ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras Ismaili Imams A brief look at the Ismaili Imams: This section focuses on the Ismaili Imams starting from Ismail.

I will briefly narrate their lives and examine the issues arising, especially from the point of view of their being qualified for being appointed as Leaders of the Divine Religion of Islam Following is the genealogical table of the Fatimid Ismaili Caliph Imams: Ismail Ibn Jafar (d 136 AH/754 AD) (6th Ismaili Imam) Muhammad al-Maktum ibn Ismail (not much info available) (7th Ismaili Imam) Abd Allah ibn Muhammad (no dates available) (8th Ismaili Imam) Ahmad ibn Abd Allah (no dates available) (9th Ismaili Imam) Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad (d 268 AH/ 881 AD) (10th Ismaili Imam) Abu Muhammed ‘Ubayd Allah (Abd Allah) al-Mahdi Billah (d 322 AH/934 AD) (1st Fatimid Caliph) (11th Ismaili Imam) Abul Qasim Muhammed al-Qaim bi Amr Allah (d 334 AH/946 AD) (2nd Fatimid Caliph) (12th Ismaili Imam) Abu Tahir Ismail al-Mansur Billah (d 341 AH/953 AD) (3rd Fatimid Caliph) (13th Ismaili Imam) Abu Tamim Ma’add al-Muizz li din Allah (d 365 AH/ 975 AD) (4th Fatimid Caliph)(14th Ismaili Imam) Abu Mansur Nizar al-Aziz Billah (d 386 AH/996 AD) (5th Fatimid Caliph) (15th Ismaili Imam) Abu Ali al-Mansur al-Hakim bi Amr Allah (d 411 AH/1021 AD) (6th Fatimid Caliph) (16th Ismaili Imam) Abul Hasan Ali al-Zahir li I’zaz din Allah (d 427 AH/1036 AD) (7th Fatimid Caliph) (17th Ismaili Imam) Abu Tamim Ma’add al-Mustansir Billah (d 487 AH/1094 AD)[^1] (8th Fatimid Caliph) (18th Ismaili Imam) Al-Mustali Billah (d 495 AH/1101 AD) 9th Fatimid Caliph) (19th Taiyyebi/Mustali Imam) Al-Amir bi Ahkam Allah (d 524 AH/1130 AD)[^2] (10th Fatimid Caliph)(20th Taiyyebi/Mustali Imam) Al-Tayyib went into hiding (21st Taiyyebi/Mustali Imam) Ismail Ibn Jafar (6th Ismaili Imam) Start of the Split Ismail was the oldest son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as).

Some of the Shias used to think that Ismail would be the next Imam after Imam al-Sadiq (as), since he was the oldest and Imam al-Sadiq (as) loved him very much. However, Ismail died while Imam al-Sadiq (as) was still alive. It is reported that when the funeral of Ismail was being taken to the Baqi cemetery in Medina, Imam al-Sadiq (as) uncovered the face of his deceased son Ismail a few times to show that he was dead.