The Fourteen Infallibles

The Fourteen Infallibles (Arabic: ٱلْمَعْصُومُون ٱلْأَرْبَعَة عَشَر, romanized: al-Maʿṣūmūn al-Arbaʿa ʿAshar; Persian: چهارده معصوم, Chahārdah Maʿṣūm) in Twelver Shia Islam are the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima al-Zahra, and the Twelve Imams. They are regarded as infallible under the theological doctrine of Ismah, meaning that they are believed to be divinely protected from error and sin. According to Twelver theology, the Fourteen Infallibles possess exceptional knowledge and moral purity and serve as authoritative guides in matters of religion. Their words and deeds are regarded as important sources for understanding and interpreting Islam, alongside the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad (Sunnah).

Family tree

List of the Infallibles NameKunya TitleArabic Date of birth and death CE AH Place of birth Importance Cause and place of death Place of burial Muhammad ibn AbdullahAbu al-QasimRasūl Allāh()(Messenger of God) Khātam al-ʾAnbiyāʾ()(Seal of the Prophets) al-Muṣṭafā()(The Chosen) Makkah, Hijaz 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. Fell ill and died in Madinah. According to some Shi'as and fewer Sunnis, he was fatally poisoned instead, with the exact circumstances being disputed between them. Buried in Madinah, Hijaz. Fatimah bint MuhammadʾUmm ʾAbīhāaz-Zahrāʾ()(The Luminous) Sayyidat Nisā Ahl Al Jannahʾ()(The Chief of the Women of Heaven) al-Batūl()(The Chaste) aṭ-Ṭāhirah()(The Pure) aṣ-Ṣiddīqah()(The Honest) Makkah, Hijaz Her father Muhammad called her "a part of me". She is also regarded as "the mother of the Imams". According to most Shias, Fatimah suffered a fatal injury while defending Ali against the first Sunni caliph. The exact location of her grave is unknown but is believed to be in Madinah. Ali ibn Abi TalibAbu al-HasanʾAmīr al-Muʾminīn()(Commander of the Faithful) al-Murtaḍā()(The Beloved) al-Waṣīy()(The Successor) al-Walīy()(The Wali) Makkah, Hijaz Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. According to Twelver Shia belief, he was the only person to have been born in the Ka'bah, the holiest site in Islam, and the first male to openly accept Islam. Considered by Shia Islam as the rightful Successor of Muhammad. Sunnis also acknowledge him as the fourth Caliph. He holds a high position in almost all Sufi (religious orders); members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through Ali.Assassinated by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite, in Kufa, Iraq, who struck his head with a poisoned sword while he was in prostration praying on the Night of Qadr in the month of Ramadan. Buried at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq, southwest of the place of his assassination in Kufa. Hasan ibn AliAbu Muhammadal-Mujtabā()(The Chosen) Sibṭ an-Nabīy()(Grandson of the Prophet) Madinah, Hijaz 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.He was poisoned fatally by his wife in Madinah by order of Caliph Muawiya. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Madinah. Husayn ibn AliAbu AbdillahSayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ()(Master of the Martyrs) al-Maẓlūm()(The Tyrannized) Sibṭ an-Nabīy()(Grandson of the Prophet) Madinah, Hijaz 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. Ever since the battle, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom has been at the core of Shia rituals and identity. Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala. Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine, Karbala, Iraq. Ali ibn HusaynAbu Muhammadas-Sajjād()(The Consistently Prostrating) Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn()(Ornament of the Worshippers) Madinah, Hijaz The author of the prayers in Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, ("The Scripture of Al-Sajjad", "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet"). He was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph al-Walid I in Madinah. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Madinah. Muhammad ibn AliAbu Ja'farBāqir al-ʿUlūm()(The Opener of Knowledge) Madinah, Hijaz Sunni and Shia sources consider Al-Baqir an early and pre-eminent legal scholar who was revered for having educated many students. He was fatally poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Madinah by order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Madinah Ja'far ibn MuhammadAbu Abdillahaṣ-Ṣādiq()(The Honest)Tabatabae (1979), p.203–204 Madinah, Hijaz As-Sadiq established the Ja'fari school of jurisprudence and developed the theology of the Twelvers. He taught many scholars in different fields, including Abu Hanifah and Malik ibn Anas in fiqh, Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam in Islamic theology, and Geber in science and alchemy. He was fatally poisoned in Madinah by order of Caliph Al-Mansur. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi, Madinah Musa ibn Ja'farAbu al-Hasan Ial-Kāẓim()(The Confined) Madinah, Hijaz 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. 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. He was imprisoned and fatally poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq, by order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Buried in the Kazimayn shrine, Baghdad, Iraq Ali ibn MusaAbu al-Hasan IIar-Riḍā()(The Pleasing)Tabatabae (1979), pp.205–207 Madinah, Hijaz 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. He was fatally poisoned in Mashad, Iran, by order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun. Buried in the Imam Reza shrine, Mashad, Iran Muhammad ibn AliAbu Ja'faral-Jawwād()(The Generous)Tabatabae (1979), p. 207 at-Taqīy()(The God-Fearing) Madinah, Hijaz Al-Jawad was known for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate. He was fatally poisoned by his wife, the daughter of Caliph Al-Ma'mun, in Baghdad, Iraq, by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim. Buried in the Kazmain shrine, Baghdad, Iraq. Ali ibn MuhammadAbu al-Hasan IIIal-Hādī()(The Guide) an-Naqīy()(The Pure) Surayya, a village near Madinah, Hijaz Al-Naqi taught religious sciences until 243/857. 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. He was fatally poisoned in Samarra, Iraq, by order of caliph Al-Mu'tazz. Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq. Hasan ibn AliAbu al-Mahdial-ʿAskarīy()(The Garrison Town One) Madinah, Hijaz Like his father, Al-Askari was placed under house arrest, which would last most of his life, by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tamid. During this time, repression of the Shia communities was great because of their growing size and power. He was fatally poisoned by order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq. Buried in the Al Askari Mosque, Samarra, Iraq. Mohammad ibn al-HasanAbu al-Qasimal-Mahdīy()(The Guided) al-Qāʾim()(The Riser) al-Ghāʾib()(The Hidden) Sāhib az-Zamān()(The Authority of the Era) Baqīyat Allah()(Remainder of Allah's) al-Ḥujjah ʾĀl Muḥammad()(The Proof of the House of Muhammad) Samarra, Iraq 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. According to Twelver Shia doctrine, he has been living in the Occultation since 872, and will continue as long as God wills.

The Fourteen Infallibles

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