There are various scriptures and sayings of the Prophets and Imams (From Them is Peace) that refer to the return of well-known characters who come back to support the Savior of Mankind.
Sirin narrated: I was with Abu Abdullah (PBUH) when he said: "What do the people say about this verse: 'And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that Allah will not resurrect those who die'?"
I replied, "They say it means that there is no resurrection, no rising, and no return."
He (PBUH) said: "By Allah, they have lied! Rather, this refers to the time when the Qaim (Riser) rises and the returned return with him. Then, your opponents will say, ‘O Shia, your state has now become evident, and this is part of your lies! You claim that so-and-so has returned? No, by Allah! Allah will not resurrect the dead!’
Do you not see that they swore ‘by Allah their strongest oaths’? The polytheists used to revere Al-Lat and Al-Uzza too much to swear by anything else. So Allah says: ‘Yes indeed! A true promise upon Him so that He may clarify for them that over which they differ and so that those who disbelieved may know that they were liars. Indeed, Our command to anything when We intend it is but to say to it: Be, and it is.’”
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 53, p. 71
Imam Al-Hussein (From Him is Peace) said:
“So be glad, by Allah if they kill us, verily we will return amongst our Prophet. Then I will remain as long as Allah wills, I will be the first for whom the earth splits open, so I will emerge in an emergence that coincides with the emergence of the Prince of the Believers, the rise of our Qaim, and the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah. Then a delegation from the heavens, from Allah, shall descend upon me—ones who have never descended to the earth before. Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, along with hosts of angels, shall descend upon me. And Mohammed, Ali, I, my brother, and all those upon whom Allah has bestowed His grace shall descend, riding upon mounts from the mounts of the Lord—dappled white horses of light that no created being has ever ridden. Then Muhammad will shake his banner and push it to our Qaim with his sword, then we shall remain after that as long as Allah wills.”
– Mo’jam Ahadeeth Imam Al-Mahdi (AS), Al-Shaikh Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 5, p. 114
From Al-Mufaddel ibn Omar that Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) said:
“The Qaim (PBUH) will emerge from the back of Kufa with twenty seven men, fifteen from the people of Moses (PBUH) who guided with the truth and by it acted justly, and seven from the Companions of the Cave and Joshua ibn Nun, and Salman and Abu Dujana Al-Ansari and Miqdad and Malik Al-Ashtar, who will become Ansar (Supporters) and Rulers between the hands of the Qaim (PBUH).”
– Al-Irshad, Al-Shaikh Al-Mufid, Vol. 2, p. 386; Mo’jam Ahadeeth Imam Al-Mahdi (AS), Al-Shaikh Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 5, pp. 122-123
Imam Al-Hussein (From Him is Peace) said:
“… Verily, Daniel and Jonah will emerge to the Prince of the Believers (PBUH) saying ‘Allah and his Messenger were truthful’, and Allah sends with them seventy men to Al-Basra, so they kill those who fight them …”
– Mo’jam Ahadeeth Imam Al-Mahdi (AS), Al-Shaikh Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 5, p. 115
Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) said to Al-Mufaddel:
“O Al-Mufaddel, you and forty-four men will be resurrected with the Qaim. You will be on his right, commanding and forbidding, and at that time, the people will be more obedient to you than they are today.”
– Mo’jam Ahadeeth Imam Al-Mahdi (AS), Al-Shaikh Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 4, p. 98; Dala’il Al-Imamah, Muhammad ibn Jarir Al-Tabari, p. 464
From Abi Khadijah that Imam Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) said:
“I asked God to keep Ismail alive after me but He did not grant it. However, He granted him another station, to be the first to return amongst ten of his companions, one of them is Abdullah ibn Sharik who is his standard-bearer.”
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 53, p. 76; Mukhtasar Basa'ir Al-Darajat, Al-Hassan Ibn Sulayman Al-Hilli, p. 26; Mustadrakat Ilm Rijal Al-Hadith, Ali Namazi Shahrudi, p. 629
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said:
“The Companions of the Cave (Ashab Al-Kahf) are the helpers of the Mahdi.”
– Mo’jam Ahadeeth Imam Al-Mahdi (AS), Al-Shaikh Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 1, p.468; Fath Al-Bari Sharh Saheeh Bukhari, Ibn Hajar Al-Askalany, Vol. 6, p. 365; Al-Durr Al-Manthur Fi Al-Tafsir Bi Al-Ma’thur, Al-Suyuti, Vol. 4, p. 215
Al-Mufaddel ibn Omar said: “I heard Aba Abdillah (PBUH) say:
“Thirteen women will return with the Qaim (PBUH).”
I said: “What will they do?” He said: “They will treat the wounded and take care of the sick like it was with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH & His Family).” I said: “Can you name them for me?” He said: “Al-Qanwa' bint Rashid, Umm Ayman, Hababa Al-Walibiyya, Sumayya mother of Ammar ibn Yasir, Zubaydah, Umm Khalid Al-Ahmasiyyah, Umm Sa'id Al-Hanafiyya, Sabanah Al-Mashetah and Umm Khalid Al-Juhaniyya.”
– Dala’il Al-Imamah, Muhammad ibn Jarir Al-Tabari, p. 484; Mo’jam Ahadeeth Imam Al-Mahdi (AS), Al-Shaikh Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 4, p. 13
Abi Abdullah (From Him is Peace) was asked:
“ ‘And recite in the Book the account of Ishmael. He was ever true to his promise, and was a Messenger, a Prophet.’ Was this verse concerning Ishmael son of Abraham (PBUT)? For verily the people are claiming it is concerning Ishmael son of Abraham.” So the Imam (PBUH) said: “Verily Ishmael died before Abraham, and Abraham was the Proof of God, a Qaim, a companion of a jurisprudence, so to whom was Ishmael sent?” So it was said to him: “Then who was the verse concerning, may I be your ransom?” So he (PBUH) replied: “That was concerning Ishmael son of Ezekiel the Prophet (PBUH), God sent him to his people and they belied him, murdered him and skinned his face, so God became angry for him, so He sent to him the angel Satatael, the angel of torment, and he said to him: ‘O Ishmael, I am Satatael the angel of torment, the Lord of Glory sent me to you in order that I may torment your people with all kinds of punishments as you wish.’ So Ishmael said: ‘I do not need that O Satatael.’ So God inspired him, saying: ‘O Ishmael, what is your need then?’ So Ishmael said: ‘My Lord, you took a covenant upon us that you are the Lord, and Mohammed is your Messenger, and his vicegerents have authority and Wilayah. You told Your creation what his nation shall do to Al-Hussein son of Ali (PBUT) after their Prophet. And You promised Al-Hussein that he will reincarnate in this world, and will have revenge with his own hands against all those who do this to him. So my need, O Lord, is that you make me too reincarnate in this world so that I may take revenge against all those who did this to me, just as you make Al-Hussein reincarnate.’ So God promised Ishmael the son of Ezekiel that, and he shall reincarnate with Al-Hussein son of Ali (PBUT).”
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 11, pp. 164-165