Imam Jafar al-Sadeq (A.S.), the Sixth Infallible Imam

Zakariya, who was a Christian, drew the attention of his Muslim friend Abdollah towards a person who was going to the mosque, and said: "Do you know him? Do you know how kind he is?

Abdollah replied: Yes, but I thought that only Muslims know him and not the followers of other religions.

Zakariya, the Christian person, who was still not properly acquainted with the identity of the man going towards the mosque, said: I am indebted for my life to him. Once when I had lost my way in the desert and was dying of thirst, he kindly approached me, gave me water to drink from his goatskin water carrier, although it was almost empty. He even gave his food to me and showed me the way towards Medina. I thought Prophet Jesus (A.S.) has come to my help.

Abdollah told his Christian friend: He is the leader of Muslims, he is Imam Ja'far as-Sadeq (A.S.) who is a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny). He adheres to the ways and behavior of his forefathers and his name is a byword for generosity, forgiveness and virtue.

Zakariya, the Christian gentleman, who had pinned his eyes to the mosque even after Imam Sadeq (A.S.) had entered it, saw several youths hurrying towards the mosque although it was not the time for prayer. He asked his friends: Why are they going to the mosque?

Abdollah replied: Soon Imam Sadeq (A.S.) will start giving lessons and these are his students who have come from different lands to learn different sciences from him.

Zakariya enthusiastically got up and said he was eager to hear the words of the Imam.
Abdollah said: do not hurry, we will go together. I am one of his students and I have benefited much from the vast sea of his knowledge.

The two entered the mosque and sat down among the students. Although a Christian, Zakariya listened with rapt attention to the Imam's discourse. He felt amazed at the depth of knowledge of Imam Sadeq (A.S.). He had regularly visited Churches and monasteries but had never heard such wise words with clear reasoning.

Abdollah realized the change of state of Zakariya and turning to him said that soon you will be a student and disciple of the Prophet's successor. It was not long when the clear reasoning and rational proofs of the sixth Imam transformed Zakariyah into a devoted Muslim and follower of the Ahl ol-Bayt.

The famous statement of the Prophet called Hadith as-Saqalayn stands out in this regard. He stressed on several occasions:
"I am leaving behind among you two invaluable things, the Book of God and My progeny the Ahl ol-Beyt. If you hold fast to them you will not go astray, for the two will never separate with each other even when they return to me at the pool of Kowsar on the resurrection day."

Imam Sadeq, as the 6th heir of the Prophet was a member of the infallible Ahl ol-Bayt, regarding whom the Holy Qur'an says in ayah 33 of Surah Ahzab: "Allah desires to keep away all uncleanness O' Ahl al-Bayt and keep you pure as pure can be."
There are numerous other ayahs in the Qur'an and statements from the Prophet considering the leadership of the Ahl ol-Bayt after his passing away. At times the Prophet, by God's command likened them to the Ark of Noah with those boarding it reaching the shores of salvation while those who desert it or keep away from it are drowned in the turbulent seas. He also referred to them as lodestars that guide travellers and seafarers. Imam Ja'far Sadeq (A.S.) was thus the sixth infallible Imam. He was born in 83 AH and was twelve years old when his grandfather, Imam Zain ol-Abedin, the survivor of the tragedy of Karbala, passed away. At the age of 31 the mantle of divinely-decreed leadership fell on his shoulders when his father, Imam Muhammad Baqer (A.S.), was fatally poisoned. For the next 34 years Imam Sadeq built up the nucleus of the Muslim society by training a whole generation of Islamic scholars in various fields of knowledge including practical sciences. Gaber ibn Hayyan who is considered as the Father of Chemistry, was among his students.

The political conditions of the time when the Omayyuds and the Abbasids were fighting for control of the realm, provided precious breathing space to Imam Sadeq (A.S.) to propound to the Muslim masses the practice, behaviour, hadith and jurisprudence of the Prophet. For this reason, the genuine Islamic jurisprudence is also known as Fiqh-e Ja'fari in honour of Imam Ja'far Sadeq (A.S.) although whatever he thought was not innovation but the word and deed of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny). This school of thought with its dynamic concept of ijtehad or independent reasoning on the basis of the Holy Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet had excellently catered to the expanding human needs in view of the times and conditions .
Imam Sadeq(A.S.) said:

"Either be a scholar, or try to seek knowledge or at least be a follower of the possessors of knowledge."
"No comfort is better than good temper. Good temper promotes love and affection."