Compiled by Khalid Shaukat
The chronology presented here gives an understanding of the time difference and generation gaps of famous names in early Islamic history, e.g., Imam Abu-Hanifah was early enough to have seen Sahabah, while Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and Imam Ahmad bin-Hambal had not met or seen any Sahabah. Compare the time frame of Imam Bokhari & Imam Muslim with those of Imam Malik or Imam Abu-Hanifah. See the times of 12 Imams of Isna-'ashari faith (The Twelvers).
| NAME | BORN | DIED | REMARKS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hadrat Abu-Bakar Siddiq | 51 BH*/573 CE*, Makkah | JMT 13, 634=Aug 23, 634(Tue), Medinah | First Caliph (Khalifah) of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Khalifatur-Rasool |
| Hadrat Umar ibn al-Khattab | 41 BH/582 Makkah | 24 AH/645 Medinah | Second Caliph (Khalifah), Title "Ameerul-Momineen" was first adopted |
| Hadrat Uthman ibn Affaan | 47 BH/577 Makkah | 35 AH/655 Medinah | Ameerul-Momineen, Third Caliph (Khalifah) |
| Hadrat Ali ibn Abi-Taalib (1) | 13 Rajab 23BH/600 Makkah | 21 Ramadhan 40AH/661 Kufah | Ameerul-Momineen, Fourth Caliph (Khalifah) |
| Imam Hasan ibn Ali (2) | 15 Ramadan 3 AH/Feb 28, 625 (Thursday) Medinah | Safar 49 or 50 AH/669 or 670 Medinah | Ameerul-Momineen (5th Khalifah), First son of Ali & Fatimah, Grand Child of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was probably poisoned |
| Mo'awiah ibn Abi-Sufian | 12 BH/611 Makkah | 60 AH/680 Dimashq | 6th Khalifah (Brother-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)) |
| Imam Husain ibn Ali (3) | 3 Sha'ban 4 AH/Jan 8, 626 (Wednesday) Medinah | 10 Muharram 61 AH/Oct 9, 680 (Tuesday) Karbala, Iraq | Shaheed-e-Karbala, Second son of Ali & Fatimah, Grand Child of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) |
| Imam Ali Zainul-Abideen (4) | 5 Sha'ban 38 AH/Jan 5, 659 (Saturday) Medinah | 25 Muharram 95 AH/Oct 20, 713 (Friday) Medinah | Son of Imam Husain |
| Imam Muhammad Baqir (5) | 1 Rajab 57 AH/May 9, 677 (Saturday) Medinah | 7 Zul-Hijja 114 AH/Jan 28, 733 (Wednesday) Medinah | Son of Imam Ali Zainul-Abideen |
| Imam Abu-Hanifah, Imam-1 | 80 AH/699 Kufah, Iraq | 150 AH/767 Baghdad | Taabai, Scholar of Fiqh (Jurisprudence), student of Imam Baqir & Imam Ja'far Sadiq |
| Imam Ja'far Sadiq (6) | 17 Rabi-al-Awwal 83 AH/April 10, 702 (Monday) Medinah | 25 Shawwal 148 AH/Dec 13, 765 (Friday) Medinah | Taabai, Son of Imam Baqir. He was Imam of Fiqh Ja'fri (Jurisprudence) |
| Imam Maalik, Imam-2 | 93 AH/712 Medinah | 179 AH/795 Medinah | Taba-Taabai, Compiler of Hadith & Scholar of Fiqh (Jurisprudence), student of Imam Ja'far Sadiq |
| Imam Abu-Yusuf (Hanafi) | 113 AH/731 Kufah, Iraq | 187 AH/803 Baghdad | Taba-Taabai, Student of Abu-Hanifah, Scholar of Fiqh (Jurisprudence) |
| Up to the time of Imam Ja'far Sadiq, friends of Ali (Shi'aan-e-Ali) were not considered any different from other Muslims. Imam Ja'far Sadiq had two sons, Isma'il and Musa al-Kazim. Followers of Isma'il become the "Seveners" or "Ismailis. Followers of Musa al-Kazim become the "Twelvers" who believed that the lineage of Imam continued with Imam Musa al-Kazim. Beginning of Shi'ism was not documented before this time, but long after, when the concept of 12 Imams became the basis of Shi'as after the 12th Imam's disappearance in 878 CE. | |||
| Imam Musa Kazim (7) | 7 Safar 129 AH/Oct 27, 745 (Thurs) al-Abwa, 7 mi from Medinah | 25 Rajab 183 AH/Sep 1, 799 (Sunday) Kadhimiya | Son of Imam Ja'far Sadiq, died in prison |
| Imam Muhammad (Hanafi) | 132 AH/750 Wasit, Iraq | 189 AH/805 Baghdad | Student of Imam Maalik, and Imam Abu-Yusuf (Jurisprudence) |
| Imam Shafi'i, Imam-3 | 150 AH/767 Ghaza | 204 AH/819 Egypt | Student of Imam Maalik (Jurisprudence) |
| Imam Ali Reza (8) | 11 Zul-Qa'da 153 AH/Nov 4, 770 (Sunday) Medinah | 17 Safar 203 AH/Aug 24, 818 (Tuesday) Mash'had, Iran | Son of Imam Musa Kazim |
| Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal, Imam-4 | 164 AH/780 Baghdad | 241 AH/855 Baghdad | Student of Imam Shafi'i, Scholar of Fiqh (Jurisprudence) |
| Imam Muhammad Jawwad Taqi (9) | 10 Rajab 195 AH/April 8, 811 (Tuesday) Medinah | 30 Zul-Qa'da 220 AH/Nov 26, 835 (Friday) Kadhimiya | Son of Imam Ali Reza |
| Imam Ali Naqi (10) | 5 Rajab 215 AH/Aug 28, 830 (Sunday) Surba, Iraq | 3 Rajab 254 AH/June 28, 868 (Monday) Samarra, Iraq | Son of Imam Muhammad Jawwad Taqi |
| Imam Hasan Askari (11) | 8 Rabi-al-Thani 232 AH/Dec 1, 846 (Wednesday) Samarra, Iraq | 8 Rabi-al-Awwal 260 AH/Jan 1, 874 (Friday) Samarra, Iraq | Son of Imam Ali Naqi |
| Imam Muhammad Mahdi (12) | 15 Sha'ban 255 AH/July 29, 869 (Friday) Samarra, Iraq | Disappeared at age 9 in 878 CE | Son of Imam Hasan Askari. Followers of Isna-'ashari faith (The Twelvers) believe that he is still alive, hiding, and will re-appear near Judgment Day to establish Kingdom of Allah, to fill the world with equality and justice. |
| Imam Bokhari | 194 AH/810 Bukhara | 256 AH/870 Samarqand | Compiler of most authentic Hadith book |
| Imam Muslim | 206 AH/821 Nishapur, Iran | 261 AH/875 Nishapur, Iran | Compiler of very authentic Hadith book |
| Imam Abu-Daood | 202 AH/817 Sindh-Kabul | 275 AH/889 Basrah, Iraq | Scholar and Compiler of Hadith |
| Imam Ibn Maja | 209 AH/824 Qazween, Iraq | 273 AH/887 Qazween, Iraq | Scholar and Compiler of Hadith |
| Imam Tirmidhi | 209 AH/824 Tirmidh, Balkh | 279 AH/892 Tirmidh, Balkh | Scholar and Compiler of Hadith |
| Imam Nasaai | 214 AH/829 Khurasan, Iran | 303 AH/915 Egypt | Scholar and Compiler of Hadith |
Notes:
BH = Before Hijra
AH = After Hijra
CE = Common Era
Chronolgy for Caliphs from Sahabah is basically taken from "Khilafate-e-Islamia" by Abdul-Quddoos Hashmi, Page 29.
Isna-Ash'ari Imams chronology is basically taken from "Millat-e-Islamia ki Mukhtasar Tareekh" by Sarwat Saulat, Page 157.
Chronology for Fiqh Imams is taken from "Tazkira Imam Abu-Hanifah" by Jamil Ahmad Sharqpuri, various pages.