The Twelve Imams (Arabic: ٱلَأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر, al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾIthnā ʿAšar; Persian: دوازده امام, Davâzdah Emâm) are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi.

Who is the 12th Imam of Islam?

Muhammad al-Mahdi مُحَمَّد
Muhammad al-Mahdi

Muhammad al-Mahdi مُحَمَّد ٱلْمَهْدِي 12th Imam of Twelver Shia
Term 874 CE – present
Predecessor Hasan al-Askari
Movement Twelver Shia Islam
Opponent(s) Shaytan, Sufyani, Dajjal

Who are the Twelve Imams of Shia?

The Twelve Imams (Arabic: ٱلَأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر, al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾIthnā ʿAšar; Persian: دوازده امام, Davâzdah Emâm) are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi.

Are 12 imams in Quran?

These twelve imams are not a monarchy, but rather are spiritual leaders in the line of Abraham as promised to him in the Quran 2:124: “And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with commands, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam for mankind.

Why do Shias believe in 12 imams?

Shi’a Muslims, also called ‘the party of Ali’, believe that Muhammad chose Ali as his successor rather than having a bloodline successor. After Ali’s death, Shi’a Muslims were led by twelve imams, whom they believe were spiritual successors to the Prophet Muhammad rather than having any family connection to him.

Who are the Twelvers?

Twelvers are the followers of the 12 imams they consider to be the only rightful successors of the Prophet Muhammad, beginning with Ali ibn Abu Talib (600-661 CE), Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, and ending with Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (born 869 CE), the 12th imam who–according to Twelver belief–will emerge and bring …

Is Imam Mahdi Shia or Sunni?

Both the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam believe in the Mahdi, though they differ extensively on his attributes and status. Among Twelver Shias, the Mahdi is believed to be Muhammad al-Mahdi, son of the 11th Imam Hasan al-Askari, who is said to be in occultation (ghayba).