The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver or Ithna Ashariya branch of Shi'a Islam. According to the theology of Twelvers, the successor of Muhammad is an infallible human individual who not only rules over the community with justice, but also is able to keep and interpret the Divine Law and its esoteric meaning. The Prophet and Imams' words and deeds are a guide and model for the community to follow; as a result, they must be free from error and sin, and must be chosen by divine decree, or nass, through the Prophet.

It is believed in Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a Islam that Aql, a divine wisdom, was the source of the souls of the Prophets and Imams and gave them esoteric knowledge, called Hikmah, and that their sufferings were a means of divine grace to their devotees. Although the Imam was not the recipient of a divine revelation, he had a close relationship with God, through which God guides him, and the Imam in turn guides the people. Imamate, or belief in the divine guide is a fundamental belief in the Twelver and Ismaili branches of Shi'a Islam and is based on the concept that God would not leave humanity without access to divine guidance.

According to Twelvers, there is always an Imam of the Age, who is the divinely appointed authority on all matters of faith and law in the Muslim community. Ali was the first Imam of this line, and in the Twelvers' view, the rightful successor to the Prophet of Islam, followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah Zahra. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Husayn ibn Ali, who was the brother of Hasan ibn Ali. The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and hidden till he returns to bring justice to the world.

List of Imams

Number	Modern depiction	Name (Full/Kunya)	Title (Arabic/Turkish)	Birth–Death (CE/AH)	Importance	Birthplace (present day country)	Place of death and burial
1		Ali ibn Abu Talib علي بن أبي طالب Abu al-Hassan أبو الحسن	Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Birinci Ali	600–661 23(befor Hijra)–40	The first Imam and the rightful successor of the Prophet of all Shi'a; however, the Sunnis acknowledge him as the fourth Caliph as well. He holds a high position in almost all Sufi Muslim orders (Turuq); the members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.	Mecca, Saudi Arabia	Assassinated by Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite in Kufa, who slashed him with a poisoned sword. Buried at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq.
2		Hassan ibn Ali الحسن بن علي Abu Muhammad أبو محمد	al-Mujtaba Ikinci Ali	624–680 ----3–50	He was the eldest surviving grandson of Muhammad through Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah Zahra. Hasan succeeded his father as the caliph in Kufa, and on the basis of peace treaty with Muawiya I, he relinquished control of Iraq following a reign of seven months.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	Poisoned by his wife in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the orders of the Caliph Muawiya. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
3		Husayn ibn Ali الحسین بن علي Abu Abdillah أبو عبدالله	Sayed al-Shuhada Ūçüncü Ali	626–680 ----4–61	He was a grandson of Muhammad and brother of Hasan ibn Ali. Husayn opposed the validity of Caliph Yazid I. As a result, he and his family were later killed in the Battle of Karbala by Yazid's forces. After this incident, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a central ritual in Shi'a identity.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala. Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq.
4		Ali ibn al-Hussein علي بن الحسین Abu Muhammad أبو محمد	al-Sajjad, Zain al-Abedin ----Dorduncu Ali	658-9 – 712 ----38–95	Author of prayers in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet."	Medina, Saudi Arabia	According to most Shi'a scholars, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph al-Walid I in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
5		Muhammad ibn Ali محمد بن علي Abu Ja'far أبو جعفر	al-Baqir al-Ulum (splitting open knowledge) ----Besinci Ali	677–732 ----57–114	Sunni and Shi'a sources both describe him as one of the early and most eminent legal scholars, teaching many students during his tenure.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	According to some Shi'a scholars, he was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
6		Ja'far ibn Muhammad جعفر بن محمد Abu Abdillah أبو عبدالله	al-Sadiq (the Trustworthy) ----Altinci Ali	702–765 ----83–148	Established the Ja'fari jurisprudence and developed the Theology of Shi'a. He instructed many scholars in different fields, including Abu Hanifah and Malik ibn Anas in fiqh, Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam in Islamic theology, and Geber in science and alchemy.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	According to Shi'a sources, he was poisoned in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the order of Caliph Al-Mansur.. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
7		Musa ibn Ja'far موسی بن جعفر Abu al-Hassan I أبو الحسن الاول	al-Kazim ----Yedinci Ali	744–799 ----128–183	Leader of the Shi'a community during the schism of Ismaili and other branches after the death of the former Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq. He established the network of agents who collected khums in the Shi'a community of the Middle East and the Greater Khorasan.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	Imprisoned and poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Buried in the Kazimayn shrine in Baghdad.
8		Ali ibn Musa علي بن موسی Abu al-Hassan II أبو الحسن الثانی	al-Rida, Reza ----Sekizinci Ali	765–817 ----148–203	Made crown-prince by Caliph Al-Ma'mun, and famous for his discussions with both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	According to Shi'a sources, he was poisoned in Mashad, Iran on the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun. Buried in the Imam Reza shrine in Mashad.
9		Muhammad ibn Ali محمد بن علي Abu Ja'far أبو جعفر	al-Taqi, al-Jawad ----Dokuzuncu Ali	810–835 ----195–220	Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim. Buried in the Kazmain shrine in Baghdad.
10		Ali ibn Muhammad علي بن محمد Abu al-Hassan III أبو الحسن الثالث	al-Hadi, al-Naqi ----Onuncu Ali	827–868 ----212–254	Strengthened the network of deputies in the Shi'a community. He sent them instructions, and received in turn financial contributions of the faithful from the khums and religious vows.	Surayya, a village near Medina, Saudi Arabia	According to Shi'a sources, he was poisoned in Samarra, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tazz. Buried in the Al Askari Mosque in Samarra.
11		Hassan ibn Ali الحسن بن علي Abu Muhammad أبو محمد	al-Askari ----Onbirinci Ali	846–874 ----232–260	For most of his life, the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mu'tamid, placed restrictions on him after the death of his father. Repression of the Shi'ite population was particularly high at the time due to their large size and growing power.	Medina, Saudi Arabia	According to Shi'a, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq. Buried in Al Askari Mosque in Samarra.
12		Muhammad ibn al-Hassan محمد بن الحسن Abu al-Qasim أبو القاسم	al-Mahdi, Hidden Imam, al-Hujjah ----Onikinci Ali	allegedly 868–unknown ----allegedly 255–unknown	According to Twelver doctrine, he is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with Christ. He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and replete the earth with justice and peace.	Samarra, Iraq	According to Shi'a doctrine, he has been living in the the Occultation since 872, and will continue as long as God wills it.

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See also

• Shia Islam
• Twelvers
• Ahl al-Bayt
• The Fourteen Infallibles
• Succession to Muhammad
• Islamic leadership
• Imamah (Shi'a twelver doctrine)
• Wali

Footnotes

References

• In Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.. .
• In Encyclopædia Iranica Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia University. ISBN 1568590504. .
• In Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1 MacMillan. ISBN 0028656040. .
• In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa (2004). Gale Group. ISBN 9780028657691. .
• Corbin, Henry (1993 (original French 1964)). History of Islamic Philosophy, Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard. London; Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. ISBN 0710304161.
• Momen, Moojan (1985). TAn Introduction to Shi`i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelve. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300035314.
• Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (1988). The Just Ruler (al-sultān Al-ʻādil) in Shīʻite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195119150.
• Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn; Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) (1979). Shi'ite Islam. SUNY press. ISBN 0-87395-272-3.

External links

• A brief introduction of Twelve Imams
• A Brief History Of The Lives Of The Twelve Imams a chapter of Shi'a Islam (book) by Allameh Tabatabaei
• The Twelve Imams Taken From "A Shi'ite Anthology" By Allameh Tabatabaei
• A Short History of the Lives of The Twelve Imams