Hadith of the Twelve Successors 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 Shiites, as they interpret the prophecy was fulfilled by The Twelve Imams. The hadith (classified as Sahih) is widely accepted by all Muslim groups but its interpretation varies heavily. According to the prophecy there will reign twelve caliphs—presumably the first being crowned upon the Prophet's death—and after which the caliphate would cease to exist and mark the beginning of the judgement day or armageddon. It is stated that all twelve caliphs will
Hadith terminology its source. This provides confirmation that the "hadith" is authentically attributed to its source at a level above reasonable doubt. This is due to its being beyond historical possibility that narrators could have conspired to forge a narration. In contrast, an "ahaad hadith" is a narration the chain of which has not reached a number sufficient to qualify as "mutawatir". "Hadiths" can be "mutawatir" in both actual text and meaning: The second category, "ahaad" ( meaning "singular") narration, refers to any "hadith" not classified as "mutawatir". Linguistically, "hadith ahad" refers to a "hadith" narrated by only one narrator. In "hadith"