During the Imamate of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), the city of Medina had changed significantly. The massacre of the people of this city by the soldiers of Muslim bin Uqbah had created a sense of despair among the survivors, to the extent that the weak in faith turned to music and singing to alleviate their feelings. From the years 65 to 80 AH, Medina became a center for exporting singers. However, over time, this situation faded away, and the people returned to religious matters. Scholars and jurists came to the forefront once again.
On the other hand, the weakening and eventual collapse of the Marwanid caliphate allowed for political freedoms. This facilitated the preparation of religious uprisings and opposition to the rulers, and also opened up space for scientific debates in various branches. Thus, during the time of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), a degree of openness emerged, and the period of Imam Sadiq’s (peace be upon him) Imamate (from 114 to 148 AH) became the era of the spread of the Fiqh of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them). In other words, it was the period of teaching and spreading Ja’fari jurisprudence. This newfound openness, which began in the early 3rd decade of the 2nd century AH, allowed people to approach Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) more freely, seeking his guidance on both theological and jurisprudential issues.
As noted by the author of Kashf al-Ghama, scholars have transmitted more narrations from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) than from any other member of the Ahlul Bayt. None of them had as many students as Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), nor do the narrations from any of them compare to the extensive collection of narrations from him. The hadith scholars recorded the names of four thousand narrators from him. The clear sign of his Imamate astonishes the intellects and removes any doubts or criticisms from the opponentsis reason, the scholarly status of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was widely recognized, even by prominent Sunni scholars.[1]
Ibn Hajar, in reference to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), wrote: “People transmitted so much of his knowledge that its fame reached all cities. Prominent figures such as Yahya ibn Sa’id, Ibn Jurayh, Malik, Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Sufyan Thawri, Abu Hanifa, Shu’bah, and Ayoub al-Sakhtiyani narrated from him” .[2]
Malik one of the four main Sunni scholars, stated regarding Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): “I have never seen anyone more virtuous, knowledgeable, and pious than him” .[3]
Abu Hanifa, anhe four Sunni Imams, though himself a great jurist, held Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) in high esteem. According to Dhahabi, Abu Hanifa said: “I have never seen anyone more learned than Ja’far ibn Muhammad” . Additionally, Ibn Shahr ated from Hassan bin Ziyad that he asked Abu Hanifa: “Who is the most knowledgeable person you have seen?[4]
” He replied, “Ja’far bin Muhammad.” When the Abbasid caliph, Mansur, summoned him, he sent for me and said, “People are enamored with Ja’far bin Muhammad. Prepare a list of difficult questions to ask him.” I prepared forty questions. Mansur summoned Ja’far bin Muhammad, who was staying in Hira, to his court. I went to Mansur and saw Ja’far sitting on his right hand. His presence overwhelmed me more than that of Mansur. Mansur allowed me to sit, and then he said, “This is Abu Hanifa.” Ja’far bin Muhammad replied, “I know him.” Mansur then told me, “Ask Abu Abdullah (Imam Sadiq) the questions you have.” I asked each question, and he responded by saying, “This is what you say, this is what the people of Medina say, and this is what we say. In some matters, we accept your opinion, in others, the opinion of the people of Medina, and sometimes our opinion differs from both.” He answered all forty questions without leaving any unanswered. Then Abu Hanifa said: “Isn’t the most knowledgeable person the one who can differ from others on various issues?”[5]
In summary, anyone who examines tudential reports of the Shia will see that the narrations from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) in various jurisprudential and theological matters form a vast and diverse collection. This is why the Shia school of thought is known as the Ja’fari school.
(Adapted from the book “The Life of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him),” by the late Dr. Sayyid Ja’far Shahidi, with minor revisions.)
Footnotes:
[1] Kashf al-Ghama, Volume 2, page 166
[2] Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqa, page 201
[3] Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashub, Volume 4, page 275
[4] Tadhkira al-Huffaz, Volume 1, page 166
[5] Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashub, Volume 4, page 255