Twelve Imams

{{Short description|Line of successors to Muhammad in Shia Islam}} {{featured list}} thumb|A {{Circa|1980}} depiction of the Twelve Imams [[File:Verteldoek Kerbala.jpg|thumb|19th century Iranian artwork depicting all twelve Imams and some episodes from their lives and the Shiiets being rewarded on the coming Day of Resurrection]] {{Twelvers|collapsed=1}} The '''Twelve Imams''' ({{langx|ar|ٱلْأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر}}, ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾIthnā ʿAšar}}''; {{langx|fa|{{Nastaliq|دوازده امام}}}}, ''{{Transliteration|fa|DIN|Davâzdah Emâm}}'') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi.<ref>{{Harvnb|Olsson|Ozdalga|Raudvere|2005|p=65}}</ref>

According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemplary human individuals who not only rule over the community with justice, but also are able to keep and interpret ''sharia'' and the esoteric meaning of the Quran. The words 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 as ''ismah'', or infallibility) and must be chosen by divine decree through Muhammad.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabataba'i|1977|p=10}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Momen|1985|p=174}}</ref>

==Imamah== {{Main|Imamate in Twelver doctrine}}

It is believed in Twelver Shi’ism 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabataba'i|1977|p=15}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Corbin|2014|pp=45–51}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Imamat">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1 | last = Gleave | first = Robert | title=Imamate | year = 2004 | publisher = MacMillan | isbn = 0-02-865604-0}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Imamat" /> 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|date=October 2020}} because most of the Silsila ''(spiritual chain)'' of Sufi orders leads back to Muhammad through one of the Twelve Imams.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

==List== {|class="wikitable" width="98%" style="background:white;" |- style="border-bottom:3px solid #CCCCFF" ! Number !! Name <hr>Kunya !! Arabic title<hr>Persian title<hr>Turkish title<ref>The Imam's Arabic titles are used by the majority of Twelver Shia who use Arabic as a liturgical language, including the Usooli, Akhbari, Shaykhi, and to a lesser extent Alawi. Persian titles are largely used by Iranian and South Asian Shias. Turkish titles are generally used by Alevi, a fringe Twelver group, who make up around 10% of the world Shia population. The titles for each Imam literally translate as "First Ali", "Second Ali", and so forth. {{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa | year = 2004 | publisher = Gale Group | isbn = 978-0-02-865769-1 | title = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa: D-K }}</ref> !Lived (CE) <hr>Lived (AH)<ref>The abbreviation CE refers to the Common Era solar calendar, while AH refers to the Islamic Hijri lunar calendar.</ref> !Age when assumed Imamat !Age at death !Duration of Imamat ! Importance ! Reason & place of death <hr>Place of burial<ref>Except Twelfth Imam</ref> |- |1 |Ali ibn Abi Talib {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب}}<hr>Abu al-Hasan {{lang|ar|أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن}} | *''ʾAmīr al-Muʾminīn'' ({{lang|ar|أَمِير ٱلْمُؤْمِنِين}}) (''Commander of the Faithful'')<ref name="Ali in Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Nasr | first=Seyyed Hossein | author-link=Seyyed Hossein Nasr | title=Ali | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online | access-date=2007-10-12 | url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9005712/Ali | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018014146/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9005712/Ali | archive-date=2007-10-18 | url-status=live }}</ref> *''al-Murtaḍā'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْمُرْتَضَىٰ}}) (''The Beloved'') *''al-Waṣīy'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْوَصِيّ}}) (''The Successor'') *''al-Walīy'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْوَلِيّ}}) (''The Wali'') *''al-Haydar'' ({{lang|ar|حيدر}}) (''The Lion'') ---- * ''Sheer-e-Khuda'' ({{lang|fa|شیر خدا}}) (''The Lion of God'') *''Shah-e-Mardan'' ({{lang|fa|شاه مردان}}) (''The King of the Brave'') ----Birinci Ali (First Ali)<ref name="Alevi">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa | year = 2004 | publisher = Gale Group | isbn = 978-0-02-865769-1 | title = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa: D-K }}</ref> |599–661<ref name="Ali in Britannica"/> ----23 (before Hijra)–40<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=190–192}}</ref> |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 the Ka'bah, the holiest site in Islam, and the first male to openly accept Islam. Considered by Shia Islam as the rightful Successor of Muhammad. Sunnis also acknowledge him as the fourth Caliph. He holds a high position in almost all Sufi {{transliteration|ar|tariqa}} (religious orders); members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through Ali.<ref name="Ali in Britannica"/> |Assassinated by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite, in Kufa, Iraq, who struck his head with a poisoned sword while he was in prostration praying on the Night of Qadr in the month of Ramadan.<ref name="Ali in Britannica"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=192}}</ref> <hr>Buried at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq, {{convert|10|km|mi}} southwest of the place of his assassination in Kufa. |- |2 |Hasan ibn Ali {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحَسَن ٱبْن عَلِيّ}}<hr>Abu Muhammad {{lang|ar|أَبُو مُحَمَّد}} | *''al-Mujtabā'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْمُجْتَبَىٰ}}) (''The Chosen'') *''Sibṭ an-Nabīy'' ({{lang|ar|سِبْط ٱلنَّبِيّ}}) (''Grandchild of the Prophet'') ----İkinci Ali (Second Ali)<ref name="Alevi"/> |625–670<ref name="Hasan ibn Ali Iranica"/> ----3–50<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=194–195}}</ref> |39 |47 |8 |He was the eldest surviving grandson of Muhammad through Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah az-Zahra. Hasan succeeded his father as the caliph in Kufa, and on the basis of a peace treaty with Muawiyah, he relinquished control of Iraq following a Caliphate of seven months.<ref name="Hasan ibn Ali Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Madelung | first=Wilferd | author-link=Wilferd Madelung | title=ḤASAN B. ʿALI B. ABI ṬĀLEB | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2012-07-06 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hasan-b-ali | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101025819/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hasan-b-ali | archive-date=2014-01-01 | url-status=live }}</ref> |Poisoned by his wife in Madinah on the orders of the Caliph Muawiyah (Shia view).<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=195}}</ref><hr> Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia. |- |3 |Husayn ibn Ali {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن عَلِيّ}}<hr>Abu Abdillah {{lang|ar|أَبُو عَبْد ٱللَّٰه}} | *''Sayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ'' ({{lang|ar|سَيِّد ٱلشُّهَدَاء}}) (''Master of the Martyrs'') *''al-Maẓlūm'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْمَظْلُوم}}) (''The Tyrannized'') *''Sibṭ an-Nabīy'' ({{lang|ar|سِبْط ٱلنَّبِيّ}}) (''Grandchild of the Prophet'') ----Üçüncü Ali (Third Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |626–680<ref name="Husayn ibn Ali Iranica"/> ----4–61<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=196–199}}</ref> |46 |57 |11 |He was a grandson of Muhammad and brother of Hasan ibn Ali. Husayn opposed the validity of Yazid ibn Muawiyah. As a result, he, his family and his companions were later killed in the Battle of Karbala by Yazid's forces. After this incident, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become central to Shia identity.<ref name="Husayn ibn Ali Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Madelung |first=Wilferd |title=ḤOSAYN B. ʿALI |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica |access-date=2008-03-23 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hosayn-b-ali |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429191459/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hosayn-b-ali |archive-date=2011-04-29 |url-status=live }}</ref> |Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala.<hr> Buried at the Imam Husayn Mosque in Karbala, Iraq.<ref name="Husayn ibn Ali Iranica"/> |- |4 |Ali ibn Husayn {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱلسَّجَّاد}}<hr>Abu Muhammad {{lang|ar|أَبُو مُحَمَّد}} | *''as-Sajjād'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلسَّجَّاد}}) (''The Consistently Prostrating'') *''Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn'' ({{lang|ar|زَيْن ٱلْعَابِدِين}}) (''Ornament of the Worshippers'')<ref name="Ali ibn Husayn in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Madelung | first=Wilferd | author-link=Wilferd Madelung | title=ʿALĪ B. ḤOSAYN B. ʿALĪ B. ABĪ ṬĀLEB, ZAYN-AL-ʿĀBEDĪN | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2007-11-08 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-b-hosayn-b-ali | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805150237/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-b-hosayn-b-ali | archive-date=2017-08-05 | url-status=live }}</ref> ----Dördüncü Ali (Fourth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |658/9<ref name="Ali ibn Husayn in Iranica"/> – 712<ref name="Tabatabae">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=202}}</ref> ----38<ref name="Ali ibn Husayn in Iranica"/>–95<ref name="Tabatabae"/> |23 |57 |34 |Author of prayers in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet."<ref name="Tabatabae"/> 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 Madinah.<ref name="Tabatabae"/><hr> Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia. |- |5 |Muhammad ibn Ali {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام مُحَمَّد ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْبَاقِر}}<hr>Abu Ja'far {{lang|ar|أَبُو جَعْفَر}} | *''Bāqir al-ʿUlūm'' ({{lang|ar|بَاقِر ٱلْعُلُوم}}) (''The Opener of Knowledge'')<ref name="Muhammad al-Baqir in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Madelung | first=Wilferd | author-link=Wilferd Madelung | title=BĀQER, ABŪ JAʿFAR MOḤAMMAD | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2007-11-08 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/baqer-abu-jafar-mohammad | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429171737/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/baqer-abu-jafar-mohammad | archive-date=2011-04-29 | url-status=live }}</ref> ----Beşinci Ali (Fifth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> | 677–732<ref name="Muhammad al-Baqir in Iranica"/> ----57–114<ref name="Muhammad al-Baqir in Iranica"/> |38 |57 |19 |Sunni and Shia sources both describe him as one of the early and most eminent legal scholars, teaching many students during his tenure.<ref name="Muhammad al-Baqir in Iranica"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=203}}</ref> |He was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Madinah on the order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.<ref name="Tabatabae"/><hr> Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia. |- |6 |Ja'far ibn Muhammad {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام جَعْفَر ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلصَّادِق}}<hr>Abu Abdillah<ref name="Jafar al-Sadiq in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | title=JAʿFAR AL-ṢĀDEQ, ABU ʿABD-ALLĀH | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2014-07-07 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/jafar-al-sadeq | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020011502/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/jafar-al-sadeq | archive-date=2018-10-20 | url-status=live }}</ref> {{lang|ar|أَبُو عَبْد ٱللَّٰه}} | *''aṣ-Ṣādiq''<ref name="Jafar al-Sadiq">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=203–204}}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلصَّادِق}}) (''The Honest'') ----Altıncı Ali (Sixth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> | 702–765<ref name="Jafar al-Sadiq"/> ----83–148<ref name="Jafar al-Sadiq"/> |31 |65 |34 |Established the Ja'fari jurisprudence and developed the theology of Twelvers. He instructed many scholars in different fields, including Imams 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.<ref name="Jafar al-Sadiq"/> |He was poisoned in Madinah on the order of Caliph Al-Mansur.<ref name="Jafar al-Sadiq"/><hr> Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia. |- |7 |Musa ibn Ja'far {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام مُوسَىٰ ٱبْن جَعْفَر ٱلْكَاظِم}}<hr>Abu al-Hasan I {{lang|ar|أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلْأَوَّل}}<ref name="Ali al-Reza in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Madelung | first=Wilferd | author-link=Wilferd Madelung | title=ʿALĪ AL-REŻĀ | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2007-11-09 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-al-reza | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921034922/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-al-reza | archive-date=2012-09-21 | url-status=live }}</ref> | *''al-Kāẓim''<ref name="Musa al-Kazim">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=205}}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْكَاظِم}}) (''The Confined'') *''al-Sābįr''<ref name="Musa al-Kazim">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=205}}</ref> ({{lang|ar|اَلصَابِرٌ}}) ("The Patient One") ----Yedinci Ali (Seventh Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |744–799<ref name="Musa al-Kazim"/> ----128–183<ref name="Musa al-Kazim"/> |20 |55 |35 |Leader of the Shia community during the schism of Ismailis, and other branches such as Waqifis, after the death of the former Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=78}}</ref> He established the network of agents who collected khums in the Shia community of the Middle East and the Greater Khorasan. He holds a high position with the Mahdavia; the members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sachedina|1988|pp=53–54}}</ref> |Imprisoned and poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.<hr> Buried in the Al-Kazimiyah Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.<ref name="Musa al-Kazim"/> |- |8 |Ali ibn Musa {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا}}<hr>Abu al-Hasan II {{lang|ar|أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلثَّانِي}}<ref name="Ali al-Reza in Iranica"/> | *''ar-Riḍā''<ref name="Ali al-Reza">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=205–207}}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلرِّضَا}}) (''The Pleasing'') ----Sekizinci Ali (Eighth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |765–817<ref name="Ali al-Reza"/> ----148–203<ref name="Ali al-Reza"/> |35 |55 |20 |Made crown-prince by Caliph Al-Ma'mun, and famous for his discussions with both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars.<ref name="Ali al-Reza"/> |He was poisoned in Mashad, Iran on the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun. <hr>Buried in the Imam Rida Mosque in Mashad, Iran.<ref name="Ali al-Reza"/> |- |9 |Muhammad al-Jawad {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام مُحَمَّد ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْجَوَّاد}}<hr>Abu Ja'far {{lang|ar|أَبُو جَعْفَر}} | *''al-Jawwād''<ref name="Muhammad al-Taqi">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=207}}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْجَوَّاد}}) (''The Generous'') *''at-Taqīy''<ref name="Muhammad al-Taqi">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|p=207}}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلتَّقِيّ}}) (''The God-Fearing'') ----Dokuzuncu Ali (Ninth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |810–835<ref name="Muhammad al-Taqi"/> ----195–220<ref name="Muhammad al-Taqi"/> |8 |25 |17 |Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate. |Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.<hr> Buried in the Al-Kazimiyah Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.<ref name="Muhammad al-Taqi"/> |- |10 |Ali ibn Muhammad {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْهَادِي}}<hr>Abu al-Hasan III {{lang|ar|أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلثَّالِث}}<ref name="Ali al-Hadi in Iranica"/> | *''al-Hādī''<ref name="Ali al-Hadi in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Madelung | first=Wilferd | author-link=Wilferd Madelung | title=ʿALĪ AL-HĀDĪ | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2007-11-08 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-al-hadi-abul-hasan-b | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117000459/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-al-hadi-abul-hasan-b | archive-date=2015-11-17 | url-status=live }}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْهَادِي}}) (''The Guide'') *''an-Naqīy''<ref name="Ali al-Hadi in Iranica"/> ({{lang|ar|ٱلنَّقِيّ}}) (''The Pure'') ----Onuncu Ali (Tenth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |827–868<ref name="Ali al-Hadi in Iranica"/> ----212–254<ref name="Ali al-Hadi in Iranica"/> |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 the khums and religious vows.<ref name="Ali al-Hadi in Iranica"/> |He was poisoned in Samarra, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tazz.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=208–209}}</ref> <hr> Buried in the Al Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq. |- |11 |Hasan ibn Ali {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحَسَن ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ}}<hr>Abu al-Mahdi {{lang|ar|أَبُو ٱلْمَهْدِيّ}} | *''al-ʿAskarīy''<ref name="al-Askari in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Halm | first=H | title=ʿASKARĪ | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2007-11-08 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/askari-abu-mohammad-hasan-b | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429165812/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/askari-abu-mohammad-hasan-b | archive-date=2011-04-29 | url-status=live }}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ}}) (''The Garrison Town One'') ----Onbirinci Ali (Eleventh Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |846–874<ref name="al-Askari in Iranica"/> ----232–260<ref name="al-Askari in Iranica"/> |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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=209–210}}</ref> |He was poisoned on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq.<hr> Buried in Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=209–210}}</ref> |- |12 |Hujjat Allah ibn al-Hasan {{lang|ar|ٱلْإِمَام حُجَّة ٱللَّٰه ٱبْن ٱلْحَسَن ٱلْمَهْدِيّ}}<hr>Abu al-Qasim {{lang|ar|أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِم}} | *''al-Mahdīy''<ref name="MAHDI in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | title=THE CONCEPT OF MAHDI IN TWELVER SHIʿISM | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2014-07-07 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/islam-in-iran-vii-the-concept-of-mahdi-in-twelver-shiism | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429160008/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/islam-in-iran-vii-the-concept-of-mahdi-in-twelver-shiism | archive-date=2011-04-29 | url-status=live }}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْمَهْدِيّ}}) (''The Guided'') *''al-Qāʾim'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْقَائِم}}) (''The Riser'') *''al-Ghāʾib''<ref name="ḠAYBA in Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | title=ḠAYBA | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica | access-date=2014-07-07 | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/gayba | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809065845/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/gayba | archive-date=2014-08-09 | url-status=live }}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْغَائِب}}) (''The Hidden'') *''Baqīyat Allah'' ({{lang|ar|بَقِيَّة ٱللَّٰه}}) (''Remainder of Allah's'') *''al-Ḥujjah ʾĀl Muḥammad''<ref name="al-Hujjah in Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia | title=Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online | access-date=2007-11-08 | url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9054165/Muhammad-al-Mahdi-al-Hujjah | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017223131/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9054165/Muhammad-al-Mahdi-al-Hujjah | archive-date=2007-10-17 | url-status=live }}</ref> ({{lang|ar|ٱلْحُجَّة مِن آل مُحَمَّد}}) (''The Proof of the House of Muhammad'') *''Wali al-‘Asr'' (ولي العصر (the guardian of the age) ----Onikinci Ali (Twelfth Ali)<ref name = "Alevi"/> |869–present<ref name="al-Hujjah">{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=210–211}}</ref> ----255–present<ref name="al-Hujjah"/> |5 |unknown |present |According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with the prophet Isa (Jesus). He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and establish justice and peace in the whole earth.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tabatabaei|1979|pp=211–214}}</ref> |According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he has been living in the Occultation since 874, and will continue as long as God wills.<ref name="al-Hujjah"/> |- |}

==See also== {{Portal|Islam|Shia Islam}} *Ahl al-Kisa *Succession to Muhammad *Hadith of the twelve successors *The Fourteen Infallibles *Salawat *Sayyidat Nisa' al-Alamin

==Footnotes== {{Reflist|30em}}

==References== {{Refbegin}} *{{cite book|last1=Musavi Isfahani|first1=Muhammad Taqi|title=Mekyal al-Makarim|date=2006|publisher=Intisharat Masjed Moqaddas Jamkaran|location=Qom|author2=Haeri Qazvini}} *{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica Online |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Twelver-Shia|title=Twelver Shiʿah| publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.}} *{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica | publisher=Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia University| isbn= 1-56859-050-4| title=Encyclopedia Iranica| date=March 1997}} *{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1 | last = Martin | first = Richard C. | title = Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World: A-L | year = 2004 | publisher = MacMillan | isbn = 0-02-865604-0}} *{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa | year = 2004 | publisher = Gale Group | isbn = 978-0-02-865769-1 | title = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa: D-K }} *{{cite book|last=Corbin|first=Henry |author-link = Henry Corbin |title=History Of Islamic Philosophy, Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard |year=2014|orig-year=1964 (original French) |publisher=Routledge|isbn= 978-1-135-19889-3}} *{{cite book | last=Momen | first=Moojan |author-link= Moojan Momen | title= An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelve| publisher=Yale University Press | year=1985 | isbn=0-300-03531-4}} *{{cite book|last1=Olsson|first1=Tord| last2=Ozdalga| first2=Elisabeth| last3=Raudvere| first3=Catharina| title=Alevi Identity: Cultural, Religious and Social Perspectives|year=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn= 978-1-135-79725-6}} *{{cite book | last=Pierce| first=Matthew|title= Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism| publisher=Harvard University Press | year=2016 | isbn=978-0674737075}} *{{cite book | last=Sachedina | first=Abdulaziz Abdulhussein | author-link=Abdulaziz Sachedina | title= The Just Ruler (al-sultān Al-ʻādil) in Shīʻite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence| publisher=Oxford University Press US | year=1988 | isbn=0-19-511915-0}} *{{cite book | last=Tabataba'i | first=Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn | others=Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) | author-link=Allameh Tabatabaei | title= Shi'ite Islam | publisher=SUNY press| year=1977 | isbn=978-0-87395-390-0}} *{{cite book|date=1979 |first=Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn |isbn=978-0-87395-272-9 |last=Tabatabaei |others=Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) |publisher=SUNY Press |title=Shi'ite Islam}} {{Refend}}

==External links== {{Spoken Wikipedia|Twelve_Imams.ogg|date=2008-08-16}} * [http://al-islam.org/twelve/7.htm A brief introduction of Twelve Imams] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080329020223/http://www.balagh.net/english/shia/shia/10.htm#00011 A Brief History Of The Lives Of The Twelve Imams] a chapter of ''Shi'ite Islam'' by Allameh Tabatabaei * [https://web.archive.org/web/20010422001750/http://www.geocities.com/ahlulbayt14/12imams.html The Twelve Imams] Taken From "A Shi'ite Anthology" By Allameh Tabatabaei * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080618012237/http://www.ummah.net/khoei/imam.htm#12 A Short History of the Lives of The Twelve Imams] * [http://bektashiorder.com/the-twelve-imams/ Hazreti Ali & the Twelve Imams – The Bektashi Order of Dervishes]

Category:Twelve Imams Category:Twelver theology Category:Lists of Islamic religious leaders Imams