Salam akhi, please i need an answer akhis. Im discussing about the Hadith on the 12 caliphs. Is this authentic (I'll post the Hadith and source in the end)? A shi'ī I'm discussing with right now asked me to list the sunni view on who the 12 caliph hadiths are referring to. I included Yazid into who the Hadith was referring to. He claims according to this Hadith Yazid can't be included because a Zalim can not be a ruler and that the twelve will rule justly. Is this Hadith even referring to the 12 caliph Hadith ? Hadith: "Anas (ra) said: the messenger (SAW) said: "The imams are from quraish, if they ruled they would set justice, if they promised they would fulfill it, if they were asked for pardon they would be merciful". Sunni source; Musnad Abi Yal'a Volume 6 page 321. Footnote: this chain is authentic (he didn't cite who authenticated it).
Adding to what brother Farid said, I say that Prophet(saws) actually set an advice or warning for Imams, that they should rule justly and with righteousness, if they do the opposite, then they would be held responsible for it.
The Prophet added, “He who obeys me, obeys Allah, and he who disobeys me, disobeys Allah. He who obeys the Ameer, obeys me, and he who disobeys the Ameer, disobeys me. The Imam is like a shelter for whose safety the Muslims should fight and where they should seek protection.
If the Imam orders people with righteousness and rules justly, then he will be rewarded for that, and if he does the opposite, he will be responsible for that.”( Sahi Bukhari Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 204).
Similarly,
Messenger of Allah(saws) said: "The Imam is like a shield whose orders should be obeyed when they (the Muslims) fight, and where they should seek protection.
If he enjoins fear of Allah and behaves justly, then he will be rewarded, but if he enjoins otherwise, then it will be a burden (of sin) on him."[Sunan an-Nasa'i 4196; Sahih]
2) Also, and also this Hadith from Jabir. he's giving me some weird explanation of his like: "If your answer is the 12 caliphs of yours who died 1200 years ago, your Islam ended 1200 years ago according to this Hadith in Sahih Muslim". Here's the Hadith he cited: "I wrote (a letter) to Jabir b. Samura and sent it to him through my servant Nafi', asking him to inform me of something he had heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He wrote to me (in reply): I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say on Friday evening, the day on which al-Aslami was stoned to death (for committing adultery): The Islamic religion will continue until the Hour has been established, OR you have been ruled over by twelve Caliphs, all of them being from the Quraish. also heard him say: A small force of the Muslims will capture the white palace, the police of the Persian Emperor or his descendants. I also heard him say: Before the Day of Judgment there will appear (a number of) impostors. You are to guard against them. I also heard him say: When God grants wealth to any one of you, he should first spend it on himself and his family (and then give it in charity to the poor). I heard him (also) say: I will be your forerunner at the Cistern (expecting your arrival)".
It seems that a narrator got confused about two different reports of Prophet(saws). That is why he said "OR", he didn't say "AND".
{"The Islamic religion will continue until the Hour has been established,
OR you have been ruled over by twelve Caliphs, all of them being from the Quraish}.
The two different reports are as follows from the SAME SAHABI Jabir bin Samura:
It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: This religion will continue to exist, and a group of people from the Muslims will continue to fight for its protection until the Hour is established. [Sahih Muslim 1922]
It has been reported on the authority of Jabir b. Samura who said: I went with my father to the Messenger of Allah (may peeace be upon him) and I heard him say: This religion would continue to remain powerful and dominant until there have been twelve Caliphs. Then he added something which I couldn't catch on account of the noise of the people. I asked my father: What did he say? My father said: He has said that all of them will be from the Quraish.[Sahih Muslim 1821 f]
These are two different reports, which a sub narrator seems to have mixed, that is why he was confused and said this OR that. He didn't say this AND that, which would imply both must happen, rather he said this OR that, implying one of the two would occur.
As for the two different reports, then one says clearly that religion will continue to exist until the hour is established. Whereas the other report doesn't mentions about the hour being established, it just talks about Islam being powerful and dominant under the rule of those Imams.