The First Imam
‘Ali al-Murtada (’Alaihis-Salam wa Karramullahu Wajahu!)
Father: Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim.
Mother: Fatimah bint Asad bin Hashim bin Abd Munaf.
Kunniyat (Patronym): Abu’l Hasan and Husayn, Abu Turab
Laqab (Title): Al-Wasi, Amir al-Mu’minin
Birth: He was born in the actual structure of the Ka’ba, in thirty ‘Am al-Fil (the year of the
elephant).
Martyrdom: He was martyred by the accursed Khwariji named ibn Muljam at Kufa during
the month of Ramadan in the 40th year of Hijrah and is buried in Najaf on the outskirts of
Kufa.
On the 13th of Rajab, Fatia binte Asad went to the kaba to pray for the safe birth of the child she was expecting. She went to the wall opposite the door of the Kaba and leaned against it in prayer. Suddenly there was a crack in the wall letting her in and sealing itself after she had entered. News about the event spread throughout Makka and the keys to the Kaba were brought to try and open the doors. They did not open.
The Second Imam
Hasan (’Alaihi-Salam)
Mother: Fatimah az-Zahra, the youngest daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
Kunniyat: Abu Muhammad
Laqab: Al-Sibt al-Kabir (the elder grandson), Al-Mujtaba.
Birth: He was born in Madina in the middle of the month of Ramadhan in 3 A.H.
Martyrdom: He died on the 28th of Safar in the year 50 A.H. He was buried in the
graveyard of Baqi in Madina.
The Third Imam
Husayn (’Alaihi-Salam)
Mother: Fatimah az-Zahra, the daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
Kunniyat: Abu ‘Abdillah.
Laqab: Al Sibt, Shahid-e-Karbala.
Birth: He was born in Madina in the month of Shaban in the year 4 A.H.
Martyrdom: He was martyred with his companions by the army of Yazid in the month of
Muharram 61 A.H. His tomb is in Karbala, a town of Iraq.
The Fourth Imam
‘Ali Zayn al-’Abidin
Mother: Shahzanaan
Kunniyat: Abu al-Hasan
Laqab: Zayn al-’Abidin, Al Sajjad
Birth: He was born in 38 A.H. in Madina.
Martyrdom: He died of poison in the year 94 or 95 A.H. at Madina and is buried at Baqi
near his uncle Hasan.
The Fifth Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir
Mother: Umm Abdullah, the daughter of Imam Hasan.
Kunniyat: Abu Ja’far.
Laqab: Al-Baqir.
Birth: He was born at Madina in the year 57 A.H.
Martyrdom: He died of poisoning in Madina in 114 A.H. and is also buried at Baqi near his
father.
The Sixth Imam
Ja’far as-Sadiq
Mother: Umm Farwa, the daughter of Qasim
bin Muhammad bin Abu Bakr.
Kunniyat: Abu ‘Abdillah.
Laqab: Al-Sadiq.
Birth: He was born at Madina in 83 A.H.
Martyrdom: He died of poison in 148 A.H. and is buried at Baqi near his father.
The Seventh Imam
Musa al-Kazim
Mother: Hamidah
Kunniyat: Abu al-Hasan
Laqab: Al-Kazim
Birth: He was born at Madina in the year 129 A.H.
Martyrdom: He was poisoned in the prison of Harun al-Rashid at Baghdad in the year 183
A.H. He is buried in Kazimiyyah in Iraq.
The Eighth Imam
‘Ali al-Rida
Mother:Khayzran
Kunniyat : Abu al-Hasan
Laqab : Al-Rida
Birth: He was born at Madina in 148 A.H.
Martyrdom: He was poisoned in the year 203 A.H. and is buried in the Khurasan district of
Iran.
The Ninth Imam
Muhammad Taqi
Mother: Sakina
Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu ‘Abdillah
Laqab (Title): Al Jawad
Birth: He was born at Madina in 195 A.H.
Martyrdom: He died of poison at Baghdad in the year 220 A.H. and is buried near his
grandfather at Kazimiyyah in Iraq.
The Tenth Imam
Ali al-Naqi
Mother: Samana al-Maghribiya
Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu al-Hasan al Askari
Laqab (Title): Al-Hadi
Birth: He was born at Madina in the year 212 A.H.
Martyrdom: He died of poison in 254 A.H. at Samarrah (Sarmanra) in Iraq and is buried
there.
The Eleventh Imam
Hasan al-Askari
Mother: Ummul Walad - Sawsan.
Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu Muhammad.
Laqab (Title): Al-Askari.
Birth: He was born at Samarrah in the year 232 A.H.
Martyrdom: He was poisoned in 260 A.H. at Samarrah and is buried there.
All the tombs of the eleven Imams are a place of Ziyarat (holy visitation) by the believers.
Four of the Imams are buried in the city of Madinah, (Saudi) Arabia. However, their tombs
have been demolished by the Wahhabi fanatics along with the tombs of the wives of the
Prophet and his blessed companions.
The Twelfth Imam
Muhammad al-Mahdi (May Allah hasten his unveiling!)
Mother: Ummul Walad Narjis alias Saiqal
Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu ‘Abdullah, Abu al-Qasim
Laqab (Title): Al-Qaim, Al-Muntazar, Al-Khalaf, Al-Mahdi, Sahib al-zamaan.
Birth: He was born at Samarrah in the year 255 A.H. He is the last Imam (a.s.) and he is alive and hidden.