Twelve Imams

A 1978 Iranian painting showing the Twelve Imams sitting in the foreground, with, in the centre, the first Shia Imam Ali and his double-edged sword, Zulfiqar.

The Twelve Imams (Arabic: ٱلْأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر, al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾIthnā ʿAšar; Persian: دوازده امام, Davâzdah Emâm) are the twelve religious and political successors of the Prophet Muhammad recognized by Twelver Shia Islam. Twelver Shia Muslims believe that the Twelve Imams 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).

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 Twelver Shia theology and Jaʿfari jurisprudence.[1][2] The Twelve Imams are also highly revered in Sunni Islam as family members of the Prophet Muhammad and as highly important figures in Islamic history, and Sunnis visit their shrines out of veneration.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

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
 Imam Ali

ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ
  • ʾAmīr al-Muʾminīn (أَمِير ٱلْمُؤْمِنِين) (Commander of the Faithful)[13]
  • Al-Murtaḍā (ٱلْمُرْتَضَىٰ) (The Beloved)
  • Al-Waṣīy (ٱلْوَصِيّ) (The Successor)
  • al-Walīy (ٱلْوَلِيّ) (The Wali)
  • Al-Haydar (حيدر) (The Lion)
  • Sheer-e-Khuda (شیر خدا) (The Lion of God)
  • Shah-e-Mardan (شاه مردان) (The King of the Brave)
  • Birinci Ali (First Ali)[14]
 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
 Imam Hasan

ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحَسَن
  • Al-Mujtabā (ٱلْمُجْتَبَىٰ) (The Chosen)
  • Sibṭ an-Nabīy (سِبْط ٱلنَّبِيّ) (Grandchild of the Prophet)
  • İkinci Ali (Second Ali)[14]
 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
 Imam Husayn

ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحُسَيْن
  • Abu Abdillah (ابو عبد الله) (Father of Abd Allah)
  • Sayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ (سَيِّد ٱلشُّهَدَاء) (Master of the Martyrs)
  • Al-Maẓlūm (ٱلْمَظْلُوم) (The Tyrannized)
  • Sibṭ an-Nabīy (سِبْط ٱلنَّبِيّ) (Grandchild of the Prophet)
  • Üçüncü Ali (Third Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Sajjād (ٱلسَّجَّاد) (The Consistently Prostrating)
  • Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (زَيْن ٱلْعَابِدِين) (Ornament of the Worshippers)[22]
  • Dördüncü Ali (Fourth Ali)[14]
 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
  • Bāqir al-ʿUlūm (بَاقِر ٱلْعُلُوم) (The One Who Splits Knowledge Open)[24]
  • Beşinci Ali (Fifth Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Ṣādiq[26] (ٱلصَّادِق) (The Truthful)
  • Abi Abdillah (ابي عبدالله) (Father of Abd Allah)
  • Altıncı Ali (Sixth Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Kāẓim[27] (ٱلْكَاظِم) (The Forbearing)
  • Al-Sābįr[27] (اَلصَابِرٌ) ("The Patient One")
  • Yedinci Ali (Seventh Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Riḍā[29] (ٱلرِّضَا) (The Approved)
  • Rabb al-Sarīr (رَبُّ السَّرِير) (Lord of the Throne)
  • Kufw al-Malak (كُفْءُ المَلِك) (Peer of the King)
  • Sirāj Allāh (سِرَاجُ الله) (Lamp of God)
  • ʿĀlim Āl Muḥammad (عَالِمُ آلِ مُحَمَّد) (Scholar of the family of Muhammad)
  • Gharīb al-Ghurabāʾ (غَرِيبُ الغُرَبَاء) (The Stranger Among Strangers)
  • Sulṭān (سُلْطَان) (Ruler)
  • Al-Imām al-Raʾūf (الإِمَامُ الرَّؤُوف) (The Kind Imam)
  • Shāh-i-Khurāsān (شَاهِ خُرَاسَان) (The Emperor of Khorasan)
  • Ḍāmin al-Āhū (ضَامِنُ الآهُو) (Guarantor of The Deer)
  • Sekizinci Ali (Eighth Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Jawad[30] (ٱلْجَوَّاد) (The Generous)
  • Al-Taqi[30] (ٱلتَّقِيّ) (The God-Fearing)
  • Dokuzuncu Ali (Ninth Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Hādī[31] (ٱلْهَادِي) (The Guide)
  • Al-Naqīy[31] (ٱلنَّقِيّ) (The Pure)
  • Onuncu Ali (Tenth Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-ʿAskari[33] (ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ) (of The Military Garrison)
  • Onbirinci Ali (Eleventh Ali)[14]
 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
  • Al-Mahdi[36] (ٱلْمَهْدِيّ) (The Guided)
  • Al-Qāʾim (ٱلْقَائِم) (The Riser)
  • Al-Ghāʾib[37] (ٱلْغَائِب) (The Hidden)
  • Baqīyat Allah (بَقِيَّة ٱللَّٰه) (Remainder of God's)
  • Al-Ḥujjah ʾĀl Muḥammad[38] (ٱلْحُجَّة مِن آل مُحَمَّد) (The Proof of the Household of Muhammad)
  • Wali al-‘Asr (ولي العصر) (The Guardian of The Age)
  • Onikinci Ali (Twelfth Ali)[14]
 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

19th century Iranian artwork depicting the Twelve Imams and some episodes from their lives and Shia Muslims being rewarded on the coming Day of Resurrection.

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, because most of the Silsila (spiritual chain) of Sufi orders leads back to Muhammad through one of the Twelve Imams.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Momen 1985, p. 174
  2. ↑ Tabataba'i 1977, p. 10
  3. ↑ "Iraqi Sunni Friday prayer leaders visit Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine". Hawzah News Agency. 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  4. ↑ "English Pakistani Sunnis Visit Imam Reza Shrine". ShiaChat.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  5. ↑ Arooj (2024-02-01). "Sunni scholars from Turkey express happiness upon visiting holy shrine of Imam Hussein". Shia Waves. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  6. ↑ Waziri, Adam Isa (2022-11-21). "Sunni Professors, Scholars From Pakistan Visit Imam Husain's Holy Shrine in Karbala » Education Monitor News". Education Monitor News. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  7. ↑ "Imam Reza (A.S.) Is the Symbol of Unity among Islamic Sects". www.alarbaeen.ir. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
  8. ↑ "An Iraqi delegation from the Sunni Endowment visited the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (PBUH)". www.alarbaeen.ir. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  9. ↑ "Sunni Cleric: Imam Reza Shrine a Center for Unifying Muslims". ABNA English. 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
  10. ↑ 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. "Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa: D-K". Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 978-0-02-865769-1.
  11. ↑ The abbreviation CE refers to the Common Era solar calendar, while AH refers to the Islamic Hijri lunar calendar.
  12. ↑ Except Twelfth Imam
  13. 1 2 3 4 Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. "Ali". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa: D-K". Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 978-0-02-865769-1.
  15. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 190–192
  16. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, p. 192
  17. 1 2 Madelung, Wilferd. "ḤASAN B. ʿALI B. ABI ṬĀLEB". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  18. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 194–195
  19. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, p. 195
  20. 1 2 Madelung, Wilferd. "ḤOSAYN B. ʿALI". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  21. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 196–199
  22. 1 2 3 Madelung, Wilferd. "ʿALĪ B. ḤOSAYN B. ʿALĪ B. ABĪ ṬĀLEB, ZAYN-AL-ʿĀBEDĪN". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Tabatabaei 1979, p. 202
  24. 1 2 3 4 Madelung, Wilferd. "BĀQER, ABŪ JAʿFAR MOḤAMMAD". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  25. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, p. 203
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 203–204
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 Tabatabaei 1979, p. 205
  28. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, p. 78
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 205–207
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 Tabatabaei 1979, p. 207
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 Madelung, Wilferd. "ʿALĪ AL-HĀDĪ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  32. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 208–209
  33. 1 2 3 Halm, H. "ʿASKARĪ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  34. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 209–210
  35. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 209–210
  36. ↑ "THE CONCEPT OF MAHDI IN TWELVER SHIʿISM". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  37. ↑ "ḠAYBA". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  38. ↑ "Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  39. 1 2 3 Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 210–211
  40. ↑ Tabatabaei 1979, pp. 211–214
  41. ↑ Tabataba'i 1977, p. 15
  42. ↑ Corbin 2014, pp. 45–51
  43. 1 2 Gleave, Robert (2004). "Imamate". Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1. MacMillan. ISBN 0-02-865604-0.

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