Sevener
Encyclopedia
Seveners are a branch of Ismā'īlī
Shīʻa
. They became known as "Seveners" because they believe that Ismā'īl ibn Jaʻfar
was the seventh and the last Imām
(hereditary leader of the Muslim community in the direct line of ʻAlī ibn Abī Tālib
). They believed his son, Muħammad ibn Ismā'īl al-Maktum
, would return and bring about an age of justice as al-Mahdi
. Their most famous and active branch were the Qarmatians
.
heritage recognize more than seven Imāms. Note that the number seven plays a general role in the theology of the Ismā'īliyya, including mystical speculations that there are seven heavens, seven continents, seven orifices in the skull, seven days in a week, seven prophets, and so forth.
There are few strict Seveners — those who do not recognize the Fatimids — remaining among Muslims today. Some scholars doubt that they exist today.
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
Shīʻa
Shi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
. They became known as "Seveners" because they believe that Ismā'īl ibn Jaʻfar
Ismail bin Jafar
Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far was the eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq and the full-brother of Abdullah al-Aftah. Following Ja'far's death, the Shia community split between the element that would become the Twelver Shia, and those who believed the imamate passed through to Ismail's son; the Ismaili branch...
was the seventh and the last Imām
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
(hereditary leader of the Muslim community in the direct line of ʻAlī ibn Abī Tālib
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
). They believed his son, Muħammad ibn Ismā'īl al-Maktum
Muhammad ibn Ismail
Muhammad ibn Ismail was the son of Ismail ibn Jafar and an Ismaili Imam. The majority of Ismaili follow his descendants through his son Wafi Ahmad / Abdullah ibn Mohammad who founded the Fatimid Empire, including the Nizari and Mustaali.- Biography :...
, would return and bring about an age of justice as al-Mahdi
Al-Mahdi
Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi , was the third Abbasid Caliph who reigned from 158 AH to 169 AH . He succeeded his father, al-Mansur....
. Their most famous and active branch were the Qarmatians
Qarmatians
The Qarmatians were a Shi'a Ismaili group centered in eastern Arabia, where they attempted to established a utopian republic in 899 CE. They are most famed for their revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate...
.
Tree of the Ismāʿīlī Shia Islam
Sometimes "sevener" is used to refer to all Ismailis, though those of FatimidFatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
heritage recognize more than seven Imāms. Note that the number seven plays a general role in the theology of the Ismā'īliyya, including mystical speculations that there are seven heavens, seven continents, seven orifices in the skull, seven days in a week, seven prophets, and so forth.
There are few strict Seveners — those who do not recognize the Fatimids — remaining among Muslims today. Some scholars doubt that they exist today.