Twelve Imams
Line of successors to Muhammad in Shia Islam
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The Twelve Imams (Arabic: ٱلْأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر, al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾIthnā ʿAšar; Persian: دوازده امام, Davâzdah Emâm) from the family of Muhammad (Ahl al-Bayt), are the twelve religious and political successors to the Islamic prophet, recognized by Shia Islam. They were divinely appointed leaders of the Muslim community, beginning with Ali and ending with the Mahdi, who entered occultation and will return in the End Times to establish justice alongside Isa (Jesus). Belief in the Mahdi is shared by both Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Twelve Imams are regarded as authoritative interpreters of the Quran and Islamic law and as exemplars of faith and conduct. Their teachings form the central and foundational basis of Shia theology and Ja'fari jurisprudence.[1][2]
_-_Portraits_des_imams_Ali_ibn_Abi_Talib,_Abbas_ibn_Ali_et_Husayn_ibn_Ali_au-dessus_des_douze_imams_chiites_assis_(MédiHAL_1791983).jpg)
The Twelve Imams are also highly revered in Sunni Islam as family members of Muhammad and as highly important figures in Islamic history, and Sunnis too visit their shrines out of veneration.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The existence of twelve divinely appointed Imams was foretold by Muhammad in the Hadith of the Twelve Successors. The hadith, transmitted in several Sunni and Shia collections, reports that Muhammad foretold that twelve leaders would succeed him. The hadith is recorded in major Sunni collections, including Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, as well as in major Shia collections such as Kitab al-Kafi and Kitab al-Ghayba.
List
| Number | Name | Arabic title
Persian title Turkish title[10] |
Lived (CE)
Lived (AH)[11] |
Age when assumed Imamat | Age at death | Duration of Imamat | Importance | Reason & place of death
Place of burial[12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The 1st Imam_-_Au_premier_plan_Ali_ibn_Abi_Talib,_premier_imam_chiite,_se_tient_derrière_un_lion,_un_sabre_à_la_main_et_un_paysa_(MédiHAL_1791071).jpg) |
Imam Ali
ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ |
|
599–661[13]
23 (before Hijra)–40[15] |
33 | 61 | 29 | The cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad who is likely referenced in the Quran. Born inside the Kaaba and raised in Muhammad's household, Ali was the first man to accept Islam, with his status said to be second only behind Muhammad. The prophet established a pact of brotherhood with him, a distinction he granted to no one else but Ali. Revered for his courage, justice, honesty, and magnanimity, Ali is considered the archetype of pre-Islamic and Islamic chivalry, with Muhammad equating Ali's status to him with Aaron's status to Moses. Sunni Muslims regard him as the last of the Rashidun ('rightly-guided').[13] | Assassinated by Ibn Muljam in the Great Mosque of Kufa, who struck his head with a poisoned sword while he was in prostration praying on the Night of Qadr in the holy month of Ramadan.[13][16]
Buried at the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of the place of his assassination in Kufa. |
The 2nd Imam_-_Portraits_des_trois_premiers_imams_chiites,_sabre_au_centre_et_grille_de_mausolée_en_arrière-plan_(MédiHAL_1791411)_(Hasan_ibn_Ali).jpg) |
Imam Hasan
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحَسَن |
|
625–670[17]
3–50[18] |
39 | 47 | 9 | He was the eldest son of Ali and Fatima, the elder brothre of Husayn, and the eldest grandson of Muhammad. Hasan succeeded his father Ali as the caliph, and on the basis of a peace treaty with Muawiyah, he relinquished power following a caliphate of seven months.[17] | Poisoned by his wife in Medina on the orders of the Muawiyah.[19]
Buried in Baqi Cemetery, Medina, Saudi Arabia. |
The 3rd Imam_-_Portraits_des_trois_premiers_imams_chiites,_sabre_au_centre_et_grille_de_mausolée_en_arrière-plan_(MédiHAL_1791411)_(Husayn_ibn_Ali).jpg) |
Imam Husayn
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحُسَيْن |
|
626–680[20]
4–61[21] |
46 | 57 | 10 | Husayn, the second son of Ali and Fatima, and grandson of Muhammad, is revered by all Muslims as a Martyr. His suffering and martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala became symbols of sacrifice for justice and truth against injustice and falsehood. The events of Karbala is one of the most tragic, pivotal, and defining moments in Islamic history. Husayn is a universal, borderless, interfaith and meta-religion symbol. | Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala.
Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq.[20] |
The 4th Imam |
Imam Sajjad
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلسَّجَّاد |
658/9[22] – 712[23]
38[22]–95[23] |
23 | 57 | 33 | Author of prayers in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet."[23] He survived the Battle of Karbala because he was told not to participate due to a debilitating illness. | He was poisoned on the order of Caliph al-Walid I in Medina.[23]
Buried in Baqi Cemetery, Medina, Saudi Arabia. | |
The 5th Imam |
Imam Baqir
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْبَاقِر |
677–732[24]
57–114[24] |
38 | 57 | 19 | Sunni and Shia both describe him as one of the earliest and most eminent legal scholars, teaching many students during his tenure.[24][25] | Poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Medina on the order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.[23]
Buried in Baqi Cemetery, Medina, Saudi Arabia. | |
The 6th Imam |
Imam Sadiq
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلصَّادِق |
702–765[26]
83–148[26] |
31 | 65 | 33 | Established the Ja'fari jurisprudence and developed the theology of Twelver Shia Islam. He instructed many scholars in different fields, including prominent Sunni scholars Abu Hanifah and Malik ibn Anas in fiqh, Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam in Islamic theology, and Jabir ibn Hayyan in science and alchemy.[26] | Poisoned in Medina on the order of Caliph Al-Mansur.[26]
Buried in Baqi Cemetery, Medina, Saudi Arabia. | |
The 7th Imam |
Imam Kazim
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْكَاظِم |
744–799[27]
128–183[27] |
20 | 55 | 34 | Leader of the Shia Muslims during the schism of Ismailis, and other sects such as Waqifis, after the death of the sixth Imam Sadiq.[28] He established the network of representatives. Kazim played a key role in eradicating extreme views and exaggerations, and is also revered for his piety in Sunni Islam. He is a link in the initiatic Golden Chain in Sufism, and some Sufi saints are associated with him. | Imprisoned and poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Buried in the Al-Kazimiyah Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.[27] | |
The 8th Imam |
Imam Reza
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلرِّضَا |
|
765–817[29]
148–203[29] |
35 | 55 | 20 | Under Ma'mun's coercion, he became crown-prince of the Abbasid Caliphate, and is famous for his debates with both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars.[29] Known for his exceptional knowledge, he is also part of the chain of mystical authority in Sunni Sufism. A number of works are attributed to him, including Sahifah al-Rida, Fiqh al-Rida, and Al-Risala al-Dhahabiyya, the most precious Islamic work in the Science of Medicine. | Poisoned in Mashhad, Iran on the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun.
Buried in the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran.[29] |
The 9th Imam |
Imam Jawad
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْجَوَّاد |
810–835[30]
195–220[30] |
8 | 25 | 17 | Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate. Jawad was the youngest Imam, becoming Imam at the age of seven. His Imamate is justified by drawing parallels with Jesus and John the Baptist, both of whom in the Quran received their prophetic missions in childhood. | Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.
Buried alongside the seventh Imam and his grandfather Musa al-Kazim, in the Al-Kazimiyah Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.[30] | |
The 10th Imam |
Imam Hadi
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْهَادِي |
827–868[31]
212–254[31] |
8 | 42 | 33 | Strengthened the network of representatives. He sent them instructions, and received in turn financial contributions of the faithful from the khums and religious vows.[31] He was held under close surveillance until his death in 868. The restricted life of al-Hadi marked the end of the direct leadership of the Shia Muslims by the Imams | Poisoned in Samarra, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tazz.[32]
Buried in the Al Askari Shrine in Samarra, Iraq. | |
The 11th Imam |
Imam Askari
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ |
846–874[33]
232–260[33] |
22 | 28 | 6 | For most of his life, the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mu'tamid, placed restrictions on him after the death of his father. Repression of the Shia Muslims was particularly high during his time due to their large size and growing power.[34] Askari was succeeded directly by his son, Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam, who entered occultation and is believed to remain alive until his reappearance as the Mahdi. | Poisoned on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq.
Buried alongside the tenth Imam and his father Hadi in Al-Askari Shrine in Samarra, Iraq.[35] | |
The 12th Imam |
Imam Mahdi
ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْمَهْدِيّ |
|
869–present[39]
255–present[39] |
5 | living | present | He is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, the messianic figure who will return with the prophet Isa (Jesus) to restore justice and defeat tyranny in the whole earth.[40] | He has been living in the Occultation since 874, and will appear in the End Times by God's permissionand.[39] |
Imamate
Twelver Shi’ism holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his household are infallible, possessing Hikmah. Their oppression and suffering served greater purposes and were a means of divine grace to their devotees.[41][42] The Imams are also guided by preserved texts in their possession, such as al-Jafr, al-Jamia, and unaltered past books the Torah and Gospel. Imamat, or belief in the divine guide, is a fundamental belief in the Twelver Shia doctrine and is based on the concept that God would not leave humanity without access to divine guidance.[43]
According to Twelvers, there is at all times an Imam of the era who is the divinely appointed authority on all matters of faith and law in the Muslim community. Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, was the first of the Twelve Imams, and, in the Twelvers view, the rightful successor to Muhammad, followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Al-Husayn, who was the brother of Al-Hasan. The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and hidden in the Major Occultation until he returns to bring justice to the world.[43] It is believed by Twelver and Alevi Muslims that the Twelve Imams have been foretold in the Hadith of the 12 accomplishers. All of the Imams were assassinated, with the exception of the last Imam who, according to Twelver and Alevi belief, is living in occultation.
Some of the Imams also have a leading role within some Sufi orders and are seen as the spiritual heads of Islam,[citation needed] because most of the Silsila (spiritual chain) of Sufi orders leads back to Muhammad through one of the Twelve Imams.
