After his father Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) was martyred he (a) became the Imam of Shi'a. The 35 years of his imamate coincided with the caliphate of al-Mansur, al-Hadi, al-Mahdi, and Harun al-Rashid. He was repeatedly imprisoned by al-Mahdi and Harun, and was finally martyred in al-Sindi in al-Shahik's prison.
Imam al-Kazim's (a) resting place and the mausoleum of his grandson, Imam al-Jawad (a), are located near Baghdad and is known as the Shrine of Kazimayn. It is visited by Muslims, and in particular, the Shi'as.