wikishia:Featured Article/2019/06

Imam al-Sadiq (a) (b. 83/702 – d. 148/765) is the sixth Imam of Imamiyya and the fifth Imam of Isam'ilis. Because of the weakness of the Umayyad rule at his time, Imam al-Sadiq (a) was able to have relatively wider scholarly activities. His companions, students, and those who quoted hadiths from him is said to have amounted to four-thousand people. Most of the hadiths of Ahl al-Bayt (a) recorded in Twelver Shiite hadith collections are from Imam al-Sadiq (a). This is why Imamiyya is called Ja'fari School.

Imam al-Sadiq (a) has had a high status in the eyes of prominent Sunni scholars. Abu Hanifa and Malik b. Anas were among the people who quoted hadiths from him.

During Imam al-Sadiq's (a) time, the Ghulat became very active. The Imam (a) vehemently opposed them, declaring them infidels or polytheists.

The Imam (a) was summoned several times to Baghdad, and thus he traveled to Iraq and also visited Karbala, Najaf, and Kufa. He showed the grave of Imam Ali (a), which was previously unknown, to his companions.

Al-Shaykh al-Saduq clearly states that the Imam (a) was poisoned by al-Mansur al-Dawaniqi and was martyred as a result. His martyrdom is reported to have been on Shawwal 25, 148/December 14, 765 and he was buried in the al-Baqi' Cemetery.Read more...