The Luminous Lineage

👑 1. Ali ibn Abi Talib

• Kunya: Abu al-Hasan
• Titles: أمير المؤمنين (Amir al-Mu'minin), The Beloved, The Successor, The Wali, The Lion
• Persian Titles: شیر خدا (Sheer-e-Khuda), شاه مردان (Shah-e-Mardan)
• Turkish Title: Birinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 599–661
• Lived (AH): 23 BH – 40 AH
• Place of Birth: Mecca
• Imamah Age: 33
• Death Age: 61
• Imamate Duration: 28 years
• Importance: Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad; first male convert to Islam; considered the rightful successor by Shia Muslims; revered in Sufism.
• Death: Assassinated by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam in Kufa.
• Burial: Imam Ali Mosque, Najaf, Iraq.

👑 2. Hasan ibn Ali

• Kunya: Abu Muhammad
• Titles: al-Mujtaba (The Chosen), Sibṭ an-Nabī (Grandchild of the Prophet)
• Turkish Title: İkinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 625–670
• Lived (AH): 3 AH – 50 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 39
• Death Age: 47
• Imamate Duration: 8 years
• Importance: Eldest surviving grandson of Muhammad; succeeded his father as Caliph, relinquishing control based on a peace treaty.
• Death: Poisoned in Medina, reportedly on the orders of Caliph Muawiyah I (Shia view).
• Burial: Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

👑 3. Husayn ibn Ali

• Kunya: Abu Abdillah
• Titles: Sayyid ash-Shuhadā' (Master of the Martyrs), al-Maẓlūm (The Tyrannized), Sibṭ an-Nabī (Grandchild of the Prophet)
• Turkish Title: Üçüncü Ali
• Lived (CE): 626–680
• Lived (AH): 4 AH – 61 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 46
• Death Age: 57
• Imamate Duration: 11 years
• Importance: Grandson of Muhammad; opposed Yazid I, leading to his martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala, a central event in Shia identity.
• Death: Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala.
• Burial: Imam Husayn Mosque, Karbala, Iraq.

👑 4. Ali al-Sajjad

• Kunya: Abu Muhammad
• Titles: as-Sajjād (The Consistently Prostrating), Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (Ornament of the Worshippers)
• Turkish Title: Dördüncü Ali
• Lived (CE): 658/9–712
• Lived (AH): 38 AH – 95 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 23
• Death Age: 57
• Imamate Duration: 34 years
• Importance: Author of the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet." Survived Karbala due to illness.
• Death: Poisoned in Medina on the order of Caliph al-Walid I.
• Burial: Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

👑 5. Muhammad al-Baqir

• Kunya: Abu Ja'far
• Titles: Bāqir al-ʿUlūm (The Opener of Knowledge)
• Turkish Title: Beşinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 677–732
• Lived (AH): 57 AH – 114 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 38
• Death Age: 57
• Imamate Duration: 19 years
• Importance: Described as an eminent legal scholar, teaching many students.
• Death: Poisoned in Medina on the order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.
• Burial: Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

👑 6. Ja'far al-Sadiq

• Kunya: Abu Abdillah
• Titles: aṣ-Ṣādiq (The Honest)
• Turkish Title: Altıncı Ali
• Lived (CE): 702–765
• Lived (AH): 83 AH – 148 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 31
• Death Age: 65
• Imamate Duration: 34 years
• Importance: Established Ja'fari jurisprudence; taught scholars in fiqh, theology, and science; influenced Abu Hanifah, Malik ibn Anas, and Jabir ibn Hayyan.
• Death: Poisoned in Medina on the order of Caliph Al-Mansur.
• Burial: Jannat al-Baqi, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

👑 7. Musa al-Kazim

• Kunya: Abu al-Hasan I
• Titles: al-Kāẓim (The Confined), as-Ṣābir (The Patient One)
• Turkish Title: Yedinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 744–799
• Lived (AH): 128 AH – 183 AH
• Place of Birth: Al-Abwa', Hijaz
• Imamah Age: 20
• Death Age: 55
• Imamate Duration: 35 years
• Importance: Leader during the schism of Ismailis; established a network for collecting khums.
• Death: Imprisoned and poisoned in Baghdad on the order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
• Burial: Al-Kazimiyah Mosque, Baghdad, Iraq.

👑 8. Ali al-Rida

• Kunya: Abu al-Hasan II
• Titles: ar-Riḍā (The Pleasing)
• Turkish Title: Sekizinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 765–817
• Lived (AH): 148 AH – 203 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 35
• Death Age: 55
• Imamate Duration: 20 years
• Importance: Made crown-prince by Caliph Al-Ma'mun; known for theological discussions.
• Death: Poisoned in Mashhad, Iran, on the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun.
• Burial: Imam Reza Shrine, Mashhad, Iran.

👑 9. Muhammad al-Jawad

• Kunya: Abu Ja'far
• Titles: al-Jawwād (The Generous), at-Taqī (The God-Fearing)
• Turkish Title: Dokuzuncu Ali
• Lived (CE): 810–835
• Lived (AH): 195 AH – 220 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 8
• Death Age: 25
• Imamate Duration: 17 years
• Importance: Known for generosity and piety amidst Abbasid persecution.
• Death: Poisoned by his wife in Baghdad on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.
• Burial: Al-Kazimiyah Mosque, Baghdad, Iraq.

👑 10. Ali al-Hadi

• Kunya: Abu al-Hasan III
• Titles: al-Hādī (The Guide), an-Naqī (The Pure)
• Turkish Title: Onuncu Ali
• Lived (CE): 827–868
• Lived (AH): 212 AH – 254 AH
• Place of Birth: Surayya, near Medina
• Imamah Age: 8
• Death Age: 42
• Imamate Duration: 34 years
• Importance: Strengthened the network of deputies in the Shia community, receiving financial contributions.
• Death: Poisoned in Samarra, Iraq, on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tazz.
• Burial: Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.

👑 11. Hasan al-Askari

• Kunya: Abu al-Mahdi
• Titles: al-ʿAskarī (The Garrison Town One)
• Turkish Title: Onbirinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 846–874
• Lived (AH): 232 AH – 260 AH
• Place of Birth: Medina
• Imamah Age: 22
• Death Age: 28
• Imamate Duration: 6 years
• Importance: Lived under restrictions by the Abbasid Caliphate due to the growing Shia population.
• Death: Poisoned on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq.
• Burial: Al-Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.

👑 12. Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi

• Kunya: Abu al-Qasim
• Titles: al-Mahdī (The Guided), al-Qāʾim (The Riser), al-Ghāʾib (The Hidden), Baqiyyat Allah (Remainder of Allah's)
• Turkish Title: Onikinci Ali
• Lived (CE): 869–present
• Lived (AH): 255 AH – present
• Place of Birth: Samarra, Iraq
• Imamah Age: 5
• Death Age: Unknown
• Imamate Duration: Present
• Importance: Believed to be the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, who will return with Jesus to establish justice and peace globally.
• Status: Living in the Major Occultation (Ghaybah al-Kubra) since 874.

¹ Reference Notes

The provided text includes numerous citations referencing scholarly works and encyclopedias. These notes support the factual claims made throughout the article.

Example: ¹ Olsson, Ozdalga & Raudvere 2005, p. 65

Example: ² Tabataba'i 1977, p. 10

Example: ⁷ Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa: D-K. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 978-0-02-865769-1.

Further details on specific Imams are often sourced from Encyclopaedia Iranica or Encyclopedia Britannica.

📅 Chronological Context

The dates provided for the Imams' lives and tenures are based on both the Common Era (CE) solar calendar and the Islamic Hijri (AH) lunar calendar, offering a dual perspective on their historical period.

Example: Imam Ali lived from 599–661 CE, corresponding to 23 BH – 40 AH.

🇹🇷 Linguistic Variations

Titles for the Imams are presented in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, reflecting the diverse linguistic contexts within which Shia Islam has flourished. Arabic titles are primary for most Twelver branches, while Persian and Turkish titles are significant for specific communities.

🔗 Online Resources

• Introduction: A brief introduction of Twelve Imams
• History: A Brief History Of The Lives Of The Twelve Imams (from Allameh Tabatabaei's "Shi'ite Islam")
• Anthology: The Twelve Imams (from "A Shi'ite Anthology" by Allameh Tabatabaei)
• Short History: A Short History of the Lives of The Twelve Imams
• Bektashi View: Hazreti Ali & the Twelve Imams – The Bektashi Order of Dervishes