سورة الفرقان

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Indeed the night and day each are twelve hours, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) is the noblest hour among these twelve hours, and this [matter] is the meaning of this verse of Allah where He says: بَلْ کَذَّبُوا بِالسَّاعَةِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن کَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِیرًا [But they reject the hour, and We have prepared a burning fire for him who rejects the hour].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mufaddal ibn Umar said: I recited to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) the verse: بَلْ کَذَّبُوا بِالسَّاعَةِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن کَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِیرًا [But they reject the hour, and We have prepared a burning fire for him who rejects the hour]. He said: 'Allah created the year as twelve months, and made the night and the day each twelve hours, and from among us Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) He also appointed twelve Imams, and Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was also one of those hours.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The night is twelve hours, and the day is twelve hours, and the number of the months of the year is twelve, and our Imams are also twelve, and the naqibs (chiefs) mentioned in the Qur'an in Surah al-Ma'idah are also twelve, and Ali (peace be upon him) is one hour out of the twelve hours, and what is meant by this verse: بَلْ کَذَّبُوا بِالسَّاعَةِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن کَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِیرًا [But they reject the hour, and We have prepared a burning fire for him who rejects the hour] is Ali (peace be upon him) himself.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): What is meant by the verse: بَلْ کَذَّبُوا بِالسَّاعَةِ [But they reject the hour] is that they rejected the wilayah of Ali (peace be upon him).