Imam Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq (a): Difference between revisions

At the time of Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a), the [[Ghulat]] expanded their activities.<ref>Jaʿfarīyān, ‘’Ḥayāt-i fikrī sīyāsī-yi imāmān-i Shīʿa’’, p. 407.</ref> They believed that the Imams were gods or prophets. Imam al-Sadiq (a) strongly rejected these ideas; he prohibited his followers from interacting with the Ghulat and proclaimed them infidels and polytheists. According to a hadith, the Imam (a) said: “Do not socialize with them; do not eat, drink, or shake hands with them.” The Imam (a) warned: “Be careful lest the Ghulat corrupt your youth. They are the worst enemies of God. They belittle God, but attribute lordship to God's servants.”

Because of the weakness of the Umayyads at the time of Imam al-Sadiq (a), the Imam was relatively free to teach and engage in scholarly activities. This religious and scholarly freedom rarely happened during the time of the other Imams, and thus most of our hadiths are from Imam al-Sadiq (a). According to Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, people learned and transmitted a great deal of knowledge from him, and his fame reached far and wide. Al-Jahiz also wrote that “his knowledge and jurisprudence have filled the world.” Al-Hasan b. 'Ali al-Washsha' reports that he saw nine-hundred people in the mosque of Kufa transmitting hadiths from Imam al-Sadiq (a).  

Most of the Shiite hadiths, whether in fiqh or theology, are from Imam al-Sadiq (a), and the number of the people who transmitted hadiths from him (4000, according to al-Irbili) is greater than the number of hadith transmitters from any other Imam. According to [[Aban b. Taghlib]], the Shia would refer to the words of Imam Ali (a) when they disagreed about a saying of the Prophet (s) and would refer to the sayings of Imam al-Sadiq (a) when they disagreed about Imam Ali's (a) words.

Because of the significant role of Imam Sadiq (a) in the elaboration of Islamic teachings, Twelver Shiism is often called Ja'fari School and the Imam (a) is known as its head.

In 1378/1958-59, [[Shaykh Mahmud Shaltut]], the head of [[al-Azhar]], recognized the Ja'fari School of jurisprudence as a legitimate Islamic school and proclaimed following it permissible.

In Shiite hadith collections, some dialogues or debates between Imam al-Sadiq (a) and scholars from other faith traditions are reported. In some of these debates, the Imam's (a) students debated and the Imam (a) oversaw the debate and sometimes engage in it. For instance, in a debate with a scholar from Damascus, who had requested to debate with the Imam's (a) students, the Imam (a) asked [[Hisham b. Salim]] to have a debate with him on theology. In another occasion, the Imam (a) told a person who wanted to debate with him to debate with his students first. The man debated with [[Humran b. A'yan]] about the Quran, with [[Aban b. Taghlib]] about Arabic literature, with [[Zurara]] about jurisprudence, and with [[Mu'min al-Taq]] and Hisham b. Salim about theology and was defeated by all of them.

* A debate with Abu Shakir al-Daysani on the existence of God

* A debate with [[Ibn Abi l-Awja']] on the existence of God

* A debate with Ibn Abi l-Awja' on the world's creation in time  

* A lengthy debate with an atheist on different religious issues

* A debate with [[Abu Hanifa]] on the methodology of jurisprudence, especially on [[analogy]].

* A debate with some [[Mu'tazili]] scholars on how to choose a ruler and on some religious rulings.  

From the life of Imam al-Sadiq (a), it can be learned that he (a) kept himself away from politics and kept this position in both [[Umayyad]] and [[Abbasid]] times. However, while Imam (a) kept away from political rivalry, he (a) was very attentive to the society and its destiny, and he (a) advised rulers about justice in the government, consultation with people and caring about their requests.

Despite the weakness of the Umayyads at his time, Imam al-Sadiq (a) stayed away from uprising and political conflicts. According to al-Shahrastani, [[Abu Muslim al-Khurasani]] sent a letter to the Imam (a) after the demise of [[Ibrahim al-Imam]], calling him the one who deserves the caliphate most and inviting him to accept the caliphate. However, the Imam (a) wrote to him: “You are not one of my helpers, and the time is not my time.” [[Abu Salama]] also wrote a similar letter to the Imam (a), and the Imam (a) burned his letter in response. Imam al-Sadiq (a) did not participate even in the uprising of his uncle [[Zayd b. Ali]]. According to a hadith, the Imam (a) mentioned the lack of faithful supporters as the reason why he refused to revolt.  

Toward the end of the rule of Umayyads, some of [[[Banu Hashim]] including [['Abd Allah al-Mahd]] and his sons and also [[al-Saffah]] and [[al-Mansur]] gathered in [[Abwa']] to give allegiance to a person among themselves. In that session, 'Abd Allah introduced his son as "al-Mahdi" and asked others to give allegiance to him. When Imam al-Sadiq (a) was informed about their intention, told 'Abd Allah, 'If you think your son is al-Mahdi, [you are wrong] he is not al-Mahdi, and it is not the time for the coming of al-Mahdi (a) yet." 'Abd Allah became angry and accused him of envy. Imam al-Sadiq (a) swore that his words were not out of envy and foretold that the rule will be for al-Saffah and al-Mansur and 'Abd Allah and his sons will be killed.

Although Imam al-Sadiq (a) refused to revolt against the caliphs of his time, he did not have a good relationship with them. In one occasion, when the Imam (a) was on pilgrimage, he proclaimed Ahl al-Bayt (a) as God's chosen servants and mentioned the hostility of the caliph [[Hisham b. Abd al-Malik]] towards [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]].  

In response to the Abbasid caliph [[al-Mansur al-Dawaniqi]], who had asked Imam al-Sadiq (a) to visit him like other people do, the Imam (a) wrote, “We do not have something to fear you for, you do not have anything of the hereafter for which we should have hopes in you, you are not in a blessing to congratulate you for, and you do not think that you are in affliction to send you our condolences. So why should we be around you?!”

'''Burning the house of Imam al-Sadiq's (a) House'''

According to a report, when al-Hasan b. Zayd was the governor of Mecca and Medina, he set fire to the house of Imam Sadiq (a). In the fire, the door and the corridor of the house burned. The Imam (a) came out of the house crossing the fire saying, “I am the son of the Roots of the Earth [i.e., Isma'il (a)]; I am the son of Ibrahim, God's Friend.”

Except the third decade of the second century (fifth decade of the eighth century AC), which coincided with the fall of the Umayyad caliphate, both the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs kept the activities of the Imam (a) under watch. Political pressure on the Imam (a) reached its peak towards the end of the Imam's (a) life. According to some reports, al-Mansur's agents would persecute those Shiites who were in touch with the Imam (a) and even execute them. Because of these persecutions, the Imam (a) and his companions had to use [[taqiyya]].  

According to a report, when [[Sufyan al-Thawri]] visited him, Imam al-Sadiq (a) advised him to leave because they were under watch. According to a hadith, the Imam (a) told [[Aban b. Taghlib]] to respond to people's jurisprudential questions by giving them the opinions of Sunni scholars in order not to be persecuted. Also, several hadiths have been transmitted from Imam al-Sadiq (a) which emphasize the importance of taqiyya, according to some of which taqiyya is equal to prayer.  

There are many reports about the moral characteristics of Imam al-Sadiq (a), including his [[asceticism]], [[generosity]], abundant worship, and [[recitation of the Quran]]. [[Malik b. Anas]], the head of the Maliki school of jurisprudence reports that during the time he used to visit Imam al-Sadiq (a), the Imam (a) was always in one of the three states: praying, fasting, or saying [[dhikr]].  

It is reported that the Imam (a) gave four hundred dirhams to a beggar, and when he thanked the Imam (a), he (a) gave him his ring which was worth 10,000 dirhams. According to another report, the Imam would put some bread, meat, and money in a bag and would take it to the houses of the poor and divide it between them, without letting them know who he was. Abu Ja'far al-Khath'ami reports that Imam al-Sadiq (a) gave him a bag of money and asked him to give it to someone from Banu Hashim without telling him from where the money was coming. When Abu Ja'far gave the money to that man, he prayed for the sender and told him that this person always sends him money, but Imam al-Sadiq (a) never sends him anything even though he is rich!

During the reign of al-Saffah and al-Mansur, Imam al-Sadiq (a) was summoned to [[Baghdad]] several times. In these travels, the Imam (a) also visited [[Karbala]], [[Najaf]], [[Kufa]], and [[Hira]]. According to a report by Muhammad b. Ma'ruf al-Hilali, when the Imam (a) visited Hira, a great number of people went to see him such that he could not get the chance to visit the Imam for several days.  

The Imam's (a) mihrab in the [[Mosque of Kufa]], located on the eastern side of the mosque near the grave of [[Muslim b. Aqil]], and also his mihrab in [[al-Sahla Mosque]] are among his memorials in Iraq. Imam al-Sadiq (a) also visited the grave of Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala. On the banks of the Husayniyya river in Karbala, there is a building, inside which is a memorial mihrab for Imam al-Sadiq (a).  

It is reported that Imam al-Sadiq (a) visited the grave of Imam Ali (a) and showed its location, which was previously hidden, to some of his companions. According to al-Kulayni, the Imam took Yazid b. 'Amr b. Talha to a place between Najaf and Hira and showed him the grave of Imam Ali (a). [[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] also reports that Imam al-Sadiq (a) visited Imam Ali's (a) grave and prayed beside it and told Yunus b. Zabyan that it was the grave of [[Amir al-Mu'minin (a)]].  

In his ''[[Al-Rijal (al-Tusi) (book)|Rijal]]'', [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] mentioned the name of 3200 people as the transmitters of [[hadiths]] from Imam al-Sadiq (a). [[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] in ''[[al-Irshad]]'' extended the count of his transmitters to 4000. It is said that [[Ibn 'Uqda]], have mentioned names of 4000 transmitters in a book about the students of Imam al-Sadiq (a).

Most of [[al-Usul al-arba'ami'a]] were written by the students of Imam al-Sadiq (a) and most of [[People of Consensus]] were among his students.

Some of his companions were expert in specific fields. [[Humran b. A'yan]] was expert in [[Qur'anic sciences]], [[Aban b. Taghlib]] in Arabic literature, [[Zurara b. A'yan]] in fiqh, [[Mu'min al-Taq]] and [[Hisham b. Salim]] were expert in theology. Other students of Imam al-Sadiq (a) who were experts in theology are Humran b. A'yan, [[Qays al-Masir]], and Hisham b. al-Hakam.

Some of the important Sunni scholars were among the students of Imam al-Sadiq (a). According to al-Shaykh al-Saduq, [[Malik b. Anas]] said that he used to go to Imam al-Sadiq (a) and listen to the hadiths that the Imam (a) quoted. In his [[al-Muwatta']], Malik has quoted some hadiths on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (a).  

[[Ibn Hajar al-Haytami]] says that Sunni scholars such as Yahya b. Sa'id, Ibn Jurayh, Malik b. Anas, Sufyan b. 'Uyayna, Sufyan al-Thawri, [[Abu Hanifa]], Shu'ba b. al-Hajjaj, and Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani have narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (a).

* [[Tawhid al-Mufaddal]]: This lengthy hadith reportedly contains the contents of the Imam's (a) teachings delivered in four sessions to [[al-Mufaddal b. 'Umar]] on themes such as the creation of the world, the creation of man, wonders of the animal world, wonders of the heavens and earth, the reality of death, and the wisdom behind the creation of man. Since the expression "Fakkir ya Mufaddal" (Think, o Mufaddal!) repeats in it, this treatise used to be called ''Kitab Fakkir''.  

* [[Hadith 'Inwan al-Basri]]: In this hadith, Imam al-Sadiq (a) reportedly gives instructions on self-purification, patience, and knowledge to a person called Inwan al-Basri.  

* [[Maqbula of 'Umar b. Hanzala]]: This hadith discusses the themes of judgment and [[contradiction between hadiths]]. The hadith has been adduced as a support for the theory of [[Wilayat al-Faqih]].  

* ''Tafsir al-Nu'mani''.  

* A collection of short sayings narrated by Salman b. Ayyub which text is mentioned in ''[[Fara'id al-simtayn]]''.

Imam al-Sadiq (a) has had a high place in the eyes of Sunni scholars. Abu Hanifa, one of the prominent Sunni leaders, considered the Imam as the most knowledgeable Muslim and the greatest jurist among them. According to [[Ibn Abi l-Hadid]], great Sunni scholars such as Abu Hanifa, [[Ahmad b. Hanbal]], and [[al-Shafi'i]] were directly or indirectly the students of Imam al-Sadiq (a).  

However, in Sunni jurisprudence, the viewpoints of Imam al-Sadiq (a) have not been given their due importance, and Shiite scholars such as al-Sharif al-Murtada criticized Sunni scholars for this.  

There is no mention of the Imam's (a) martyrdom in many early Shi'i and Sunni sources, and some scholars, such as [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], held that the Imam's (a) demise was a natural death. However, many scholars maintain that Imam al-Sadiq (a) was martyred, referring to the hadith which states that all the Imams (a) are martyred. Al-Shaykh al-Saduq clearly states that the Imam (a) was poisoned by al-Mansur al-Dawaniqi and passed away as a result. It is mentioned in ''[[Al-Fusul al-muhimma fi ta'lif al-umma (book)|al-Fusul al-muhimma]]'', ''[[Misbah al-Kaf'ami]]'' and other sources that Imam al-Sadiq (a) was given poison.<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 47, p. 1-2.</ref> In ''[[al-Manaqib]]'', [[Ibn Shahrashub]] has written that [[al-Mansur]] gave him poison since he hated Imam (a) so much and feared that people would turn to him.<ref>Ibn Shahrāshūb, ''Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib'', vol. 4, p. 280.</ref>

Many hadiths indicate that Imam al-Sadiq (a) introduced Imam al-Kazim (a) as his successor and the executor of his will to his close companions several times. However, because of the persecutions of the Abbasids and to protect the life of Imam al-Kazim (a), the Imam (a) mentioned five people in his will, including the Abbasid caliph, as its executors.  

As a result, even some of the prominent companions of the Imam (a) became hesitant for a short time about who his successor was. Some of them first went to [['Abd Allah al-Aftah]] and asked him questions, but his answers did not convince them. Afterward, they met Imam al-Kazim (a) and were satisfied by his answers that he was the true successor of Imam al-Sadiq (a).

After the martyrdom of Imam al-Sadiq (a), a number of sects emerged among the Shi'a. One group denied the death of [[Isma'il b. al-Imam al-Sadiq (a)|Isma'il]], the son of Imam al-Sadiq (a), and regarded him as the Imam after his father. A number of people in this group, who gave up the belief that Isma'il was alive, maintained that his son Muhammad was the Imam. This group was later called the [[Ismailiyya]]. Another group believed in the imamate of Abd Allah al-Aftah and were called [[Fatahiyya]], but when Abd Allah passed away in just seventy days after his father, they accepted the imamate of Imam al-Kazim (a). Another group, following a person called Nawus, did not accept any other Imams after Imam al-Sadiq (a) and were known as the [[Nawusiyya]]. Another group believed in the Imamate of [[Muhammad al-Dibaj]].  

 

 

* The material for this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikishia.net/view/امام_صادق_علیه_السلام {{ia|امام صادق علیه السلام}}] in Farsi Wikishia.

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