ENQUIRY 3: CAN YOU KINDLY ACQUAINT US WITH THE TWELVE IMAMS OF THE IMAMI SHIITES DOCTRINE?

Response: The first of them is the Caliph Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him). He is called Abu Al-Hasan and they nick named him “Al-Murtadha” (the one God is pleased with). He was born 23 years before Migration and was martyred 40H.  

2) Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him). He is called Abu Muhammad and nicknamed “Az-Zaki” (the Pure). He was born in 2 AH and died 50 AH.  

3) Al-Husein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him). He was called Abu Abdullah and nicknamed “Al-Shaheed” (the Martyred). He was born in 3 AH and died 61 AH.  

4) Ali bin Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him). He was called Abu Muhammad and nicknamed “Zain Al-Abideen” (Beauty of the Worshipers). He was born in 38 AH and died 95 AH.  

5) Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Husein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Ja’far and nicknamed “Al-Baqir” (the Highly Knowledgeable). He was born in 57 AH and died in 114AH.  

6) Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Husein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Abdullah and nicknamed “As-Sadiq” (the Truthful). He was born 83 AH and died 148 AH.  

7) Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Husein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Ibrahim and nicknamed “Al-Kazim” (the Persevering one). He was born 128 AH and died 183 AH.  

8) Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Husein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Al-Hasan and nicknamed “Ar-Ridha” (Favour). He was born in 148 AH and died 203 AH.  

9) Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Husein bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Ja’far and nicknamed “Al-Jawad” (the Magnanimous). He was born 195 AH and died in 220 AH.  

10) Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Al-Hasan and nicknamed Al-Hadi (the Guider). He was born 212 AH and died 254 AH.  

11) Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). He was called Abu Muhammad and nicknamed Al-Askari (the Soldier). He was born in 232 AH and died 260 AH.  

12) Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with them). The called him Al-Qasim and nicknamed him Al-Mahdi (the Guided). They believe he was born in 255 Ah or 256 AH and claim he is still alive hitherto (4).  

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(1) What is between the brackets is found in “Firaq Al-Shee’ah” by An-Nubukhti and Al-Qummi p. 33 as edited by Dr. Abdulmun’im Al-Hafni, Dar Al-Rasheed first edition 1412H.  

(2) Firaq Al-Shee’ah p. 50 (Variation of the Saba’iyyah Alawite Shiites after the Murder of Ali (Allah be pleased with him)).  

(3) Al-Maqaalaat wa Al-Firaq pp. 10-21 by Sa’d bin Abdullah Al-Ash’ari Al-Qummi (d. 301). See: Ikhtiyar ma’rifat Al-Rijal Al-Ma’ruf bi Rijal Al-Kashshi for Muhammad Al-Kashshi (d. 350) by Abu ja’far Muhammad bin Al-Hasan At-Tusi (d. 460 AH) Discussion No. 174 vol.2 p. 191 (Abdullah bin Saba’). Muhammad bin Ali Al-Ardabili said: “Abdullah bin Saba’ is a cursed extremist who was burnt with fire by the leader of the believers, Ali (Allah be pleased with him). He used to proclaim that Ali was god and a Prophet. He later ended up a non-believer and openly displayed extremism”. Jami’ Ar-Ruwat wa izahat Al-Ishtibahat ‘an At-Turuq wa Al-Isnad vol.1 p. 485 under the chapter of the Alphabet Al-’Ain.  

 (4)  See: Usool Al-Kafi Vol. 1 pp. 402-403 (The Chapter of narrations about the Twelver Shiites in which they were specifically mentioned) by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob Al-Kulayni (d.  328). Some of their scholars believe that the book “Al-Kafi” was presented to their acclaimed  leader who approved of it saying: “It suffices for our Shiites”, Bihar Al-Anwar Vol. 89 p. 377 Hadeeth 8 (Chapter of Ambiguities of the Qur’an). The Sheikhs of Shiites ruled that  anyone who believes that the Qur’an suffices for mankind without The Fundamentals of Al-Kafi is misled. Their revered scholar Al-Khawansari commented about Al-Barqa’i that: “Al-Barqa’i is misguided because he avers in his book – Qabas min Al-Qur’an (Adaptation from the Qur’an) – that Al-Kulayni’s Al-Kafi is not sufficient but the Qur’an is sufficient”. Sawaanih Al-Ayyaam p. 90 by Al-Barqa’i, Dar Alem Al-Kutub ed. 1, 1431.