Examination of the Thirty-Ninth Hadith in the Book Forty Hadiths of the Mahdiyyin

Dar al-Hidayah | Nidham Al-Aqili, one of the official representatives of the alleged Yamani (Ahmed Al-Hasan), continues to cite narrations from his book “Forty Hadiths on the Mahdiyeen and the Children of the Qa’im (AS)” to prove his group’s belief in twelve Imams from the children of Imam Mahdi (AS), known as the Mahdiyeen. This article examines the thirty-ninth hadith – a well-known narration from Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah about the names of the twelve successors being written on the Throne of Allah.

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 Thirty-Ninth Hadith as Cited by Nidham Al-Aqili

The hadith that Nidham Al-Aqili cites as his thirty-ninth proof is a lengthy narration about the Prophet’s (PBUH) ascension (Mi’raj):

From his father ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), who said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

“…When I was taken up to the heavens, Jibril called the Adhan and Iqamah in pairs… Then he said: ‘Step forward, O Muhammad!’ I said: ‘O Jibril, shall I step forward ahead of you?’…

Then a call came: ‘O Muhammad!’ I said: ‘Here I am, my Lord, at Your service…’

Then a call came: ‘O Muhammad, you are My servant and I am your Lord, so worship Me and rely upon Me. You are My light among My servants, My Messenger to My creation, and My proof over My creatures. For whoever follows you, I have created My Paradise; for whoever opposes you, I have created My Fire. For your successors (Awsiya’), I have made My honor obligatory; and for your Shi’a, I have made My reward obligatory.’

I said: ‘O Lord, who are my successors?’ Then a call came: ‘O Muhammad, your successors are written on the leg of the Throne.’ I looked, while I was before my Lord, at the leg of the Throne, and I saw twelve lights. In each light was a green line upon which was written the name of each of my successors. The first of them is ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and the last of them is the Mahdi of my nation.’

I said: ‘O Lord, are these my successors after me?’ Then a call came: ‘O Muhammad, these are My friends (Awliya’), My beloved ones, My chosen ones, and My proofs (Hujaj) after you over My creation. They are your successors and vicegerents and the best of My creation after you. By My honor and glory, I will surely make My religion prevail through them, and I will elevate My word through them. Through the last of them, I will purify the earth from My enemies, and I will give him dominion over the east and west of the earth… Then I will make his kingdom perpetual, and I will alternate the days among My friends (Awliya’i) until the Day of Resurrection.‘”

Source: Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, Vol. 1, p. 254

Critical Analysis of the Thirty-Ninth Hadith – Three Major Refutations

Refutation One: The Hadith Explicitly Limits Successors to Twelve – Ending with Imam Mahdi (AS)

This hadith is explicit and unequivocal in stating that the successors (Awsiya’) of the Prophet (PBUH) are twelve in number, with the first being ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and the last being the Mahdi of this nation – i.e., Imam Mahdi (AS), the twelfth Imam.

This clearly establishes two things that directly refute the alleged Yamani sect:

1. The number of successors is exactly twelve – not twenty-four, not more.
2. The last successor is Imam Mahdi (AS) – not a “twelfth Mahdi” from his children, not Ahmed Al-Hasan.

This single point is sufficient to refute the entire doctrine of the alleged Yamani sect. The hadith explicitly states that the line of successors ends with Imam Mahdi (AS). There is no room for additional successors (Mahdiyeen) after him.

Refutation Two: The “Awliya'” in the Final Phrase Refers to the Twelve Imams – Not to Imaginary Mahdiyeen

Nidham Al-Aqili claims that the phrase “and I will alternate the days among My friends (Awliya’i) until the Day of Resurrection” refers to the imaginary Mahdiyeen (his group’s fabricated twelve Imams from the children of Imam Mahdi (AS)).

This claim has no evidence and contradicts the explicit text of the hadith. The hadith itself clearly defines who the “Awliya'” are. Consider the following direct exchange from the very same narration:

I said: “O Lord, are these my successors after me?” Then a call came: “O Muhammad, these are My friends (Awliya’i) and My beloved ones and My chosen ones and My proofs (Hujaji) after you over My creation. They are your successors (Awsiya’uka) and vicegerents (Khulafa’uka) and the best of My creation after you…“

In this text, the “Awliya'” are explicitly identified as the same twelve individuals who are the successors of the Prophet (PBUH). There is no mention of any other group called “Mahdiyeen.” The term “Awliya'” here is a description of the same twelve Imams – it does not introduce a new, separate group.

Furthermore, when the hadith says “and I will alternate the days among My friends (Awliya’i) until the Day of Resurrection,” this refers to the alternation of rule and leadership among the twelve Imams themselves – specifically during the period of Raj’ah (the return) when the Imams will rule in succession after the rise of Imam Mahdi (AS). This is consistent with numerous narrations about the Raj’ah of the Imams (AS).

Yes, the Shi’a are also the friends (Awliya’) of Allah – such as the 313 special companions of Imam Mahdi (AS) who will be rulers and governors during the period of the appearance. However, the primary ruler during the era of justice and equity is undoubtedly one of the Imams and successors of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) – and they are exactly twelve, no more and no less.

The successor of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is only the one whom Allah has chosen for this station – not anyone who claims it. And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) certainly, absolutely, only bequeathed succession (Wasayah) to those whom Allah chose. According to this very hadith that Nidham Al-Aqili himself cites, these individuals are only twelve – ending with Imam Mahdi (AS).

Refutation Three: The Hadith Contains No Mention of the Mahdiyeen or of Children of Imam Mahdi (AS)

Nowhere in this entire narration is there any mention of:

• “Mahdiyeen” as a separate group
• Children of Imam Mahdi (AS) becoming Imams or successors
• Any successor after Imam Mahdi (AS)
• Any station of Imamate or Wasayah for anyone other than the twelve Imams (AS)

The hadith is a clear, explicit, and definitive text (nass) that limits the successors of the Prophet (PBUH) to twelve specific individuals, with the last being Imam Mahdi (AS). This is a direct refutation of the alleged Yamani sect’s core doctrine that:

1. Imamate is not limited to twelve Imams
2. There are successors (Mahdiyeen) after Imam Mahdi (AS)
3. These Mahdiyeen hold the station of Imamate and Wasayah
4. These Mahdiyeen are the children of Imam Mahdi (AS)

All of these claims are explicitly contradicted by this hadith.

Conclusion on the Thirty-Ninth Hadith

The Twelve Imams written on Throne of Allah hadith has been thoroughly examined. This analysis conclusively demonstrates:

1. The hadith explicitly limits the successors (Awsiya’) of the Prophet (PBUH) to twelve individuals.
2. The first successor is ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and the last successor is the Mahdi of this nation – Imam Mahdi (AS), the twelfth Imam.
3. The phrase “and I will alternate the days among My friends (Awliya’i)” refers to the same twelve Imams – not to a separate group called Mahdiyeen. The hadith explicitly identifies the “Awliya'” as the twelve successors.
4. There is no mention of Mahdiyeen, children of Imam Mahdi (AS), or any successor after Imam Mahdi (AS) anywhere in the narration.
5. The hadith is a clear proof of the limitation of Imamate to twelve Imams and the finality of the line of successors with Imam Mahdi (AS).

Thus, the thirty-ninth hadith refutes the alleged Yamani sect’s core doctrine and provides absolutely no support for the existence of Mahdiyeen as Imams after Imam Mahdi (AS). This single narration, which Nidham Al-Aqili himself cites, is sufficient on its own to prove the invalidity of the sect of Ahmed Isma’il al-Basri (Ahmed Al-Hasan).