Muhammad al-Baqir...

Muhammad al-Baqir, the son of Ali Zainul Abideen, the Fourth Imam, and himself the Fifth Imam, was poisoned by Hisham bin Abdul Malik. Ja’far as-Sadiq, the son of Muhammad-al-Baqir the Fifth Imam, and himself the Sixth Imam, was poisoned by Mansur. Musa al-Kazim, the son of Ja’far-as-Sadiq the Sixth Imam and himself the Seventh Imam, was poisoned by Haroon ar-Rasheed. Ali ar-Ridha’, the son of Musa-al-Kazim the Seventh Imam, and himself the Eighth Imam, was poisoned by Mamun ar-Rasheed.

Muhammad at-Taqi, the son of Ali-ar-Ridha’ the Eighth Imam, and himself the Ninth Imam, was poisoned by Mo'tasim. Ali an-Naqi, the son of Muhammad-at-Taqi the Ninth Imam, and himself the Tenth Imam, was poisoned by Mo'tasim. Hasan Al-Askari, the son of Ali-an-Naqi, the Tenth Imam, and himself the Eleventh Imam, was poisoned by Mo'tamad.

Muhammad al-Mahdi, the son of Hasan-al-Askari, the Eleventh Imam, and himself the Twelfth and the Last of the divinely commissioned Imams, was aimed at to be killed by Mo' tamad, but by the Divine Will, disappeared, and at the Will of the Almighty, he is alive. This Last Guide in the seed of Abraham through Ishmael is kept alive and is awaited to reappear at God’s Will, as is the belief about Jesus the Last One in the seed of Abraham through Isaac.

There are two facts which are obviously wonderful for everyone who comes across the lives of the Holy Fourteen, (i.e., the Holy Prophet, his daughter Fatimah and the Twelve Imams): The Holy Prophet is known as the illiterate one, i.e., the one who did not have any education under any mortal in this world and so was every one of the Holy Fourteen, but every one of them was a fountainhead of knowledge of the highest order.

None of the Holy Ones, save the Fourteenth, (i.e., the Twelfth Imam) died of any natural death, for all the thirteen were martyred either secretly by poison or openly killed. Only the Fourteenth has been spared since he has been divinely secured and kept alive for the guidance of mankind to the end of the world. As Islam stands for the uplift of humanity as a whole, any sacrifice for it would naturally be for the cause of the whole of the Human race.