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CHARACTER OF IMAM AL-SADIQ (A.S.)
1. His Birth and Upbringing:
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) is the son of Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir bin Ali al-Sajjad bin Hussein (a.s.)
bin Ali Abi-Talib (a.s.). Thee Imam is a descendent of
Fatimah al-Zahra the daughter of the Apostle of Allah
(s.a.w.) and Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, through Imam
Hussein, the martyred grandson of the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w).
The mother of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) is Fatimah[1],
the daughter of al-Qasim bin Muhammad bin Abi-Bakr. That
is why Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: "Abu-Bakr
begot me twice."
As most authentic books insist, he was born in the city
of Madinah, on the 17th day of the lunar month Rabi'ul
Awwal[2], in the year 83 A. H, during the rule of the
Umayyad caliph, Abdul-Malik bin Marwan.
Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad (a.s.) was born and brought up
under the care of his father, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
(a.s.), and his grandfather Imam Ali bin Hussein (Zain
al-Abideen) (a.s.). From both men he learned the sciences
of religion and the teachings of the Islam.
After the martyrdom of Imam Zain al-Abideen (a.s.), Imam
al-Baqir (a.s.) was the Imam of Muslims. Before his
martyrdom, he passed the Imamate to Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq
(a.s.). He became the authority of jurisprudents,
scholars and preachers.
He graduated hundreds of scholars versed in Islamic
sciences and Prophetic traditions. He made the mosque of
Madinah a university to spread Islamic ideology.
Scholars, and preachers gave their testimonies in
acknowledgement of his great standing and abundant
knowledge.
On the authority of Ata', a well-known scholar from the
second generation, Sibt bin al-Jawzi says in his book
Tadhkirat al-Khawas (Admonishing Prominent people):
"Never have I seen scholars less knowledgeable in
the presence of a man like Abu-Ja'far al-Sadiq...".[3]
Ibn Sa'd says:
"He was trustworthy, knowledgeable and the
communicator of a plethora of traditions".[4]
If we understood the status of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
(a.s.), under whose care Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was brought
up and from whom he learned the teachings of Islam, and
if we understand, through our study of the lives of
Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), that Imam al-Baqir (a.s.), was brought
up and taught Islamic sciences by his father, Imam
al-Sajjad (a.s.), that Imam al-Sajjad (a.s.) was nurtured
by his father, Imam Hussein (a.s.), and that Imam Hussein
(a.s.) was brought up and taught Islamic sciences by his
father, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali bin
Abi-Talib (a.s.), and that Imam Ali bin Abi-Talib was
brought up and taught by the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.),
we could see a greater meaning in his saying:
"I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its
gate. Whoever seeks knowledge, let him enter through the
gate."[5]
Imam Ali (a.s.) is also praised by A'ishah, the wife of
the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.), with these words:
"...He is certainly the most well-versed man in
the Prophetic Sunnah" (reported by Abu-Umar)."[6]
If we could understand the transfer of knowledge from
one Imam to the next, we would realize knowledge, one
from the other, from the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.), and
that their family life was framed with the same abundant
knowledge, deep faith and morals. This understanding
would lead us to the following facts:
A. The authenticity of the traditions, beliefs,
teachings, Qur'anic exegesis, philosophy, etc., which the
Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) had conveyed to the people.
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) explained this truth in these
words:
"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 Apostle of Allah. And what traditions the
Apostle of Allah had conveyed are the exact words of
Allah, the Almighty and Most High."[7]
B. Their lives, a chain of connected, interacted
links, with no gap in between or a foreign factor
piercing it, are directly tied up with the life of the
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).Thus, their lives were, in fact, a
school and a vivid experience in which Islam was
personified, its teachings implemented, and its
principles defended. That all adds up to the authenticity
of the source they took their knowledge from and the
originality of the thought of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.).
Understand all this, we would come closer to the
atmosphere, environment, and the school in which Imam
Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) studied. We would know beyond
doubt that his life, the services he rendered to the
Muslims, and the knowledge he imparted, including hadith,
exegesis, and Islamic beliefs, was faithfully and
objectively handed down from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).
This would explain to us the great standing of Imam
al-Sadiq (a.s.), his ascension to Imamate after his
father Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.), and his
determination to take up that heavy burden throughout his
blessed life.
2. His Social Status:
No other man had won the same great and high position
that Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) had won during that
time.
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) had a special and unique status in
the eyes of the people at the time. The common people
looked at him as a descendant of the Apostle of Allah
(a.s.), chief of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), and the symbol of the
opposition of the injustice and tyranny of the Umayyad
and Abbasids. These common people believed that it was an
obligation for every Muslim, loyal to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.),
to love him and be faithful to him.
The men of knowledge and piety saw in Imam Ja'far
al-Sadiq (a.s.), a leader, scholar and an unmatched
educator. The politicians and rulers knew full well the
Imam, particularly at the time of the Abbasid revolt
against the Umayyads. He was, in their sight, a great
social personality, an effective political force, and a
leading political magnet which could not be ignored.
These are facts no one can deny or undermine.
During the life of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), at the
closing years of the Umayyad rule, the ruler got more
tough and unjust. People's rage rose. It was only
natural, as history asserts, that Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) was
at the fore, being the vanguard, and the motto on the
banners of the masses in every uprising against the
Umayyads and Abbasids. That is why the anti-Umayyad
action began in the name of Ahlul-Bait (a.s). The leaders
of the opposition announced that they were calling for
the restoration of the caliphate and Imamate to their
legitimate people, the members of the pure Prophetic
household. They called for the restitution of the
caliphate to the qualified and competent descendants of
Fatimah, the daughter of the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w).
But, while the struggle was on, and the tensions were
mounting between the two parties, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)
distanced himself from the battlefield. He withdrew from
open confrontation because he knew in advance, the final
outcome. The slogans were false, the call was unreal, and
Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) would fall victim to them. Certain as
he was of the real intentions of the Abbasids. He advised
the Alawites not to follow the raised slogans rashly.
Events turned out exactly as he had said. What he had
been warning the Alawites of took place. Though he was
refraining from taking part in the struggle, the
concerned people kept themselves close to him. The people
were all waiting for him to take part. The leaders of the
Abbasids couldn't ignore him or overlook his social
position. That is why they took him into consideration
while planning their strategy.
Abu-Salamah al-Khallal, a key leader of the revolt
against the Umayyads, sent a messenger to Imam al-Sadiq
(a.s.) offering him his pledge of allegiance. Imam
al-Sadiq (a.s.) burned his letter and turned down his
offer. Al-Khallah tried many times to offer his loyalty
to the Imam to no avail. The Alawites offered him the
caliphate and kept consulting with him over it, but
resisted all those temptations in spite of the Alawites'
persistence. Naturally, the concern the people showed to
the Imam (a.s.) emphasized his great political stature
and the prominent social role he played.
Abu-Ja'far al-Mansoor, the Abbasid caliph, was an
avowed enemy of the Imam (a.s.). He maltreated him, sent
for him many times and accused him of acting against the
Abbasids and conducting a covert conspiracy against him.
In spite of all that, this caliph could but admit the
great status of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). In his response to
a letter sent by the Alawite revolutionary, Dhil-Nafs
al-Zakiyyah Muhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hassan bin
al-Hassan bin Ali bin Abi-Talib - in which he explained
his outstanding merits which made him outrank al-Mansoor
as more qualified to be the caliph than him due to his
closeness to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) and as a
descendant of his daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra', al-Mansoor
said:
"...the best sons of your father, and those with
outstanding merits are certainly the sons of the
bondsmaids. After the demise of the Apostle of Allah
(s.a.w.) nobody better than Ali bin al-Hussein was born
in your family. He was the child of a bondsmaid. And
certainty he is better than your grandfather, Hassan bin
Hussein.[8] After him you had nobody like Muhammad bin
Ali (Imam al-Baqir) whose grandmother was a bondsmaid. He
is surely better than your father.
Nor had you anybody like his son, Ja'far (Imam
al-Sadiq) whose grandmother is a bondsmaid. He is better
than you..."[9] Isma'il bin Ali bin Abdullah bin
Abbas is reported to have said:
"One day I called on Abu-Ja'far al-Mansoor. Tears
were coursing down his beard. He said to me: 'Have you
heard of what happened to your family?' 'And what is
that, O commander of the faithful, I queried? Their
chief, the scholar and the best of the remaining pious
among them has passed away. And who is that, commander of
the faithful' I queried?'. 'Ja'far bin Muhammad, he
said."[10]
And so we understand from history documents how great the
political and social position of the Imam was. He stood
on the top of the social hierarchy and was the central
force and the magnet of his era.
