“Examination of the Third Hadith within the Section Titled ‘The Fortieth Hadith of the Mahdiyin'”

Dar al-Hidayah | Continuing the examination of the fortieth heading from Nidham Al-Aqili’s book “Forty Hadiths on the Mahdiyeen and the Children of the Qa’im (AS)”, this article analyzes the third narration cited under that heading – which is effectively the “forty-second” hadith used by the followers to prove the Imamate of Ahmed Isma’il al-Basri (Ahmed Al-Hasan) and their imaginary Mahdiyeen.

Nidham Al-Aqili’s core claims are:

• Imamate is not limited to twelve Imams.
• The Mahdiyeen, after Imam Mahdi (AS), hold the station of Wasayah (successorship) and Imamate.
• The Mahdiyeen are the Itrat (progeny) and children of Imam Mahdi (AS).

The Third Hadith Under the Fortieth Heading

The third narration that Nidham Al-Aqili cites under the fortieth heading is as follows:

Ibn Udhaynah, from Zurarah, who said: I heard Abu Ja’far (AS) say:

“The twelve Imams from the Aal of Muhammad (peace be upon them) – all of them are Muhaddath (recipients of divine inspiration) – are from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and from the progeny of ‘Ali (AS). And the Messenger of Allah and ‘Ali (AS) are the two fathers.”

‘Ali ibn Rashid – who was the maternal brother of ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (Zayn al-‘Abidin) (peace be upon them) – denied this. So Abu Ja’far (AS) insisted and said: “Indeed, the son of your mother (Zayn al-‘Abidin) was one of them.”

Source: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 531

Critical Analysis – Three Major Refutations

Refutation One: The Hadith Does Not Prove More Than Twelve Imams – “Two Fathers” Explained Through Predominance (Taghlīb)

This hadith does not prove Imamate for more than twelve Imams. The description of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (AS) as “the two fathers” of the twelve Imams is due to the principle of predominance (taghlīb) – because eleven of the Imams (peace be upon them) are from the progeny of both the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (AS), they are described as the fathers of the twelve Imams.

Allamah Majlisi (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly points this out in his commentary:

“‘The twelve’ is the subject, ‘all of them are Muhaddath’ is the predicate, ‘from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah’ – meaning the majority of them (aktharuhum)…”

Source: Mir’at al-‘Uqul fi Sharh Akhbar Al al-Rasul, Vol. 6, p. 223

This is a clear application of the principle of taghlīb (predominance), where the characteristic of the majority (eleven Imams who are from both lineages) is applied to the whole group (all twelve Imams). The exception – Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (AS) himself, who is not a child of the Prophet (PBUH) – is already known from other narrations.

This interpretation does not support the existence of any additional “Mahdiyeen” Imams. It simply explains the linguistic usage in the hadith.

Refutation Two: Shaykh al-Kulayni Placed This in the Chapter on the Twelve Imams – And Other Versions Specify “Eleven from His Progeny”

Shaykh al-Kulayni (may Allah have mercy on him) placed this narration in the chapter titled “Chapter on What Has Come About the Twelve and the Text (Nass) Upon Them (Peace Be Upon Them)” – which concerns the explicit texts on the twelve Imams. Furthermore, other scholars have narrated this same hadith in a wording that explicitly identifies the twelve as “‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and eleven from his progeny.”

Version from Shaykh al-Mufid in Al-Irshad:

Zurarah said: I heard Abu Ja’far (AS) say: “The twelve Imams from the Aal of Muhammad – all of them are Muhaddath – ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and eleven from his progeny. And the Messenger of Allah and ‘Ali are the two fathers (peace be upon them).”

Source: Al-Irshad fi Ma’rifat Hujaj Allah ‘ala al-‘Ibad, Vol. 2, p. 347

Version from ‘Ali ibn ‘Isa al-Irbili in Kashf al-Ghummah:

Zurarah said: I heard Abu Ja’far (AS) say: “The twelve Imams – all of them are from the Aal of Muhammad – all of them are Muhaddath – ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and eleven from his progeny. And the Messenger of Allah and ‘Ali are the two fathers.”

Source: Kashf al-Ghummah fi Ma’rifat al-A’immah, Vol. 2, p. 448

These alternative versions are explicit: “twelve Imams” means “‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and eleven from his progeny.” The total is twelve – not more. The correct reading is “eleven from his progeny” (i.e., eleven descendants of ‘Ali (AS)), which, combined with ‘Ali (AS) himself, makes twelve Imams. There is no mention of any additional Imams (Mahdiyeen) after Imam Mahdi (AS).

Refutation Three: Other Narrations Confirm the Number of Muhaddath Imams is Twelve – With ‘Ali (AS) as the First

There are other narrations similar to this one that explicitly state that the number of Muhaddath Imams from the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) is twelve – with Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (AS) as the first of them – and there is no trace of thirteen or twenty-four Imams.

Narration from Al-Khisal:

Zurarah ibn A’yan said: I heard Abu Ja’far (AS) say: “Twelve Imams from the Aal of Muhammad (peace be upon them) – all of them are Muhaddath after the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) is among them.”

Source: Al-Khisal, Vol. 2, p. 480

Narration from Ithbat al-Hudah:

Zurarah ibn A’yan said: I heard Abu Ja’far (AS) say: “We are twelve Imams from the Aal of Muhammad – all of them are Muhaddath after the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib is the first of them.”

Source: Ithbat al-Hudah bi al-Nusus wa al-Mu’jizat, Vol. 2, p. 47

These narrations clearly and explicitly state that the Imams are twelve, with ‘Ali (AS) as the first. There is no room for additional Imams (Mahdiyeen) after the twelfth Imam.

Summary of the Argument

The followers of Ahmed Al-Hasan claim that this hadith – with its phrase “the Messenger of Allah and ‘Ali are the two fathers” and “from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah and from the progeny of ‘Ali” – proves that there are additional Imams (Mahdiyeen) from the children of Imam Mahdi (AS). However, this claim is based on a misunderstanding of the principle of taghlīb and a failure to consult other versions of the same narration.

The correct understanding is:

1. The principle of predominance (taghlīb): The description of the Prophet (PBUH) and ‘Ali (AS) as “the two fathers” is because eleven of the twelve Imams are from the progeny of both. ‘Ali (AS) himself is an exception – he is the father of eleven Imams but is not the child of the Prophet. This exception is well-known from other narrations.
2. Alternative versions confirm this: Shaykh al-Mufid and al-Irbili both narrate the hadith as: “‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and eleven from his progeny.” This makes twelve Imams in total.
3. Other narrations confirm the number: The same narrator (Zurarah) reports in other places that the Imams are twelve, with ‘Ali (AS) as the first.
4. No mention of Mahdiyeen: Nowhere in this hadith – or in any of its alternative versions – is there any mention of “Mahdiyeen,” “children of Imam Mahdi (AS),” or any Imams after the twelfth Imam.

Conclusion on the Third Hadith Under the Fortieth Heading

The Twelve Imams from progeny of Prophet and Ali refutation has been thoroughly examined. This analysis conclusively demonstrates:

1. The hadith does not prove Imamate for more than twelve Imams.
2. The phrase “the two fathers” is explained through the principle of predominance (taghlīb) – as explicitly stated by Allamah Majlisi.
3. Alternative versions from Shaykh al-Mufid and al-Irbili explicitly read: “‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and eleven from his progeny” – confirming the total number of Imams as twelve.
4. Other narrations from the same source (Zurarah) confirm that the Imams are exactly twelve, with ‘Ali (AS) as the first.
5. Nowhere does the hadith mention “Mahdiyeen,” “children of Imam Mahdi (AS),” or any Imams after the twelfth Imam.

Thus, the third hadith under the fortieth heading provides absolutely no support for the alleged Yamani sect’s core doctrine and, when correctly understood with its alternative versions, actually refutes the claim of any additional Imams after Imam Mahdi (AS).