Ja'far al-Sadiq

Who was Ja'far al-Sadiq?

Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Ali from his father's side and a descendant of Abu Bakr from his mother's side and was himself a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual successor to Muhammad. The internal dispute over who was to succeed Ja'far as Imam led to schism within Shi'a Islam. Al-Sadiq was celebrated among his brothers and peers and stood out among them for his great personal merits. He is highly respected by both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims for his great Islamic scholarship, pious character, and academic contributions.

Shi'a Islamic fiqh, Ja'fari jurisprudence is named after him.The books on Ja'fari jurisprudence were later written by Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, Ibn Babawayh, and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi.

As well as being considered an Imam of the Shi'a, he is revered by the Naqshbandi Sunni Sufi chain.

He was a polymath: an astronomer, Imam, Islamic scholar, Islamic theologian, writer, philosopher, physician, physicist and scientist. He is also reported to be the teacher of the famous chemist, Jābir ibn Hayyān.