Ali al-Hadi (829–868)
Born 829 CE, died 868 CE.
Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi (Arabic: علي بن محمد الهادي النقي; c. 7 March 828 – c. 21 June 868), also known as Ali al-Naqi, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth Imam in Twelver Shia Islam, succeeding his father Muhammad al-Jawad. After the death of his father in 835, most followers of al-Jawad readily accepted the Imamate of al-Hadi, who was still a child at the time. Drawing parallels with the story of young Jesus in the Quran, Shia sources describe al-Hadi as possessing extraordinary innate knowledge, which qualified him for the Imamate despite his young age. As with most of his predecessors, al-Hadi kept aloof from politics until he was summoned in 848 from Medina to the capital Samarra by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil, who was known for his hostility towards Shia Muslims. Al-Hadi was held under close surveillance until his death in 868 during the rule of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tazz. Still, he managed to communicate with Shia Muslims and organized their religious affairs through the network of representatives. Shia sources hold the Abbasids responsible for his death at the age of about forty through poison.
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