The status of the imams of the Ithna ‘Ashari Shi’ah (12 IMAMS)

The Twelve Imams of the Ithnā ‘Asharī Shi‘ah

A Study of Their Historical Status, Virtues, and the Doctrine of Imāmah

Introduction

The subject of the Twelve Imams occupies a central position in the theology of the Ithnā ‘Asharī, or Twelver, Shi‘ah. Unlike Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah, who regard the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the members of his household with love and respect while making the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah the ultimate sources of religion, Twelver Shi‘ism makes Imāmah one of the fundamental principles of its theology.

Twelver Shi‘ah believe that after the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, religious and spiritual authority belonged to twelve divinely appointed Imams from the family of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib رضي الله عنه. They regard these Imams as protected from error and sin and believe that the final Imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī, entered occultation and will return as the awaited Mahdī.

It is important, however, to distinguish between the historical personalities themselves and the theological claims later made concerning them. The Twelve Imams were members of the Prophet's family, and several of them were renowned for knowledge, worship, piety and noble lineage. The fact that Ahl al-Sunnah reject the doctrine of infallible Imāmah does not mean that they reject the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Indeed, love for the Ahl al-Bayt is part of the religion.

Allah says:

قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ

“Say: I do not ask of you any reward except love for the near relatives.”

The interpretation and application of this verse have been discussed extensively by the scholars of tafsīr, but there is no doubt that Islam commands Muslims to honour the family of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

1. Who Are the Twelve Imams?

The Twelver Shi‘ah identify the following twelve individuals as their Imams:

‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib رضي الله عنه

al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī رضي الله عنه

al-Husayn ibn ‘Alī رضي الله عنه

‘Alī ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-‘Ābidīn رحمه الله

Muhammad ibn ‘Alī al-Bāqir رحمه الله

Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq رحمه الله

Mūsā ibn Ja‘far al-Kāzim رحمه الله

‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Ridā رحمه الله

Muhammad ibn ‘Alī al-Jawād رحمه الله

‘Alī ibn Muhammad al-Hādī رحمه الله

al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī al-‘Askarī رحمه الله

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī, whom they call al-Mahdī, al-Qā’im and al-Muntazar.

Twelver sources themselves identify these twelve as their Imams.

The important question for the Sunni perspective, therefore, is not whether these men existed, nor whether they possessed virtue. Rather, the questions are:

Were they divinely appointed as Imams?

Were they infallible?

Were their statements binding upon the entire Muslim Ummah?

Is there authentic evidence that the Prophet ﷺ appointed these twelve individuals by name?

Did the twelfth Imam actually enter occultation and remain alive until the present?

These questions require evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah and established historical sources.

2. The Virtue of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib رضي الله عنه

There is no question among Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the greatness of ‘Alī رضي الله عنه.

He was the cousin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the husband of Fātimah رضي الله عنها, the father of al-Hasan and al-Husayn رضي الله عنهما, one of the earliest Muslims, and the fourth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْ عَلِيٍّ

“‘Alī is from me and I am from ‘Alī.”

This narration is reported by al-Tirmidhī, who described it as hasan gharīb.

The Prophet ﷺ also said concerning ‘Alī:

وَهُوَ وَلِيُّ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي

“He is the ally/supporter of every believer after me.”

The wording occurs in Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, although scholars have discussed the grading and chain of this particular narration.

These narrations demonstrate the enormous virtue of ‘Alī رضي الله عنه. However, virtue by itself is not the same as proof that a person has been appointed as an infallible religious authority after the Prophet ﷺ.

3. The Status of al-Hasan and al-Husayn رضي الله عنهما

The same principle applies to the Prophet's two grandsons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn رضي الله عنهما.

Their virtues are established by numerous authentic reports.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ

“Al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the leaders of the young people of Paradise.”

This narration is reported by al-Tirmidhī and has supporting narrations, including in Sahih Muslim regarding their great virtue.

The martyrdom of al-Husayn رضي الله عنه at Karbalā’ was one of the great tragedies of Islamic history, and Ahl al-Sunnah condemn his killing and regard him with profound love and respect.

At the same time, the tragic events surrounding Karbalā’ do not establish the later theological doctrine of twelve infallible Imams.

4. The Qur’an Establishes the Honour of the Companions

One of the fundamental differences between Sunni and Twelver theology concerns the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

Ahl al-Sunnah believe that the Companions were human beings who could make mistakes, but that the Companions as a generation possessed an unparalleled rank because they believed in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, supported him and transmitted the religion.

Allah says:

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ

“And the first forerunners among the Muhājirūn and the Ansār and those who followed them with excellence—Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.”

(Qur’an 9:100)

Allah also says concerning those who gave the pledge beneath the tree:

لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ

“Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you beneath the tree.”

(Qur’an 48:18)

This does not mean that every Companion was incapable of making an error. Rather, it establishes their high status and the general principle that Muslims should not treat the generation that carried the religion as though it consisted primarily of apostates or hypocrites.

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly warned:

لَا تَسُبُّوا أَصْحَابِي

“Do not abuse my Companions.”

He then explained that even if a later Muslim spent gold equal to Mount Uhud, it would not equal a small amount spent by one of the Companions.

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 3673.

5. The Three Best Generations

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ

“The best of you are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.”

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 6695.

This hadith is important when discussing the later Imams.

Many of the Twelve Imams lived during the second and third Islamic centuries. They were therefore members of generations after the generation of the Companions. Their closeness to the Prophet's family gives them an additional virtue, but it does not automatically make them superior to every Companion or establish them as infallible authorities.

6. How Ahl al-Sunnah View the Twelve Imams

The Sunni position can be summarized carefully:

The first three

‘Alī, al-Hasan and al-Husayn رضي الله عنهم

These three are unquestionably among the greatest members of the Ahl al-Bayt and among the most distinguished Muslims.

‘Alī رضي الله عنه was also a Companion, a Rightly Guided Caliph and one of the greatest scholars and warriors of Islam.

Al-Hasan رضي الله عنه was the grandson of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and famously surrendered political authority in order to prevent further bloodshed among Muslims.

Al-Husayn رضي الله عنه was the grandson of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and was unjustly killed at Karbalā’.

The next four

‘Alī Zayn al-‘Ābidīn, Muhammad al-Bāqir, Ja‘far al-Sādiq and Mūsā al-Kāzim

These men were members of the Prophet's household and were known for knowledge, worship and noble character.

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله distinguished them from later figures and acknowledged their status as respected scholars.

He wrote:

مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةٌ فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ يَجِبُ لَهُمْ مَا يَجِبُ لِنُظَرَائِهِمْ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ كَعَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، وَأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْبَاقِرِ، وَجَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقِ

“Among them were Imams in knowledge and religion, and they deserve what is due to their counterparts among the Imams of knowledge and religion, such as ‘Alī ibn al-Husayn, Abū Ja‘far al-Bāqir and Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq.”

Majmū‘ al-Fatāwā, 19/69.

This is an important point. Sunni criticism of Twelver theology should never be confused with disrespect for the genuine scholars of Ahl al-Bayt.

7. The Later Imams: al-Ridā, al-Jawād, al-Hādī and al-‘Askarī

The eighth through eleventh figures are:

‘Alī al-Ridā

Muhammad al-Jawād

‘Alī al-Hādī

al-Hasan al-‘Askarī

They were members of the Prophet's family and are worthy of respect because of their lineage and the good qualities attributed to them.

However, the historical evidence does not establish that they functioned as universal religious authorities in the way that Twelver theology later describes them.

This point was discussed by Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله.

Regarding several of these later figures, he wrote:

وَلَمْ يَظْهَرْ عَنْهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ

The discussion concerns the absence of the kind of extensive scholarly transmission that would normally be expected if they had been the exclusive religious authorities for the entire Ummah.

Minhāj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, 6/387.

The point is not that these members of Ahl al-Bayt had no virtue or knowledge. Rather, historical prominence, noble ancestry and personal piety are not identical to divinely appointed infallible Imāmah.

8. The Twelfth Imam and the Doctrine of Occultation

The greatest historical difficulty arises with the twelfth Imam.

Twelver Shi‘ah believe that Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī was born around 255–256 AH, became the Imam after his father's death, and subsequently entered al-Ghaybah, the occultation.

They believe that he remains alive and will eventually appear as the Mahdī.

This doctrine is central to contemporary Twelver belief. Twelver sources themselves describe the Twelve Imams as divinely appointed and infallible, ending with Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī.

From the classical Sunni perspective, however, the existence and occultation of this individual are not established by reliable historical evidence.

Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله wrote concerning the alleged Samarrā’ cellar:

وَأَمَّا مَا يَعْتَقِدُونَهُ بِسِرْدَابِ سَامَرَّاءَ فَذَاكَ هَوَسٌ فِي الرُّؤُوسِ، وَهَذَيَانٌ فِي النُّفُوسِ، لَا حَقِيقَةَ لَهُ، وَلَا عَيْنَ، وَلَا أَثَرَ

“Their belief concerning the cellar of Samarrā’ is an obsession in the minds and delirium in the souls; it has no reality, no identifiable existence and no evidence.”

al-Bidāyah wa’l-Nihāyah, 1/177.

This was the position of Ibn Kathīr regarding the specific doctrine of the hidden Imam in the Samarrā’ cellar.

9. Is the Twelver Imam the Same as the Mahdī Mentioned in the Sunnah?

A distinction must be made here.

Ahl al-Sunnah believe in the coming of al-Mahdī based upon numerous hadiths. However, the Sunni doctrine does not identify him with Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī.

The Sunni Mahdī is understood from the hadith literature to be a man from the family of the Prophet ﷺ who will appear near the end of time.

The question, therefore, is not whether Muslims should believe in al-Mahdī. Rather, it is whether the evidence establishes that he is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī who entered occultation as a child.

The Sunni scholars do not accept that identification as historically established.

10. The Doctrine of Infallibility

One of the most important theological differences concerns ‘iṣmah, or infallibility.

Twelver theology attributes a special form of infallibility to the Imams. Twelver theological literature explicitly describes the Twelve Imams as infallible authorities.

Ahl al-Sunnah, however, do not believe that any person after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ possesses prophetic-style infallibility.

The principle of Islam is that revelation ended with Muhammad ﷺ.

Allah says:

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets.”

(Qur’an 33:40)

Therefore, an individual who comes after the Prophet ﷺ cannot be treated as an infallible recipient of divine revelation.

The Imams may be scholars, righteous people and members of the Ahl al-Bayt, but their statements must be examined according to the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.

11. What About Taqiyyah?

The doctrine of taqiyyah requires careful explanation.

Taqiyyah, in its basic meaning, refers to concealing one's religious position under circumstances of danger or persecution.

The Qur’an itself recognizes an exceptional situation in which a believer may conceal faith under coercion.

Allah says:

إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ

“Except for one who is compelled while his heart is secure in faith.”

(Qur’an 16:106)

Therefore, it would be inaccurate to claim that every form of religious concealment is simply lying or hypocrisy.

The Sunni objection concerns the theological and methodological expansion of taqiyyah in certain Shi‘i literature, particularly where reports are difficult to reconcile because one report may be dismissed as taqiyyah whenever it disagrees with later Shi‘i doctrine.

This becomes an important question when evaluating reports attributed to the Imams: a historical report should not automatically be accepted or rejected merely because it agrees or disagrees with a later theological position.

12. The Question of Qur’anic Preservation

The original article makes a very broad statement that “the Shi‘ah believe that the Qur’an has been distorted.”

This wording should be corrected.

It is true that some classical Twelver works contain narrations that have been interpreted as supporting the doctrine of taḥrīf, and Sunni scholars have criticized these reports.

However, mainstream contemporary Twelver Shi‘i scholarship generally rejects the claim that the Qur’an in the hands of Muslims today has been textually corrupted.

Twelver literature itself contains substantial discussion attempting to interpret, reject or explain reports concerning taḥrīf. Their contemporary presentation should therefore not be caricatured.

The Sunni position is straightforward:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

“Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and surely We will preserve it.”

(Qur’an 15:9)

The Qur’an transmitted and recited by Muslims today is the preserved revelation of Allah.

13. The Doctrine of Raj‘ah

Another distinctive Twelver doctrine is al-Raj‘ah, the belief that certain individuals will return to worldly life before the final Resurrection.

This is different from the Sunni belief in the resurrection on the Day of Judgement.

The Sunni doctrine is that the dead will be resurrected at the end of the world for judgement, as stated repeatedly throughout the Qur’an.

Allah says:

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ ۝ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ

“Then after that you will surely die. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will certainly be resurrected.”

(Qur’an 23:15–16)

The claim that particular Companions and members of Ahl al-Bayt will return to this world before the final Resurrection is therefore not part of the established Sunni creed.

14. A Crucial Distinction: Ahl al-Bayt Are Not the Same as Twelver Theology

One of the most important principles when studying this subject is to avoid two opposite mistakes.

The first mistake is to reject the Ahl al-Bayt because of disagreement with Shi‘i theology.

That is wrong.

The second mistake is to accept every theological claim attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt simply because it is attributed to them.

That is also wrong.

Ahl al-Sunnah love:

‘Alī رضي الله عنه

Fātimah رضي الله عنها

al-Hasan رضي الله عنه

al-Husayn رضي الله عنه

‘Alī Zayn al-‘Ābidīn رحمه الله

Muhammad al-Bāqir رحمه الله

Ja‘far al-Sādiq رحمه الله

and the other members of the Prophet's household.

But loving them does not require believing that they were divinely appointed, infallible Imams whose every statement constitutes an independent source of revelation.

15. What Did Sunni Scholars Say About the Imams?

Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله made a useful distinction among the individuals regarded by the Twelvers as Imams.

He recognized:

First category

‘Alī, al-Hasan and al-Husayn رضي الله عنهم.

They were noble Companions and members of Ahl al-Bayt.

Second category

‘Alī Zayn al-‘Ābidīn, Muhammad al-Bāqir, Ja‘far al-Sādiq and Mūsā al-Kāzim رحمه الله.

They were respected scholars and righteous members of the Prophet's family.

Third category

‘Alī al-Ridā, Muhammad al-Jawād, ‘Alī al-Hādī and al-Hasan al-‘Askarī.

They possessed honour through their lineage, but the extensive scholarly authority attributed to them by later Twelver theology is not established in the same manner.

Fourth category

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī.

Ibn Taymiyyah and other classical Sunni scholars rejected the claim that the alleged hidden Imam had been established historically.

This distinction is much more accurate than simply saying, “the Sunni scholars reject all twelve Imams.”

They did not regard all twelve individuals in the same manner.

16. The Sunni Position in Brief

The Sunni position can therefore be summarized in the following principles:

1. We love the Ahl al-Bayt.

Love for the family of the Prophet ﷺ is part of faith and good character.

2. We recognize the virtue of ‘Alī, al-Hasan and al-Husayn رضي الله عنهم.

Their virtues are established by the Qur’an, Sunnah and historical record.

3. We respect the righteous descendants of the Prophet ﷺ.

The later members of Ahl al-Bayt, including al-Bāqir and Ja‘far al-Sādiq, were respected scholars.

4. We do not believe that the Imams were infallible.

Infallibility in conveying revelation belongs to the Prophets.

5. We do not accept the doctrine that the twelve Imams were divinely appointed by name as a fundamental principle of Islam.

Such a doctrine requires explicit and authentic proof.

6. We do not believe that Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askarī has remained hidden since the third century AH.

The historical evidence does not establish this claim according to the classical Sunni scholars.

7. We affirm the coming of al-Mahdī according to the authentic Sunnah.

But we do not identify him with the Twelver doctrine of the hidden Imam without evidence.

8. We reject insulting the Companions.

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly said:

لَا تَسُبُّوا أَصْحَابِي

“Do not abuse my Companions.”

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 3673.

17. A Balanced Conclusion

The subject of the Twelve Imams should be approached with knowledge, justice and respect.

The members of the Prophet's family deserve love and honour, and the tragedies that befell them—particularly the martyrdom of al-Husayn رضي الله عنه—should not be minimized.

At the same time, affection for Ahl al-Bayt does not justify introducing theological beliefs that are not established by the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.

The Qur’an directs Muslims back to revelation:

فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

“If you differ over anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger.”

(Qur’an 4:59)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remains the final Prophet and the ultimate authority in matters of revelation. After him, the Companions transmitted the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the scholars of Islam examined those transmissions through principles of authentication and criticism.

Consequently, the Sunni position is neither hatred of the Ahl al-Bayt nor blind acceptance of every claim made in their name.

Rather, it is:

Love the Ahl al-Bayt.

Honour the Companions.

Follow the Qur’an.

Follow the authentic Sunnah.

Do not exaggerate the status of created beings.

And judge every theological claim by authentic evidence.

As Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ

“O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear witness with justice.”

(Qur’an 5:8)

And Allah knows best.

Selected Classical References

القرآن الكريم — especially 3:110, 4:59, 5:8, 9:100, 15:9, 16:106, 23:15–16, 33:40 and 48:18.

صحيح البخاري — كتاب فضائل أصحاب النبي ﷺ، particularly hadith 3673 and the narrations concerning the virtue of the Companions.

صحيح مسلم — كتاب فضائل الصحابة.

جامع الترمذي — كتاب المناقب، including narrations concerning ‘Alī and the Ahl al-Bayt.

منهاج السنة النبوية — شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن عبد الحليم ابن تيمية، especially 2/155, 2/243–244 and 6/387.

مجموع الفتاوى — ابن تيمية، 19/69.

البداية والنهاية — الحافظ إسماعيل بن كثير، especially 1/177, concerning the alleged Samarrā’ cellar.

سير أعلام النبلاء — الإمام الذهبي.

الفصل في الملل والأهواء والنحل — ابن حزم.

For understanding the Twelver position from their own literature, see Twelver theological works discussing the Twelve Imams and their doctrine of infallibility.

Final Note

A strong article on this subject should not rely on insulting terminology or sweeping statements about every Shi‘i person. It is much stronger academically to distinguish between the Ahl al-Bayt themselves, the historical record concerning them, and the theological doctrines developed around them. That approach makes the Sunni argument clearer, more defensible, and more consistent with the Qur’anic command to speak with justice.