The Ahlulbayt
Imam Mahdi’s Family Tree
The defining quality of Imam Mahdi is that he is from the pure and divinely purified family of Prophet Muhammad (S), who were known as the “Ahlulbayt”, or People of the House.
The Ahlulbayt comprise the daughter of the Holy Prophet (S), Bibi Fatima, her husband Imam Ali, their children Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain, and nine Imam descendants of Imam Hussain up to Imam Mahdi (equating to 12 Imams in total).
Twelver Shias: the School of Ahlulbayt
The belief in Imam Mahdi as the living Imam of our age, the Twelfth Imam, is held by the Shia Muslims who follow the Jafari school of thought. This is also known as the Twelver school, or the Imamiya school, or the School of Ahlulbayt. It is the largest branch of Shia Islam (some 85% of the world’s Shias), with approximately 300 million followers worldwide. Like Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Prophet Musa (Moses), Prophet Easa (Jesus) and the final messenger Prophet Muhammad (S), the Imams act as God’s representatives on Earth. Shias believe that the Prophet’s spiritual authority was inherited by the twelve Imams, with each Imam chosen by divine appointment.
Since his birth over 1100 years ago, Imam Mahdi has been God’s appointed representative over mankind. After the revelation of the Holy Quran and the demise of Prophet Muhammad (S), the Imams have held a pivotal role in reaffirming and communicating the spiritual and theological foundations of Islam, offering guidance and leadership to the community.