سِلْسِلَةُ الأَئِمَّة · The Chain

The Imam Chain

The 23 Imams of the Ismaili Tayyibi tradition, from Imam Ali (AS) to Imam al-Tayyib (AS) — an unbroken line of divine guidance.

Early Imams First Satr Fatimid Caliphate Second Satr (ongoing)

Early Imams

After the Prophet (SAW)
  1. 1
    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS)
    Amir al-Mu'minin d. 40 AH / 661 CE
    عَلِيُّ بنُ أَبِي طَالِب
  2. 2
    Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS)
    al-Mujtaba d. 50 AH / 670 CE
    الحَسَنُ بنُ عَلِيّ
  3. 3
    Imam Husain ibn Ali (AS)
    Sayyid al-Shuhada d. 61 AH / 680 CE
    الحُسَيْنُ بنُ عَلِيّ
  4. 4
    Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (AS)
    Zayn al-Abidin d. ~95 AH / 713 CE
    عَلِيُّ زَينُ العَابِدِين
  5. 5
    Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS)
    al-Baqir d. ~114 AH / 733 CE
    مُحَمَّدٌ البَاقِر
  6. 6
    Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS)
    al-Sadiq d. 148 AH / 765 CE
    جَعفَرٌ الصَّادِق
  7. 7
    Imam Ismail ibn Jafar (AS)
    al-Wafi d. ~145 AH / 762 CE
    إِسمَاعِيلُ بنُ جَعفَر
  8. 8
    Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail (AS)
    al-Maymun d. ~193 AH / 809 CE
    مُحَمَّدٌ بنُ إِسمَاعِيل

First Satr

9th–12th Imams
  1. 9
    Imam Ahmad al-Wafi (AS)
    al-Wafi First Satr
    أَحمَدُ الوَفِيّ
  2. 10
    Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (AS)
    al-Taqi First Satr
    مُحَمَّدٌ التَّقِيّ
  3. 11
    Imam Husain al-Radi (AS)
    al-Radi First Satr
    الحُسَيْنُ الرَّضِيّ
  4. 12
    Imam Ali al-Zaki (AS)
    al-Zaki First Satr
    عَلِيٌّ الزَّكِيّ

Fatimid Caliphate

297–524 AH / 909–1130 CE
  1. 13
    Imam al-Mahdi Billah (AS)
    1st Fatimid Caliph 297–322 AH
    المَهدِيُّ بِاللَّه
  2. 14
    Imam al-Qa'im bi-Amrillah (AS)
    2nd Fatimid Caliph 322–334 AH
    القَائِمُ بِأَمرِ اللَّه
  3. 15
    Imam al-Mansur Billah (AS)
    3rd Fatimid Caliph 334–341 AH
    المَنصُورُ بِاللَّه
  4. 16
    Imam al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah (AS)
    Built Cairo & al-Azhar 341–365 AH
    المُعِزُّ لِدِينِ اللَّه
  5. 17
    Imam al-Aziz Billah (AS)
    5th Fatimid Caliph 365–386 AH
    العَزِيزُ بِاللَّه
  6. 18
    Imam al-Hakim bi-Amrillah (AS)
    Built Masjid al-Hakim 386–411 AH
    الحَاكِمُ بِأَمرِ اللَّه
  7. 19
    Imam al-Zahir li-Izaz Din Allah (AS)
    7th Fatimid Caliph 411–427 AH
    الظَّاهِرُ لِإِعزَازِ الدِّين
  8. 20
    Imam al-Mustansir Billah (AS)
    60-year reign 427–487 AH
    المُستَنصِرُ بِاللَّه
  9. 21
    Imam al-Musta'li Billah (AS)
    The Dawat accepted him 487–495 AH
    المُستَعلِي بِاللَّه
  10. 22
    Imam al-Amir bi-Ahkamillah (AS)
    Father of al-Tayyib 495–524 AH
    الآمِرُ بِأَحكَامِ اللَّه

Second Satr (ongoing)

524 AH / 1130 CE — present
  1. 23
    Imam al-Tayyib Abu al-Qasim (AS)
    The Hidden Imam 524 AH — present
    الطَّيِّبُ أَبُو القَاسِم

The unbroken trust

The Imam Chain is the sacred trust at the heart of the Ismaili Tayyibi dawat. Each Imam received the nass (divine designation) from his predecessor — an unbroken chain of divine guidance from the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through his family (Ahl al-Bayt). The current period is the Second Satr: Imam al-Tayyib (AS) is in concealment, and the Dawat is led by the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (TUS), in his name.