Hadith of the Twelve Successors
The hadith of the twelve successors, or twelve caliphs () is an Islamic prophecy, attributed to Muhammad. It is most popular among Twelver Shi'ites, as they interpret the prophecy was fulfilled by the Twelve Imams. The hadith (classified as "Sahih") is widely accepted by all Muslims, but its interpretation varies heavily. Sunni view. According to the prophecy there will reign twelve caliphs—presumably the first being crowned upon Muhammad's death. It is stated that all twelve caliphs will be from the tribe of Quraysh. Interpretation of the hadith varies widely among Sunni scholars; some have  openly claimed that they do not know the meaning. Another interpretation is that the prophecy was fulfilled by the Rashidun Caliphs. Some commentators, such as Ibn Kathir and Ibn Taymiyya, link this hadith with the biblical account of Moses and his twelve deputies. Imam Muslim on Sahih Muslim wrote: Rasulullah s.a.w said: "This religion (Islam) will remain standing until twelve caliphs, which all of them is from Quraysh, rule over you." (Sahih Muslim) Imam Abu Dawud on Shahih Abi Dawud wrote: Masyruq said: We were sitting with Abdullah bin Mas'ud to learn the Qur'an from him. Someone asked him: Did  you ask the Messenger of Allah s.a.w how many caliphs will rule this "Ummah" (nation)? Ibnu Mas'ud answered: Of course we asked this thing from Rasulullah s.a.w and he answered: "Twelve, like the amount of the leaders of Banu Isra'il." (Shahih Al-Bukhari) Twelver Shia view. Shia Muslims believe in the concept of "Imamah", while rejecting the Sunni view of Caliphate and the three khalifs namely: Abu Bakr, Umar, and Usman (in chronological order). According to Twelver Shias, there is no tradition or proof which states that the number of leaders (which can be referred to as Khalifs, Imams, or  Amirs) will be anything other than twelve. The twelve successors from the hadith (traditions of Muhammad) are already known as the Twelve Imams. Two hadiths form the basis and understanding of the 12 successors of Muhammad: the "Hadith ath-thaqalain" (Hadith of the two weighty things), and the hadiths regarding the 12 khalifs. One of the most authentic hadith (traditions of the sayings of Muhammad) is the "Hadith ath-thaqalain" in which Muhammad tells the Muslims that he is leaving behind "thaqalayn" (two weighty things), the Quran and his "bayt" (household). Al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan records the following tradition : This tradition was recorded by many other sources Muhammad also repeated this hadith at a place called Ghadir Khumm. Al-Nasa'i records the following tradition: Among others who have recorded it in their books are Al-Bukhari in his "tarikh", Muslim in his sahih, the musnad of ahmad bin hanbal, sunan of abu dawud, and al tabarani: These hadiths indicate that Muhammad left the Muslim Ummah to the leadership of his progeny or household ("ahlul-bayt") and established the first of these 12 imams / khalifs as his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abu Talib. Having established the importance  of following the teachings of his "bayt" as the guides for the understanding of the Quran for members of his community, Muhammad also informed his companions that the number of leaders / Imams / Khalifs after him will specifically be twelve in number. The following references are taken from the "sahih" books of Sunni Muslims: The conclusion of the Twelver Shia school is that Muhammad left the world with the Quran and his "bayt" (household) as guides for humanity. Similar to the 12 tribes of bani Israel (Quran 2:60-61) and the 12 disciples of Jesus (Bible Revelation 21:14), Muhammad also left  his community with 12 heirs to guide the community and protect the interpretation of the Quran. Of note, very few of God's chosen messengers and guides ever attained worldly power. As such, the concept of the twelve successors is not a prophecy of worldly leaders, but rather spiritual guides (imams) and the notion that these twelve must be worldly leaders to be successors of Muhammad is rejected. These twelve imams are not a monarchy, but rather are spiritual leaders in the line of Abraham as promised to him in the Quran 2:124: "And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with  commands, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an "Imam" for mankind. (Ibrahim) said: And of my offspring (will there be Imams)? He said, my covenant does not include the unjust."