Twelvers/Imamates:-
Twelvers (Ithna 'Ashariyyah) are Shi'a Muslims who believe in twelve Imams, as distinct from Ismaili and Zaidi Shi'ite Muslims, who believe in a different number of Imams or in a different path of succession.
They are called 'Twelvers' because they recognise twelve Imams descended from the Ali-Fatima line which ends with Muhammad al Mahdi who disappeared from the world in 880 CE.
Approximately 80% of Shi'a are Twelvers and they are the largest Shi'a school of thought, predominant in Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Within Shi'a Islam, there are various sects that differ over the number of Imams, or path of succession. They also differ in some of the definitions of a Shi'a Imam.
The Twelvers are also known by other names, each connoting some aspect of the faith.
Shi'a is normally used to refer to the Twelvers since they are the "orthodox" variant of Shi'a.
Imami is a reference to the Twelver belief in holy and infallible Imams after the time of Muhammad.
They represent the most important splinter group among Shia' Muhammadans who have left an indellible mark on 'Islam' and who form a large community to this day.
The Mahdi is believed to be preserved against the day of his second coming as the Mahdi /Guided One, the hidden imam, whom the faithful await to restore justice and righteousness in the world.
It is obvious that all the attributes of al Mahdi are similar to those of Jesus and his second coming down to the 'holy' number twelve which represents the number of the tribes of Israel, those of Ishmael and the disciples of Jesus.
*** Almost EVERYTHING of value in Muhammadan Islam has been PLAGIARISED, PLUNDERED, PIRATED and/or PERVERTED from the Bible and Hebrew Scriptures ***
