And the statement of the Commander of the Faithful is explicit that the Mahdi will be a descendant of al-Hasan, not al-Husayn. Hasan and Husayn, in certain respects, resemble Ishmael and Isaac, even though neither Hasan nor Husayn was a prophet.

For this reason the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to say over the two of them, “I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and every poisonous creature, and from every envious eye.” 1 He also said, “Abraham used to seek refuge with these words for Ishmael and Isaac.”

Ishmael was the elder and the more forbearing. Accordingly, while addressing the people from the pulpit, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said of al-Hasan, “This son of mine is a leader, and through him Allah will reconcile two great factions of the Muslims.” 2

Just as most of the prophets were from the line of Isaac, so most of the distinguished imams have been from the line of al-Husayn; and just as the Seal of the Prophets, whose mission spread to the east and the west, was from the line of Ishmael, so the rightly guided Caliph, the Mahdi—the last of the caliphs—will be from the line of al-Hasan.

Furthermore, according to the Book and the Sunnah, a child of two years is subject to guardianship over both his person and his property until he reaches puberty and sound judgment is perceived in him, for he is counted as an orphan. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Test the orphans until, when they reach marriageable age, if you perceive in them sound judgment, then hand over to them their property.” 3