Hadith 19

saww successor, and my-saww inheritor, and my-saww Caliph in my-saww community, and the Guardian of every believer after me-saww, and eleven Imams-asws from his sons-asws. The first of them-asws is my-saww son Al-Hassan-asws, then Al-Husayn-asws, then nine from the sons-asws of Al-Husayn-asws, one after the other. The Quran is with them-asws and they-asws are with the Quran. Neither will it separate from them-asws nor will they separate from it until they-asws return to the Fountain’. Twelve men from the people of Badr stood up and said, ‘We testify that we heard that from the Rasool-Allah-saww as you-asws have said it exactly, neither have you-asws added nor you-asws have been deficient by a single letter, and the Rasool-Allah-saww made us witnesses on that’. And the remaining seventy said, ‘We have heard that but did not memorise all of it, and these twelve are our good ones, and the best ones of us’. He-asws said: ‘You spoke the truth. It is not for all the people to be memorisers, some of them are better at memorising than others’. Four out of the twelve stood up – Abu Al-Haysam Bin Al-Tayham, and Abu Ayyub Al-Ansary, and Amaar Bin Yaaser, and Khuzayma Bin Sabit, the one with the two testimonies, may Allah-azwj have Mercy of them – so they said, ‘We testify that we have heard the words of the Rasool-Allah-saww and we have preserved it that he-saww said, one day, and he-saww was standing, and Ali-asws was standing beside him-saww. Then Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘O you people! Allah-azwj has Commanded me-saww that I-saww should nominate for you an Imam-asws and a successor-asws who will be the successor-asws of your Prophet-saww among you, and my-saww Caliph in my-saww community, and among the People-asws of my-saww Household after me-saww, and the one-asws for whom Allah-azwj has Obligated upon the believers, in His-azwj book, obedience to him-asws, and has Commanded to you all in it for his-asws ‘Wilayah’. So I-saww referred it back to my-saww Lord out of fear of the hypocrites and their belying it, so He-azwj Promised me-saww that (He-azwj will Protect me-saww) but if I-saww do not preach it, He-azwj would Punish me-saww’. Then Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘O you people! Surely Allah-azwj – Majestic is His-azwj Name – has Ordered you all in His-azwj Book for the Prayer and I-saww have explained it for you and its mannerism, and the Zakat, and the Soam (Fasting), and the Hajj (Pilgrimage). I-saww explained these to you and interpreted them for you all, and He-azwj Commanded you all in His-azwj Book for the ‘Wilayah’. And I-saww adjure you, O you people, that it is especially for Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws and the successors-asws from my-saww sons-asws and the sons-asws of my-saww brother and my-saww successor-asws. Ali-asws is the first of them-asws, then Al-Hassan-asws, then Al-Husayn-asws, then nine from the sons-asws of Al-Husayn-asws – my-saww son-asws. Neither will the Book be separated from them-asws nor will they-asws separate from it until they-asws return to the Fountain. O you people! I-saww have made known to you your shelter and your Imam-asws after me-saww, and your evidence and your guide, and he-asws is Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws, and he-asws is among you at the status that I-saww have among you. So, emulate him-asws (do his-asws Taqleed), and obey him-asws in all of your affairs, for in his-asws possession is what Allah-azwj has Taught me-saww, and Ordered me-saww for, and I-saww have made it known to him-asws, and I-saww am letting you know that it is with him-asws. So ask him-asws and learn from him-asws and from the successors-asws after him-asws, and do not try to teach them-asws nor precede them-asws not be left behind them-asws, for they-asws are with the truth and the truth is with the