| The Tenth Imam,
'Ali, known as al-Naqi (212/827-254/868)
The son of the ninth Imam, he remained in Medina
teaching the religious sciences until 243/857, when he was summoned to
Samarra by the caliph al-Mutawakkil. There he was treated harshly by the
caliph and his successors until he died. He is buried in Samarra.
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The Eleventh Imam, al-Hasan, called
al-'Askari (232/845-260/872)
The son of the tenth Imam, he lived in
close confinement in Samarra under the watchful eye of the caliph,
especially since it was known that the Shi'ites were awaiting his son,
the twelfth Imam, who was to be the promised Mahdi or "guided one",
destined to remove injustice from the world. The eleventh Imam married
the daughter of the Byzantine emperor, Nargis Khatun, who, following
instructions given her in a dream, had sold herself into slavery to
become his wife. He is buried in Samarra.
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