imam as sadiq

8/8/2019 Imam as Sadiq

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1st Edition 19982nd Edition 20003rd Edition 2005

ISBN : 81-87793-26-0

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Never has the eye seen, nor the ear

heard, nor the heart of a human being

thought of anyone more virtuous,

knowledgeable, devout, or pious than

Jafar al-Sadiq.

Imam Malik bin Anas

In Manaqib Aale Abu Talib of Ibne Shahre

Aaashob

Whenever I looked at Jafar bin

Muhammad, I knew he was from Prophets

ancestry.Umar bin al-Miqdam

Al Hilya of Abu Naim

Reprinted with the kind consent and permission

From Al-Balagh Foundation

The original publisher

Distributed free of charge seeking Allahs pleasure

This book is dedicated for the Isale Sawaab of

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Adam Ali Mulla Ibrahim Jee

Fatima Bint Ali Bader

Batul Bint Shaikh Mohammed Ali

Alibhai Adam Ali

Sugra Bint Adam Ali

Please recite Surah Fateha for the Departed Soul

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Contents

Contents ..............................................................5

Introduction .........................................................7

AN APPROACH TO THE STUDY ...........................11

CHARACTER OF IMAM AL-SADIQ (A.S.) ...............13

1. His Birth and Upbringing: ...............................132. His Social Status: ...........................................18

POLITICAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF IMAM AL-SADIQ (A.S.) .......................................................24

1. Uprising of Zaid (121 A.H.): ...........................292. Collapse of the Umayyad State (132 AH): ......393. Uprising of Muhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hassan (al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah) (145 A.H.): ...........47IMAM SADIQS SCIENTIFIC ROLE ........................53

1. Scientific and Cultural Climate in Imams Era:..........................................................................532. Imams Scientific Role: ..................................543- Imam Sadiqs School: ....................................64First: Defending Islamic Beliefs: .........................65

Secondly: Spreading Islam: ................................70GLIMPSES OF HIS KNOWLEDGE ..........................73

1. Knowledge: ....................................................732. Authenticity of Traditions: ..............................743. Monotheism: ..................................................744. Guidance and Guidelines: ..............................76His Death: ..........................................................81

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Endnotes: ..........................................................83

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Introduction

Praise be to Allah, the One and only God.Peace and the blessings of Allah be onMuhammad, the Lord of His servants, Ahlul-Bait, the Boat of salvation, the leaders of

guidance from among his companions, andall those who supported and helped him,treaded the right path, and did not deviate.

The care the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w) lavishedon his household, expressed in theireducation and upbringing, was not an

emotional concern so much as animplementation of a decisive Divine orderwhich he received from the Lord of theWorlds. He communicated the message, andbrought mankind out of the darkness ofatheism and polytheism into the light ofmonotheism and faith. Allah ordered HisMessenger (s.a.w.) to say to the successivegenerations of mankind,

...say (Muhammad): I demand not

of you any recompense for it save

the love of (my) relatives...

Holy Quran (42:23)

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Alas, they were compensated by being killed,tortured, and made homeless. Patiently andsteadfastly they, along with their followers,faced tribulations and bitter trials in aheartrending way.

Some people stood against them out ofignorant spite, personal interests, trivialworldly gains, and in revenge for the killingof Abu-Jahl and Abu-Lahab. Up to now, thegrandsons of the enemies of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.)are still harbouring ill intentions againstthem. They may express their deep-seated

hatred for Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) with their writingsor through their followers. There were peoplewho pretended to be loyal to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.).At the same time, they fabricated myths andlies and attributed to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) fablesand 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 theirhatred are not more harmful for us thanthose who ascribed to us what we never saidabout ourselves.

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The greatness of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) ismanifested in their possession of thehonour of Islam. They are of noble birth,descending from Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).They were the most knowledgeable, beingeducated in the Prophetic school. And theyhad the honour of jihad, as they werepatiently victimized and martyred.

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.), a branch of thisbig tree, the symbol of this pure household,perpetuated the message of his grandfatherthe Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.), by spreading

Islamic sciences, and teaching fiqh andtraditions.In the life of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) one canclearly see the call to justice before thetyrants, the announcement of right beforethe unjust and falsehood, and the heroic,

wonderful steadfastness against the horrorsof deviation and darkness.

In spite of all this, the flow of his knowledgefilled the great scholars of Basrah, Kufah andcentral Hijaz with enlightenment. Heilluminated the minds of such great leaders

as Malik bin Anas, Abu-Hanifah, Ibn Uyaynah,9


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Ibn Jurayh, Yahya bin Sad al-Ansari, Ayyubal-Sajistani, and many others who lived atthat time.

As Al-Balagh Foundation presents, to its dearreaders, this fragrant glimpse of the life of

the Apostles grandson, the standard - bearerof his message, the renewer of Islam, theperpetuator of the originality of his call,Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). We beseech Allah togrant us success to call people to obey Him,lead the way in preaching the faith untilIslam prevails, by which He may reward us

with honour in this life and the hereafter. Heis the Hearing and the Knowing.

Al-Balagh Foundation

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AN APPROACH TO THE STUDYWriting about Imam al-Sadiq bin Muhammadal-Sadiq (a.s.), the Imam of Muslims, themaster of jurisprudence (fuqaha) andpreachings, and the authority of scholars and

intellectuals, is writing about a leading manfrom Ahlul-Bait (a.s.). He is a link in the chainof Imamate and the political and ideologicalleadership 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 themwith Ahlu-Bait (a.s.). A study of the life of anyof the Imam (a.s.), from the household of theProphet (a.s.w.), would disclose the commondenominator in their lives and harmoniouscontinuity of their role as the choice ofMuslims Imams.

This brief study emphasizes, for theresearchers interested in the lives of theImams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), that they havemade a single history with clearly defineddimensions and roles perfectly assignedacross successive periods of time throughout

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their lifetimes. Their mission was aimed atkeeping the originality of Shariah anddefending its entity. This will become crystal-clear through the concise study of the life ofImam Jafar bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.).

Since the study of any of the Islamicpersonalities, such as that of Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.), centers on the practical value of hispersonality, its ideological and historical rolein the lives of Muslims in particular, andmankind in general, we have focussed, ourstudy on this fact. We have tried to present a

good, clearcut portrait of Imam Jafar binMuhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.). We have dividedthe study into three main areas: Character,political conditions, and scholarly Status.

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CHARACTER OF IMAM AL-SADIQ(A.S.)

1. His Birth and Upbringing:

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) is the son of ImamMuhammad al-Baqir bin Ali al-Sajjad bin

Hussein (a.s.) bin Ali Abi-Talib (a.s.). TheImam is a descendent of Fatimah al-Zahra,the daughter of the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.)and Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, through ImamHussein, the martyred grandson of the HolyProphet (s.a.w).

The mother of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) isFatimah1, the daughter of al-Qasim binMuhammad bin Abi-Bakr. That is why Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: Abu-Bakr begotme twice.

As most authentic books insist, he was born

in the city of Madinah, on the 17th day of thelunar month Rabiul Awwal2, in the year 83 A.H, during the rule of the Umayyad caliph,Abdul-Malik bin Marwan.

Imam Jafar bin Muhammad (a.s.) was bornand brought up under the care of his father,

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.), and his13


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grandfather Imam Ali bin Hussein (Zain al-Abideen) (a.s.). From both men he learnedthe sciences of religion and the teachings ofthe Islam.

After the martyrdom of Imam Zain al-

Abideen (a.s.), Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) was theImam of Muslims. Before his martyrdom, hepassed the Imamate to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq(a.s.). He became the authority of judges,scholars and preachers.

He graduated hundreds of scholars versed inIslamic sciences and Prophetic traditions. Hemade the mosque of Madinah a university tospread Islamic ideology. Scholars andpreachers gave their testimonies inacknowledgement of his great standing andabundant knowledge.

On the authority of Ata, a well-known

scholar from the second generation, Sibt binal-Jawzi says in his book Tadhkirat al-Khawas(Admonishing Prominent people):

Never have I seen scholars lessknowledgeable in the presence of a man likeAbu-Jafar al-Sadiq....3

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Ibn Sad says:

He was trustworthy, knowledgeable and thecommunicator of a plethora of traditions.4

If we understood the status of ImamMuhammad al-Baqir (a.s.), under whose care

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was brought up andfrom whom he learned the teachings ofIslam, and if we understand, through ourstudy of the lives of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), thatImam al-Baqir (a.s.), was brought up andtaught Islamic sciences by his father, Imamal-Sajjad (a.s.), that Imam al-Sajjad (a.s.) wasnurtured by his father, Imam Hussein (a.s.),and that Imam Hussein (a.s.) was brought upand taught Islamic sciences by his father, theCommander of the Faithful, Imam Ali bin Abi-Talib (a.s.), and that Imam Ali bin Abi-Talibwas brought up and taught by the Apostle of

Allah (s.a.w.), we could see a greatermeaning 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 Aishah, the

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wife of the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.), withthese words:

...He is certainly the most well-versed manin the Sunnah of the prophet (reported byAbu-Umar).6

If we could understand the transfer ofknowledge from one Imam to the next, wewould realize knowledge, one from the other,from the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.), and thattheir family life was framed with the sameabundant knowledge, deep faith and morals. This understanding would lead us to thefollowing facts:

A. The authenticity of the traditions, beliefs,teachings, Quranic exegesis, philosophy,etc., which the Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) hadconveyed to the people.

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) explained this truth inthese 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-

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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 aforeign factor piercing it, are directly tied upwith the life of the Holy Prophet(s.a.w.).Thus, their lives were, in fact, aschool and a vivid experience in which Islamwas personified, its teachings implemented,

and its principles defended. That all adds upto the authenticity of the source from whichthey took their knowledge and the originalityof the thought of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.).

If we understand all this, we would comecloser to the atmosphere, environment, and

the school in which Imam Jafar al-Sadiq(a.s.) studied. We would know beyond doubtthat his life, the services he rendered to theMuslims, and the knowledge he imparted,including hadith, exegesis, and Islamicbeliefs, was faithfully and objectively handed

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This would explain to us the great standingof Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), his ascension toImamate after his father Imam Muhammadal-Baqir (a.s.), and his determination to takeup that heavy burden throughout his blessedlife.

2. His Social Status:

No other man had won the same great andhigh position that Imam Jafar 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 thetime. The common people looked at him as adescendant of the Apostle of Allah (a.s.),chief of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), and the symbol ofthe opposition to the injustice and tyranny ofthe Umayyad and Abbasids. These commonpeople believed that it was an obligation for

every Muslim, loyal to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), tolove him and be faithful to him.

The men of knowledge and piety saw inImam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.), a leader, scholarand an unmatched educator. The politiciansand rulers knew full well the Imam,

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particularly at the time of the Abbasid revoltagainst the Umayyads. He was, in their sight,a great social personality, an effectivepolitical force, and a leading political magnetwhich could not be ignored. These are factsno one can deny or undermine.

During the life of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), at theclosing years of the Umayyad rule, the rulergot more tough and unjust. Peoples ragerose. It was only natural, as history asserts,that Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) was at the fore, being atthe vanguard, and the motto on the banners

of the masses in every uprising against theUmayyads and Abbasids. That is why theanti-Umayyad action began in the name ofAhlul-Bait (a.s). The leaders of the oppositionannounced that they were calling for therestoration of the caliphate and Imamate to

their legitimate people, the members of thepure Prophetic household. They called for therestitution of the caliphate to the qualifiedand competent descendants of Fatimah, thedaughter of the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w). But,while the struggle was on, and the tensionswere mounting between the two parties,

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Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) distanced himself fromthe battlefield. He withdrew from openconfrontation 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 wasof the real intentions of the Abbasids. Headvised the Alawites not to follow the raisedslogans rashly.

Events turned out exactly as he had said.What he had been warning the Alawites oftook place. Though he was refraining from

taking part in the struggle, the concernedpeople kept themselves close to him. Thepeople were all waiting for him to take part.The leaders of the Abbasids couldnt ignorehim or overlook his social position. That iswhy they took him into consideration while

planning their strategy.Abu-Salamah al-Khallal, a key leader of therevolt against the Umayyads, sent amessenger to Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) offeringhim his pledge of allegiance. Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) burned his letter and turned down his

offer. Al-Khallah tried many times to offer his20


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loyalty to the Imam to no avail. The Alawitesoffered him the caliphate and keptpressurising him, but he resisted all thosetemptations in spite of the Alawitespersistence. Naturally, the concern thepeople showed to the Imam (a.s.)emphasized his great political stature andthe prominent social role he played.

Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor, the Abbasid caliph,was an avowed enemy of the Imam (a.s.). Hemaltreated him, sent for him many times andaccused him of acting against the Abbasids

and conducting a covert conspiracy againsthim. In spite of all that, this caliph could butadmit the great status of Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.). In his response to a letter sent by theAlawite revolutionary, Dhil-Nafs al-ZakiyyahMuhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hassan bin

al-Hassan bin Ali bin Abi-Talib - in which heexplained his outstanding merits which madehim outrank al-Mansoor as more qualified tobe the caliph than him due to his closenessto the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) and as adescendant of his daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra, al-Mansoor said:

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...the best sons of your father, and thosewith outstanding merits are certainly thesons of the bondsmaids. After the demise ofthe Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.) nobody betterthan Ali bin al-Hussein was born in yourfamily. He was the child of a bondsmaid. Andcertainty he is better than your grandfather,Hassan bin Hussein.8 After him you hadnobody 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, Jafar

(Imam al-Sadiq) whose grandmother is abondsmaid. He is better than you...9 Ismailbin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas is reported tohave said:

One day I called on Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor.Tears were flowing down his beard. He said

to me: Have you heard of what happened toyour family? And what is that, Ocommander of the faithful, I queried? Theirchief, the scholar and the best of theremaining pious among them has passedaway. And who is that, commander of the

faithful I queried?. Jafar bin Muhammad,22


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he said.10

And so we understand from historicaldocuments how great the political and socialposition of the Imam was. He stood at thetop of the social hierarchy and was the

central force and the magnet of his era.

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POLITICAL CONDITIONS AT THETIME OF IMAM AL-SADIQ(A.S.)

Political conditions, at any historical phase,appear to be the most dominant

phenomenon of social life of human beings. That is because political conditions, therelations between the ruler and the ruled,the nature of the ruling power, the policies itadopts, are all closely connected to thesecurity of the people, their living standards,

the level of their faith, lifestyle, education,scientific progress and their inner stability.Political conditions become of highimportance and their impact deepensespecially when a given community holdsonto a civilized mission, and to the politicalvalues and principles they believe in, but

which are being pushed aside by the rulerswho seized power by force.

Through the study of the history of theMuslim ummah, throughout the first sixcenturies during the Umayyad and Abbasidhegemony, the driving factors working at the

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depth of the Islamic culture attended bystruggles, activities, revolutions and reforms,one can clearly detect three key factors:

1. Islams ability to renovate, create andgive, at the levels of culture, originality

of religious beliefs, political militancy,and protection of mans freedom anddignity against injustice and tyranny.

2. Rulers. deviation from Islam. There is awide gap between Islams principles andthe ruling authorities. But there was aninterval in which Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, anUmayyad caliph, tried to come to gripswith the tragical condition of the ummahby detecting the causes of decay.Unfortunately, he failed to achievelasting change.

3. During these two distinguished eras, we

discover how energetic the Muslimummah was in facing the rulers deviatingfrom Islam. In this long, drawn outstruggle, the role of the noble Ahlul-Bait(a.s.) appears as an indisputablehistorical fact. Ahul-Bait (a.s.) were

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themselves the leaders who guided theopposition. That is why they werepersecuted, killed, tortured and madehomeless at the hands of the Umayyadand Abbasid rulers.

Imam Jafar bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.)lived with these three factors. He witnessedthe oppression, terrorism and injusticesdirected at Muslims in general, and theAlawites, who descended from Imam Ali(a.s.), and Fatimah al-Zahra, (a.s.) inparticular, for the last forty years of the

Umayyad rule.

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was born in the days ofthe Umayyad caliph Abdul-Malik bin Marwanbin al-Hakam. He lived through the reigns ofal-Walid bin Abdul-Malik, Sulaiman bin Abdul-Malik, Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, al-Walid bin

Yazid, Yazid bin al-Walid, Ibrahim bin al-Walid, Marwan al-Himar, until the collapse ofthe Umayyad caliphate in 132 A. H. He livedunder the reign of Abul-Abbas al-Saffah, thefirst Abbaside caliph, and nearly ten yearsunder the reign of Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor. The

Imam (a.s.) lived through hard times,26


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witnessed the tribulations of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.),felt the pains of the ummah, and heard itscomplaints and cries, but was unable tomove to their defence. He could not openlychallenge the Umayyads or the Abbasidsbecause of the following reasons:

1. He was at the top ideological and socialstructure, the chief of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.),and the man to whom the ummahresorted at times of adversity. Thereforehe was under constant surveillance bythe Umayyads and Abbasids. Spies

followed him, reporting to the authoritiesthe slightest of his activities. Thatweakened his ability to indulge inpolitical actions aimed at destroying thesuccessive rulers at the time.

2. Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) had a painfully bitter

experience with the masses. All theuprisings and revolts led by Imam Ali(a.s.), his sons, Imam Hassan (a.s.), andImam Hussein (a.s.), had been crusheddue to the ineptitude of the ummah andits reluctance to respond to Ahlul-Baits

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even consider using such base ways toseize power as treachery, hypocrisy,bribery, etc. But, their foes, on thecontrary, would not leave a stoneunturned to achieve their mean goals.Such wide gaps in political awarenessand disharmony between Ahlul-Bait (a.s.)and their followers had the greatestharmful effect on the battles anduprisings led by them.

For these reasons Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)renounced open political struggle with the

rulers and embarked, clandestinely, onbuilding the resistance ideologically andmorally in a way that would make it theembodiment of revolution. The revolutionwould have to be cared for, away from therulers eyes so as to send its roots deep in

the consciousness of the ummah.Thus, he made the scholars, preachers andthe masses boycott and oppose the unjustrulers through raising the religious andpolitical awareness of the ummah, guidingthem to learn Islams beliefs and concepts,

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relations with the rulers. He is reported tohave said:

Whoever condemnes the injustice of anoppressor, Allah shall certainly placesomeone above him, who will persecute him.

If he prays to Allah, Allah shall neither accepthis prayer, nor shall He reward him incompensation for the injustices done tohim.11

The one who does injustices to others, theone who assists him in doing so, and the onewho approves of that, are threeaccomplices.12

During the lifetime of Imam Jafar binMuhammad (a.s.) three momentous eventstook place which had an extraordinary effecton the life of the ummah:

1. Uprising of Zaid (121 A.H.):

Zaid bin Ali bin Hussein bin Ali bin Abi-Talib(a.s.), is the paternal uncle of Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.). Zaid was a leading man from thehousehold of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and afamous faqih from Ahlul-Bait (a.s.). He wasunbearably distressed by the continuing

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dilemma of the ummah, the terror,oppression and deviation practiced by theUmayyad rulers. Thus, he rushed with thecourage of the revolutionary who saw noalternative to the sword and force in dealingwith the rulers. He declared war on theUmayyad authorities. In 121 A.H. he decidedto lead the oppressed and downtrodden in arevolt against the Umayyad caliph, Hishambin Abdul-Malik. That took place during theImamate of Imam al-Baqir (a.s.), Zaidsbrother. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was 38 years

old at that time. Deteriorating conditions,injustices, poverty, corruption and theextravagances of the rulers were sowidespread that they were no longerendurable.

Historians present a good description of the

deteriorating conditions. Abul-Hassan al-Masood, the well-known historian, depictsHisham in the following word:He was cross-eyed, rough, rude, stiff-necked. He was busy amassing wealth...13

Then he adds: In his days silk and silken

garments were made. All the people in his30


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days followed his example and becamestingy. Help to the needy decreased, andcharities were stopped. No hard time wereever seen like those of his.14

Quoting al-Jahshiyari, Sayyid Hashim Maroof

al-Hassani writes:The Umayyads imposed extra taxes such asthose who lived on industries and handicraftsand on the people who wanted to marry orwrite contracts and documents. Theyrestored the Sassanid taxes known asNowrooz gifts. The first man who imposedthem was Muawiyah. He levied them on thepeople of Iraq. The chief of the people ofHarat met Asad bin Abdullah al-Qisri, thegovernor of Harat under Hisham bin Abdu l-Malik, and presented to him the gifts of thegreat festival.

They amounted to 1000,000, according toIbn al-Athir, in the fifth volume of his book Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh (The complete Accounts ofHistory)...

He also says, Abdul-Malik ordered hisgovernor of al-Jazirah to make a general

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census of the people, and consider all thepeople as workers devoid of the right to haveproperty. He also instructed him to makeeveryone collect his whole product duringone year, set aside a portion for hismaintenance. The governor did so andconsidered them workers at certain wages.From their annual income, he put aside asum of money for their daily expenses andclothing for one year. He found that for eachone of them remained four Dinars. Heobliged them to pay it.

He further says:

Usamah bin Zaid called on Sulaiman binAbdul-Malik who was carrying with him theland tax revenues. Usamah, the governor ofEgypt, said:

O commander of the faithful! I have not

come to you until after (I have seen). If youthink it better to treat them kindly, comfortthem and lessen the amount of land taxwhich they pay, in order to build andrenovate their country, and improve theirliving, then do it. That would be made up for

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next year. May your mother be bereaved ofyou! Milk the milk. If it stop, then milk theblood, was his reply. Sometimes, the caliphswould allow their governors to keep all themoney. It might amount to millions ofDirhams. The governor of Khurasan gathered20 million Dirhams. The caliph let him keepthem similar offers of money were presentedto him.15

Such was the economic life. The distributionof wealth, which was contrary to Islamseconomic principles and fair laws, was

further aggravated by the policy of terror,hunting down and killing the politicalapponents of the rulers. Imam al-Sadiq, likehis father and grandfathers, witnessed allthis under the Umayyad rule.

That was one reason that prompted Zaid bin

Ali to revolt against the Umayyads. He choseKufah as the base for his uprising andstayed there nearly a year and sent hismessengers to different towns...16

... the Shiites, along with other people,began to contact him and give their pledge

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of allegiance to him. His office countedfifteen thousand men from Kufah, not tomention those who came from the cities ofMadain, Basrah, Wasit, Mosul, Khurasan,Ray and Gorgan.17

This historical document reflects the fury ofthe ummah at the Umayyads, and thewidespread discontent in the majority of themain Muslim cities. One can only have aglimpse at the conduct of the Umayyadrulers, about which we have writtenelsewhere, and the nature of the uprisings

and the men who led them so as to provethe unIslamic, brutal nature of the Umayyadrulers. Zaid, the revolutionary, for example,is described by Abul-Jarood in these words:

I arrived in Madinah and whenever I askedabout Zaid bin Ali it was said to me: That is

the ally of the Quran.18

Al-Tabari described him as being:

A worshipper, pious, generous and brave,19

Zaid was supported by Abu-Hanifah al-Numan bin Thabit, the founder of the Hanafischool of thought. Abu-Hanifah leaned

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toward him and issued a religious decreeallowing people to give the tax of poor-rates(zakat) in the cause of Zaid. As a result hestood trial and was greatly harmed. Manyhistorians and writers emphasized this point.Mr. Muhammad Ismail Ibrahim, for example,who wrote about the political role and theview of the faqih of the Hanafi school in theUmayyad rule, Zaids uprising, and Ahlul-Baits right to the caliphate, says:

He (Abu-Hanifah) disapproved of theUmayyads illegal seizure of the office of

caliphate, and userping power with the forceof the sword and cunningness. So, deep inhis heart, he was leaning to Ali bin Abi-Taliband his sons who fell victim to theUmayyads injustice and oppression. Mostpainful for was the murdering of Zaid bin Ali

Zain al-Abideen, who was, in his view, a justImam qualified for caliphate for hisoutstanding merits. Abu-Hanifah remainedloyal to Ahlul-Bait and hostile to theUmayyads to the point that he rejectedevery offer to occupy a post in theirgovernment. Occasionally he would make

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public his leaning towards the Alawites in hislectures, which infuriated Ibn Hubairah, thegovernor of Kufah. He kept a watchful eye onAbu-Hanifah and tried to find fault with anyof his activities so as to punish him. Theopportunity arose when he appointed him ajudge.

When Abu-Hanifah refused, Ibn Hubairahconsidered that a sign of disloyality to thestate and beat him and threw him in prison.With the help of thc jailer, Abu-Hanifahescaped and took refuge in Mecca, where he

settled. He remained there until thefoundation of the Abbasid state. When thenew rule asserted itself, he returned toKufah.20 In these harsh conditions, Zaiddecided to declare war on the rulers andhurry to Kufah. All the people attached their

hopes to the uprising of Zaid, urging him tolisten to their call and start the revolt.

Zaid did not want to install himself as thecaliph and Imam of the people. He merelycalled for the restoration of power to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.). Zaid knew that his brother, Imam

al-Baqir (a.s.) was the legitimate Imam of36


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that era. He talked about thc matter with himand sought his advice. He intended tosurrender power to him once the uprisingsucceeded. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.)told him that traditions coming down fromhis forefathers, quoted from the Messengerof Allah (s.a.w.), specified the duration of theUmayyad rule, and that he would surely bekilled if he rose up against Hisham bin Abdul-Malik.

Al-Masoodi, writes:

Zaid bin Ali had consulted his brother, Abu-Jafar (al-Baqir) bin Ali bin Hussein (a.s.). Headvised him not to trust the people of Kufah,as they were deceitful and treacherous: InKufah your grandfather, Ali bin Abi-Talib, wasmurdered, al-Baqir (a.s.) said to him. And init your uncle Hassan was stabbed, and your

father Hussein was slain. In it and its villageswe, Ahlul-Bait, were reviled. He told himabout the duration of the reign of the sons ofMarwan and the foundation of the Abbasidstate. Zaid, however, was not convinced andinsisted on seeking to restore Ahlul-Baits

right to the caliphate. Finally al-Baqir said to37


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him: I fear, brother, that you, yourself, willbe crucified tomorrow in the square of Kufah., Abu-Jafar took farewell of him, telling himthat they would never see each otheragain.21

How truthful the words of Imam al-Baqir(a.a.) were! Zaid revolted, was killed inKufah, and secretly buried by his followers.Hisham bin Abdul-Malik ordered the body ofZaid be taken out of the grave and crucifiedafter being stripped of its clothes. That orderwas instantly carried out. The murder and

crucifixion of Zaid, the Martyr, was a horribleevent which shook the conscience of theMuslim ummah, inflammed the sentiments,kindled the spark of the Umayyads downfall.The Umayyads remained in power only 11years after the killing of Zaid. That period

witnessed many uprisings and revolts led bymen from the noble Prophets household.

That tragedy and the likes of it, which deeplysaddened Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) and the ummahleft their marks on the Imam (a.s.) andaffected his political and social activities. He

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protecting the Shariah and raising ageneration of scholars, well-educated inIslamic sciences, jurisprudence (fiqh) andProphetic traditions (Hadiths). As his freedomwas extremely restricted, he threw his fullweight behind those activities.

In spite of all that, Hisham bin Abdul-Malikremained fearful of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) andhis father Imam al-Baqir and the sympathythey received from the Alawites. He calledthem to Syria and cross-examined them.Finding no evidence to harm them, he was

forced to let them return to the city ofMadinah unscathed.

2. Collapse of the Umayyad State

(132 AH):

The second momentous event which tookplace during the Imamate of Jafar binMuhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.) was the fall of theUmayyads and the establishment of theAbbasid rule. The revolution against theUmayyads was raised under the slogan ofsupporting Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) and furtheringtheir cause. But, the Abbasids were actually

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working to monopolize the caliphate. First,they called for the leadership of Ibrahim binMuhammad al-Abbasi. Before hisassassination, he had called the people togive their pledge of allegiance to his brother,Abul-Abbas Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Abbasi. When Abu-Salamah al-Khallal heardof the assassination of Ibrahim and theemergence of Abul-Abbas as the new leader,he feared the turn of events and wrote aletter in two copies. The first copy he sent toImam al-Sadiq (a.s.) and the second to

Abdullah bin al-Hassan,22 one of the well-known chiefs and leading men among theAlawites. In his letter to Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)he urged him to go to Kufah to receive thepledge of allegiance from the people. He alsoordered the messenger to demand clear

answer from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). If theanswer was positive, he should seek no otherman, because he was the Imam and thequalified man for leadership. Otherwise, he(the messenger) should go to Abdullah binal-Hassan. The messenger took the letterand rushed to Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). He

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explained his mission to him. Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) said nothing to him, but took the letterand burned it in front of the messenger. Tellyour master of what you have seen, saidthe Imam. Then he recited a line of poetryquoted from al-Kumayt bin Zaid al-Asadi:

O you who builds a fire, its light benefitsother than you! O you who gathers firewood,you would only till it with someone elsesrope23

The messenger left him and went to seeAbdullah bin al-Hassan. He gave the copy ofthe letter to him. Abdullah was greatlypleased by it. But he could not make up hismind. He was unable to make such a criticaldecision without the Imam (a.s.). He thoughtthat the Imam (a.s.) would welcome andapprove of the offer. Much to his

disappointment, the Imam (a.s.) told himabout the letter he had received and how hehad set it on fire. He forbade Abdullah toaccept the offer and warned him of graveconsequences.

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) knew the turn of events

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and had no doubt about what would follow.His father al-Baqir (a.s.), had told him,depending on the traditions reports from theHoly Prophet (s.a.w.), all about it. It isreported that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) oncesaid to the members of his family:

We are a family for whom Allah preferredthe hereafter over this life. Indeed themembers of my family shall certainly betribulated, made homeless and dismissed outof their homeland. That shall go on untilsome people come from the East raising

black standards. They shall ask the right butshall be denied it. They shall fight helped byothers, and shall be given what they seek.They shall not accept it until they give it (theleadership) over to a man from my familywho shall fill the earth with justice after

being filled with injustice. Whoever is luckyto live at that time, let him join them even ifit is hard for him to do so, as hard ascrawling over a snowy land.24

Abdullah bin al-Hassan did not want to listento Imam al-Sadiqs (a.s.) advice, The people

want my son, Muhammad, to be their leader42


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as he is the Mahdi of this ummah, Abdullahprotested, By Allah, replied the Imam(a.s.),he is not the Mahdi of this ummah.And if he draws his sword he will be surelykilled. Abdullah, by this time, was furious,By Allah, he said angrily It is the envy thatmakes you deny this. The Imam (a.s.)confirmed his good will by saying, By Allah. Iam only offering you my advice...25 Imam al-Sadiqs words came true. Abul-Abbas al-Saffah was given the pledge of allegianceeven before the messenger had returned to

Abu-Salamah al-Khallal.The Abbasids seized power and trampled onthe promises they had given to Ahlul-Bait(a.s.) and the people. After alluring thepeople, by pretending to be loyal to Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), fighting to restore their right to

the caliphate, they showed their true colours. The Alawites, as well as other people,suffered terribly at the hands of theAbbasids. The first Abbasid caliph, Abul-Abbas, earned the niekname al-Saffah(bloodshedder) because of the countlessnumber of people he had put to the sword.

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acknowledged. But, above all, al-Mansoorknew that the Alawites were working to putan end to the Abbasid hegemony, andrestore the leadership of the ummah toAhlul-Bait (a.s.).

Many times Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor tried towoo Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) to his side but to noavail. The Imam (a.s.) actually boycotted theAbbaside rule, knowing that his attituderepresented the right legal one that shouldbe adopted by the people, and exposed theregimes deviation. As a result the image of

the authorities gradually tarnished in theminds of the people, the legitimacy of therule was stripped, and the way paved for itsoverthrow.

Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor wrote a letter to Imamal-Sadiq (a.s.) asking his companionship. He

wrote: Why do you not visit us as othersdo?. In response, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) wroteback: We have nothing for which we mayfear you, nor do you have anything to dowith the hereafter for which we may seekyour companionship. You have not acquired

a new favour for which we should45


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congratulate you, nor a tribulation hasbefallen you so that we should console you

Keep us company so as to offer us youradvice, wrote al-Mansoor insisting. The onewho seeks this life would not counsel you,

replied al-Sadiq (a.s.). And the one whodesires the hereafter would not associatewith you.26

Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor was boiling with anger,envying Imams social position anduprightness. Al-Mansoor was even helplesslyhesitant as what attitude he should have. Heonce said, This is the sorrow that sticks inthe throats of the caliphs. He cannot beexiled, and it is haram to kill him. If I and himwere not of the same tree, whose roots weregood, branches high, fruits delicious, andwhose offspring were blessed and hallowed

in the divine books, I would have dealt withhim cruelly, for his harsh criticism, and hisbad judgements of us.27

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3. Uprising of Muhammad bin

Abdullah bin al-Hassan (al-Nafs

al-Zakiyyah) (145 A.H.):

The third important event which took placeduring the Imamate of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)

was the uprising of Muhammad Dhil-Nafs al-Zakiyyah against Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor, whoassumed power in 136 A.H. succeeding hisbrother, Abul-Abbas al-Saffah. He was morehostile to and spiteful of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.).

Muslims, in general, suffered from his

repression, a fact which urged Muhammadbin Abdullah bin al-Hassan, a cousin of Imamal-Sadiq (a.s.) to revolt against al-Mansoor.We have explained Imams attitude towardthe attempt of Abdullah bin al-Hassan andhis son to assume the caliphate. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was sure that any of the Alawite

attempts to seize power would fail. Thirteenyears earlier, he met Abdullah bin al-Hassanand told him that the Abbasids would seizepower, and his son, Muhammad, would bekilled by al-Mansoor.

This one (Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor). the mam

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(a.s.) said to him, will murder him on theoily stones. Then he will kill his brother afterhim at al-Tufoof while his horse is wadingthrough the water.

The Imam angrily rose to his feet. dragging

his clock. Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor who waspresent, followed him and asked: .Do youknow what have you said, O Abu-Abdullah?Certainly, I know, it. By Allah. This shallcertainly be28

When Abu-.Jafar al-Mansoor assumed thecaliphate he nicknamed Jafar al-Sadiq (The Truthful). Whenever he mentioned himafterwards, he would say: Al-Sadiq Jafar binMuhammad said to me such and such. Hebecame to be known by this name.29

When Muhammad Dhul-Nafs al-Zakiy Tyahrevolted against the injustices and

oppression of Abu-Jafar al-Mansoor, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) had the same feeling and thevery desire for change which Muhammad binAbdullah bin al-Hassan had. But there was adifference. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) clearly sawthe future. He knew full the failure to

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overthrow the regime, while his cousin,Muhammad, was ignorant of it. Because ofthe failure of the attempt and the graveconsequences it would entail regardingAhlul-Bait, the Imam disapproved of therevolt.

Muhammad Dhul-Nafs al-Zakiyyah called thepeople to support him in his bid to seizepower. For some time he went into hiding.No sooner were his father, his family and thesons of his uncle arrested, then he revoltedin the city of Madinah. The uprising failed

and Muhammad was killed. Later, his son,Ali, was murdered in Egypt. So was his sonAbdullah in al-Sind. His son al-Hassan wasarrested in Yemen and thrown into prisonwhere he died. Poisoned, Idris, his brother,died in Morocco. Yahya, another brother

declared war on the regime in Basrah.Heading a small army of his followers, hemoved toward Kufah, but was slain beforeentering it. And thus ended the Alawiterevolution, which brought so much woes anddisasters on Ahlul-Bait (a.s.). Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) was not spared. Al-Mansoor, the

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Abbasid caliph, who was haunted by fear anddoubts about Imams activities, thinking himto be the driving force behind every hostileanti-Abbasid act, sent for Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.), when the movement of MuhammadDhul-Nafs al-Zakiyyah gained ground. Heaccused the Imam (a.s.) of supporting Dhul-Nafs al-Zakiyyah. Al-Mansoor harassed theImam (a.s.), and put him on trial. Afterhearing the answers of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)al-Mansoor became sure that the reports andcomplaints about Imams alleged hostile

activities were false. He eventually releasedhim. Once more, after Muhammad Dhul-Nafsal-Zakiyyahs death, al-Mansoor sent for him.He accused him of collecting money andweapons, and gathering followers inpreparation for a revolt. Al-Mansoor brought

the spy who had made up these false reportsabout Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) so as to repeat hisallegations in the Imams face. When theman came, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) asked him toswear that what he had told al-Mansoorabout him was true. By Allah. said theman, besides whom there is no god but

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kind to you. By Allah, I will never believeanything said about you by anybodyhenceforth.30

In such an atmosphere filled with animosity,terror, spying and persecution, the Imam

(a.s.) lived. But, turbulent, though thepolitical scene was, he succeeded in carryingout his great task of spreading knowledgeand teaching, and graduating a wholegeneration of scholars, jurisprudents, andpreachers.

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IMAM SADIQS SCIENTIFIC ROLE

1. Scientific and Cultural Climate in

Imams Era:

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) lived at a time whenthere was a real and deep interactionbetween Islamic thought and knowledge, andthose of the other nations and peoples.Translation from other languages grew.

Sciences, philosophies and thought of othernations were translated from foreignlanguages into Arabic. Muslims studied these

sciences, added to them, enriched them, andbroadened their scopes. As a result, anactive, ideological and scientific movementemerged. Muslims indulged in the sciencesof medicine, astronomy, chemistry, physics,arithmetics, among other ones. Philosophy,

logic, fundamentals of reasoning, and othersciences were translated especially fromGreek and Persian. Muslims were thusintroduced to a new line of philosophicalthought. This intrusion and culturalinteraction did not pass without drawingreactions from the Muslims. And so a current

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of suspicion and unbelief rose in the Muslimcommunity. Groups of people who adopteddialectics, and embraced deviant views tookroot.

But, after a long and bitter struggle, and long

drawn out ideological fighting, Muslims soliddomestic front succeeded in stopping thecultural invasion, and exposing its falsehoodand weaknesses. In addition to this scientificand cultural growth, during Imams time,there was a remarkable progress in manyfields. New political, economic and social

events and problems surfaced which neededto be settled according to Islamic law. Theultimate result was the emergence of new,unheard-of views and schools of thought.Scholars (ulama) were more busy trying todeduce the right answers for the new

problems.2. Imams Scientific Role:

Amidst these hard conditions, and thescientific and cultural activities, after theemergence of many schools of thought,Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) lived and carried out his

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Our booklet does not allow us to cite all thatwas said about the Imam (a.s.). But thatwont prevent us from quoting sometestimonies.

Shaikh al-Mufid, may Allah bless his soul,

says:From among all his brothers, al-Sadiq Jafarbin Muhammad bin Ali bin Hussein (a.s.)emerged as the successor to his fatherMuhammad bin Ali (a.s.), as his trustee andas the next Imam after him.

He was distinguished among his people byhis virtues. He was the cleverest, thegreatest in his stature, and the mostvenerated among the scholars and thecommon people. People took from him somuch knowledge that men conveyed it toremote areas. He was known in all parts of

the Islamic homeland. No other member ofAhlul-Bait rivalled him as being the source ofso much knowledge. No other member ofAhlul-Bait was also remembered and praisedby the historians and biographers as he was.Nor did the historians have ever

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quantitatively reported from anyone as theyhad done from Abu-Abdullah (a.s.). Scholarsconcerned with the Prophetic traditionsmade a list of the authoritative narratorsfrom different schools of thought, whoreported from him. They amounted to fourthousand men.31

The great scholar, Allamah Al-Sayyid Muhsinal-Amin writes:

Al-Hafidh bin Aqd al-Zaidi listed, in hisbiographical book, the names of fourthousand worthy men, among others, whoquoted from Jafar bin Muhammad, andmade a mention of his books...32

He wrote also that: Al-Najashi said in hisbiographical book, on the authority of al-Hassan bin Ali al-Washsha: I was luckyenough to meet in this mosque (the Mosque

of Kufah) nine hundred old men, each one ofthem repeating: Jafar bin Muhammad toldme. He (the Imam) (a.s.) would say:

I heard the traditions I communicate to youfrom my father. My father heard them frommy grandfather. My grandfather heard them

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bin Umar, Rawh bin Al-Qasim, Sufyan binUyaynah, Sulaiman bin Bilal, Ismail bin Jafar, Hatam bin Ismail, Abdul-Aziz bin al-Mukhtar, Wahab bin Khalid, Ibrahim binTahhan, and others, Abu-Naim goes on tosay; and Muslim quotes him in hisauthoritative book of traditions to support hisarguments. Others say: among those whoquoted from him were Malik, al-Shafii, al-Hassan bin Salih, Abu-Ayyub al-Sajistani,Amru bin Dinar, and Ahmad bin Hanbal.Malik bin Anas said, Never had the eye seen,

nor the ear heard, nor the heart of a humanbeing thought anyone more virtuous,knowledgeable, devout, or pious than Jafaral-Sadiq.35

Al-Yaqoobi, the famous historian, describeshim in these words, He was the best of men,

and the most knowledgeable about the faith. The learned men who learned from himwould say, when quoting him The scholartold us...,36

Muhammad Farid Wajdi, the compiler ofDairat Maarif al-Qarn al-Ishrin (The

Twentieth century Encyclopedia) writes59


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settled in Madinah, benefitting the Shiiteswho followed him, and conferring on theloyals the secrets of sciences.

Then he went to Iraq and stayed there forsome time, during which he never

challenged the Imamat (the rulingauthorities), nor did he fight anyone over thecaliphate. He who is drowned in the sea ofknowledge, never covets a seashore, nordoes the one who attains the pinnacle oftruth fears falling ..40

Al-Amin al-Amili quoted al-Hassan bin Ziyadas saying, I heard Abu-Hanifah, being askedabout the most authoritative faqih he hadever seen, saying: Jafar bin Muhammad.

Abu-Layla is reported to have said: I wouldnever retract something I have said, orcancel a judgement I have made on the

advice of anyone except one man; Jafar binMuhammad.41

Malik bin Anas, the founder of the Malikis (anIslamic school of thought) phrases his view of Jafar bin Muhammad al-Sadiq, in thesewords: I occasionally met Jafar bin

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writing about him because he is lessmeritorious than them. On the contrary, hematches the seven Imam in their virtues. Heis distinguished from the great men by hisoutstanding merits. Abu-Hanifah quoted him.He believed he was the most knowledgeableman among people, though diverse theiropinions were. He considered him the mostwell-versed faqih. Malik used to call on himas a student and a narrator of traditions. Hewas the teacher of Abu-Hanifah and Malik,and if only that was to his credit, it would be

enough for him. Nor there would be a manwho could exceed him in virtues. And aboveall that, he was the grandson of Zain al-Abidin, who was the master of the city ofMadinah in his time, due to his virtues,honour, faith and knowledge. Among his

student were Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri and othersfrom the later generations of Muslims. He isthe son of Muhammad al-Baqir who slashedthe knowledge open and got its pulp. He wasthe one to whom Allah, the Exalted, gatheredthe personal honour and the additionalhonour, to the noble lineage, and closeness

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Muslims found the right path which led themto the pure Shariah.

We should draw the attention of the dearreader to the fact that Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)was not a man who passed personal

judgements. He was a man who took up themessage from his father and entrusted it tohis son. He inherited from his predecessorstheir knowledge and thought, from whichand according to which, he preached toMuslims. Thus his school and methods ofaction were sequel to the works of his

predecessors and the sunnah of the Prophet(s.a.w.) He made plain the Quranic teaching,and dug up the Qurans treasures.

Many Islamic groups, based on fiqh andideology, were formed in his days- Imamsposition towards them was one of guidance,

exchange of views, and constructive,responsible criticism. The Imam (a.s.) hadthe following objectives in mind:

First: Defending Islamic Beliefs:

When atheistic, philosophical and ideologicalcurrents surfaced, and at a time when vague

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the present time, the standard of Ahlul-Baitis still hoisted by their followers, who walk intheir footsteps, and embrace monotheism,the original pure one, as was preached firstby thc Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.).

These followers have their school of thoughtwhich is widely espoused by Muslims in Iran,Iraq, Azarbayjan, Turkey, Lebanon, Arabianpeninsula, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan,India, America, Canada, Australia, amongother countries of the Islamic world. It iscalled Jafar School of Thought, being

attributed to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.). Theyfollow him and the other Imams of theProphets household (a.s.). They are calledthe twelve-Imam Shiites as the Imams ofAhlul-Bait (a.s.) are twelve.

The followers of Ahlul-Baits school of

thought, the Jafari school, completelyadhere to this original Islamic line. They aredistinguished by their refusal of some of thebases on which the fuqaha of the other fourschools of thought, in deducing the religiousopinions or decrees, depend such as

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action on the ground of being useful. Thesebases are not agreed upon by the Islamicschools of thought.

They consider the Quran and the sunnah ofthe Prophet (s.a.w.) the two key sources of

Islamic legislation. In deducing Islamicdecrees they give the reason and consensusamong the fuqaha a secondary role, whichmakes the deduced decrees within theframework of the Book and the sunnah.

The Jafari School of thought believes inkeeping the door of decree-deduction wideopen. Jafari scholars, philosophers andfuqaha contributed widely to Islamic thoughtand Shariah sciences. The great Islamichistorian, Agha Buzurg al-Tahrani (d. 1389A.H) compiled a book in 25 volumes, and11,573 pages, of large size, containing only

the names of the books authored andcompiled by Jafari Shiites in the differentfields of Islamic thought and sciences, Thebook is called Al-Thariah ila Tasanif al-Shiah(The Means to the Books of Shiites).

Najaf, the famous Sacred Iraqi town, is

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4. Man la Yahdharhu al-Faqih (He who

has no Access to a Faqih): Compliedby Shaikh al-Saduq (d.381 A.H). Theulama and fuqaha of the Jafari School ofthought announced that not all thetraditions and narratives gathered inthese books are dependable andauthoritative unconditionally. Theysubject all this material to close studyand examination dropping thousands ofthem, according to their method ofstudying and substantiation.

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imam as sadiq

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