Imam Al-Sadiq

Imamis and the Ja'faris are ascribed because of his many sciences and traditions. Besides
most of the traditions in the Shi'te books have been reported on his authority.
Not only the Shi'te narrators have reported traditions on the authority of al- Sadiq, but also the
great Sunni figures who were contemporary of him. Among them were Malik, Abu Hanifa,
Sufyan al- Thawri, Sufyan b. 'Ayyna, Ayyub, b. Jarih, Sh'ba, and the like. Besides, b. Abu al-
Haddid has ascribed the jurisprudence of the four Sunni schools to him as in Sharih Nahj al-
Balagha, 1,6. The Shi'a have related to al- Sadiq since his lifetime. It was he who said to his
companions in his commandments: "When a man among you is pious in his religion, truthful
in his speech, pays the trust, his manners are good toward people, it will be said: 'This is a
Ja'fari'. And that delights me. And when he is contrary to that, his tribulation and
shamefulness will include me and it will be said: 'This is Ja'far's education.(228)
The relation of the Shi'a to Al- Sadiq was known at that time. For example two Shi'tes gave
testimony before Shurayh al- Qadi (the judge). They were Mohammed b. Muslim, the famous
reliable companion of al- Sadiq, and Abu Kurayba al- Azdi. So, Shurayh looked at their faces
for a long time, and then he said: "Two Ja'faris, Fatimidis."(229)
From this we know that the relation of the Shi'a to al- Sadiq has been since his lifetime up to
the present time.
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