| Part ofa series onShia Islam |
| Twelver Shi'ism |
|---|
Other practices |
Other related sects and groups |
Related topics |
 Shia Islam portal |
TheTwelve Imams (Arabic:ٱلْأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر,al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾIthnā ʿAšar;Persian:دوازده امام,Davâzdah Emâm) are the spiritual and political successors to theIslamic prophetMuhammad in theTwelver branch ofShia Islam, including that of theAlawite andAlevi.[1]
According toTwelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemplary human individuals who not only rule over the community with justice, but also are able to keep and interpretsharia and theesoteric meaning of the Quran. Thewords and deeds of Muhammad and the imams are a guide and model for the community to follow; as a result, they must be free from error and sin (known asismah, or infallibility) and must be chosen by divine decree through Muhammad.[2][3]
It is believed inTwelver Shi’ism that theIslamic prophetMuhammad andhis household are infallible, possessingHikmah. Their oppression and suffering served greater purposes and were a means of divine grace to their devotees.[4][5] The Imams are also guided by preserved texts in their possession, such asal-Jafr,al-Jamia, and unaltered past books theTorah andInjeel. Imamat, or belief in the divine guide, is a fundamental belief in the Twelver Shia doctrine and is based on the concept thatGod would not leave humanity without access to divine guidance.[6]
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, therightful successor to Muhammad, followed by maledescendants of Muhammad through his daughterFatimah. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception ofAl-Husayn, who was the brother ofAl-Hasan. The twelfth and final Imam isMuhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and hidden inthe Major Occultation until he returns to bring justice to the world.[6] It is believed by Twelver andAleviMuslims that the Twelve Imams have been foretold in theHadith 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 someSufi orders and are seen as the spiritual heads of Islam,[citation needed] because most of theSilsila(spiritual chain) of Sufi orders leads back to Muhammad through one of the Twelve Imams.[citation needed]
| Number | Name Kunya | Arabic title Persian title Turkish title[7] | Lived (CE) Lived (AH)[8] Place of birth | Age when assumed Imamat | Age at death | Duration of Imamat | Importance | Reason & place of death Place of burial[9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali ibn Abi Talib ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب Abu al-Hasan أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن |
Birinci Ali[11] | 599–661[10] 23 (beforeHijra)–40[12] Makkah,Hijaz[10] | 33 | 61 | 28 | Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. According to Twelver Shia belief he was the only person to have been born in theKa'bah, the holiest site in Islam, and the first male to openly accept Islam. Considered by Shia Islam as the rightfulSuccessor of Muhammad.Sunnis also acknowledge him as thefourth Caliph. He holds a high position in almost allSufiMuslim orders (Turuq); the members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.[10] | Assassinated byAbd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, aKharijite, inKufa, who struck his head with a poisoned sword while he was in prostration praying on theNight of Qadr in the month ofRamadan.[10][13] Buried at theImam Ali Mosque inNajaf,Iraq. |
| 2 | Hasan ibn Ali ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحَسَن ٱبْن عَلِيّ Abu Muhammad أَبُو مُحَمَّد |
İkinci Ali[11] | 625–670[14] 3–50[15] Madinah,Hijaz[14] | 39 | 47 | 8 | He was the eldest surviving grandson ofMuhammad through Muhammad's daughter,Fatimah az-Zahra. Hasan succeeded his father as the caliph inKufa, and on the basis of a peace treaty withMuawiyah, he relinquished control ofIraq following a Caliphate of seven months.[14] | Poisoned by hiswife inMadinah on the orders of the CaliphMuawiyah (Shia view).[16] Buried inJannat al-Baqi,Medina,Saudi Arabia. |
| 3 | Husayn ibn Ali ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن عَلِيّ Abu Abdillah أَبُو عَبْد ٱللَّٰه |
Üçüncü Ali[11] | 626–680[17] 4–61[18] Madinah,Hijaz[17] | 46 | 57 | 11 | He was a grandson ofMuhammad and brother of Hasan ibn Ali. Husayn opposed the validity ofYazid ibn Muawiyah. As a result, he, his family and his companions were later killed in theBattle of Karbala by Yazid's forces. After this incident, thecommemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become central to Shia identity.[17] | Killed and beheaded at theBattle of Karbala. Buried at theImam Husayn Mosque inKarbala,Iraq.[17] |
| 4 | Ali ibn Husayn ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱلسَّجَّاد Abu Muhammad أَبُو مُحَمَّد |
Dördüncü Ali[11] | 658/9[19] – 712[20] 38[19]–95[20] Madinah,Hijaz[19] | 23 | 57 | 34 | Author of prayers inSahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as "The Psalm ofthe Household of the Prophet."[20] 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 Caliphal-Walid I inMadinah.[20] Buried inJannat al-Baqi,Medina,Saudi Arabia. |
| 5 | Muhammad ibn Ali ٱلْإِمَام مُحَمَّد ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْبَاقِر Abu Ja'far أَبُو جَعْفَر |
Beşinci Ali[11] | 677–732[21] 57–114[21] Madinah,Hijaz[21] | 38 | 57 | 19 | Sunni and Shia sources both describe him as one of the early and most eminentlegal scholars, teaching many students during his tenure.[21][22] | He was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah inMadinah on the order of CaliphHisham ibn Abd al-Malik.[20] Buried inJannat al-Baqi,Medina,Saudi Arabia. |
| 6 | Ja'far ibn Muhammad ٱلْإِمَام جَعْفَر ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلصَّادِق Abu Abdillah[23] أَبُو عَبْد ٱللَّٰه |
Altıncı Ali[11] | 702–765[24] 83–148[24] Madinah,Hijaz[24] | 31 | 65 | 34 | Established theJa'fari jurisprudence and developed thetheology of Twelvers. He instructed many scholars in different fields, including ImamsAbu Hanifah andMalik ibn Anas infiqh,Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam inIslamic theology, andJabir ibn Hayyan inscience andalchemy.[24] | He was poisoned inMadinah on the order of CaliphAl-Mansur.[24] Buried inJannat al-Baqi,Medina,Saudi Arabia. |
| 7 | Musa ibn Ja'far ٱلْإِمَام مُوسَىٰ ٱبْن جَعْفَر ٱلْكَاظِم Abu al-Hasan I أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلْأَوَّل[25] |
Yedinci Ali[11] | 744–799[26] 128–183[26] Al-Abwa',Hijaz[26] | 20 | 55 | 35 | Leader of the Shia community during the schism ofIsmailis, and other branches such asWaqifis, after the death of the former Imam,Jafar al-Sadiq.[27] He established the network of agents who collectedkhums in the Shia community of theMiddle East and theGreater Khorasan. He holds a high position with theMahdavia; the members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.[28] | Imprisoned and poisoned inBaghdad,Iraq on the order of CaliphHarun al-Rashid. Buried in theAl-Kazimiyah Mosque inBaghdad, Iraq.[26] |
| 8 | Ali ibn Musa ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا Abu al-Hasan II أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلثَّانِي[25] |
Sekizinci Ali[11] | 765–817[29] 148–203[29] Madinah,Hijaz[29] | 35 | 55 | 20 | Made crown-prince by CaliphAl-Ma'mun, and famous for his discussions with both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars.[29] | He was poisoned inMashad,Iran on the order of CaliphAl-Ma'mun. Buried in theImam Rida Mosque inMashad,Iran.[29] |
| 9 | Muhammad ibn Ali ٱلْإِمَام مُحَمَّد ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْجَوَّاد Abu Ja'far أَبُو جَعْفَر | Dokuzuncu Ali[11] | 810–835[30] 195–220[30] Madinah,Hijaz[30] | 8 | 25 | 17 | Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by theAbbasidcaliphate. | Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, inBaghdad,Iraq on the order of CaliphAl-Mu'tasim. Buried in theAl-Kazimiyah Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.[30] |
| 10 | Ali ibn Muhammad ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْهَادِي Abu al-Hasan III أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلثَّالِث[31] | Onuncu Ali[11] | 827–868[31] 212–254[31] Surayya, a village nearMadinah,Hijaz[31] | 8 | 42 | 34 | Strengthened the network of deputies in the Shia community. He sent them instructions, and received in turn financial contributions of the faithful from thekhums and religious vows.[31] | He was poisoned inSamarra,Iraq on the order of CaliphAl-Mu'tazz.[32] Buried in theAl Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq. |
| 11 | Hasan ibn Ali ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحَسَن ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ Abu al-Mahdi أَبُو ٱلْمَهْدِيّ |
Onbirinci Ali[11] | 846–874[33] 232–260[33] Madinah,Hijaz[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 population was particularly high at the time due to their large size and growing power.[34] | He was poisoned on the order of CaliphAl-Mu'tamid inSamarra,Iraq. Buried inAl-Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq.[35] |
| 12 | Hujjat Allah ibn al-Hasan ٱلْإِمَام حُجَّة ٱللَّٰه ٱبْن ٱلْحَسَن ٱلْمَهْدِيّ Abu al-Qasim أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِم |
Onikinci Ali[11] | 869–present[39] 255–present[39] Samarra,Iraq[39] | 5 | unknown | present | According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he is the current Imam and the promisedMahdi, a messianic figure who will return with the prophetIsa (Jesus). He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and establish justice and peace in the whole earth.[40] | According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he has been living in theOccultation since 874, and will continue as long as God wills.[39] |
{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help){{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help){{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
