QUICK FACTS
At a Glance
| Full Name | Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi |
| Father | Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (A.S.) |
| Mother | Reported in different sources as Samana, Susan or related variants |
| Predecessor | Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (A.S.) |
| Successor | Imam Hassan al-Askari (A.S.) |
| Resting Place | Samarra, Iraq, beside Imam Hassan al-Askari (A.S.) |
| Historical Era | Abbasid rule, especially the reigns of al-Muʿtasim, al-Wathiq, al-Mutawakkil and their successors |
INTRODUCTION
Guidance Under Surveillance
Imam Ali al-Hadi (A.S.) became the successor of his father while still young. Historical sources describe him as a transmitter of religious knowledge and a figure able to maintain contact with followers through representatives. His later life was centered in Samarra, where Abbasid authorities kept him under close observation.
FROM MEDINA TO SAMARRA
A Forced Change of Residence
After years in Medina, al-Hadi was summoned to Samarra in 233 AH / 848 CE. Encyclopaedia Iranica records that he remained there for the rest of his life. Though closely watched, he continued to receive visitors and communicate with representatives who carried instructions and received religious contributions.
HIS SCHOLARSHIP
Teaching, Guidance and Correspondence
Teaching, Guidance and Correspondence
The historical memory of al-Hadi includes religious instruction, responses to questions and a network of representatives.
Teaching, Guidance and Correspondence
His life shows the increasing importance of correspondence and trusted intermediaries as direct public access became more restricted.
HIS CHARACTER
Dignity in Difficult Circumstances
Dignity in Difficult Circumstances
Traditional biographies emphasize his worship, generosity, humility and calmness under pressure.
Dignity in Difficult Circumstances
Accounts of his encounters with the Abbasid court repeatedly contrast political power with the moral authority of a scholar who refused to surrender his dignity.
THE SAMARRA YEARS
Living Under Abbasid Observation
Living Under Abbasid Observation
Al-Hadi’s move to Samarra placed him close to the Abbasid military capital.
Living Under Abbasid Observation
The sources describe restrictions, surveillance and episodes in which the authorities summoned or detained him. Yet his religious network continued to function, and his son Hassan became the next link in the succession.
HIS PASSING
Death in 254 AH
Al-Hadi died in Samarra on 26 Jumada II 254 AH / 21 June 868 CE according to the chronology preferred by Tabari and other sources cited by Encyclopaedia Iranica. Other dates are preserved. He was buried in the house where he lived, beside the later grave of his son Hassan.
HIS LEGACY
The Teacher Before the Final Generation
Imam Ali al-Hadi’s legacy includes scholarship, disciplined worship and the development of a representative network that became increasingly important in the next generation. His son, Imam Hassan al-Askari (A.S.), inherited this difficult environment and continued the chain in Samarra.
RESEARCH NOTES
Sources & Historical Care
Encyclopaedia Iranica
Historical reference by Wilferd Madelung on birth dates, the move to Samarra, representatives and death.
Encyclopaedia Iranica — Atabat
Historical overview of the Samarra tombs of the tenth and eleventh Imams.
This profile is part of the Twelve-Imam succession presented on SMAAAQ. Use the linked predecessor and successor names above to continue through the family of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.).
