Did you know that Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) named his successors in his will?
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The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh & his family) said to his cousin, son in law, and rightful successor, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (pbuh) on the night of his death:
“‘O Father of Al Hassan, bring me a leaf and a paper’, so the messenger of Allah (pbuhahf) dictated his will until he came to this position where he said: ‘O Ali, there will be twelve Imams after me and after them there will be twelve Mahdis. So you, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams, Allah The Exalted has named you in His heavens Ali Al Mortadha (Ali The Content), Amirul Mo’mineen (The Commander of the believers), Al-Siddiq Al-Akbar (The Greater truthful), Al-Farouq Al-A’tham (the Greater Judge and differentiator between truth and falsehood), Al-Ma’moun (the Trusted), and the Mahdi (the rightly guided). These names may not be attributed to other than you. O Ali, you are my Vicegerent/Guardian on my own family, their living and their dead, and upon my women: Whomever you maintain shall find me tomorrow, and whomever you reject I am innocent of her, I will not see her and she will not see me on the day of resurrection. And you are my Successor (Khalifa) on my nation after me. If death comes to you, hand it over to my son Al-Hassan the very beneficial. Then if death comes to him, let him hand it over to my son Al Hussein, the Martyr, the Pure and Assassinated. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the master of worshipers, Dhul Thafant (the one with hard skin on his knees) Ali. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Muhammad Al Baqir (The Revealer of Knowledge). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ja’far Al Sadiq (the honest). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Musa Al Kadhim (The Patient). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al Ridha. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Muhammad Al Thiqa Al-Taqqi (The Trustworthy, The God-Fearing). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al Nasih (The Advisor). If death of comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Al Hassan Al Fadhil (the meritorious). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Muhammad the Safeguardad of the Family of Muhammad Peace be upon them. Those are the twelve Imams. Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s and it is Abdullah (Servant of God), Ahmad, and the third name is Al Mahdi (the guided), and he is the first Believer”
– Ghaybat al-Toosi page 150. Bihar al-Anwar volume 53 page 147.
The Will of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) was written on the night of his death, and Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) described his will as being “protection from misguidance” for whoever holds tight to it. And this is mentioned in the most authentic books of all Muslims – Sunnis and Shias.
The fact that the Prophet (pbuhahf) describes this Will as being “protection from misguidance” means that it is impossible that anyone can claim this Holy Will except for its rightful owner. The Messenger of Allah (pbuhahf) does not speak of his own desire, rather it is an inspiration given to him by God Almighty, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
Whoever says that a false claimant can be the first to claim that he is the one mentioned in the Holy Will, then that would be an accusation to God Almighty that He has misguided the people who have held tight to the Will which His Prophet sawas described as a protection from misguidance for whoever holds tight to it! And far away is God Almighty from that. So God Almighty must protect and safeguard this Holy Will until the aim from it is fulfilled. Rather He Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
{And if he had invented false sayings concerning us (in Our name), we would have seized him by the right hand. Then certainly We would have cut off his life artery}
– Holy Qur’an 69:44-46
But there had been many many times where false claimants have claimed that they are messengers from God or prophets of God or that they are the Mahdi, and their life was not cut off by God.
So what does God Almighty mean by the Holy verse mentioned above? He means that He would cut off the life of the ones who would falsely claim something which He had promised to be a protection from misguidance, which he has guaranteed as a proof upon the people, like the Will of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf), God would cut their life off (meaning make them die) before they even make their claim public, because God had promised that holding tight to this Will is a protection from misguidance so He would not allow anyone claim it falsely.
So anyone can falsely claim to be the Mahdi, or a prophet of God, and it happened several times in the past. But no one ever claimed to be “Ahmed” mentioned in the Holy Will of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) which is described by him to be a protection from misguidance, except for Ahmed al-Hassan (pbuh) who was the first to ever claim that.
And as such, no one ever claimed to be Abdullah mentioned in the Holy Will of Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) except for Abdullah Aba Al-Sadiq (pbuh) by the command of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (pbuh) the leader of the Black Banners of the East. Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq (pbuh) said:
“Indeed no one can ever claim this matter except for its rightful owner, or else Allah will cut his life off (making him die).”
– Al-Kafi by al-Kulayni, volume 1, page 372.
Therefore, it is impossible, according to the Holy Qur’an and according to the Hadiths of Ahul Bayt (Muhammad and his holy Family peace be upon them), that anyone can be the first to claim a divine text (like the Holy Will of Prophet Muhammad which is described to be a protection from misguidance for whoever holds tight to it), except for its rightful owner.
And therefore, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (pbuh) is indeed Ahmed who is mentioned in the Holy Will, and indeed Abdullah Aba Al-Sadiq (pbuh) is Abdullah who is mentioned in the Holy Will. Hence, they are the ones whom holding tight to protects from misguidance and leads to the one true God Almighty.