi Tālib, then, in order, Hasan, Husayn, ‘Ali ibn Husayn, Muhammad bin ‘Ali, who was called Bāqir in the Torah, and whom you, Jābir, will meet and to whom you will convey my salām; then, after him, Ja‘far ibn Muhammad as-Sādiq, Musa ibn Ja`far, ‘Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, ‘Ali bin Muhammad, Hasan ibn ‘Ali, and in the end the son of Hasan ibn ‘Ali will come, whose name will be the same as mine (Muhammad Abu 'l-Qāsim).'"[16]

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