Tenth Imam
Imam Ali al-Hadi (a)
al-Hadi al-Naqi — the Guide, the Pure
Livedc. 828–868 CE (212–254 AH)
Resting placeSamarra, Iraq (al-Askari Shrine)
FatherImam Muhammad al-Jawad
MotherLady Samana
PassingMartyred — poisoned
At the hands ofBy order of the Abbasid al-Mu'tazz, Samarra
Birth & Lineage
Born near Medina around 212 AH, Ali al-Hadi became Imam while still a child after his father al-Jawad, and was known as al-Naqi, “the pure.”
Life & Virtues
The Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil summoned him to the garrison city of Samarra and kept him under constant watch. Even so, he guided his followers and is the source of the beloved Ziyarat al-Jami’a al-Kabira, a treasury of devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt.
Martyrdom & Legacy
He was poisoned and passed away in Samarra in 254 AH, and is buried there in the shrine he shares with his son Imam al-Askari.