Imam Al-Sadiq

The Isma'ilis:
Among the sects of the Shi'a are the Isma'ilis. The view concerning the Imamate of Isma'il
started during the days of al- Sadiq, peace be on him. Some of the Isma'ilis thought that the
Imamate should be for the eldest (son) and Isma'il was the eldest of his brothers, and he had
outstanding merit. When he died during the days of his father, they knew their mistake.
As for those who insisted on the Imamate of Isma'il, they divided into sects. Some of them
denied his death during the lifetime of his father, peace be on him. So, they said: "His father
has hidden him from men because he is worried about him." They claimed that Isma'il would
not die till he rules the earth and assumes the affairs of men. (They thought that) he would be
the one who will rise (qa'im), because his father designated him as Imam after his death. But
when his death appeared, we knew that he (his father) was truthful and that the one who
would rise(qa'im) would not die.
And some of them said that he died and that the Imamate was given to his son Mohammed,
because the Imamate is not but for children, and it (the Imamate) is not for brothers except al-
Hasan and al- Husayn, peace be on them. So, when Isma'il died, it was obligatory that the
Imam after Ja'far, peace be on him, had to be Mohammed b. Isma'il, and it was not
permissible for any of the brothers of Isma'il to be the Imam. Also Mohammed b. al-
Hanafiya had no right with 'Ali b. al- Husayn, peace be on them. The followers of this view
were called the Mubaraka. They were named after their leader al- Mubarak (the blessed).
As for the Khattabiya, the companions of Abu al- Khattab Mohammed b. Abu Zaynab al-
Asady al- Ajda', they joined the sect that believed in the Imamate of Mohammed b. Isma'il
after the killing of Abu al- Khattab. They were among the extreme groups. Then they divided
into sects. The Qaramita were among them. 51
Abu al- Khattab was a companion of al- Sadiq's, peace be on him. But when al- Sadiq knew
that he told him lies, he (al- Sadiq) dismissed him, disowned him, and cursed him.
Then Abu al- Khattab claimed that he was a prophet and Mohammed b. Ja'far, peace be on
him, was a god and that he was his messenger. Besides, he and his group issued heresies,
desires, and permission (for unlawful things).
'Isa b. Musa, the governor of al- Mansur over Kufa, heard about the manners of Abu al-
Khattab and his group, who were seventy men. While they were holding a meeting in the
Mosque of Kufa, he (the governor) attacked them. No one was able to escape. He killed all
but two persons, one of them was badly wounded.
He was regarded as among the killed, so he was able to escape. And the other was Abu al-