The Fourteen Infallibles

The Fourteen Infallibles
Muhammad Ali Fatimah Hasan Husayn al-Sajjad al-Baqir al-Sadiq al-Kadhim al-Rida al-Taqi al-Hadi al-Askari al-Mahdi

The Fourteen Infallibles (Arabic: معصومون‎‎ Ma‘sūmūn) (Persian: چهارده معصوم‎‎ Chahar'dah Ma‘sūm) in Twelver Shia Islam are the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima Zahra; and the Twelve Imams. All are considered to be infallible under the theological concept of Ismah.^[1][2] Accordingly, they have the power to commit sin but by their nature are able to avoid doing so, which is regarded as a miraculous gift from God.^[3] The Infallibles are believed to follow only God's desire in their actions because of their supreme righteousness, consciousness, and love for God.^[4] They are also regarded as being immune to error in practical matters, in calling people to religion, and in the perception of divine knowledge.^[5] Shias believe the Fourteen Infallibles are superior to the rest of creation and to the other major prophets.^[6]

Family tree

The fourteen infallibles.

List of the Infallibles

Modern (calligraphic) depiction	Name (Full) Kunya[lower-alpha 1]	Title Arabic	Date of birth and death CE AH[lower-alpha 2] Place of birth	Importance	Cause and place of death Place of burial[lower-alpha 3]
	Muhammad ibn Abdullah[lower-alpha 4] Abu al-Qasim[lower-alpha 5][7]	Rasul Allah[lower-alpha 6][7] Khatam al-Anbia[lower-alpha 7][8] Habib[lower-alpha 8][9]	570 – 632[7] 53 BH[10]–10[11] Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[7]	Considered by Muslims to be the last prophet sent by God to mankind. According to Muslims, God revealed to him the Quran, which is God's word and the greatest miracle.[7]	Fell ill and died in Medina.[7] Buried in Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula.[7]
	Fatimah[lower-alpha 9] Umm Abiha[lower-alpha 10][12]	Sayyidat al-Nisā[lower-alpha 11][13] al-Zahra[lower-alpha 12][14]	615 – 633 [14] 8 BH[15]– 11[16] Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[17]	Her father Muhammad called her "a part of me".[14] She is also regarded as "the mother of the Imams".[18][19]	According to most Shias, Fatimah suffered a fatal injury while defending Ali against the first Sunni caliph.[20] The exact location of her grave is unknown but is believed to be in Medina.[13]
	Ali ibn Abu Talib[lower-alpha 13] Abu al-Hasan[lower-alpha 14][21]	Amir al-Mu'minin[lower-alpha 15][22]	600 – 661[22] 22 or 16 BH – 40 AH [23] Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[22]	For all Shia, the son-in-law of Muhammad is the first Shia Imam[24] and the rightful successor of Muhammad.[25] For Sunnis, he is the fourth successor.[16] He holds an important position in almost all Sufi orders, which trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.[22]	Assassinated in Kufa, Iraq, by Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite who slashed his head with a poisoned sword while he was praying.[22] Buried in Najaf, Iraq.[16]
	Hasan ibn Ali[lower-alpha 16] Abu Muhammad[lower-alpha 17][21]	Al-Mūjtabā[lower-alpha 18][26]	625 – 670[27] 3 – 50[16] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[27]	The eldest surviving grandson of Muhammad, through his mother, Fatimah, Hasan succeeded his father Ali as the caliph in Kufa; but after a seven-month reign he relinquished control of Iraq following a peace treaty with Muawiya I.[27]	According to Twelver Shia belief, he was poisoned fatally by his wife in Medina by order of Caliph Muawiya.[28] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina.[27]
	Husayn ibn Ali[lower-alpha 19] Abu Abdillah[lower-alpha 20][29]	Sayyid ash-Shuhada[lower-alpha 21][30]	626 – 680[31] 4 – 61[16] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[32]	Grandson of Muhammad and his younger brother of Hasan, Husayn rejected the legitimacy of Caliph Yazid I, the son of Muawiyah. As a result, he and his family were killed in the Battle of Karbala by Yazid's forces.[16] Ever since the battle, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom has been at the core of Shia rituals and identity.[32]	Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala[32] Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine, Karbala, Iraq.[32]
	Ali ibn Husayn[lower-alpha 22] Abu Muhammad[lower-alpha 23][33]	Al-Sajjad[lower-alpha 24][34] Zayn al-'Abidin[lower-alpha 25][35]	658/59[35] – 712[36] 38[35]– 95 [34][36] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[35]	The author of the prayers in Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya,[34] ("The Scripture of Al-Sajjad", "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet").[36]	According to most Shia scholars, Zayn al-'Abidin was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph al-Walid I in Medina.[36] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina.[34]
	Muhammad ibn Ali[lower-alpha 26] Abu Ja'far[lower-alpha 27][29][37]	Baqir al-Ulum[lower-alpha 28][37]	677 – 732[37] 57 – 114[37] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[37]	Sunni and Shia sources consider Al-Baqir an early and pre-eminent legal scholar who was revered for having educated many students.[34][37]	According to some Shia scholars, he was fatally poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Medina by order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina[34]
	Ja'far ibn Muhammad[lower-alpha 29] Abu Abdillah[lower-alpha 30][34]	As-Sadiq[lower-alpha 31][38]	702 – 765[34] 83 – 148[34] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[39]	As-Sadiq established the Ja'fari school of jurisprudence and developed the theology of the Twelvers.[34] He taught many scholars in different fields, including Abu Hanifah[34] and Malik ibn Anas in fiqh, Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam in Islamic theology, and Geber in science and alchemy.[39]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned in Medina by order of Caliph Al-Mansur.[39] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina[34]
	Musa ibn Ja'far[lower-alpha 32] Abu al-Hasan I[lower-alpha 33][40]	Al-Kazim[lower-alpha 34][41]	744 – 799[34] 128 – 183[34] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[41]	Al-Kazim was leader of the Shia community during the schism between the Ismaili and other branches of Islam after the death of the previous Imam Jafar al-Sadiq.[42] He established a network of agents who collected the khums in the Shia community of the Middle East and the Greater Khorasan. He holds a high position in the Mahdavia, the members of which trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.[43]	According to Shia belief, he was imprisoned and fatally poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq, by order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.[44] Buried in the Kazimayn shrine, Baghdad, Iraq[34][41]
	Ali ibn Musa[lower-alpha 35] Abu al-Hasan II[lower-alpha 36][40]	Ar-Rida[lower-alpha 37][41]	765 – 817[34] 148 – 203[34] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[45]	Made crown prince by Caliph Al-Ma'mun, Ar-Rida was known for his discussions and debates with both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars.[46]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned in Mashad, Iran, by order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun.[46] Buried in the Imam Reza shrine, Mashad, Iran[46]
	Muhammad ibn Ali[lower-alpha 38] Abu Ja'far[lower-alpha 39][29]	Al-Taqi[lower-alpha 40][46] Al-Jawad[lower-alpha 41][47]	809[46] or 810 – 835[46] 195 – 220[47] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[47]	Al-Jawad was known for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate.[48]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned by his wife, the daughter of Caliph Al-Ma'mun, in Baghdad, Iraq, by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.[47] Buried in the Kazmain shrine, Baghdad, Iraq.[46]
	Ali ibn Muhammad[lower-alpha 42] Abu al-Hasan III[lower-alpha 43][49]	Al-Hadi[lower-alpha 44][50] Al-Naqi[lower-alpha 45][46]	828 – 868 [49] 212 – 254[49] Surayya, a village near Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[49]	Al-Naqi taught religious sciences until 243/857.[46] He strengthened the network of deputies in the Shia community. He sent them instructions and in turn received financial contributions from the faithful, from the khums and religious vows.[49]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned in Samarra, Iraq, by order of caliph Al-Mu'tazz.[47] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.[46]
	Hasan ibn Ali[lower-alpha 46] Abu Muhammad[lower-alpha 47] [51]	Al-Askari[lower-alpha 48][52]	845/6 – 874[52] 231 – 260 [52] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[52]	Like his father, Al-Askari was placed under house arrest, which would last most of his life, by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tamid, .[53] During this time, repression of the Shia communities was great because of their growing size and power.[54]	According to Shia belief, Al-Askari was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq.[55] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.[46]
	Muhammad ibn al-Hasan[lower-alpha 49] Abu al-Qasim[lower-alpha 50][30]	Mahdi[lower-alpha 51][lower-alpha 52][56] Hidden Imam[lower-alpha 53][57] Al-Hujjah[lower-alpha 54][30][58] Sahib al-Zaman[lower-alpha 55][51] Sahibu'l-Amr[lower-alpha 56][51] Al-Qa'im[lower-alpha 57][30] Baqiyyat Allah[lower-alpha 58][30]	868 – Unknown[59] 255 or 256[46] – unknown[59] Samarra, Iraq[60]	According to Twelver Shia doctrine, Baqiyyat Allah is a historical person, the current Imam, and the promised Mahdi—a messianic figure who will return with Jesus Christ. He will re-establish the rightful governance of Islam, filling the earth with justice and peace.[61]	According to Shia doctrine, Baqiyyat Allah has been living in the Occultation since 874 CE, and will continue living as long as God wills.[59]

See also

• Ahl al-Bayt
• Ahl al-Kisa
• Imamah (Shi'a twelver doctrine)
• Ismah
• Shia Islam
• Twelve Imams
• Twelvers

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

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External links

• A Chronological List of the Fourteen Infallibles
• A Brief History of the Fourteen Infallibles by WOFIS World Organization for Islamic Services Tehran -Iran
• The Brief History of the Fourteen Infallibles by Mohammad Hussein il’adeeb