الكافي- ط الاسلامية, volume 1, page 534

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said, ‘I and twelve persons from my descendants and you O Ali, are the securing anchor of the earth, that is, the pillars thereof and its ropes. Through us Allah has secured the earth from devouring the inhabitants. If all the twelve persons from my family will no longer be there, the earth will devour her inhabitants without delay.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

18. Through the same chain of narrators it is narrated from abu Sa‘id in a marfu‘ manner from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “The Messenger of Allah has said, “From my descendants there will be twelve noble supervisors, who are (Muhaddathun) persons to whom angles speak and very intelligent. The last of them will be Al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority) and with truth who will fill the earth with justice after being filled with injustice.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

19. Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from mmd ibn al-Hassan ibn Shammun from ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Asamm from Karram who has said the following. “I took an oath with my self that I will not any food during the day until the rise of Al-Qa’im (the rise of al-Mahdi with Divine Authority). I then went to see abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.).” The narrator has said, “A man from you Shi‘a (followers) has imposed on himself on oath not to eat any food during the day until the rise of Al-Qa’im from the family of Muhammad (s.a) (the rise of al-Mahdi with Divine Authority).” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Fast, then O Karram. Do not fast on the two ‘Id days and the three days of Tashriq (11,12,13) of the month of Dhil Hajj. Also do not fast when you are on a journey or when you will have an illness. It is because when al-Husayn was murdered the heavens and the earth and all the angles in them mourned and lamented before the Lord. They said, “Lord, grant us permission to destroy the creature and purge the earth from them because of their disregard of you reverence and their murdering your chosen people. Allah then inspired them, “My angels, My heavens and My earth be patient and relieved.. He then removed a barrier of the barriers and there appeared Muhammad and the twelve executors of his will. He then held the hand of so and so, Al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority) from among them and said, ‘O My angels, My heavens and My earth through this I will grant support for this.” He said it three times.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

20. Muhammad ibn Yahya and Ahmad ibn Muhammad have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from abu Talib from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘Abdallah ibn Mihran who has said the following. “Once I, abu Basir and Muhammad ibn ‘Imran the slave of abu Ja‘far (a.s.) were in his house in Makka. Muhammad ibn ‘Imran said, “I have heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say, ‘We all twelve of us are Muhaddath (the ones to whom angels speak).” Abu Basir then said, “Did you hear abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say so? He made him to swear one or twice that he has heard so. Abu Basir then said, “However, I have heard it from abu Ja‘far (a.s.).”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.