Eleventh Imam in Twelver Shi‘i Islam
Family and Samarra
Hasan al-Askari was the son of Ali al-Hadi. He lived with his father in Samarra, the Abbasid garrison city, and succeeded him in 868 CE according to Twelver tradition.
A restricted life
Sources describe a life affected by governmental surveillance and periods of confinement. His religious authority was communicated within a community facing political pressure.
Death and succession
He died in 260 AH / 874 CE and was buried beside his father in Samarra. His death produced differing succession claims among followers. Twelver belief identifies Muhammad al-Mahdi as his son and the twelfth Imam. The historical existence of competing claims and the community’s theological account should be explained separately.
Sources and further study
Encyclopaedia Iranica — Hasan al-Askari
An introductory, source-attributed profile. Dates and disputed reports are qualified where necessary. The linked works represent their authors’ historical or religious approaches; linking a source does not endorse every interpretation it contains.