The eleventh Imam of the Twelver Shi'i, Hassan al Askari, lived almost his entire life under house arrest (for more information see Ali al Hadi). He was twenty two when he received the Imamate. In the six years until he died he was severely restricted in his freedom and was often only able to speak to his followers through intermediaries.
A controversy surrounds the birth of his son and successor, Muhammad al Mahdi by a Byzantine slave, Narjis Khatun.