Imam
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An imam (Arabic: إمام plural ائمة A'immah, Persian: امام) is an Islamic leadership position, often the leader of a mosque and the community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads the prayer during Islamic gatherings. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have an Islamic question. In smaller communities an imam could be the community leader based on the community setting. It is important to note that the position of the Imam is not clerical in Sunni-Islam
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[edit] Shi'a imams
Main article: Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
In the Shi'a context, imam has a meaning more central to belief, referring to leaders of the community. Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a believe that these Imams are chosen by God to be perfect examples for the faithful and to lead all humanity in all aspects of life. They also believe that all the Imams chosen are free from committing any sin, infallibility which is called ismah. These leaders must be followed since they are appointed by God.
[edit] Twelver
Here follows a list of the Twelvers Imams:
| Number | Name (Full/Kunya) |
Title (Arabic/Turkish)[1] |
Birth–Death (CE/AH)[2] |
Importance | Birthplace (present day country) | Place of death and burial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali ibn Abu Talib علي بن أبي طالب Abu al-Hassan or Abu al-Husayn أبو الحسین أو أبو الحسن |
Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful)[3] Birinci Ali[4] |
600–661[3]
23–40[5] |
The first Imam and the rightful successor of the Prophet of all Shia; however, the Sunnis acknowledge him as the fourth Caliph as well. He holds a high position in almost all Sufi Muslim orders (Turuq); the members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.[3] | Mecca, Saudi Arabia[3] | Assassinated by Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite in Kufa, who slashed him with a poisoned sword.[3][6] Buried at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq. |
| 2 | Hassan ibn Ali الحسن بن علي Abu Muhammad أبو محمد |
al-Mujtaba
Ikinci Ali[4] |
624–680[7]
3–50[8] |
He was the eldest surviving grandson of Muhammad through Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah Zahra. Hasan succeeded his father as the caliph in Kufa, and on the basis of peace treaty with Muawiya I, he relinquished control of Iraq following a reign of seven months.[9] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[7] | Poisoned by his wife in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the orders of the Caliph Muawiya.[10] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi. |
| 3 | Husayn ibn Ali الحسین بن علي Abu Abdillah أبو عبدالله |
Sayed al-Shuhada
Ūçüncü Ali[4] |
626–680[11]
4–61[12] |
He was a grandson of Muhammad. Husayn opposed the validity of Caliph Yazid I. As a result, he and his family were later killed in the Battle of Karbala by Yazid's forces. After this incident, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a central ritual in Shia identity.[11][13] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[11] | Killed on Day of Ashura (10 Muharram) and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala.[11] Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq. |
| 4 | Ali ibn al-Hussein علي بن الحسین Abu Muhammad أبو محمد |
al-Sajjad, Zain al-Abedin
Dorduncu Ali[4] |
658-9[14] – 712[15]
38[14]–95[15] |
Author of prayers in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet." [15] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[14] | According to most Shia scholars, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph al-Walid I in Medina, Saudi Arabia.[15] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi. |
| 5 | Muhammad ibn Ali محمد بن علي Abu Ja'far أبو جعفر |
al-Baqir al-Ulum (splitting open knowledge) [16] Besinci Ali[4] |
677–732[16]
57–114[16] |
Sunni and Shia sources both describe him as one of the early and most eminent legal scholars, teaching many students during his tenure.[16][17] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[16] | According to some Shia scholars, he was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.[15]. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi. |
| 6 | Ja'far ibn Muhammad جعفر بن محمد Abu Abdillah أبو عبدالله |
al-Sadiq[18]
Altinci Ali[4] |
702–765[18]
83–148 [18] |
Established the Ja'fari jurisprudence and developed the Theology of Shia. He instructed 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.[18][19][20] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[18] | According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the order of Caliph Al-Mansur.[18]. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi. |
| 7 | Musa ibn Ja'far موسی بن جعفر Abu al-Hassan I أبو الحسن الاول [21] |
al-Kazim[22]
Yedinci Ali[4] |
744–799[22]
128–183[22] |
Leader of the Shia community during the schism of Ismaili and other branches after the death of the former Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq.[23] He established the network of agents who collected khums in the Shia community of the Middle East and the Greater Khorasan.[24] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[22] | Imprisoned and poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Buried in the Kazimayn shrine in Baghdad.[22] |
| 8 | Ali ibn Musa علي بن موسی Abu al-Hassan II أبو الحسن الثانی[21] |
al-Rida, Reza[25]
Sekizinci Ali[4] |
765–817[25]
148–203[25] |
Made crown-prince by Caliph Al-Ma'mun, and famous for his discussions with both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars.[25] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[25] | According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in Mashad, Iran on the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun. Buried in the Imam Reza shrine in Mashad.[25] |
| 9 | Muhammad ibn Ali محمد بن علي Abu Ja'far أبو جعفر |
al-Taqi, al-Jawad[26]
Dokuzuncu Ali[4] |
810–835[26]
195–220[26] |
Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate. | Medina, Saudi Arabia[26] | Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim. Buried in the Kazmain shrine in Baghdad.[26] |
| 10 | Ali ibn Muhammad علي بن محمد Abu al-Hassan III أبو الحسن الثالث[27] |
al-Hadi, al-Naqi[27]
Onuncu Ali[4] |
827–868[27]
212–254[27] |
Strengthened the network of deputies in the Shia community. He sent them instructions, and received in turn financial contributions of the faithful from the khums and religious vows.[27] | Surayya, a village near Medina, Saudi Arabia[27] | According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in Samarra, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tazz.[28] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque in Samarra. |
| 11 | Hassan ibn Ali ألحسن بن علي Abu Muhammad أبو محمد |
al-Askari[29]
Onbirinci Ali[4] |
846–874[29]
232–260[29] |
For most of his life, the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mu'tamid, placed restrictions on him after the death of his father. Repression of the Shi'ite population was particularly high at the time due to their large size and growing power.[30] | Medina, Saudi Arabia[29] | According to Shia, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq. Buried in Al Askari Mosque in Samarra.[31] |
| 12 | Muhammad ibn al-Hassan محمد بن الحسن Abu al-Qasim أبو القاسم |
al-Mahdi, Hidden Imam, al-Hujjah [32]
Onikinci Ali[4] |
868–unknown[33]
255–unknown[33] |
According to Twelver doctrine, he is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with Christ. He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and replete the earth with justice and peace.[34] | Samarra, Iraq[33] | According to Shia doctrine, he has been living in the Occultation since 872, and will continue as long as God wills it.[33] |
Fatimah, also Fatimah al-Zahraa, daughter of Muhammed (615–632), is also considered infallible but not an Imam. Many Shi'a believe that the last Imam will one day return.
See Imamah (Shi'a Ismaili doctrine) for Ismaili list of Imams
[edit] Sunni imams
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| Ahkam | |
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The term is also used for a recognized religious leader or teacher in Islam, often for the founding scholars of the four Sunni madhhabs, or schools of religious jurisprudence (fiqh). It may also refer to the imams of the sciences related to Hadith or to the heads of the Prophet's descendants in their times. In other words, Imam Ali is a phrase used by both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, though with different connotations[35].
The Sunni sect does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a sect. The imam in the Sunni sect of Islam is the leader of prayers; the sermon is most often given by the Sheikh.
However, there are some people whom Sunnis call "Imams" who are not prayer leaders. They are not Imams in the Shi'a sense of the word, but they are those who started the four Sunni Madhabs. List:
| Madhhab | Aqidah | Science of hadith |
| Imam Abu Hanifa | Imam al-Ashari | Imam Bukhari |
| Imam Malik | Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi | Imam Abu Dawood |
| Imam Shafi'i | Imam Fakhr al-Razi | |
| Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal | Imam Muslim |
[edit] Zaidi imams as rulers of Yemen
In the Zaidi Shiite sect, Imams were temporal as well as spiritual leaders who held power in Yemen for more than a thousand years. In 897, a Zaidi ruler, Yahya al-Hadi ila'l Haqq, founded a line of such Imams, a theocratic form of government which survived until the second half of the 20th century. (See details under Zaidi, History of Yemen.)
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ The Imam's Arabic titles are used by the majority of Twelver Shia who use Arabic as a liturgical language, including the Usooli, Akhbari, Shaykhi, and to a lesser extent Alawi. Turkish titles are generally used by Alevi, a fringe Twelver group, who make up around 10% of the world Shia population. The titles for each Imam literally translate as "First Ali", "Second Ali", and so forth. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 9780028657691.
- ^ The abbreviation CE refers to the Common Era solar calendar, while AH refers to the Islamic Hijri lunar calendar.
- ^ a b c d e Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. "Ali". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9005712/Ali. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 9780028657691.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.190-192
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), p.192
- ^ a b "Hasan". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9039439/Hasan. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.194-195
- ^ Madelung, Wilferd. "Hasan ibn Ali". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v12f1/v12f1024.html. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), p.195
- ^ a b c d "al-Husayn". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9041622/al-Husayn-ibn-Ali. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.196-199
- ^ Calmard, Jean. "Husayn ibn Ali". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v12f5/v12f5036c.html. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ a b c d Madelung, Wilferd. "'ALÈ B. AL-HUOSAYN". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a052.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ a b c d e Tabatabae (1979), p.202
- ^ a b c d e Madelung, Wilferd. "AL-BAQER, ABU JAFAR MOHAMMAD". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f7/v3f7a043.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), p.203
- ^ a b c d e f Tabatabae (1979), p.203-204
- ^ Reseach Committee of Strasburg University, Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq A.S. The Great Muslim Scientist and Philosopher, translated by Kaukab Ali Mirza, 2000. Willowdale Ont. ISBN 0969949014.
- ^ "Wasil ibn Ata". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9076198/Wasil-ibn-Ata. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ a b Madelung, Wilferd. "'ALÈ AL-HAÚDÈ". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a117.html. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- ^ a b c d e Tabatabae (1979), p.205
- ^ Tabatabae (1979) p. 78
- ^ Sachedina (1988), pp.53-54
- ^ a b c d e f Tabatabae (1979), pp.205-207
- ^ a b c d e Tabatabae (1979), p. 207
- ^ a b c d e f Madelung, Wilferd. "'ALÈ AL-HAÚDÈ". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a117.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.208-209
- ^ a b c d Halm, H. "'ASKARÈ". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v2f7/v2f7a081.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Tabatabae (1979) pp. 209-210
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.209-210
- ^ "Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9054165/Muhammad-al-Mahdi-al-Hujjah. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ a b c d Tabatabae (1979), pp.210-211
- ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp. 211-214
- ^ The Rightly-Guided Caliphs & The Four Imams
[edit] References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc..
- Encyclopædia Iranica. Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia University. ISBN 1568590504.
- Martin, Richard C.. Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1. MacMillan. ISBN 0028656040.
- Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 9780028657691.
- Corbin, Henry (1993 (original French 1964)). History of Islamic Philosophy, Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard. London; Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. ISBN 0710304161.
- Momen, Moojan (1985). TAn Introduction to Shi`i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelve. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300035314.
- Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (1988). The Just Ruler (al-sultān Al-ʻādil) in Shīʻite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195119150.
- Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn; Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) (1979). Shi'ite Islam. SUNY press. ISBN 0-87395-272-3.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Imam |
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Look up imam in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- A brief introduction of Twelve Imams
- A Brief History Of The Lives Of The Twelve Imams a chapter of Shi'a Islam (book) by Allameh Tabatabaei
- The Twelve Imams Taken From "A Shi'ite Anthology" By Allameh Tabatabaei
- A Short History of the Lives of The Twelve Imams
- Detailed description of the Shiite belief
- List of Sunni Imams
