The Fourteen Infallibles

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The Fourteen Infallibles (Arabic: معصومون‎ Ma‘sūmūn) 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".[18] She is also regarded as "the mother of the Imams".[19][20]	According to most Shias, Fatimah suffered a fatal injury while defending Ali against the first Sunni caliph.[21] 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][22]	Amir al-Mu'minin[lower-alpha 15][23]	600 – 661[23] 22 or 16 BH – 40 AH [24] Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[23]	For all Shia, the son-in-law of Muhammad is the first Shia Imam[25] and the rightful successor of Muhammad.[26] 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.[23]	Assassinated in Kufa, Iraq, by Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite who slashed his head with a poisoned sword while he was praying.[23] Buried in Najaf, Iraq.[16]
	Hasan ibn Ali[lower-alpha 16] Abu Muhammad[lower-alpha 17][22]	Al-Mūjtabā[lower-alpha 18][27]	625 – 670[28] 3 – 50[16] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[28]	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.[28]	According to Twelver Shia belief, he was poisoned fatally by his wife in Medina by order of Caliph Muawiya.[29] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina.[28]
	Husayn ibn Ali[lower-alpha 19] Abu Abdillah[lower-alpha 20][30]	Sayyid ash-Shuhada[lower-alpha 21][31]	626 – 680[32] 4 – 61[16] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[33]	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.[33]	Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala[33] Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine, Karbala, Iraq.[33]
	Ali ibn Husayn[lower-alpha 22] Abu Muhammad[lower-alpha 23][34]	Al-Sajjad[lower-alpha 24][35] Zayn al-'Abidin[lower-alpha 25][36]	658/59[36] – 712[37] 38[36]– 95 [35][37] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[36]	The author of the prayers in Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya,[35] ("The Scripture of Al-Sajjad", "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet").[37]	According to most Shia scholars, Zayn al-'Abidin was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph al-Walid I in Medina.[37] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina.[35]
	Muhammad ibn Ali[lower-alpha 26] Abu Ja'far[lower-alpha 27][30][38]	Baqir al-Ulum[lower-alpha 28][38]	677 – 732[38] 57 – 114[38] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[38]	Sunni and Shia sources consider Al-Baqir an early and pre-eminent legal scholar who was revered for having educated many students.[35][38]	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[35]
	Ja'far ibn Muhammad[lower-alpha 29] Abu Abdillah[lower-alpha 30][35]	As-Sadiq[lower-alpha 31][39]	702 – 765[35] 83 – 148[35] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[40]	As-Sadiq established the Ja'fari school of jurisprudence and developed the theology of the Twelvers.[35] He taught many scholars in different fields, including Abu Hanifah[35] and Malik ibn Anas in fiqh, Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam in Islamic theology, and Geber in science and alchemy.[40]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned in Medina by order of Caliph Al-Mansur.[40] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Medina[35]
	Musa ibn Ja'far[lower-alpha 32] Abu al-Hasan I[lower-alpha 33][41]	Al-Kazim[lower-alpha 34][42]	744 – 799[35] 128 – 183[35] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[42]	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.[43] 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.[44]	According to Shia belief, he was imprisoned and fatally poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq, by order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.[45] Buried in the Kazimayn shrine, Baghdad, Iraq[35][42]
	Ali ibn Musa[lower-alpha 35] Abu al-Hasan II[lower-alpha 36][41]	Ar-Rida[lower-alpha 37][42]	765 – 817[35] 148 – 203[35] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[46]	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.[47]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned in Mashad, Iran, by order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun.[47] Buried in the Imam Reza shrine, Mashad, Iran[47]
	Muhammad ibn Ali[lower-alpha 38] Abu Ja'far[lower-alpha 39][30]	Al-Taqi[lower-alpha 40][47] Al-Jawad[lower-alpha 41][48]	809[47] or 810 – 835[47] 195 – 220[48] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[48]	Al-Jawad was known for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate.[49]	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.[48] Buried in the Kazmain shrine, Baghdad, Iraq.[47]
	Ali ibn Muhammad[lower-alpha 42] Abu al-Hasan III[lower-alpha 43][50]	Al-Hadi[lower-alpha 44][51] Al-Naqi[lower-alpha 45][47]	828 – 868 [50] 212 – 254[50] Surayya, a village near Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[50]	Al-Naqi taught religious sciences until 243/857.[47] 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.[50]	According to Shia sources, he was fatally poisoned in Samarra, Iraq, by order of caliph Al-Mu'tazz.[48] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.[47]
	Hasan ibn Ali[lower-alpha 46] Abu Muhammad[lower-alpha 47] [52]	Al-Askari[lower-alpha 48][53]	845/6 – 874[53] 231 – 260 [53] Medina, Hijaz, Arabian peninsula[53]	Like his father, Al-Askari was placed under house arrest, which would last most of his life, by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tamid, .[54] During this time, repression of the Shia communities was great because of their growing size and power.[55]	According to Shia belief, Al-Askari was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq.[56] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq.[47]
	Muhammad ibn al-Hasan[lower-alpha 49] Abu al-Qasim[lower-alpha 50][31]	Mahdi[lower-alpha 51][lower-alpha 52][57] Hidden Imam[lower-alpha 53][58] Al-Hujjah[lower-alpha 54][31][59] Sahib al-Zaman[lower-alpha 55][52] Sahibu'l-Amr[lower-alpha 56][52] Al-Qa'im[lower-alpha 57][31] Baqiyyat Allah[lower-alpha 58][31]	868 – Unknown[60] 255 or 256[47] – unknown[60] Samarra, Iraq[61]	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.[62]	According to Shia doctrine, Baqiyyat Allah has been living in the Occultation since 874 CE, and will continue living as long as God wills.[60]

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

Encyclopedias

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• Klemm (2014). "Fāṭima bt. Muḥammad". Encyclopaedia of Islam 3.  |access-date= requires |url= (help)
• Lammens (2012). "Fatima". Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill Online. ISBN 978-90-04-08265-6. 
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• Madelung, Wilferd (2003). "Hasan ibn Ali". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 2015-03-11. 
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Books

• Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali (1994). The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-2122-2. 
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• Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2013). Islamic Spirituality: Foundations. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-53895-9. 
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• Qurashī, Bāqir Sharīf (2005). The Life of Imam Muhammad Al-Jawad. Ansariyan Publications. ISBN 978-964-438-653-4. 
• Rayshahri, M. Muhammadi (12 January 2008). The scale of wisdom: a compendium of Shi'a Hadith. ICAS Press. ISBN 978-1-904063-34-6. 
• Rizvi, Sayyid Saeed Akhtar (1988). Imamate: The vicegerency of the Holy Prophet. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 978-9976-956-13-9. 
• 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. ISBN 0-19-511915-0. 
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• Walbridge, Linda S. (6 August 2001). The Most Learned of the Shi`a: The Institution of the Marja` Taqlid. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-534393-9. 

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