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Twelve in Quran.

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There are proofs in Quran that lead to other proofs, and doors that open other doors.

If the concept of non-Nabi Messengers and non-Nabi Imams is accepted, this leads to other doors. If the concept of the chosen family is accepted, this leads to other doors.

One of these things that lead to, is the concept of Twelve with respect to succession. It is understood with reflection:

1. 5th Surah, is about the day God completed his religion and makes us journey to that day, by even verses not revealed on that day, but in flow with that, then is the Twelve Captains of the covenant of Moses with respect to his people, and in flow with that is God's judgment ruling humanity, and in flow with that, is the Prophets role with judging by revelation for the Jews and their scholars, and being one's entrusted to safeguard the revelation in this regard, and in flow with that, is even though the people revealed books to were entrusted to judge by what God revealed, not to take them as Authorities rather then God and his chosen ones, as some of them are authorities over others. And it warns like it does else where not to not love humans as much as God so as to attribute God what we don't know nor become intoxicated in the game of thrones of idols that we take people who take the religion as a game as authorities. In this regard, it reminds God the Messenger and those granted security - the one's represented by Imam Ali (a) when we have his ring in Ruku, are our only Wali (religious Authority to rely on for guidance in this context). The flow back to twelve is clear, and then later it reminds of the covenant again but says he sent Messengers.... instead of emphasizing on raising Twelve Captains.

2. In 7th Surah, it reminds of Messengers when rejected the people were destroyed. I then takes a magnifying glass at Moses' and his story, and in flow of that, reminds from the people of Moses' is an a course who guide by the truth and by it they establish justice. And this is in flow of reminding the universal position of Mohammad (s) and that in is context that God has authority in the heavens and the earth, and his is the authority, and so it's obviously flowing with respect to that. Then it goes on to say while they were one course, one way, they were split into twelve branches as ways, the word branches refers to tree like branches stemming from a root, while in Hebrew, the word for that is with rivers, water splitting to more would be the word, and both are used for tribes by parable, but original meaning is not tribes. This is why Quran reminds of the splitting of the twelve rivers by Moses' because a lot of the words tribes is mistranslation of what should be seen to be as branches in the Torah and be referring to successors of Moses'. In flow with that later, is the reminder from who God created is a people who guide by the truth again. And linked that with God's beautiful names and rejection of them as rejection of signs/proofs of God and trespassing God's Names.

3.

9th Surah...

In the same way Ulil-Amr is in context of negating the false authority of clergy class claiming to represent God's teachings or revelations, the twelve "Shahr" is in flow of that, and in flow of people going into extreme as a result of wanting to idolize their scholars to the extent they end up going to extremes with respect to worshiping humans like Jesus, but the intention in worshiping Jesus really stems from the love of the idols among clergy... And it talks about how clergy often take money from people and don't spend it in God's way and the corruption nature of religion and money when intertwined. Shahr although refers to lunar month in Arabic, it originally meant luminary, and was by parable - the moon and it's giving light - was said to be a Shahr (luminary)…

However, the flow with the topic before, was about clergy and going into extreme of God's chosen. In this regard, it can be that twelve luminaries is the accurate meaning, and the sacred nature of 4 of them has to do with the name Ali. The reason is because if you go beyond exalting, you worship since exalting is the level below Worship, and also if you neglect or equate others with the exalted you discounted God's chosen and their superior nature. So this is a sacred ground by which we have to be balanced in, exalting but not worshiping them but yet not raising others to the status of God's chosen ones.

In this light, it saying, the representatives after Mohammad (s) was twelve the day God created the heavens and the earth, and so don't mix corrupt clergy with their authority, but also, do not worship them, for God is above exalted ones, and although he is an exalted one, they are not gods to be worshiped.

Then the next word for year, can instead of year "generic" and be referring to Mohammad (s) as a Messenger and that this number twelve is always the way of God not just for Mohammad (s), and so delaying a luminary, would be disbelief, in order to extinguish the number twelve which is sacred by God. Although the verse before talks about four of them being sacred, that is due to with the name. Here it has to do with their sacred number which is Thirteen including the founder and twelve when excluding the founder with respect to representing and illuminating the way.

This all flows of course with respect to God's promise to make his religion superior to all religions. There is a hadith from Imam Mohammad Al-Baqir (a) that interprets the verse like this.

One luminary is accepted for one generic (Ibrahim's successors for example) and another delayed for another generic (Aaron or Ali for example)… this is the meaning of generic here, and the generic here is a founder like Mohammad (s), that is why Imam Mohammad Baqir (a) says the word here "A'ama" refers to Mohammad (s) in that hadith.

There is three other places that allude to the number of Imams, but these should suffice.
 
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Salam

The following is my view and opinion.

The number twelve in all places it's mentioned and indirect references to it as well (like the Statues of Sulaiman and his giant basins) prove the number of successors of Mohammad (s) to be twelve and Mohammad (s) said in a hadith and his words of light are beyond humans games of what is authentic and what is not, and are proofs and insights and guidance with respect to Quran said "believe in the authority of the number twelve" and quoted four verses and said this is with respect to the role of Ali (A) and his successors (a).

Imam Mohammad (a) Al-Baqir also explained the proper translation of verses of twelve in the 9th chapter including the word commonly translated as year to be referring to Mohammad (s) and hence better translated as generic. And months are better translated as luminaries to be referred to or what is commonly called "Marjaa" today. And Imam Jaffar (a) the proper translation of Ummatan in many places and explain those verses to be about the Awsiya (a) in the 7th. And Asbat means branches, not tribes in most places if not all in Quran and this was and is still of the tahreef of the Torah in that where they translate tribes of children of Israel it's referring to the twelve branches of Moses (a) and his successors (a) and this is why it's emphasized the twelve springs from one, because it explains the word "asbat" in Arabic to be branches and originally in hebrew it means branches of water, like when water splits. It's metaphorical when said to tribe, but there is no proof it means that instead of literally the successors of Moses.

And in 7th chapter, it would mean there is one course towards God from childen of Israel, and they were split in twelve branches, each as ways, in themselves, so one course from one perspective and twelve courses from another, and to explain all this, explains the miracle of Moses when he split twelve springs from one stone, and so they all go back to Moses' in the same way and he is their root.

The light revealed with Mohammad (s) are the Twelve Imams (a) - Ali (a) and his successors (a) per ahadith about that verse, in that context.

As for Captains, there is ahadith that not a Nabi or Rasool but there is always twelve Captains with him and there are hadith every Nabi or Rasool had an Ahlulbayt. The Quran also shows the light was always shinning to humanity through men who God put in families/households/houses that he allowed to be risen and his named remembered in them.

Mohammad (s) and his successors (a) a house among the houses God allowed to be risen and raised there off. The Quran talked about ships through out and talked about them in tribulations and safety. When in tribulations, humans believe in Ahlulbayt of their time, and await the days of God, while when in safety, they tend to be ungrateful and turn to Shirk after as did Bani-Israel when saved by Moses (a).

Noah's (a) ship anchoring and sailing was both by the name of God, and so we can see with the ship theme, that the founding Captain and his twelve succeeding Captains are the name of God of their time.

There is proof that Bani-Israel is a metaphor of followers of Ibrahim, Ishmael, and Isaac and Yacoub being from them, the proof in Quran is that they are said to be offspring of those who were carried with Nuh and the proof of it in ahadith is that Imams (a) talked about their Shiites being born from their light or clay, while their enemies of illegitimate (spiritual) birth. That and Imam Ali (a) talks about bani-Israel being bani-Ismail and bani-Isaac in nahjul balagha and that being synonymous terms.

And there is proof bani-Adam means we are all spiritually somehow linked back to him, all humans, have inherited a bit of his light and are called back to the religion of Adam when called back by the Messengers, but there would be no need to emphasize "and from the offspring of Adam" with respect to Prophets and chosen guides in Adam's lineage if we all humans linked back to Adam.

This doesn't mean we all came from apes or monkeys or whatever but it's most likely the case, we have multiple ancestors so as to not have incest and have multiple genes factoring in our blood. Adam (a) was the spiritual father of all the first humans for sure but physical father, I don't believe so.

Followers of Talut (a) and Ibrahim (a) are emphasized to be from their Imams. We can too be offspring spiritually of Imam Mahdi (a) and Ahlulbayt (a) as ahadith show and this what it means for Salman (a) to be from Ahlulbayt (a), his soul being was born from their light because he was guided by their example and teachings and inspiration and other spiritual truths is that there is a connection of Ahlulbayt (a) with their believers as the hadiths say.

And eleven stars and the sun and moon, let me tell you what Yaqoub (a) saw. Yaqoub (a) saw it as Ibrahim, Lot, Ismail, Isaac and the remaining successors of Yusuf, and that he (Yaqoub) was the Sun, and moon can be Sarah or Benjamin I'm not sure but it seems to me that Sarah (a) is the moon (I have an explanation as to why with the light of the chosen ladies being like a moon in dark night of nature when humans get confused about sexual deviance and guidance).

And it was way of God keeping the number alive, that, he put this in that way, and it seems like it's the brothers of Joseph when it's not. This was a way of God concealing what Yacoub (a) saw in it so it came to have double meaning.

In the same way "Captains" "Shuhr (luminaries to be referred to)" "Branches" "ways/courses" all are given double meaning with twelve, and the twelve Lion statues bani-Israel can see as twelve tribes but really about Sulaiman predecessors and Successors, predecessors up to Moses and successors up to Jesus.

This is a way of God protecting the truth and the twelve sons of Ismail were also according to the number of Twelve princes promised from the offspring of the king Mohammad (s) from his offspring as a way of keeping this prophecy alive.
 
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