| Ja'far ibn Ali al-Hadi | |
| Birth Date: | AH(CE) |
| Birth Place: | Medina, Arabia, Abbasid Caliphate |
| Death Date: | (271 AH) (aged 45) |
| Death Place: | Samarra, Abbasid Empire |
| Resting Place: | Samarra |
| Religion: | Shia Islam |
| Relatives: | Hasan al-Askari (brother)Muhammad (brother) |
| Background: |
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| Father: | Ali al-Hadi |
| Mother: | Hudayth (or Susan or Salil) |
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Jaʿfar ibn ʿAlī al-Hādī (; 226-271 A.H., CE – CE), also derisively known as al-Kadhdhāb (Arabic: الکَذّاب|lit=the Liar|links=no) in Twelver Shi'ism, was the third son of the tenth Twelver Shi'a Imam, Ali al-Hadi. He claimed to be an imam and established his own sect of followers, to whom he was known as al-Zakī (Arabic: الزكي|lit=the pure one|links=no).
Jafar b. Ali b. Muḥammad was the son of the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi and the brother of eleventh Imam Hasan al-Askari. Also, he had one older brother, Muhammad who died before his father's death.[1]
After the death of Ali al-Hadi, Jafar b. Ali claimed Imamate. Twelvers believed that he was immoral.[1] [2] Baháʼís believe that he was a truthful person.[3]
In his defense, his followers claimed that his personality had changed from his youth. Jafar b. Ali's followers came to be known as the Ja’fariyya and al-Askari's followers were known as the Twelvers.
After the death of Hasan al-Askari, even though, al-Askari's mother was still alive, Jafar requested his property.[4] He claimed that his brother never had a son.[5]