Historical timeline

Year of the Elephant

Zahoor of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca

30th Year of the Elephant

Zahoor of Ali ibn Abi Talib, inside the Ka‘ba

13 years before the Hijra

First revelation in the cave of Hira (al-Bi‘tha)

5th year of the mission

Zahoor of Fatima al-Zahra (widespread Twelver report)

10th year of the mission

Year of Sorrow: deaths of Khadija and Abu Talib

1 AH

The Hijra to Medina; Ali sleeps in the Prophet’s bed

2 AH

Battle of Badr; marriage of Ali and Fatima

3 AH

Zahoor of Imam Hasan; Battle of Uhud

4 AH

Zahoor of Imam Husayn

5 AH

Battle of the Trench

6 AH

Treaty of Hudaybiyya

7 AH

Khaybar

8 AH

Entry into Mecca and general amnesty

9 or 10 AH

The Mubahala with the Christians of Najran

18 Dhu al-Hijja 10 AH

Declaration at Ghadir Khumm

28 Safar 11 AH

Passing of the Prophet in Medina

11 AH

Martyrdom of Sayyida Fatima; burial at night, grave concealed

35 AH

Imam Ali accepts the caliphate

36 AH

Battle of the Camel

37 AH

Battle of Siffin and the arbitration

38 AH

Battle of Nahrawan

38 AH

Zahoor of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin

21 Ramadan 40 AH

Martyrdom of Imam Ali in Kufa

41 AH

Treaty of Imam Hasan with Mu‘awiya

50 AH

Martyrdom of Imam Hasan in Medina

57 AH

Zahoor of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir

10 Muharram 61 AH

Karbala: martyrdom of Imam Husayn

63 AH

Battle of al-Harra and the sack of Medina

65–67 AH

Uprisings of the Penitents and of al-Mukhtar

83 AH

Zahoor of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq

95 AH

Martyrdom of Imam Zayn al-Abidin

114 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Baqir

128 AH

Zahoor of Imam Musa al-Kazim at al-Abwa

132 AH

The Abbasid revolution

148 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Sadiq

148 AH

Zahoor of Imam Ali al-Rida

179 AH

Harun al-Rashid arrests Imam al-Kazim

183 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Kazim in prison in Baghdad

195 AH

Zahoor of Imam Muhammad al-Jawad

201 AH

Imam al-Rida named heir apparent by al-Ma’mun

203 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Rida near Tus

212 AH

Zahoor of Imam Ali al-Hadi

220 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Jawad in Baghdad

232 AH

Zahoor of Imam Hasan al-Askari

c. 233–234 AH

Imam al-Hadi brought to Samarra

236 AH

Al-Mutawakkil orders the destruction of the shrine at Karbala

254 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Hadi in Samarra

15 Sha‘ban 255 AH

Zahoor of Imam al-Mahdi in Samarra

260 AH

Martyrdom of Imam al-Askari; the Minor Occultation begins

329 AH

Death of the fourth deputy; the Major Occultation begins

329 AH

Death of al-Kulayni, compiler of al-Kafi

406 AH

Death of al-Sharif al-Radi, compiler of Nahj al-Balagha

448 AH

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi moves to Najaf