Muhammad, Fatima, and the Twelve Imams in Twelver Shia Islam
The Fourteen Infallibles (Arabic: ٱلْمَعْصُومُون ٱلْأَرْبَعَة عَشَر, al-Maʿṣūmūn al-ʾArbaʿah ʿAšar; Persian: چهارده معصومین, Čahârdah Ma'sūmīn) 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] Some Twelver Shia believe the Fourteen Infallibles are superior to the rest of creation and to the other major prophets.[6]
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.[7]
Fell ill and died in Madinah.[7] According to some Shi'as and fewer Sunnis, he was fatally poisoned instead, with the exact circumstances being disputed between them.
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.[29]
Grandson of Muhammad and 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.[18] Ever since the battle, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom has been at the core of Shia rituals and identity.[34]
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.[49] 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.[50]
Al-Jawad was known for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate.[57]
He was fatally poisoned by his wife, the daughter of Caliph Al-Ma'mun, in Baghdad, Iraq, by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim.[56] Buried in the Kazmain shrine, Baghdad, Iraq.[54]
Ali ibn Muhammad عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْهَادِي عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامAbu al-Hasan III[58] أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن ٱلثَّالِث
Al-Naqi taught religious sciences until 243/857.[54] 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.[60]
Like his father, Al-Askari was placed under house arrest, which would last most of his life, by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tamid, .[64] During this time, repression of the Shia communities was great because of their growing size and power.[65]
He was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq.[66] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.[54]
Mohammad ibn al-Hasan حُجَّة ٱللَّٰه ٱبْن ٱلْحَسَن ٱلْمَهْدِيّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامAbu al-Qasim[32] أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِم
According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with the prophet Isa (Jesus). He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and establish justice and peace in the earth.[74]
According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he has been living in the Occultation since 872, and will continue as long as God wills.[72]
Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (1988). The Just Ruler (al-sultān Al-ʻādil) in Shīʻite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-511915-0.