Twelve revivers of Caliphate

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The term Identification of the Twelve Caliphs has significance in Islamic eschatology, theology, and historical analysis. it  is based on hadiths of Prophet Muhammad.^[1] the concept of twelve caliphs has various interpretation by Sunni and Shia scholars, as well as other sects. Those interpretations have played significant role in shaping Islamic theology and sectarian identities. According to the Hadith all twelve are will be from the Quraysh. Those twelve caliphs are referred as Righteous Caliphs by scholars.^[2]

The primary source for the concept of twelve caliphs is a widely reported hadith in Sunni collections:

Narrated Jabir bin Samura:
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "There will be twelve Muslim rulers (who will rule all the Islamic world)." He then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, "All of them (those rulers) will be from Quraish."^[3]

and Sahih Muslim (1821a, 1821b, 1821c),

It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura who said:
I joined the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) with my father and I heard him say: This Caliphate will not end until there have been twelve Caliphs among them. The narrator said: Then he (the Holy Prophet) said something that I could not follow. I said to my father: What did he say? He said: He has said: All of them will be from the Quraish.^[4]

According to the largest school of Islam, Sunni Islam, there are five caliphs who are considered

The first four caliphs—Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib—are unanimously included in the listdue to their foundational contributions to Islam and their adherence to justice and piety. These caliphs are collectively known as the Khulafa Rashidun (Rightly Guided Caliphs).^[5]There is also a hadith which mentiond the prophetic caliphate will remain for 30 years^[6][7][8]

Hasan ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the eldest son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, briefly served as caliph after his father’s assassination in 661 CE. He give baayah to Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan to prevent further bloodshed among muslims. some scholar count him in this list also as Rashidun Caliph but majority dont consider.^[9]

Umar ibn Abdulaziz (717–720 CE), Umayyad caliph, is frequently included in the twelve caliphs for justice, humility, and reform. Sunni scholars often refer to him as "Fifth Rightly Guided Caliph" for his adherence to the principles of first four caliphs^[10][11][12] He famously renewed the shura system after his predecessor Suleiman nominated him before death he rejected it and asked the muslim ummah again to ensure his legitimacy by shura.^[13][14][15]

In Shia Islam, the twelve caliphs are identified as the Twelve Imams, spiritual leaders descended from Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.

The Shia interpretation aligns the twelve caliphs they are known as twelve imams they believe all should be belong from Ahl Al-bayt they are:

1. Ali ibn Abi Talib (600–661 CE)
2. Hasan ibn Ali (625–670 CE)
3. Husayn ibn Ali (626–680 CE)
4. Ali Zayn al-Abidin (659–713 CE)
5. Muhammad al-Baqir (677–732 CE)
6. Ja'far al-Sadiq (702–765 CE)
7. Musa al-Kadhim (744–799 CE)
8. Ali al-Ridha (766–817 CE)
9. Muhammad al-Taqi (811–835 CE)
10. Ali al-Hadi (828–868 CE)
11. Hasan al-Askari (846–874 CE)
12. Muhammad al-Mahdi (born 869 CE, considered in occultation).