The Twelve Imams: a short guide

What “Imam” means

In Twelver Shia Islam, the Imams are the divinely chosen leaders who guided the Muslim community after the Holy Prophet ﷺ. They come from his family, the Ahlulbayt, beginning with his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali (a) and continuing through the descendants of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (a).

Shia Muslims believe the Imams were protected from sin and error, and that each one was appointed by the one before him, in a chain going back to the Prophet ﷺ himself.

“I leave among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my family, my Ahlulbayt. As long as you hold on to them, you will never go astray.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ, Hadith al-Thaqalayn

Collections of hadith used by both Sunni and Shia Muslims also report the Prophet ﷺ saying that there would be twelve leaders after him, all from Quraysh. Shia Muslims understand these twelve to be the Imams of the Ahlulbayt.

The Twelve Imams at a glance

A note on each Imam

1. Imam Ali (a)

Born inside the Ka'bah, he was the first male to accept Islam and stood beside the Prophet ﷺ in every major battle. At Ghadir Khumm the Prophet ﷺ declared him the master of the believers. His sermons, letters and sayings are collected in Nahj al-Balagha.

2. Imam Hasan (a)

The elder grandson of the Prophet ﷺ. He made a peace treaty with Mu'awiya to protect the lives of the believers, a decision that showed that wisdom and patience are also forms of courage.

3. Imam Husayn (a)

He refused to give allegiance to Yazid and was martyred with his family and companions at Karbala on the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH. His stand is remembered every year during Muharram and Arbaeen.

4. Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (a)

He survived Karbala and spoke out in the court of Yazid. His supplications, gathered in al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, teach worship, ethics and the rights people owe one another.

5. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a)

His title means “the one who splits open knowledge”. He taught many students in Madinah and laid the foundations of Shia scholarship in law and hadith.

6. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a)

He taught thousands of students in many fields. Shia jurisprudence is called the Ja'fari school after him.

7. Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a)

Known for his patience, he spent years in the prisons of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid and was martyred in Baghdad.

8. Imam Ali al-Ridha (a)

The caliph al-Ma'mun brought him to Khurasan and named him heir. In Nishapur he narrated the famous hadith of the Golden Chain. His shrine in Mashhad is one of the most visited in the world.

9. Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (a)

He became Imam as a young boy and amazed scholars with his knowledge. He is buried beside his grandfather in Kadhimiya.

10. Imam Ali al-Hadi (a)

The caliph al-Mutawakkil forced him to move to Samarra, where he lived under watch. The well-known Ziyarat al-Jami'a al-Kabira is narrated from him.

11. Imam Hasan al-Askari (a)

He spent most of his life under watch in al-Askar, the garrison district of Samarra, and prepared the believers for the Occultation of his son.

12. Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (aj)

Born on 15 Sha'ban 255 AH, he went into the Minor Occultation in 260 AH and the Major Occultation in 329 AH. Shia Muslims believe he is alive and will return to fill the earth with justice.