The Shiahs themselves split again over the question of Ali's successors into four factions, the fourth of which divided again into two further sects. Both of these retained their allegiance to the descendants of Ali as far as Jafar-as-Sadik, but whilst one party, known as the Imamias or Isna-Asharias (i.e. the Twelvers), supported the succession through his younger son Musa to the twelfth Iman Mohammed, son of Askeri, the Ismailis (or Seveners) adhered to Ismail, the elder son of Jafar-as-Sadik. [Illustration: Choice of SUNNIS Abu Bakr (1st Khalifa) 632 Omar 634 Othman 644 Ali Choice of SHIAHS Abd-ul-Muttalib Abdullah MOHAMMED A.D. 570-632 Fatima married Ali Abu Tälib ALI (4th Sunni and 1st Shiah Khalifa murdered in Kufa) (2) Hasan poisoned A.D. 680 (3) Husain killed at battle of Kerbela A.D. 680 (4) Ali II (5) Mohammed (6) Jafar-as-Sadik Choice of ISMAILIS (7) Ismail Mohammed disappeared circ. 770 Choice of IMAMIAS or ISNA-ASHARIAS (7) Abu'I Hasan Musa (8) Ali III (9) Abu Jafar Mohammed (10) Ali (11) Abu Mohammed al Askari (12) Mohammed al Mahdi SHIAHS ISMAILIS circ. A.D. 770 BATINIS (founded by Abdullah ibn Maymūn) circ. A.D. 872 FATIMITES (under Ubeidallah 1st Fatimite Khalifa) A.D. 909 Fatimite Khalifas of Egypt A.D. 977 HAKIM 6th Fatimite Khalifa A.D. 996 Founds Dar-ul-Hikmat A.D. 1004 ASSASSINS (under Hasan Saba) A.D. 1090 DRUSES (under Hazza) circ. A.D. 1021 KARMATHITES (under Hamdan Karmath) A.D. 896 THE SUCCESSORS OF THE PROPHET The above table shows the rival lines of Khalifas--on the left the elected successors, choice of the Sunnis; on the right the lineal descendants, choice of the Shiahs. The figure at the side of each name indicates the number in succession of the Khalifa mentioned. The table inset shows the sects to which the disputes over the succession gave birth. ]