List of Isma'ili imams

This is a list of the Imams as recognized by the different sub-sects of the Ismai'li sect of Shia Islam. Imams are considered members of the Bayt (Household) of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah.

Early Imams

All Isma'ili sects roughly share the first four Imams with the Zaydi Shia, and the first six Imams with the Twelver Shia. The Nizari and Musta'li are collectively also known as Fatimid Isma'ili, in contrast to the Sevener Isma'ili.

After Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, the Zaydis consider Zayd ibn Ali to be their next Imam rather than his older brother Muhammad al-Baqir who is considered the next Imam by the Isma'ili and Twelvers. After Ja'far al-Sadiq, the Twelvers consider Musa ibn Ja'far to be their next Imam, whereas Fatimid Isma'ilis consider his older brother Isma'il ibn Jafar to be their next Imam, followed next by his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il. The Sevener Isma'ilis consider either Isma'il ibn Jafar or his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il to be their final Imam and occulted Mahdi.

Sevener		Fatimid
Waqifi	Qarmatian	Musta'li	Nizari	Personage	Period
1	1	Asās	1	Ali	(632–661)
2	2	1	Mustawda	Hasan ibn Ali	(661–669) Mustaali
3	3	2	2	Husayn ibn Ali	(669–680) (Mustaali) (661–680) (Nizari)
4	4	3	3	Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin	(680–713)
5	5	4	4	Muhammad al-Baqir	(713–733)
6	6	5	5	Ja'far al-Sadiq	(733–765)
7 (Mahdi)	—	6	6	Isma'il ibn Jafar	(765–775)
—	7 (Mahdi)	7	7	Muhammad ibn Isma'il	(775–813)

The Seveners propagated their faith from their bases in Syria through Da'iyyun. In 899, Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah announced that he was the "Imam of the Time" being also the fourth direct descendant of Muhammad ibn Ismail in the very same dynasty, and proclaimed his previous three descendant Da'is to have been "hidden Imams". This caused a split between his Sevener followers accepting his claim and the Qarmatian who continued to dispute his claim and considered Muhammad ibn Ismail as the Imam in occultation. Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah eventually became the first Fatimid Caliph with his empire spanning Egypt and the eastern Maghreb. Sevener communities continued to exist in Eastern Arabia and Syria, and for a while in northern Iran but where it was gradually replaced by Fatimid Isma'ilis and other Shiʿi communities.

Fatimid

In the Fatimid and its successor Isma'ili traditions, the Imamate was held by the following. Each Imam listed is considered the son of the preceding Imam by mainstream accounts.

8. Ahmad al-Wafi, died 829, "hidden Imam", son of Muhammad ibn Isma'il according to Fatimid Isma'ili tradition
9. Muhammad at-Taqi, died 840,"hidden Imam"
10. Abdullah ar-Radi (al-Zaki), died 881"hidden Iman"
11. Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah, died 934, openly declares himself Imam, 1st Fatimid Caliph
12. Al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah, died 946, 2nd Fatimid Caliph
13. Al-Mansur Billah, died 953, 3rd Fatimid Caliph
14. Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, died 975, 4th Fatimid Caliph
15. Abu Mansur Nizar al-Aziz Billah, died 996, 5th Fatimid Caliph
16. Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, 6th Fatimid Caliph, disappeared 1021. The Druze believe in the divinity of all Imams and split off after al-Hakim's disappearance, believed by them to be the occultation of the Mahdi.
17. Ali az-Zahir, died 1036, 7th Fatimid Caliph
18. Al-Mustansir Billah, died 1094, 8th Fatimid Caliph.

After his death, the succession was disputed. The regent Malik al-Afdal placed Mustansir's younger son Al-Mustali Biallah on the throne. This was contested by the elder son Nizar ibn al-Mustansir, who was defeated and died in prison. This dispute resulted in the split into two branches, lasting to this day, the Nizari and the Musta'li.

Musta'li

The rival lines of succession of the Isma'ili imams resulting from the Musta'li–Nizari and Hafizi–Tayyibi schisms

The Musta'li recognized Imams:

19. Ahmad al-Musta'li Billah, died 1101, 9th Fatimid Caliph, son of al-Mustansir Billah
20. Al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah, died 1130, 10th Fatimid Caliph

Hafizi Ismaili Muslims claimed that al-Amir died without an heir and was succeeded as Caliph and Imam by his cousin al-Hafiz. The Musta'li split into the Hafizi, who accepted him and his successors as an Imam, and the Tayyibi, who believed that al-Amir's purported son At-Tayyib was the rightful Imam and had gone into occultation.

Tayyibi

The Tayyibi recognized Imam:

21. At-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim, born 1130, disappeared in 1132, son of al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah

The Tayyibi branch continues to this day, headed by a Da'i al-Mutlaq as vice-regent in the imam's occultation. The Tayibbi have broken into several branches over disputes as to which Da'i is the true vice-regent. The largest branch are the Dawoodi Bohra, and there are also the Sulaimani Bohra and Alavi Bohra.

Hafizi

The Hafizi recognized Imams:

21. Al-Hafiz li-Din Allah, died 1149, 11th Fatimid Caliph, cousin of al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah
22. Az-Zafir bi-Amr Allāh, died 1154, 12th Fatimid Caliph
23. Al-Fa'iz bi-Nasr Allah, died 1160, 13th Fatimid Caliph
24. Al-Adid li-Din Allah, died 1171, son of al-Hafiz li-Din Allah, 14th Fatimid Caliph. The Fatimid Caliphate ended with Al-'Adid's death.
25. Daud al-Hamid-Lil-Lah, died 1207/8, son of al-Adid li-Din Allah. Died in prison under the Ayyubid dynasty, Al-Kamil.
26. Sulayman Badruddin, died 1248, son of Daud al-Hamid Lillah. Died in prison under the Ayyubid dynasty. The last Hafizi Imam.

The Hafizi sect lived on until the 14th century in Egypt and Syria, but died out by the end of the 14th century.

Nizari

Main articles: Nizari, History of Nizari Ismailism, and Imamah (Nizari Ismaili doctrine)

Nizari		Imams		Period
Mu'mini	Qasimi	Qasimi	Mu'mini	Qasimi	Mu'mini
19	19	Nizar al-Mustafa li-Din Allah ibn al-Mustansir Billah		1095–1097
20	20	Ali al-Hadi ibn Nizar ("hidden")		1097–1136
21	21	Muhammad al-Muhtadi ("hidden")	Muhammad al-Muhtadi (Rashid ad-Din Sinan) Ibn Ali al-Hadi ("hidden")	1136–1158	1136–1193
	22	Hassan al-Qahir ("hidden")		1158–1162
	23	Hassan Ala Zikhri Salam		1162–1166
	24	Nur al-Din Muhammad		1166–1210
22	25	Jalal al-Din Hassan	Jalal al-Din Hassani ibn Muhammad al-Muhtadi	1210–1221	1193–1221
23	26	Ala al-Din Muhammad ibn Jalal al-Din Hassan		1221–1255
24	27	Rukn al-Din Khurshah ibn Ala al-Din Muhammad		1255–1256
25	28	Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Rukn al-Din Khurshah		1257–1310

Following the death of Shams al-Din Muhammad, the Nizari Isma'ili split into two groups: the Mu'mini Nizari (or, Muhammad-Shahi Nizari) who considered his elder son 'Ala' ad-Din Mumin Shah to be the next Imam followed by his son Muhammad Shah, and the Qasimi Nizari (or, Qasim-Shahi Nizari) who consider his younger son Qasim Shah to be the next Imam

Mu'mini

26. 'Ala' ad-Din Mumin Shah bin Shamsu-d-Din Muhammad, died 1310; the elder son of Shams al-Din Muhammad.
27. Muhammad Shah bin Mu'min Shah, died 1404.
28. Radi al-Din bin Muhammad Shah, died 15th century.
29. Tahir bin Radi al-Din, died 15th century.
30. Radi al-Din II bin Tahir, died 1509.
31. Shah Tahir bin Radi al-Din II al-Husayni ad-Dakkani, died 1549. The most famous Imam from this line.
32. Haydar bin Shah Tahir, died 1586.
33. Sadr al-Din Muhammad bin Haydar, died 1622.
34. Mu'in al-Din bin Sadr al-Din, died 1644.
35. Atiyyat Allah bin Muin al-Din (Khudaybaksh), died 1663.
36. Aziz Shah bin Atiyyat Allah, died 1691.
37. Mu'in al-Din II bin 'Aziz Shah, died 1715.
38. Amir Muhammad bin Mu'in al-Din II al-Musharraf, died 1764.
39. Haydar bin Muhammad al-Mutahhar, died 1786
40. Amir Muhammad bin Haydar al-Baqir, the final imam of this line, disappeared in 1796.

Qasimi

29. Qasim Shah (hidden), younger son of Shamsu-d-Din Muhammad. 1310–1368
30. Islam Shah (hidden) established himself in Anjudan. 1368–1424
31. Muhammad b. Islam Shah (hidden) 1424–1464
32. Al-Mustansir billah II Ali Shah (Shah Qalandar), established public Imamate -under the practice of Sufi taqiyya- in Anjudan, 1464–1480
33. Abdu-s-Salam Shah, in Anjudan, 1480–1494.
34. 'Abbas Shah Gharib Mirza Mustansir bi'llah III, in Anjudan, 1494–1498.
35. Abu Dharr Ali (Nur Shah) or Nuru-d-Din, in Anjudan, 1498–1509.
36. Murad Mirza, 1509–1574, executed in 1574 by Shah Tahmasp I of Iran.
37. Dhu-l-Fiqar Ali, or Khalilullah I, in Anjudan, 1574–1634.
38. Nur al-Dahr or Nuru-d-Din Ali, in Anjudan, 1634–1671.
39. Khalilullah II Ali, last imam of Anjudan, 1671–1680.
40. Nizar II, established imamate in Kahak, 1680–1722.
41. As-Sayyid Ali, in Kahak, 1722–1736.
42. Sayyid Hasan 'Ali Beg, established imamate in Shahr-e Babak, Kerman, first Imam who abandoned the practice of taqiyya, 1736–1747.
43. Qasim Ali (Sayyid Ja'far), in Kerman, 1747–1756.
44. Sayyid Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali (Baqir Shah), 1756–1792.
45. Shah Khalilullah III, in Kahak, then since 1815 in Yazd, 1792–1817, murdered in 1817.
46. Hassan Ali Shah Aga Khan I or Shah Hassan Ali (lived 1804–1881; reigned 1817–1881)
47. Aqa Ali Shah Aga Khan II or Shah Ali Shah (lived 1830–1885; reigned 1881–1885)
48. Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III (lived 1877–1957; reigned 1885–1957)
49. Shah Karimu-l-Hussayni Aga Khan IV (born 1936; reigned since 1957)

Genealogy

Genealogical overview of Isma'ili imams

Ali Hasan Husayn Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad al-Baqir Ja'far al-Sadiq Isma'il ibn Jafar Muhammad ibn Isma'il Ahmad al-Wafi Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah) Radi Abdullah Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah Al-Qa'im Bi-Amrillah Al-Mansur Billah Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Al-Aziz Billah Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah Ali az-Zahir Al-Mustansir Nizar Al-Musta'li Abu'l-Qasim Muhammad Ali al-Hadi Mansur al-Amir Bi-Ahkamillah Muhammad al-Mutadi Al-Tayyib Al-Hafiz Hasan al-Qahir Al-Zafir Yusuf Hassan Ala Dhikrihi's Salam Al-Fa'iz Al-'Adid Nur al-Din Muhammad II Da'ud al-Hamid Jalaluddin Hasan Sulayman Badr al-Din

See also

• Mahdi

References

• Daftary, Farhad (2007). The Ismāʿı̄lı̄s: Their History and Doctrines (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-61636-2.
• Halm, Heinz (1988). Die Schia. Darmstadt, Germany: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. pp. 193–243. ISBN 3-534-03136-9.