For thousands of years, Shia Muslims have anticipated the appearance of a character who will rise prior to the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). A man so vital and great, that Imam Al-Baqir (From Him is Peace) informed us that there is no banner more guided than his banner. This man is none other than the Yamani.
From Abi Baseer, he said that Imam Al-Baqir (From Him Is Peace) said:
“None of the banners are more guided than the banner of the Yamani, it is the Banner of Guidance because he calls to your Companion. So if the Yamani emerges, selling weapons to people or to any Muslim becomes prohibited. And if the Yamani emerges, rise to him, because his banner is the banner of guidance. It is prohibited for any Muslim to turn away from him. And whoever turns away from him, then he is from the people of hell, because he calls to the truth and to a straight path.”
– Ghaibat al Nu’mani p.264
The Yamani is also characterized as the first follower of Imam Mahdi and for many years, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) has addressed the world that he is the Promised Yamani prophesied in numerous narrations from the Ahlul Bayt (PBUT).
But how is Imam Ahmed Al Hassan (From Him is Peace) the Yamani and the successor of Imam Al-Mahdi? Does Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH and his Family) have any successors?
Twelve Mahdis come after Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH and His Family):
“Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said to Ali (PBUH) on the night of his death, ‘O Father of Al-Hassan, bring me a pen and a paper,’ so the Messenger of Allah (PBUH & His Family) dictated his Will until he came to this position where he said: ‘O Ali, there will be twelve Imams after me and after them there will be twelve Mahdis. So you, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams, Allah the Exalted has named you in His heavens Ali Al-Murtada (the Content), Amirul Mo’mineen (the Prince of the Believers), Al-Siddiq Al-Akbar (the Greater Truthful), Al-Farouq Al-A’tham (the Greater Judge and Differentiator between truth and falsehood), Al-Ma’moun (the Trusted), and the Mahdi (the Guided). These names may not be attributed to other than you. O Ali, you are my vicegerent/guardian over my own family, their living and their dead, and upon my women: Whomever you kept, she shall find me tomorrow, and whomever you divorced, I am innocent of her, I will not see her and she will not see me on the Day of Resurrection. And you are my successor (Khalifa) over my nation after me. If death comes to you, hand it over to my son Al-Hassan, the righteous and benevolent. Then if death comes to him, let him hand it over to my son Al-Hussein, the martyr, the pure and murdered. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the master of worshipers, Dhul Thafanat (the one with hard skin on his knees) Ali. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed Al-Baqir (the Revealer of Knowledge). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ja’far Al-Sadiq (the Truthful). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Musa Al-Kathim (the Patient). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al-Ridha (the Pleasing One). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed Al-Thiqa Al-Taqqi (the Trustworthy, the God-Fearing). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al-Nasih (the Advisor). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Al-Hassan Al-Fadhil (the Meritorious). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed the Safeguarded of the Family of Mohammed (PBUT). Those are the twelve Imams. Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s and it is Abdullah (Servant of God), Ahmed (the Praised), and the third name is Al-Mahdi (the Guided), and he is the first of the believers.’ ”
- Ghaybat Al-Tusi, Al-Shaikh Al-Tusi, Vol. 1, p. 174
- Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 53, p. 148
For thousands of years, only Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (FHIP) has claimed that he is Ahmed mentioned in the Will of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) and he was the first to publicly claim that he is the Yamani and the first to claim to be the Yamani.
We understand that in the end of times there will be a guiding banner that is compulsory for a Muslim to support. And the man of the banner is the Yamani who is a Husseini which means he is from the lineage of Imam Hussein. It is possible that one would question what is so important about the word "Yamani"?
Let us look at this narration:
The book of Jaafar bin Muhammad bin Shurayh: On the authority of Mu’alla al-Tahan, on the authority of Burayd bin Yazid bin Jabir, on the authority of Abdullah bin Bashir, on the authority of Ibn Uyaynah bin Husayn, who said:
One day the Messenger of God (PBUH & His Family), showed off horses while my father was with him - Uyaynah bin Husayn bin Hudhayfah bin Badr. Then the Messenger of God (PBUH & His Family) said: ‘I can see horses better than you’. Uyaynah said: ‘I see more men than you, O Messenger of God’. The Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said: ‘How?’ He (Uyaynah) said: ‘The best men who put their swords on their shoulders and place their spears on the shoulders of their horses are from the people of Najd.’ The Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said : ‘You lied. The best of men are the people of Yemen, and faith is Yamani and I am Yamani.’
- Bihar Al Anwar v.57 p.232 (Online Arabic Version)
Here we see that the term Yamani is also a term that describes a position of faith and purity. So the Yamani that is mentioned in the narration that guides us to Imam Al Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) is not someone who comes from Yemen.
We also have both Shia and Sunni sources state that twelve Mahdis will succeed Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH & His Family).
Imam Sajjad (From Him Is Peace) said:
“The Qaim will appear from among us and after him there will be twelve Mahdis.”
– Bihar alAnwar, vol.109, p.148 Hadith 142 (Arabic Online Version) Source
Abu Al-Hussain ibn Al-Munadi said as part of a long passage:
“It is possible that the meaning of the hadith “There will be 12 Caliphs” that this will be after the Mahdi, who emerges in the End Times, for I found in the Book of Daniel, when the Mahdi dies, five men will rule after him from the sons of the elder grandson, then five from the sons of the younger grandson, then the last of them passes the caliphate to a man from the sons of the elder grandson, then his son rules after him, and so with that there will be 12 kings each one of them is an Imam Mahdi.”
– Fateh AlBari Sharh Saheeh AlBukhari for Ibn Hajar Volume 13, p.226 (Arabic Version)
Yahya bin Abu Muta' said:
I heard 'Irbad bin Sariyah say: 'One day, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up among us and delivered a deeply moving speech to us that melted our hearts and caused our eyes to overflow with tears. It was said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, you have delivered a speech of farewell, so enjoin something upon us.' He said: 'I urge you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey, even if (your leader) is an Abyssinian slave. After I am gone, you will see great conflict. I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the path of the Rightly-Guided Mahdiyeen, and cling stubbornly to it. And beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.'"
- Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 42
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ بَشِيرِ بْنِ ذَكْوَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَبْرٍ - حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي الْمُطَاعِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْعِرْبَاضَ بْنَ سَارِيَةَ، يَقُولُ قَامَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَوَعَظَنَا مَوْعِظَةً بَلِيغَةً وَجِلَتْ مِنْهَا الْقُلُوبُ وَذَرَفَتْ مِنْهَا الْعُيُونُ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَعَظْتَنَا مَوْعِظَةَ مُوَدِّعٍ فَاعْهَدْ إِلَيْنَا بِعَهْدٍ فَقَالَ " عَلَيْكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَالسَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ وَإِنْ عَبْدًا حَبَشِيًّا وَسَتَرَوْنَ مِنْ بَعْدِي اخْتِلاَفًا شَدِيدًا فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالأُمُورَ الْمُحْدَثَاتِ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ " .
There is a mistranslation in this narration. In Arabic, “ وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ”, wasunnat alkhulafa' alrrashidin almahdiiyn literally translates as “and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the Mahdis”. Not, “I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the path of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs”.
Abu Baseer said:
I told Al-Sadiq, Jafar Bin Mohammad (From Him Is Peace): “O son of the Prophet, I once heard your father (From Him Is Peace) saying that after the Qaem there shall be twelve Mahdis“. Then Al-Sadiq (From Him Is Peace) said: “Indeed, he said ‘twelve Mahdis’ and he did not say ‘twelve Imams’. They are from our followers (Shia), who shall call upon people to support us and who shall identify our right.”
–English Source Kamal AlDeen, Volume 2, Chapter 33, page.35, Hadith.56
Arabic Source, Kamal AlDeen, Volume 2, page 30-31 of the book Hadith 54
Abi Abdulllah (From Him Is Peace) said:
“O Aba Hamza, verily there will be from us, after the Qaim (From Him Is Peace) 11 Mahdis from the sons of Hussein (From Him Is Peace).”
– Ghaiba Al Tusi [Translator: Sayyid Athar Husain S. H. Rizvi , PubIisher: Ansariyan PubIications, First Edition 2012 -1433 - 1391], p.540, Hadith 504 (Book Version) for English
– Ghaiba lilTusi, p.541, Hadith 504 (Book Version) for Arabic
– Mu’jam Ahadith al-Imam alMahdi, vol.4, p.77, Hadith.1148-1149 (Online Version)
From Abu Jaafer and Abu Abdullah (From Him Is Peace) mentioning Kufa he said:
“Masjid Suhail where Allah hasn’t sent a Prophet except that he prayed inside it. From it justice shall appear by Allah, and in it will be His riser/ Qaim and after him will be risers/ Qaims, and they have the dwellings of the Prophets, successors, and the true believers.”
– Wasa’el Al Shia, v.3 p.524. And v.10 p.282.;
The following narration mentions 12 Imams from the children of Fatima, Ali and Mohammed (FTIP). Since Ali (From Him Is Peace) can not be a part of these specific twelve, there must be a thirteenth Imam. And according to Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH & His Family) Will, this is the First Mahdi (From Him Is Peace) who is the thirteenth successor from the twenty four successors (FTIP).
The Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family) said:
“Me and 12 from my sons and you, O Ali, are the balance of this earth, meaning its pegs and the mountains, Allah has made us the pegs of the Earth so it does not become wrecked on its people, so if the 12 from my sons went away then the Earth would be wrecked on its people and they will not have vision/ insight.”
– AlKafi lilSheikh alKulayni v.1 p.534 Hadith.17
(Online Arabic Version)
- Al Kafi Volume 1 Book 4 Chapter 126 Hadith 17 (English Version)
Imam Al-Hassan ibn Ali (From Him Is Peace) said:
“Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family) promised us that this matter shall be ruled by 12 Imams from the sons of Ali and Fatima.”
– Mu’jam Ahadith al-Imam alMahdi, vol.3 p.172, Hadith.698 (Online Arabic Version)
– Bihar Al Anwar Al-Majlesy, vol.44 p.139 (Online Arabic Version)
It's illogical to think that this narration is referring to the 12 Imams and the 12 Imams come from Imam Ali (From Him Is Peace) while Imam Ali is already one of the 12 Imams.
From Anas ibn Malik:
…So I said: Who are your Disciples O Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family)? So he (PBUH & His Family) said: “The Imams after me are 12 from the lineage of Ali (From Him Is Peace) and Fatima, they are my disciples and my supporters (Ansari), salutations and peace upon them from Allah.”
– Bihar Al Anwar Al-Majleesi, vol.36 p.271 Arabic Online Version)
The Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family) said:
“From my sons will be 12 Naqeeb (princes), they are noble, spoken to by Angels and conveyers of knowledge, the last of them is the Riser (Qaim) of truth who will fill the Earth with justice just as it will be filled with oppression.”
– Al Kafi lil Sheikh alKulayni v.1 p.534 Hadith.18 (Online Arabic Version)
Imam Ali (From Him Is Peace) is not one of the sons of the Prophet.
Narrated that Jabir alAnsari said:
“I entered to Fatima the daughter of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family) and she had a tablet in front of her that had the names of the successors and the Imams from her sons, so she counted 12 names and the last of them is the Qaim, 3 of them were Muhammad and 3 of them were Ali.”
– AlKafi lilSheikh alKulayni v.1 p.532 Hadith.9 (Online Arabic Version)
– Ghaiba Al lTusi p.139;
– Ghaiba Al Tusi [Translator: Sayyid Athar Husain S. H. Rizvi , PubIisher: Ansariyan PubIications, First Edition 2012 -1433 - 1391], p.196, Hadith 103 (Book Version) for English
– Ghaiba lilTusi, p.163 Hadith 103 (Online Arabic Version)
Al-Khisal by Sheikh alSadooq, Part 12: On Twelve-Numbered Characteristics. Hadith 43 (English Version)
Al-Khisal by Sheikh alSadooq p.477-478, Doors.11, Hadith.42 (Online Arabic Version)
We must read this narration properly. It states that Fatimah Al-Zahra (From Her Is Peace) had the names of the successors and the Imams from her sons. Imam Ali (From Him Is Peace) is not from the sons of Fatimah, so he is not included in the list of successors.
Approximately 300 million Shias today know about Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH and His Family) and millions of Sunnis too, Mohammed son of Al-Hassan (PBUH and His Family) he is known but for the unknown Imam, who could he be?
From Asbagh bin Nubatah that he said:
I came to Amirul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (From Him Is Peace) and found him thoughtful. He was drawing lines on the ground. I said: O Chief of believers, why do I see you thoughtful and you are making lines on the earth? Is it out of desire for the earth? He said: “No, by Allah, I have never desired it, nor for what is in the world even for one day. I was thinking about the one who will be born from the back of the eleventh from my sons. He is the Mahdi and he will fill the earth with equity as it will be full of oppression and injustice. There will be a perplexity and occultation related to him in which communities will go astray and communities will be guided. “I said: O my Master, how long will this perplexity and occultation last? He said: “Six days, or six months, or six years.” So I said: Is this really going to happen? He said: “Yes, just as he will be [certainly] created. How would you know this, Asbagh! They are the best of this Ummah and the companions of the righteous of this Household.” I said: What will happen after that? He said: “Allah will do what He desires, for He has wills and purposes and outcomes.”
– Ghaiba Al Tusi [Translator: Sayyid Athar Husain S. H. Rizvi , PubIisher: Ansariyan PubIications, First Edition 2012 -1433 - 1391], p.220, Hadith 103 (Book Version) for English & p.402 Hadith 282– Ghaiba Al Tusi, p.190, Hadith.127 (Online Arabic Version)
And p.358, Hadith.282 (Online Arabic Version).
– Al-Ikhtisaas, by Sheikh alMufeed, p.209 (Online Arabic Version)
Who is the 11th from Imam Ali’s (From Him Is Peace) sons?
The 11th son of Imam Ali is Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH and His Family). So who will be the descendant of Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH and His Family)? Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him Is Peace).
Find further proof that Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH and His Family) indeed has a Successor, who is his helper already before he succeeds him in the rule.
It is narrated from Amirul Momineen (From Him Is Peace) that he said in Hira:
“This place will join with that (pointing to Kufa). So much so that the land between them would be sold for a dinar per cubit. A Masjid will come up at Hira having 500 gates and the Khalif of Imam Qaim will lead prayer in it, because the Kufa Masjid would be overcrowded and twelve just Imams would be leading prayers in it.” I said: O Amirul Momineen (From Him Is Peace), is the Kufa Masjid big enough for the people you are describing at that time? He replied: “Another four Masjids would be built there and the Kufa Masjid would be the smallest. This Masjid and two Masjids would be on this side of Kufa and on the other side.” Then he pointed to the Basrin and Gharrin streams.”
–Mu’jam Ahadith al-Imam alMahdi, vol.3 p.111, Hadith 651 (Online Arabic Version)
Imam Jaafer (From Him Is Peace) says:
“So the Qaim will stand between the Rukn and Maqam and with him is his Wazeer (Vizier), … And he shall emerge from Mecca, him and who was with him from the 300 and few 10s, and they will pledge allegiance to him between the Rukn and Maqam, and with him is the Promise of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family), his Banner and his Weapon, and so he shall pray and then leave and with him is his Wazeer (Vizier/ minister).”
– Tafsir alAyashi, vol.1, p.65, Hadith.117 (Online Arabic Version)
– Mu’jam Ahadith al-Imam alMahdi, vol.5, p.21, Hadith 1452 ( Online Arabic Version)
From Al-Baqer (From Him Is Peace) he said:
“There will be for the Companion of the Matter an occultation in a few of these regions” – and then he pointed his finger over at Thi Tiwa (Najaf) – “until before his emergence, the Mawla (Master) that was with him will arrive, in order to meet with some of his companions.”
– Ghaibat AlNumani p.185, Hadith.30 (Online Arabic Version)
– Ghaibat Al Numani, Chapter 10: Disappearance of the expected Imam, Hadith 30 (English Version)
From Al-Baqir (From Him Is Peace) when he was talking about the Mahdi’s move:
“The Mahdi hurries/ races to call people to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of his Prophet (From Him Is Peace & His Family), the Guardianship (Wilaya) of Ali bin Abi Talib (From Him Is Peace) and being free from his enemies. Until when the Mahdi gets to Al-Thalabya, a Man from the same lineage of the Mahdi’s father will go to the Mahdi. The Man is one of the most severest in body and bravest in heart among people, apart from the Companion of the Matter (Mahdi). The Man says to the Mahdi: “O you, what are you doing? By Allah, you are frightening people like the frightening of cattle. Is this by a covenant from the Messenger of Allah (From Him Is Peace & His Family) or by what? “So the Master (Mawla), that will Succeed the Pledging of Allegiance, will say to the Man: “I swear by Allah either you remain silent, or I strike what is in your eyes. “So the Mahdi (From Him Is Peace) says to the Master: “Keep quiet O So-and-So.” [Then says to the Man] “Yes, by Allah I have with me a Covenant from the Messenger of Allah (From Him Is Peace). O So-and-So (Master), bring me the chest.” So the Master fetches it and the Man reads the covenant from the Messenger of Allah (From Him Is Peace & His Family). The Man then says to the Mahdi: “May Allah make me your ransom. Give me your head so I can kiss it.” He kisses between his eyes then says: “May Allah make me your ransom. Renew our Pledge of Allegiance.” The Mahdi (From Him Is Peace) renews the Pledge of Allegiance for them.” Imam Baqir (From Him Is Peace) then says: “It is as if I am looking at them rising from the Najaf of Kufa, 300 and a few 10s of men.”
– Tafsir alAyashi vol.2 p.59 (Online Arabic Version)
– Mu’jam Ahadith al-Imam alMahdi, vol.5 p.28 (Online Arabic Version)
“So they get together and check who they should pledge allegiance to, and so this happens when they hear a call not from a human nor from the jin, ‘Pledge allegiance to so-and-so [by his name], he is not from that such (of people) or this, rather he is a Khalifa who is a Yamani.'”
Let us acknowledge that all of the Imams (From Him Is Peace) and the Mahdis (FTIP) are called “Qa’im (the Riser)”, as it has been narrated by Ahlul Bayt (From Him Is Peace)
For example:
Abu Khadijah narrated that Abi Abdillah (From Him Is Peace) was asked about the Qa’im (From Him Is Peace), so he said: “We are all Qa’im (riser) by the command of Allah, one after the other, until the companion of the sword comes forth. So if the companion of the sword comes, he will come with a matter which is different than what was.”
– Al-Kafi by Sheikh alKoleini, volume 1, page 536
And al-Hakam ibn Abi Na’eem said that Aba Ja’far (From Him Is Peace) said: “O Hakam, we are all Qa’im (Riser) by the command of Allah”. So I said: So are you the Mahdi (the guided)? So he (From Him Is Peace) said: “We all guide towards Allah”. So I said: “So you are the companion of the sword?” So he (From Him Is Peace) said: “We are all companion of the sword and inheritor of the sword.”
–Al-Kafi by Sheikh alKoleini, Volume 1, page 536 (Online Arabic Version)
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Book 4, Chapter 128 Hadith 1 (Online English Version)
And in the following narration, you will find that the title “the Qa’ims (the Risers)” is given to the Successors of the Qa’im (From Him Is Peace), whom are the Mahdis (From Him Is Peace)
Abu Ja’far and Abu Abdillah (From Him Is Peace) said about Kufa: “…in it is the mosque of Suhayl, which Allah has not sent a Prophet except that he has prayed in it. And from it will appear the justice of Allah, and in it will be His Qa’im and the Qa’ims after him, and it is the ranks of the Prophets and Vicegerents and Righteous ones”.
– Wasa’il al-Shia alIslamiyya volume 3 p.524 (Online English Version)
Now contemplate over the following narration in which the Commander of the Believers Imam Ali (From Him Is Peace) mentions the presence of more the one Qa’im at the same time paving the way for the Holy Rise, meaning more than one Hujjah from the Family of Muhammad (From Them Is Peace).
The Commander of the Believers (From Him Is Peace) said in a long Hadith:
“If the Qa’im rises in Khorasan, and dominates over the land of Kufan and Al-Millatan, and passes the island of Bani Kawan, and a Qa’im from us rises in Jaylan, and the Ibber and Deylaman will answer him. Then the awaited Qa’im and the unknown Imam will rise, he has the honor and the preference, and he is from your offspring O Hussein, no son is like him.”
– Ghaybat al-Noamani, Chapter 14: The signs preceding the appearance Hadith 55 (English Version)
– Ghaybat al-Noamani,
As for who are those three Qa’ims (From Him Is Peace) who are mentioned in the above narration (the Qa’im in Korasan, the Qa’im in Jaylan, and the awaited Qa’im and the unknown Imam), that is to be announced by Imam Ahmed Al Hassan (From Him Is Peace) when he (From Him Is Peace) wills.
But the point here is that, as it is clear from the narration, there are more than one “Qa’im” at the same time, paving the way for the Holy Qiyam (the Holy Rise).
And we, the companions of the blessed Black Banners of the East, are the only ones who acknowledge that there are several Mahdis (Qa’ims) now with the Qa’im (From Him Is Peace) working between his hands and paving the way for his victory, such as the second Mahdi Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him Is Peace), and the third Mahdi Moses (PBUH), and the Mahdi Adam (PBUH), and the Mahdi Aaron Aba Mika’eel (PBUH) (and more)…
All of these narrations prove without a shadow of a doubt that Ahmed Al Hassan is the Yamani, the successor of Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH & His Family)