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The Imam ( meaning ''' Leader '''. Shi'a give the word a different meaning to it than the Sunni s. Within Shi'ism, there are various sects that differ over the number of Imams, or path of succession. The issue of who is the rightful Imam has led to the growth of numerous sects within Shi'ism including: Twelvers (with Shaykhís ), Ismailis (Seveners), Zaidis (Fivers), Alawites , Alevites , Druze , Ahl-e Haqq and others. TWELVER VIEW See Also: Imamah (Shi'a twelver doctrine) According to the majority of Shīˤa, namely the Twelvers (''Ithnāˤashariyya''), the following is a listing of the rightful successors to Muhammad. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam except for Hussayn Ibn ˤAlī , who was the brother of Hassan Ibn ˤAlī . # ˤAlī Ibn Abī Tālib (600 CE-661 CE) # Hassan Ibn ˤAlī (625-669) # Hussayn Ibn ˤAlī (626-680) # ˤAlī Ibn Hussayn (658-713), ''also known as Zayn al-Abidin'' # Muhammad Al-Baqir (676-743) # Jaˤfar As-Sadiq (703-765) # Musa Al-Kazim (745-799) # ˤAlī Ar-Rida (765-818) ''also known as Ali Reza'' # Muħammad At-Tāqī (810-835)''also known as Muhammad al-Jawad # Ali Al-Hadi (827-868) ''also known as ˤAlī an-Nāqī'' # Hasan Al-Askari (846-874) # Muhammad Al-Mahdi (b. 868) ISMAILI VIEW The Ismailis believe that the first five of the first six Imams listed above are the rightful successors of Muhammad, but differ as to the seventh, believing that Ismail Bin Jafar was the rightful successor, and not his brother Musa Al-Kazim . From Ismail bin Jafar, the Ismaili line of Imams diverges to the descendants of Ismail, from whom the Aga Khan s claim descent and their continuity. See {Link without Title} . # Ali Ibn Abi Talib (600 CE-661 CE) # Husayn Ibn Ali (626-680) # Ali Ibn Husayn (658-713), ''also known as Zayn al-Abidin'' # Muhammad Al-Baqir (676-743) # Jafar Al-Sadiq (703-765) # Ismail Bin Jafar It is important to note that Hasan Ibn Ali is not counted as Imam by the Ismailis on the ground that continuation of the Imamate can only occure from the current Imam to a male decendant. Since Hasan and Husayn were siblings, the Imamate could not pass from one of them to the other. ZAYDī VIEW The Zaydī believe that the first four Imāms listed above are the rightful successors of Muhammad but differ as to the fifth. The Zaydiyya believe that Zayd Ibn ˤAlī and not his brother Muhammad Al-Baqir was the rightful successor to the Imamate. For Zaydiyya, the Imamate was transferred from Zayd ibn ˤAlī to the Imāms who followed him; they often took the title of Caliph . Unusually, the Zaydī caliphate was not hereditary, although the caliph has to be descended from ˤAlī ibn Abī Tālib. # ˤAlī Ibn Abī Tālib (600 CE-661 CE) # Hassan Ibn ˤAlī (625-669) # Hussayn Ibn ˤAlī (626-680) # ˤAlī Ibn Hussayn (658-713), ''also known as Zayn al-Abidin'' # Zayd Ibn ˤAlī (d. 740) Not all "Zaydiyya" believe Zayd was the true Imām - Wasiti s believe in the Twelve Imams and are considered Twelvers. Most Wasitī settled in India and Pakistan; the largest group is known as ''Saadat-e Bahra''. ''Saadat'' means "descendants of Hussayn" and ''bahra'' means "twelve" in Hindi-Urdu. Saadat-e Bahra's biggest gathering is in Karachi, Pakistan and Muzaffarnagar, India . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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