Ninth Imam...

Ninth Imam: Abu Ja`far ath-Thani MUHAMMAD at-Taqi al-Jawad, son of ‘Ali ar-Riza, was born on 10th Rajab 195/811 in Medina; died of poison in Baghdad on 30th Dhu 'l-qa`dah 220/835; was buried near his grandfather at al-Kazimiyyah. Tenth Imam: Abu 'l-Hasan ath-Thālith `ALI an-Naqi al-Hadi, son of Muhammad at-Taqi, was born on 5th Rajab 212/827 in Medina; died of poison in Samarra (Iraq) on 3rd Rajab, 254/868.

Eleventh Imam: Abu Muhammad `AL-HASAN al-`Askari, son of ‘Ali an-Naqi, was born on 8th Rabi`u 'th-Thani, 232/846 in Medina; died of poison in Samarra (Iraq) on 8th Rabi`u 'l-Awwal 260/874. Twelfth Imam: Abu 'l-Qāsim MUHAMMAD AL-MAHDI, son of al-Hasan al-`Askari, was born on 15th Sha`ban 255/869 in Samarra (Iraq). He is our present Imam; he went into Lesser Occultation in 260/874 which continued until 329/844; then the Greater Occultation began, which still continues.

He will reappear when Allah allows him, to establish the Kingdom of Allah on earth, to fill the world with justice and equality, as it would be full of injustice and tyranny. He is al-Qā'im (the one who shall stand to establish the rule of Allah); al-Hujjah (the Proof of Allah over His creatures); Sāhibu ’z-Zamān (the Lord of Our Time), and Sāhibu ’l-Amr (the one vested with Divine authority).

* * * This lesson has been adapted from chapters 16 & 17 of Imamat: the Vicegerence of the Prophet (Tehran: WOFIS, 1985) by Syed S. Akhtar Rizvi. Question Paper on Lesson 17 Question 1 : [10 points] (a) Name the famous Sunni scholar who narrated the following hadīth: “There will be twelve caliphs, all from the Quraysh” and also the book in which he narrated it. (b) Name at least four other Sunni scholars who also narrated the above mentioned hadīth.

Question 2 : [20 points] Consider the hadīth: “There will be twelve caliphs, all from the Quraysh.” Now state one reason why this hadīth does not apply to: (a) The Four al-Khulafā'u 'r-Rāshidun: (b) The Banu Umayyah (c) The Banu `Abbās: Question 3 : [10 points] Answer the following questions: (a) Which Imam/Imams did not die of poisoning? (b) Which Imam/Imams is/are also known as Abu Muhammad? (c) Besides Imam Husayn (a.s.) which later Imam/Imams had witnessed the massacre of Karbala.

(d) Which Imam had the shortest life? (e) Which Imam/Imams died in prison? (f) Which Imam had the title of “Amīru 'l-muninīn”? (g) Name the person who martyred Imam ‘Ali? (h) Which Imam/Imams is/are buried in Kazimiyyah?