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Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, was the first of the Twelve Imams, and, in the Twelvers view, the rightful successor to Muhammad, followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Al-Husayn, who was the brother of Al-Hasan.
Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Husayn Ibn Ali, who was the brother of Hasan Ibn Ali. [96] The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and in hiding. [99] The Shi'a Imams are seen as infallible.
In particular, knowing imams is equivalent to knowing (the knowable) God, which is in turn the ultimate goal of the creation. [96] It is in this sense that the imam is said to be the Proof of God (hujjat Allah), the Vicar of God (khakifat Allah), and the Threshold of God (bab Allah). [97]
Indeed, every Shia Imam is viewed as hujjat Allah, the (highest) proof of God, through whom the inner meanings of the Quran become accessible after the death of the prophet. [7] This title is more pronounced for the twelfth Imam, however, possibly because of a related hadith from the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi. [7]
This imam in occultation is the twelfth imam, Muhammad, son of the eleventh imam, Hasan al-Askari. [48] According to the Twelvers, the Mahdi was born in Samarra around 868, [49] though his birth was kept hidden from the public. [29] He lived under his father's care until 874 when the latter was killed by the Abbasids. [50]
Abd Allah ibn Muhammad (Ahmad al-Wafi), died 829, "hidden Imam", son of Muhammad ibn Isma'il according to Fatimid Isma'ili tradition; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah (Muhammad at-Taqi), died 840, "hidden Imam" Husayn ibn Ahmad (Abd Allah al-Radi), died 881, "hidden Imam" Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, died 934, openly declares himself Imam, 1st Fatimid Caliph
The reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi is the Twelver eschatological belief in the return of their Hidden Imam in the end of time to establish peace and justice on earth. For Twelvers, this would end a period of occultation that began shortly after the death of Hasan al-Askari in 260 AH (873–874 CE), the eleventh Imam.
According to the Hadith of the Twelve Successors, Muhammad said that the Islamic leadership is in Quraysh (i.e. his tribe) and that 12 "imams" (also called "princes" or "caliphs") shall succeed him. [35] [36] [37] Twelver Shias believe in twelve imams. They believe eleven of the imams were killed but that the twelfth imam is still alive.