wikishia:Featured Article/2020/04

Imam Musa b. Ja'far al-Kazim (a) (Arabic: موسی بن جعفر) (b. 128/745 – d. 183/799) was the seventh Imam of Shi'a. Many scholarly activities have been reported for Imam al-Kazim (a). They were in the forms of hadiths, debates, and dialogues, and are cited in Shiite collections of hadiths.

The era of Imam al-Kazim (a) was accompanied by some divisions within Shiism. Some Shi'a in the imamate of Imam al-Kazim's brother, Isma'il, although he passed away while his father, Imam al-Sadiq (a), was alive. Then they considered his son Muhammad b. Isma'il as Imam and were later known as Isma'ilis. Another group followed 'Abd Allah al-Aftah and were known as Fatahiyya. Among other sects of the time of Imam (a) were Nawusiyya, following a person called Nawus who considered Imam al-Sadiq (a) as the last Imam, and another group who believed in the imamate of Muhammad b. Ja'far, known as al-Dibaj.

Shiite and Sunni sources have praised his practice of worships, patience, and generosity, referring to him as "al-Kazim" and "al-'Abd al-Salih". Read more...