Chronology of Early Scholars of Islam

with color coding

(Caliphs from Sahabah, Isna-'Ashari(12)Imams, Fiqh Imams (4),
Sihah-Sitta Imams, & others)
Compiled by Khalid Shaukat (of Moonsighting.com)

The chronology presented here gives an understanding of the time difference and generation gaps of famous
names in early Islamic history, e.g., Imam Abu-Hanifah was early enough to have seen Sahabah, while Imam
Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and Imam Ahmad bin-Hambal had not met or seen any Sahabah. Compare the time frame
of Imam Bokhari & Imam Muslim with those of Imam Malik or Imam Abu-Hanifah. See the times of 12 Imams
of Isna-'ashari faith (The Twelvers).

NAME BORN DIED REMARKS

13 AH*/23 August
Hadrat Abu- 51 BH*/573 CE*, First Caliph (Khalifah) of Prophet Muhammad
634 (Tuesday)
Bakar Siddiq Makkah (pbuh), Khalifatur-Rasool
Medinah
24 AH/7 November
Hadrat Umar ibn Second Caliph (Khalifah), Title "Ameerul-
41 BH/582 Makkah 644 (Sunday)
alKhattab Momineen" was first adopted
Medinah
18 Zul-Hijja 35
Uthman ibn
47 BH/577 Makkah AH/17 June 656 Ameerul-Momineen, Third Caliph (Khalifah)
Affaan
(Friday) Medinah
21 Ramadhan
Imam Ali ibn 13 Rajab 23BH/600
40AH/28 January Ameerul-Momineen, Fourth Caliph (Khalifah)
Abi-Taalib(1) Makkah
661 (Thur) Kufah
15 Ramadan 3 AH/28 Safar 49 or 50 Ameerul-Momineen (5th Khalifah), First son of
Imam Hasan ibn
February 625 (Thu) AH/669 or 670 Ali & Fatimah, Grand Child of Prophet
Ali (2)
Medinah Medinah Muhammad (pbuh), was probably poisoned
Mo'awiah ibn 6th Khalifah (Brother-in-law of Prophet
12 BH/611 Makkah 60 AH/680 Dimashq
Abi-Sufian Muhammad (pbuh))
3 Sha'ban 4 AH/8 Jan 10 Muharram 61
Imam Husain Shaheed-e-Karbala, Second son of Ali & Fatimah,
626 (Wednesday) AH/9 Oct 680 (Tue)
ibn Ali (3) Grand Child of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Medinah Karbala, Iraq
Imam Ali 5 Sha'ban 38 AH/5 25 Muharram 95
Zainul-Abideen Jan 659 (Saturday) AH/20 Oct 713 Son of Imam Husain
(4) Medinah (Friday) Medinah
7 Zul-Hijja 114
Imam 1 Rajab 57 AH/9
AH/28 Jan 733
Muhammad May 677 (Saturday) Son of Imam Ali Zainul-Abideen
(Wednesday)
Baqir (5) Medinah
Medinah
Imam-1: Abu- 80 AH/699 Kufah, 150 AH/767 Taabai, Scholar of Fiqh (Jurisprudence), student of
Hanifa Iraq Baghdad Imam Baqir & Imam Ja'far Sadiq
17 Rabi-al-Awwal 83 25 Shawwal 148
Imam Ja'far Taabai, Son of Imam Baqir. He was Imam of Fiqh
AH/10 Apr 702 AH/13 Dec 765 (Fri)
Sadiq (6) Ja'fri (Jurisprudence)
(Monday) Medinah Medinah
179 AH/795 Taba-Taabai, Compiler of Hadith & Scholar of
Imam-2: Maalik 93 AH/712 Medinah
Medinah Fiqh (Jurisprudence), student of Imam Ja'far Sadiq
Imam Abu- 113 AH/731 Kufah, 187 AH/803 Taba-Taabai, Student of Abu-Hanifah, Scholar of
Yusuf(Hanafi) Iraq Baghdad Fiqh (Jurisprudence)
Up to the time of Imam Ja'far Sadiq, friends of Ali (Shi'aan-e-Ali) were not considered any different from other
Muslims. Imam Ja'far Sadiq had two sons, Isma'il and Musa al-Kazim. Followers of Isma'il become the
"Seveners" or "Ismailis. Followers of Musa al-Kazim become the "Twelvers" who believed that the lineage of
Imam continued with Imam Musa al-Kazim. Beginning of Shi'ism was not documented before this time, but
long after, when the concept of 12 Imams became the basis of Shi'as after the 12th Imam's disappearance in 878
CE.
7 Safar 129 AH/27 25 Rajab 183 AH/1
Imam Musa Son of Imam Ja'far Sadiq, born in Al-Abwa 7
Oct 745 (Thurs) near Sep 799 (Sunday)
Kazim (7) miles from Medinah, died in prison
Medinah Kadhimiya
Imam
132 AH/750 Wasit, 189 AH/805 Student of Imam Maalik, and Imam Abu-Yusuf
Muhammad
Iraq Baghdad (Jurisprudence)
(Hanafi)
Imam-3: Shafi'i 150 AH/767 Ghaza 204 AH/819 Egypt Student of Imam Maalik (Jurisprudence)
11 Zul-Qa'da 153 17 Safar 203 AH/24
Imam Ali Reza
AH/4 Nov 770 Aug 818 (Tue) Son of Imam Musa Kazim
(8)
(Sunday) Medinah Mash'had, Iran
Imam-4: Ahmad 164 AH/780 241 AH/855 Student of Imam Shafi'i, Scholar of Fiqh
ibn Hambal Baghdad Baghdad (Jurisprudence)
256 AH/870
Imam Bokhari 194 AH/810 Bukhara Compiler of the most authentic Hadith book
Samarqand
10 Rajab 195 AH/8 30 Zul-Qa'da 220
Imam Jawwad Full name was Imam Muhammad Jawwad Taqi
April 811 (Tues) AH/26 Nov 835
Taqi (9) Son of Imam Ali Reza
Medinah (Fri) Kadhimiya
Imam Abu- 202 AH/817 Sindh- 275 AH/889 Basrah,
Scholar and Compiler of Hadith
Daood Kabul Iraq
206 AH/821 261 AH/875
Imam Muslim Compiler of 2nd most authentic Hadith book
Nishapur, Iran Nishapur, Iran
209 AH/824 273 AH/887
Imam Ibn Maja Scholar and Compiler of Hadith
Qazween, Iraq Qazween, Iraq
209 AH/824 Tirmidh, 279 AH/892
Imam Tirmidhi Scholar and Compiler of Hadith
Balkh Tirmidh, Balkh
214 AH/829
Imam Nasaai 303 AH/915 Egypt Scholar and Compiler of Hadith
Khurasan, Iran
5 Rajab 215 AH/28 3 Rajab 254 AH/28
Imam Ali Naqi
Aug 830 (Sunday) June 868 (Monday) Son of Imam Muhammad Jawwad Taqi
(10)
Surba, Iraq Samarra, Iraq
8 Rabi-al-Thani 232 8 Rabi-al-Awwal
Imam Hasan AH/1 Dec 846 260 AH/1 Jan 874
Son of Imam Ali Naqi
Askari (11) (Wednesday) (Friday) Samarra,
Samarra, Iraq Iraq
Son of Imam Hasan Askari. Followers of Isna-
15 Sha'ban 255
Imam 'ashari faith (The Twelvers) believe that he is still
AH/29 July 869 Disappeared at age 9
Muhammad alive, hiding, and will re-appear near Judgment
(Friday) Samarra, in 878 CE
Mehdi (12) Day to establish Kingdom of Allah, to fill the
Iraq
world with equality and justice.

Notes:
BH = Before Hijra AH = After Hijra CE = Common Era
Chronolgy for Caliphs from Sahabah is taken from various books on Islamic history.
Isna-Ash'ari Imams chronology is basically taken from "Millat-e-Islamia ki Mukhtasar Tareekh" by Sarwat
Saulat, Page 157.
Chronology for Fiqh Imams is taken from "Tazkira Imam Abu-Hanifah" by Jamil Ahmad Sharqpuri, various
pages.
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