The 17th of Rabi'-al-Awwal marks the birthday anniversary of, a member of the Prophet of Islam's household, Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS). Although Imam Sadiq (AS) suffered greatly during his lifetime, he took advantage of the period following the downfall of the Umayyids and the coming to power of the Abbasside dynasty to propagate the great religion of Islam and make Muslims aware of their duties towards Allah. Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) is a well-known Islamic figure among many schools of thought.
We hereby present the views of some prominent Sunni scholars regarding the personality of Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS).
Abu Hanifeh the leader of the Hanafi school of thought, said:
"I did not find anybody more knowledgeable in jurisprudence than Jafar-ibn-Muhammad. Once Mansoor (the Abbassid ruler) told me: people are very attached to Jafar ibn-Muhammad. I ask of you to prepare religious questions so difficult that he will not be able to answer. After I prepared the questions, Mansoor al - Abbassi called me to his court. When I entered, I saw Jafar ibn-Muhammad sitting next to Mansoor.
I started to ask the forty questions which I had prepared . In response to each question, he (Imam Jafar Sadiq) expressed the views of each school of thought of Islam and then the view of the Shi'ite sect. Sometimes the Shi'ite view was the same as the others and Sometimes it differed. Jafar ibn Muhammad replied to all forty questions in the same manner."
Then abu-Hanifeh goes on to say: "Didn't we (Muslims) believe that the most knowledgeable of us is the one who is well acquainted and well informed of the different views of the people"
(Tazkerat-al-Hifaz Vol.1 p.1 57)
Malik ibn Ans, the leader of the Maliki school of thought said:
"Several times I had the Opportunity to meet Jafar ibn Muhammad. Whenever I saw him he was either praying or reciting the Holy Qur'an or fasting. He was among thit pious scholars who. feared God." (The Book of Malik, written by Abu-Zohreh P.28)
"No eyes have ever seen, no ears have ever heard, and no heart has ever found anybody greater than Jafar ibn Muhammad Sadiq in knowledge, piety, and worship." (The Book of Rawassol va Wasilah of Ibn-Teimieh p.52)
Ibn Hajar Asghalani, the distinguished Islamic historian, said:
"Jafar ibn Munammad ibn Ali ibn Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib is the most honest among Jurisprudents." (Taghrib-al-Tahzib p.68)
Amr ibn-Abid, one of the leaders of Mo'atazeleh, while addressing the Irnam said:
'Death to those who plundered your inheritance and stood against your knowledge."
(Al Irnam-alSadiq written by Ramadhan Lawand p.20)
Abu Naeem Isfahani, the renowned Islamic historiaan, said:
"Jafar ibn Muhammad is the righteous Imam and the one who has inherited the Imamate and the leadership."
(Helya tul-Ulya Vol.3 P.192)
Ibn Khalkan, the famous Islamic historian and biographer, said:
"Jafar, the son of Muhammad Baqir, is one of the twelve Imams of the Shi'ites.
He was among prominent personalities of the Ahul-Bait. He was named 'the honest' for his honesty and was well-known among the people."(Wafiat-ul-A'yan)
Abu al-Fatah Muhammad ibn Abdul-Karim Shahrestani, the Islamic historian, said:
"Jafar-ibn-Muhammad al-Sadiqe is enormously knowledgable. He has no desire for worldly matters and is a very pious man. He resided in Medina for a while and taught his followers the secrets of the holy religion of Islam. Then he entered Iraq and lived there for some time. He never fought with anybody for 'Khilafa' (leadership). Yes, whoever is deeply surrounded by the ocean of knowledge will never sink in a small river. And whoever climbs the mountain of the truth will not be afraid of falling down." (Mellal wa NahI Vol.1 p272)
Mansoor Dawanighi, the Abbasside Khalif, said:
"Jafar is among those selected by Cod and a leader in charitable deeds. There is no Ahlul-Bait unless there is a narrator among them and today's narrator is Jafar-ibn-Muhammad."
(Tarikh Ya'kubi Vol.3 p. 177)
Ibn-Abeluja', the renowned narrator. said:
"He is above human beings. If there is one person in the world who can be deeply obsessed with spiritual matters and then come out of that state, anytime he wishes, it is ]afar-ibn-Muhammad."
(Al-Imam Sadiq Walmathahib al-Araba'a Vol.1 p.54)
Abdul-Rahinan Bastami, the Islamic historian and famous gnosti,said: :
"Scholars benefited from his (Imam Jafar Sadiq) divine knowledge. He talked about the secrets of the unseen world when he was only seven years of age."
(Manhij-al-Tawassol p.106)
Ibn al Jozi Abdul-Rahman, the religious historian, said:
"Worshipping and praising God had kept Ja'afar ibn Muhammad from seeking the position of leadership" (Safwat-ul Safwat Vol2 p94)
Abti -Bahr Jahiz, the famous writer known as the man of Letters. said:
"The jurisprudential knowledge of Ja'afar ibn Muhammad filled the whole world . Just the fact that Abu Hanifeh and Sofian - Thori were among his students prevails his great scientific personality
(Rasael al-Jahiz. p106)
Kamaluddin Muhammad ibn-Talheh Shafe'i, the leader of the Shafe'i School of thought, said:
"Jafar- ibn-Muhammad is among the 'sadat' and jurisprudents of the Ahlul-Bait. He is a perpetual worshipper and reciter of the Holy Qur'an and perceives the profound meanings of the Book."
"His face reminds one of the Hereafter, his words teaches one piety in this world, and following his commands would take one to the heaven. The light in his face depicts his kinship to the Prophet and honesty in his deeds attests to his relationship to the Prophet's household."
Jammaluddin Abulmahasen, the eminent religious historian, said:
"Jafar Sadiq, the son of Muhammad Baqir, is the Imam, 'Sayyid', Abu-Abdullah, Hashemi, Alawi, and Hussaini. He was called 'the patient' 'the learned', and 'the pure' but by most people he was known as: The honest'." (Al Nujum-al-Zahira Vol.2 p.8)
Alusi, the Mufti of Baghdad, said:
"Abu Hanifeh, the leader of the Hanafi school of thought, has clearly stated that: No'man (Abu-Hanifeh) Would have been lost in this world if he had not benefited from the great knowledge of Jafar Sadiq in the two years of his apprenticeship.(Tohfeh Ethna-Asharia p.8)
Dr. Ahmad Amin the late historian and author of Fajr ul-Islam, said:
"Imam Ja'afar Sadeq was the most prominent religious persorality of the Slii'ite sect at that time and perhaps in all era. in one word, Imam Jafar is among the greatest personatities in his time and afterwards. (AI-Imam Sadeq written by Assad Haydari, Vol.1 p.62)
Imam Sadiq (AS) Said:
Who is the faithful?
The faithful is the one:
who earns 'halal' income
who has good virtues and a pure heart
who donates his extra income for charitable deeds
who refrains from idle-talking
who does no harm to people and who treats all justly.
