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ʾAbū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī (a) (b. 232/846 - d. 260/874) was the 11th Imam of Twelver Shi'a and the father of Imam al-Mahdi (a). He was given the title, Imam al-Askari, because he was forced to reside in Samarra which was also known as "Askar" (a military camp or town). His other titles include Ibn al-Rida, al-Hadi, al-Naqi, al-Zaki, al-Rafiq and al-Samit.
Severe restrictions on Imam al-Askari's (a) life made him choose agents to communicate with the Shi'a. Uthman b. Sa'id was one of his special agents who became the first special deputy of Imam al-Mahdi (a) upon the beginning of his occultation after Imam al-Askari (a) was martyred.
Imam al-'Askari (a) was martyred on the 8th of Rabi I, 260/874. He was buried in the same house where his father had been buried. The holy shrine of al-'Askariyyayn was attacked and destroyed two times by terrorists.
Many hadiths have been narrated from Imam al-Askari (a) on different topics such as exegesis of the Qur'an, ethics, jurisprudence, theology, supplications, and Ziyarahs.
Abu Muhammad al-Hasan b. Ali b. Muhammad b. Ali b. Musa b. Ja'far b. Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Husayn b. Ali b. Abi Talib. His mother was a concubine called "Hudayth" or "Hudaytha". Some other sources report the name of his mother "Susan", or "Salil". He had a brother called Ja'far who is known to Shi'a as Ja'far al-Kadhdhab. After Imam al-Askari (a) was martyred, Ja'far claimed Imamate. He rejected that Imam al-Askari (a) had a son and claimed to be Imam's (a) only heir. Al-Sayyid Muhammad and Husayn are his other brothers.....
Other featured articles: Imam Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a) – Al-Sayyida Zaynab (a) – Hadith al-Raya