In Kifayatu 'l-athar, there is a tradition from Jabir ibn 'Abdillah al-Ansari, in explanation of this verse. When it was revealed, Jabir said to the Prophet: "We know Allah and the Prophet, but who are those vested with authority whose obedience has been conjoined to that of Allah and yourself ? " The Prophet said: " They are my caliphs and the Imams of the Muslims after me. The first of them is 'Ali, then Hasan, then Husayn, then 'A1i, son of Husayn; then Muhammad, son of 'A1i, who has been mentioned as al-Baqir in the Torah. O Jabir! You will meet him. When you see him, convey my salam (greetings) to him. He will be succeeded by his son Ja'far as-Sadiq (the Truthful); then Musa, son of Ja'far; then 'A1i, son of Musa; then Muhammad, son of 'A1i; then 'A1i, son of Muhammad; then Hasan, son of 'Ali.
"He will be followed by his son whose name and patronym (kunyah) will be the same as mine. He will be Hujjatu-llah (Proof of Allah) on the earth, and Baqiyyatu-llah (the one spared by Allah to maintain the cause of faith) among mankind. He will conquer the whole world from east to west. So long will he remain hidden from the eyes of his followers and friends that the belief in his imamah Will remain only in those hearts which have been tested by Allah for faith. "
Jabir said: "O Messenger of Allah! Will his followers benefit from his seclusion?
The Prophet said "Yes! by Him Who sent me with prophethood! They will be guided by his light, and benefit from his wilaayah (love; authority) during his seclusions just as people benefit from the sun even when-it is hidden in a cloud O Jabir! This is from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasured knowledge of-Allah. So guard it except from the people (who deserve to know ) . " [48]
This hadith has been quoted from Shi'ah sources. Sunni traditions do not provide as much detail; still there are many Sunni traditions which refer to the Twelve Imams, as explained in the chapter.
Now that we know who "those vested with Authority" are, it is evident that the question of obeying tyrant and unjust rulers does not arise at all. Muslims are not required by this verse to obey rulers who may be unjust, tyrannical, ignorant, selfish and sunk in debauchery. They are in fact ordered to obey the specified Twelve Imams, all of whom were sinless and free from evil thoughts and deeds. Obeying them has no risks whatsoever. Nay, it protects from all risks; because they will never give an order against the Will of Allah and will treat all human beings with love, justice and equity.
Now it is advisable to refer to several parts of the 77th chapter of Yanabi'u 'l-mawaddah of al-Hafiz Sulayman ibn Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi.
A well known hadith has been quoted that: "There will be twelve caliphs, all from the Quraysh", in many books including those of al Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi .
The author quotes many traditions to the effect that the Holy Prophet said: "I, 'Ali, Hasan, Husayn and nine of the descendants of Husayn are pure and sinless."
He also quotes that the Holy Prophet told al-Imam Husayn: "You are a chief, brother of a chief; you are an Imam, son of an Imam, brother of an Imam; you are Proof (of Allah), son of a Proof (of Allah), brother of a Proof (of Allah), and father of nine Proofs (of Allah), the ninth of whom will be al-Mahdi. "
After quoting many such traditions, he writes: "Some scholars have said that the traditions (which show that the caliphs after the Holy Prophet would be twelve) are well known, from many asnad. Now, with the passage of time and through historical events, we know that in this hadith the Holy Prophet has referred to the Twelve Imams from his Ahlu 'l-bayt and descendants, because:
"This hadith cannot apply to the four al-khulafa'u 'r-rdshidun from among his Companions, as they were less than twelve.
"And it cannot apply to the caliphs from the tribe of Umayyad, because (a) they were more than twelve; (b) all of them were tyrants and unjust (except 'Umar ibn 'Abdi'l-'Aziz); and (c) they were not from the Banu Hashim and the Holy Prophet had said in a hadith that: 'all of them will be from the Banu Hashim. . .'
"And it cannot apply to the caliphs from the Banu 'Abbas, because: (a) they were more than twelve; and (b) they did not comply with (the demands of) the verse: Say. 'I do not ask of you any recompense for it except the love for (my) near relatives' (42:23), nor with the Tradition of the Mantle (Hadithu'l-kisa'); (i.e., they persecuted the descendants of the Prophet).
"Therefore, the only way to interpret this hadith is to accept that it refers to the Twelve Imams from the Holy Prophet's Ahlu'l-bayt and descendants, because they were, in their times, the most knowledgeable, the most illustrious, the most god-fearing, the most pious, the highest in their family lineage, the best in personal virtues, and the most honoured before Allah; and their knowledge was derived from their ancestor ( the Prophet ) through their fathers, and by inheritance and by direct teachings from Allah." [49]
: Amiru 'l-Mu'minin Abu '1-Hasan 'ALI al-Murtada, son of Abu Talib, was born on 13th Rajab, 10 years before the declaration of the Prophethood (600 A.D.), inside the Kabah; became Imam, on the death of the Prophet on 28th Safar, 11 /632; was fatally wounded by the poisoned sword of Ibn Muljam while engaged in prayers at the Mosque of Kufah (Iraq), and expired two days later on 21st Ramadan, 40/661 and was buried at an-Najaf al-Ashraf (Iraq).
: Abu Muhammad AL-HASAN al-Mujtaba, son of 'Ali (as), was born on 15th Ramadan, 3/625 at Medina; died of poison on 7th or 28th Safar, 50/670 at Medina.
: Sayyidu'sh-Shuhada' Abu 'Abdillah AL-HUSAYN, son of 'Ali (as), was born on 3rd Sha'ban, 4/626 at Medina, was martyred with his sons, relatives and Companions, on 10th Muharram, 61/680, at Karbala' (Iraq). He and his elder brother, al-Hasan, were sons of Fatimah az-Zahra' (as), daughter of the Holy Prophet.
: Abu Muhammad 'ALI Zaynu 'l-'Abidin, son of al-Husayn (as), was born on 5th Sha'ban, 38/659; died of poison on 25th Muharram, 94/712 or 95/713 at Medina.
: Abu Ja'far MUHAMMAD al-Baqir, son of 'Ali Zayn u'l-'Abidin (as), was born on 1st Rajab, 57/677 at Medina; died of poison on 7th Dhu 'l-hijjah, 114/733 at Medina.
: Abu 'Abdillah JAFAR as-Sadiq, son of Muhammad al-Baqir (as), was born on 17th Rabi u'l-awwal, 83/702 at Medina; died there of poison on 25th Shawwal, 148/765.
: Abu 'l-Hasan al-Awwal, MUSA al-Kazim, son of Ja'far as-Sadiq (as), was born at al-Abwa' (7 miles from Medina) on 7th Safar, 129/746; died of poison on 25th Rajab, 183/799 in the prison of Harun ar-Rashld at Baghdad and was buried at al-Kazimiyyah, near Baghdad (Iraq) .
: Abu 'l-Hasan ath-Thani, 'ALI ar-Rida, son of Musa al-Kazim (as), was born at Medina on 11th Dhu 'l-qi'dah, 148/765; died of poison on 17th Safar, 203/818 at Mashhad (Khurasan, Iran).
: Abu Ja'far ath-Thani, MUHAM MAD at-Taqi al-Jawad, son of 'A1i ar-Rida (as), was born on 10th Rajab, 195/811 at Medina; died of poison at Baghdad on 30th Dhu 'lqi'dah, 220/835; was buried near his grandfather at al-Kazimiyyah.
: Abu 'l-Hasan ath-Thalith, 'ALI an-Naqi al-Hadi, son of Muhammad at-Taqi (as), was born on 5th Rajab, 212/827 at Medina; died of poison at Samarra' (Iraq) on 3rd Rajab, 254/868.
: Abu Muhammad, ALHASAN al-'Askari, son of 'Ali an-Naqi (as), was born on 8th Rabi 'u 'th-thani, 232/846 at Medina; died of poison at Samarra' (Iraq) on 8th Rabi'u 'l-awwal, 260/874.
: Abu 'l-Qasim, MUHAMMAD AL-MAHDI, son of al-Hasan al-'Askari (as), was born on 15th Sha'ban, 255/869 at Samarra' (Iraq). He is our present Imam; he went into Lesser Occultation in 260/874 which continued until 329/844; then the Greater Occultation began, which still continues. He will reappear when Allah allows him, to establish the Kingdom of Allah on earth, to fill the world with justice and equity, as it would be full of injustice and tyranny. He is al-Qa'im (the one who shall stand to establish the rule of Allah); al-Hujjah (the Proof of Allah over His creatures); Sahibu 'z-Zaman (the Lord of Our Time), and Sahibu 'l-Amr (the one vested with Divine authority).
[48] al-Khazzaz: Kifayatu 'l-athar, p. 53
[49] al-Qunduzi; Yanabi 'u 'l-mawaddah, pp.444-7.