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INTRODUCTION
"We are a household to whom no one could ever be
compared."
The Noble Apostle (s.a.w.)
"I heard the traditions I communicate to you
from my father. My Father heard them from my grandfather.
My grandfather heard them from his father, his father
heard them from Ali bin Abi-Talib. Ali bin Abi-Talib
heard them from the Messenger of Allah. And what
traditions the Messenger of Allah had conveyed are the
exact word of Allah, the Almighty and Most High..
Imam al-Sadiq (as.)
"Never has the eye seen, nor the ear heard,
nor the heart of a human being thought of any one more
Virtuous, knowledgeable, devout, or pious than Ja'far
al-Sadiq."
Imam Malik bin Anas
"Whenever I looked at Ja'far bin Muhammad, I
knew he was from Prophet's ancestry."
Umar bin al-Miqdam
Praise be to Allah, the One and only God.
Peace and the blessings of Allah be on Muhammad, the Lord
of His servants, Ahlul-Bait, the Boat of salvation, the
leaders of guidance from among his companions, and all
those who supported and helped him, treaded the right
path, and did not deviate.
The care the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w) lavished on
his household, expressed in their education and
upbringing, was not an emotional concern so much as an
implementation of a decisive Divine order which he
received from the Lord of the Worlds. He communicated the
message, and brought mankind out of the darkness of
atheism and polytheism into the light of monotheism and
faith. Allah ordered His Messenger (s.a.w.) to say to the
successive generations of mankind,
"...say (Muhammad): I demand not of you any
recompense for it save the love of (my)
relatives;...'"
Holy Qur'an (42:23)
Alas, they were compensated by being killed, tortured,
and made homeless. Patiently and steadfastly they, along
with their followers, faced tribulations and bitter
trials in a heartrending way.
Some people stood against them out of ignorant spite,
personal interests, trivial worldly gains, and in revenge
for the killing of Abu-Jahl and Abu-Lahab. Up to now, the
grandsons of the enemies of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) are still
harbouring ill intentions against them. They may express
their deep-seated hatered for Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) with
their writings or through their followers. There were
people who pretended to be loyal to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.). At
the same time, fabricated myths and lies and attributed
to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) fables and incredible stories about
the unseen, which they were innocent of, until the Imams
(a.s.) frankly said:
"By Allah, those who opposed us out of their
hatred are not more harmful for us than those who
ascribed to us what we never said about ourselves."
The greatness of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) is manifested in
their possession of "the honour of Islam." They
are of noble birth, descending from Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w). They were the most knowledgeable, being educated
in the Prophetic school. And they had the honour of
jihad, as they were patiently victimized and martyred.
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.), a branch of this big tree,
the symbol of this pure household, perpetuated the
message of his grandfather the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.),
by spreading Islamic sciences, and teaching in fiqh and
traditions.
In the life of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) one can clearly see
the call to justice before the tyrants, the announcement
of right before the unjust and falsehood, and the heroic,
wonderful steadfastness against the horrors of deviation
and darkness.
In spite of all this, the flow of his knowledge
furnished the great scholars of Basrah, Kufah and central
Hijaz with enlightenment. He illuminated the minds of
such great leaders as Malik bin Anas, Abu-Hanifah, Ibn
Uyaynah, Ibn Jurayh, Yahya bin Sa'd al-Ansari, Ayyub
al-Sajistani, and many others who lived at that time.
As Al-Balagh Foundation presents, to its dear readers,
this fragrant glimpse of the life of the Apostle's
grandson, the standard - bearer of his message, the
renewer of Islam, the perpetuator of the originality of
his call, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). We beseech Allah to grant
us success to call people to obey Him, lead the way in
preaching the faith until Islam prevails, by which He may
reward us with honour in this life and the hereafter. He
is the Hearing and the Knowing.
Al-Balagh Foundation
AN APPROACH TO THE STUDY
Writing about Imam al-Sadiq bin Muhammad
al-Sadiq (a.s.), the Imam of Muslims, the master of
jurisprudents (fuqaha) and preachers, and the authority
of scholars and intellectuals, is writing about a leading
man from Ahlul-Bait (a.s.). He is a link in the chain of
Imamate and the political and ideological leadership in
the life of Muslims.
Introducing the Imam (a.s.) to the readers, specially
those who know nothing about him, is part of the process
of acquainting them with Ahlu-Bait (a.s.). A study of the
life of any of the Imam (a.s.), from the household of the
Prophet (a.s.w.), would disclose the common denominator
in their lives and harmonious continuity of their role as
the choice of Muslims' Imams.
This brief study emphasizes, for the researchers
interested in the lives of the Imams of Ahlul-Bait
(a.s.), that they have made a single history with clearly
defined dimensions and roles perfectly assigned across
successive periods of time throughout their lifetimes.
Their mission was aimed at keeping the originality of
Shari'ah and defending its entity. This will becomes
crystal-clear through our concise study of the life of
Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.).
Since the study of any of the Islamic personalities,
such as that of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), centers on the
practical value of his personality, its ideological and
historical role in the lives of Muslims in particular,
and mankind in general, we have focussed, our study on
this fact. We have tried to present a good, clear, cut
portrait of Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.). We
have divided the study into three main areas: Character,
political conditions, and Scholarship Status.
