Sevener
Seveners (Arabic: سبعية) are a branch of Ismā'īlī Shīʻa. They became known as "Seveners" because they believe that Isma'il ibn Jafar was the seventh and the last Imam (hereditary leader of the Muslim community in the direct line of Ali). They believed his son, Muhammad ibn Isma'il, would return and bring about an age of justice as Mahdi. Their most famous and active branch were the Qarmatians.
Imamate of Seven Imams
| Imām | Sevener-Ismā'īlī Imām | Period |
| 1 | Ali - First Ismā'īlī Imām | (632–661) |
| 2 | Hasan ibn Ali - Second Ismā'īlī Imām | (661–669) |
| 3 | Husayn ibn Ali - Third Ismā'īlī Imām | (669–680) |
| 4 | Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin - Fourth Ismā'īlī Imām | (680–713) |
| 5 | Muhammad al-Baqir - Fifth Ismā'īlī Imām | (713–733) |
| 6 | Ja'far al-Sadiq - Sixth Ismā'īlī Imām | (733–765) |
| 7 | Isma'il ibn Jafar - Seventh Ismā'īlī Imām | (765 - 775) |
| Mahdi | Muħammad ibn Ismā'īl al-Maktum - The promised Mahdi | (775-813) |
Sometimes "sevener" is used to refer to Ismā'īlīs overall, though several branches, such as the Nizari Ismailis, have far more than seven imams.
Ismaili imams who were not accepted as legitimate by Seveners
The following Ismaili imams after Mahdi had been considered as heretics of dubious origins by certain Qarmatian groups[1] who refused to acknowledge the imamate of the Fatimids and clung to their belief in the coming of the Mahdi.[2]
- Ahmad al-Wafi (Abadullah) (813-829)
- Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah) (829-840)
- Rabi Abdullah (840-881)
- Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah (881-934) (Founder of Fatimid Caliphate)