ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwn al-Juʿfī

Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyya was born around 637 CE (16 AH) to Ali ibn Abi Talib and Khawla bint Ja'far of the Banu Hanifa tribe. He lived during the era of the Rashidun and early Umayyad caliphates, witnessing the assassination of his father Ali and the tragic Battle of Karbala where his half-brother Husayn was killed. Although he did not actively participate in the political rebellions of his time, he was regarded by many as the head of the House of Ali after Husayn's death. Mukhtar al-Thaqafi claimed to represent him in avenging Husayn's death, and some Shia sects, notably the Kaysanites, considered him an imam and even the Mahdi. Ibn al-Ḥanafiyya maintained a cautious stance, avoiding direct leadership and pledging allegiance to the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik later in life. He died around 700–701 CE (81 AH), leaving a legacy that influenced Shia thought and the Abbasid revolution.