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AUGUST, 1876.]
THE TWELVE EMÅMS.
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THE TWELVE EMÂMS.
BY E. REHATSEK, M.C.E., Hon. Mem. B.B.R.A.S. DEFORE the dynasty of the Cefå vis the Commander of the Faithful. Soon, however.
D Emamites began gradually to strength- A'a yshah," the Mother of the Believers," en their position all over Persia. Already dur- raised opposition under her own auspices, by ing the time of Albâs the Great the Emâmite leaving Madinah with Țolhah and Zobayr Faith (athna-a'sharite, i.e. of the twelve) be- and proceeding towards Bocra, and proclaiming came dominant, and has continued so to this day. everywhere that O'thmân had been slain with It asserted itself, however, much earlier in some the consent and by the command of A'li. The countries, where the followers of A'li had better latter, no doubt apprehensive of the dangers in and safer opportunities for developing their store for him, also left Madinah, and sent his tenets. A'li was only the fourth Khalif, whereas son Hasan to Kufah; but Abu Mûsa, the goaccording to his partizans he ought to have been vernor of the town, at first prevented the people the second, ie. the immediate successor of the from manifesting any feelings of loyalty; afterProphet. This is the origin of the difference wards, however, some thousands of them marchbetween the sects of the Sunnis and the Shia'hs, ed out and joined A'li çi Kåder, whence who were secretly organized immediately after he marched with them towards Boçra, and the murder of A'li, and added to the profession encamped in the vicinity of the town, but A'ayof faith the words " and A'li is the Vely of shah with Tolbah and Zobayr came out of it God." The meaning of the word Vely was with 30,000 men and took up a position in front afterwards amplified into that of " ficar," and of him; they also sent letters to him demandgave rise to various theories about A'li's divine ing the extradition of the murderers of O'thman, nature. Some even exalted A'li to the highest to avert hostilities. The latter, who were segrade of divinity, and called him Allah; bat, veral hundreds in number, detached themselves whatever differences may exist at present on from A'li's army and made a night attack upon that point, not only do the Emímites, but all the Alayshah's army, which appears to have been a Shia'hs, agree that the title of Emâ m belongs mere skirmish; a short time afterwards, howto his family only. In fact, besides himself ever, the poople of A'ayshah assailed the army of and his son lasan, all the other Emâmsten A'li, which gained the victory. The leaders in number-are the descendants of his son - Tolhah and Zobayr lost their lives, and the very sain, and the ancestors of the many thousands camel on which A'ayshah rode was cut down, of Sayyids now living in the Muhammadan so that she escaped with difficulty. This was world. The names of the twelve Emams are:- the battle of the camel,' in which 17,000 ot I. A'li;II. Hasan; III. Husain; IV. Zain the followers of the Mother of the Believers.' u l-a's bedin; V. Muhammad Bâqer; VI. and nearly 3,000 of the Commander of the Ja'fer-es-Sadeq; VII. Mûsa el-Kâ zem; Faithful,' are said to have fallen. Herenpon A'li VIII. A'li Mûsa er-Riya; IX. Muham- entered Boçra, harangued the people in the mad Taqi; X. A'li Naqi; XI. Hasan great mosque, and sent A'ayshah to Madinah al-A's kari; XII, Mohdi.
under a guard of honour. I. A'li the son of A bask'leb, being the son After overcoming these diffi ulties, new ones of the prophet's uncle, was his cousin. He was arose for A'li; certain parties who also considered born at Mekkah in the thirtieth year of the him to be an accomplice in the assassination of elephant,' and became the first convert of O'th man went to Syria in order to instigate Muhammad, who afterwards gave him his own Moa'via h to avenge it. The latter most daughter Fatema h to wife. He might have readily accepted the invitation, and immediately become the immediate successor of Muhammad, began hostilities. He despatched insulting letbut the prophet's favourite wife A'a y bhah ters to A'li, who was at Kufah, wherein he acmanaged to keep him away, and to get her own cused him of aspiring to the Khalifate as soon father, Abu Bakr, elected Khalif. A'li, how as the prophet bad died, and of complicity in the ever, became Khalif after the murder of O'thmân, | murder of O'thmân; and, lastly, he threatened and was thus the fourth instead of the second that he would chastise those who had a hand
