Qualities and Experiences of the First Eleven Imams

 

The Shi’ites maintain the view that Prophet Mohammad appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor and Imam. Therefore, Ali became the first Imam. He was succeeded by eleven other Imams as recognized by Twelver Shi‘ites. The traditional biographies of the first eleven Imams depict several similarities. Therefore, it is notable that these Imams shared several qualities and experiences during their respective Imamates.

One of the qualities shared by several of the Imams is the quiet lives they lived. Except for Ali, the succeeding Imams led largely politically quiet lives. Ali is excluded from this quality as he was also the fourth Caliph (Momen 24). For instance, after renouncing the Caliphate to Mu’awiya, Hasan retired to a quiet life until his death (Momen 27). Also, Husayn who was the third Imam did not make any political moves during Mu’awiya’s reign as Caliph. He only did so after the Caliph’s death with his unsuccessful move from Mecca towards Kufa (Momen 29). Furthermore, Zaynu’l-‘Abidin lived a secluded life during his imamate. It is reported that he spent most of his time weeping for the martyrs of Karbala (Momen 36). These are the people who were killed while accompanying Husayn towards Kufa. Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth Imam, also followed in the footsteps of his father by living a mostly dormant life. Another example is the Imamate of Ja’far as-Sadiq. as-Sadiq spent part of his Imamate quietly teaching in Medina (Momen 38). It was only after the accession of the Abbasids to the Caliph that as-Sadiq’s harassment began. These are all examples of the quiet lives of the Imams.

The majority of the first eleven Imams suffered and were killed under the Caliphs. Hasan, for instance, is reported to have been poisoned by his wife at the encouragement of Mu’awiya who was the caliph at the time (Momen 28). Husayn was attacked by the Umayyad army under the orders of Yazid who was the Caliph. The attack resulted in the death of Husayn and many of the Shi’is who accompanied him. Zaynu’l-‘Abidin was imprisoned and ultimately poisoned under the orders of the reigning Caliph (Momen 37). This was despite having lived a secluded life. Musa al- Kazim, the seventh Imam, is reported to have been harassed throughout his life. These actions of hostility were carried out by the Abbasid Caliphs (Momen 39). The Imam was arrested at least once in Baghdad (Momen 40). Also, during the Caliphate of Mutawakkil, the Shi’is faced a lot of persecution. It was during this period that Ali al-Hadi, the tenth Imam, was held as a prisoner of the Caliph until his demise. Hasan al-‘Askari, the eleventh Imam, suffered the same fate as his father, al-Hadi. He is known to have lived an almost lifetime of detention in Samarra (Momen 44). The detention was overseen by the reigning Caliph until the death of the Imam. Momen notes that the Shi’i histories maintain that al-‘Askari, like many other preceding Imams, was also poisoned by the Caliph (44). These instances depict the suffering and killings of the Imams by the Caliphs.

The other quality shared by many of the Imams was a peaceful nature. Notably, the Imams did not call out for war even when they were assured of supporters. Except for Caliph Ali, none of the other Imams were involved in a war. Husayn is shown to have avoided bloodshed during his move towards Kufa. After being intercepted by al-Hurr at-Tamimi, the commander of a military detachment, Husayn agreed to alter his direction and head away from Kufa (Momen 29). Even after the second interception, Husayn requested his enemies to allow him to withdraw to Arabia (Momen 30). Although this wish was not granted, it was meant to avoid any bloodshed. Additionally, Hasan’s renouncing of the Caliphate is viewed by many Shi’is as a move to avoid bloodshed. Many of the other Imams lived quiet and peaceful lives as explained earlier. The Imamate of Ja’far as-Sadiq, the sixth Imam, further demonstrates this point. During his Imamate, there were many political events. These included Zayd’s revolt in 122/740 and the Abbasid uprising that began in 129/747 (Momen 38). Despite these events, as-Sadiq remained peaceful and politically quiet.

Finally, the Imams remained true to the teachings of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Caliph Ali, the first Imam, worked to ensure that the community adhered to the aspects of life taught by the prophet (Momen 24). Also, Husayn’s move towards Kufa was largely driven by the reports of Caliph Yazid’s anti-Islamic ways. Yazid was reported to break the laws of Islam (Momen 28). as-Sadiq, the sixth Imam, is renowned for his devotion to Islam. He dedicated most of his time to learning the Islamic ways. As a result, he taught many students who went on to become scholars (Momen 38). Despite the hostilities from the Caliphs, the Imams continued to offer guidance to the people regarding religious matters.

The first Eleven Imams recognized by Twelver Shi‘ites shared several qualities and experiences during their respective lifetimes. Among the qualities were the love for peace, dedication to the Islamic religion, and preference for quiet lives. Many also shared the life experience of suffering and being killed under the Caliphs.

Work Cited

Momen, Moojan. “The Lives of the Imams and Early Divisions Among the Shi’is.” An Introduction to Shi’i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism.” Yale University Press, 1985, pp. 23-45.