376 — “This authority will remain strong until there have been twelve caliphs, all of them from Quraysh.”

Muslim narrated it (6/3), and this is his wording; so did Abū Dāwūd (2/207) and Aḥmad (5/93, 98), through Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind, from al-Shaʿbī, from Jābir ibn Samurah, in a report attributed to the Prophet.

In another wording:

“This authority will remain mighty and impregnable; they will be granted victory over whoever opposes them concerning it, until there have been twelve caliphs, all of them from Quraysh.”

Muslim narrated it (6/3–4), as did Aḥmad (5/101) and his son in Zawāʾid al-Musnad (5/98), from Ibn ʿAwn, from al-Shaʿbī, with the same chain. It also has another route with the wording:

“This authority will continue until twelve rulers arise, all of them from Quraysh.”

Aḥmad narrated it (5/97–98, 101): Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah narrated to us, from ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr, who said: I heard Jābir ibn Samurah say, in a report attributed to the Prophet.

This is an authentic chain of transmission meeting the conditions of both of them. Muslim also narrated it from him with the wording: “The affairs of the people will continue.”