The Islamic community is divided into two main branches: Shiism and Sunniism. 

One of the significant differences between these groups lies in the concept of “Imamate”. Imamate is a religious doctrine embraced by Shiite Muslims, which asserts that after the holy Prophet (PBUH & HP), Allah almighty did not leave his servants without guidance. According to Shiite belief, the holy Prophet (PBUH & HP) designated successors who would guide the people, interpret the verses of the Quran and propagate the teachings of Islam. The number of these successors are 12 and they all are the descendants of the Messenger (PBUH & HP). The hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH & HP), accepted by all Muslims for their authenticity, confirm the existence of these successors.

Twelve successors 

According to a hadith narrated by Sunni recorders the Prophet (PBUH & HP) stated:

Indeed, this religion will not end until twelve successors [of me] rise among the people. 

The narrator says that after that, the Prophet said something that he didn’t hear so he asked his father what did the Messenger say and his father replied: “the Prophet said that they all are from Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet. (1)

The holy Prophet (PBUH & HP) also said:

Indeed, I leave you two kinds of successor: one is the Book of Allah (The Quran) and the other one is my household. And indeed, they do not depart from each other until they meet me near the Kother pool [on the Judgement Day]. (2)

These reliable hadiths clearly show that the successors of the Prophet (PBUH & HP) are twelve men from his family.

The names of the twelve Imams on a tablet

There is a hadith narrated by the Shiite hadith recorders that mentions the names of all these successors. This hadith provides valuable insights into the Shiite Imams. 

Imam Sadiq (AS), the sixth Shiite Imam, narrates that his father, Imam Baqir (AS), once asked Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (one of the Prophet’s most important companions) to recount the story of the tablet he had seen in the hands of Lady Fatimah (AS), the beloved daughter of the Messenger, and tell him about the things that was written on that tablet. 

Jabir said “I swear to Allah, once during the Prophet’s lifetime, I visited the house of lady Fatimah (AS) to congratulate her on the birth of her son, Hussain (AS). Then I saw a green tablet on her hands, which I assumed to be made of emerald and it had white text resembling the light of the sun. So, I asked her what it was and she replied, ‘This is a tablet that Allah has bestowed upon my father, containing the names of my father, my husband, my sons and the successors of my father who are my descendants. The Messenger gave it to me to cheer me up.’” 

Jabir further added, “Your mother gave it to me, and I read it and copied it on another tablet.” Imam Baqir (AS) then asked “Can you show me your copy?” and Jabir replied “Yes.” 

The text was as follows:

In the name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful.

This is a writing from Allah, the Almighty, the Wise, to Muhammad (PBUH & HP), His Prophet, His Light, His Messenger, His Mediator and the Guide to Him. The Trustable Spirit [Gabriel] has brought it from the Lord of the people. 

O Muhammad! Respect my names and be thankful of my gifts and do not deny my favors. Indeed I am Allah and there’s no deity but me. I am the annihilator of the oppressors and the helper of the oppressed and I am the Judge of the Judgement Day. So I punish the ones who desire the kindness of the others or dread the justice of others with a punishment I punish no one alike. Then worship only me and trust only on me. 

Indeed, I sent no Prophet whose time came to end except that I chose someone as their successor and I made you better than all the prophets and made your successor better than all the successors. And kindly gave you your two grandsons: Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS). 

Then I chose Hassan as the repository of my knowledge after his father [Imam Ali (AS)] and I chose Hussain as the source of my revelations and made him a great one by giving him martyrdom and I made his destiny with salvation then he is the noblest martyr and the highest-ranked among all martyrs… 

Afterward, Allah almighty proceeds to mention all the successors of the Prophet (PBUH & HP) in this lengthy text as follows:

Ali (AS) the son of Imam Huassain (AS), also known as Sajjad, Muhammad al-Baqir, Jafar as-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim, Ali ar-Ridha, Muhammad al-Javad, Ali al-Hadi, Hassan al-Askari. And the last of them is Imam Mahdi (AS), the savor of all Muslims. (3) He is still alive and will appear again in the future alongside Jesus, establishing justice on Earth full after it has been plagued by tyranny and oppression. (4)

All Shias believe that these twelve men are the successors of the Prophet and after the Prophet (PBUH & HP) they all came and taught people the teachings of Islam but the last of them is now alive and unknown by people. All Muslims, whether Shiite or Sunni, share the belief that Imam Mahdi (AS) will eventually emerge as the ruler of all the entire Earth, bringing justice to prevail. The Holy Quran says:

Certainly, We wrote in the Psalms, after the Torah: ‘Indeed My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.’ (21:105)

Resources 

1. Sahih al-Muslim, Muslim an-Neishaburi, vol.3, pg.1452
2. Musnad Ahamd, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol.35, pg.512
3.  Al-Kafi, Sheikh Koleini, vol.1, pg.528
4.  Al-Kafi, Sheikh Koleini, vol.1, pg.338
    

One of the most discussed words nowadays among politicians, humanitarians, thinkers, and social researchers is the word peace. It’s one of the favorite ideas among Christians and Muslims. Many of the religious activists try to publicize peace as a social manner and act. Islam, as the last religion of Allah, is a religion of peace, as its name is taken from the word Salaam, meaning peace in Arabic. 

On the other hand, Jesus Christ (PBUH) is the other most-followed prophet in the world and one of the chosen ones in Allah's regard. But what is the stance of Islam toward Jesus Christ (PBUH)? Does Islam believe Jesus (PBUH) to be a peace-loving prophet? Here, we are going to bring you some verses of the Holy Quran in praise of Jesus Christ (PBUH) and his peace-loving character. 

1. Jesus Christ (PBUH); A Prophet of Mercy

Believing in a peace-loving God, he treated all the people, whether innocent or sinful, young or old, with mercy and kindness. His amiable attitude not only included human beings but also animals whom he deeply cared for. Thus, wherever he went, he brought peace and blessing to the people, as he puts in this verse of the Quran:

“He has made me blessed, wherever I may be” (19:31)

2. Jesus Christ (PBUH); An Exemplar of a Dutiful Child

The holy Quran always refers to Jesus (PBUH) as the embodiment of a dutiful and devoted child concerning his mother, Saint Mary.  When it narrates the story of his birth and the disbelief of the Jewish sages, the Quran says that Jesus (PBUH) started talking while he was a newborn in his mother’s arms. He told everyone about the mission Allah had given him and then said: 

“…He has enjoined me to [maintain] the prayer and to [pay] the zakat as long as I live, and to be good to my mother, and He has not made me self-willed and wretched.” (19:31-32)

Accordingly, one of the missions Allah has given Jesus (PBUH) is to be kind and respectful toward his mother, which is one of the manifest signs of a peaceful and loving character. 

3. Jesus Christ (PBUH); A Prophet of Wisdom 

When Jesus Christ (PBUH) started spreading the message of Allah to human beings, he began to advise people to be truthful followers and described his mission as follows:

“When Jesus brought those manifest proofs, he said, ‘I have certainly brought you wisdom, and [I have come] to make clear to you some of the things that you differ about. So be wary of Allah and obey me.” (43:63)

Based on this verse, he was there to clarify the ambiguities and to bring wisdom. And that was all he did; he never used anything, but words of Allah and miracles inspired him to lead people toward what is right. 

4. Jesus Christ (PBUH); The Righteous Servant of Allah

Virgin Mary was about to find out about Allah’s blessing upon her in bestowing her with a son, without any man touching her and the angels said:

‘O Mary, Allah gives you the good news of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, distinguished in the world and the Hereafter and one of those brought near [to Allah]. He will speak to the people in the cradle and adulthood and will be one of the righteous. (3:45-46)

Also, in another verse of the Quran, Allah refers to Jesus Christ (PBUH) besides other prophets as such:

“And Zechariah, John, Jesus, and Ilyas—each of them among the righteous.” (6:85)

Allah refers to Jesus Christ (PBUH) in the verses above, as his word and one of the righteous ones. But who is a Righteous person? A person characterized by, proceeding from, or following accepted standards of morality, justice, or uprightness and virtues [1]. So, a righteous person is one who is upright, and free from sins or guilt, which ultimately leads one toward peacefulness. 

Finally, the Holy Quran and Islam, as the religion of peace, admire prophet Jesus (PBUH) as the word of Allah and send peace and blessing upon him. In this verse of the Quran, Jesus addresses himself and says:

“Peace to me [Jesus] the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I am raised alive.” (19:33)

Just as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) who, according to the Quran, was sent as a mercy to humankind (21:107) and perfect moral virtues, Jesus Christ (PBUH) was also sent to accomplish the same mission; as the prophets before him were also after spreading this peaceful message. Thus, Muslims who believe in all the prophets as the best role models, do not doubt in the peace-loving character of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the blessed son of Mary.  

References:

1. Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000,3,6,7,9,11,14