Name - Jafar ibne Mohammad (as) Title - as-Sadiq, al-Fadhl, at-Taher Kunyat - Abu Abdullah Born - Monday 17th

of Rabi-ul-Awwal 83 A.H. in Medina Father Name - Muhammad ibne Ali (as) Mother Name - Umme-e-Farwah (as) Died - At the age of 65 years, in Medina, on Monday, 15 Shawal (some say 15 Raja b) 148 AH. Poisoned by Mansur Dawaneeqi the Abbasite Buried - Jannat-ul-Baqi One of the most widely respected Imams is Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as), the truthful . Imam Jafar as-Sadiq was born in Medina on the 17 of Rabi ul-Awwal in the year of 82 Hijra. He has the same date of birth as his great grandfather, Prophet Moham mad (pbuh). Imam Jafar as-Sadiq`s father was the 5th Imam Mohammed Baqar (as) an d he, himself, is the 6th Imam of Shia muslims. Both Shia and Sunni sects greatly admire him for his learning, piety, and contri bution to the knowledge what we call "sciences, physics, geography, chemistry, e tc" today. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) was an influential lecturer, theologian and jurist. Among his students were Abu Hanifa and Malik ibn Anas who were active in the development of Sunni Islam. Though an active Shia theologian, Imam Jafar as -Sadiq (as) appeared to have had a open-minded view of learning and continued ef fective conversations with many scholars of opposing views. Regardless of his in activeness in politics, he was imprisoned and persecuted several times by the Ab bassid Caliphs. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as), along with his father, knew that the Muslim world woul d be manipulate by books of the philosophers of Greece and Alexandria and that t he Muslims would thoughtlessly accept everything written in those books as the G ospel truth. Both Imams knew that many of these fabricated and misleading theori es would catch Muslims minds, corrupt their thoughts, and make them ignorant for centuries to come. For example the theory of Ptolemy that the earth is the cent re of the universe and the sun, the planet and the stars rotate around it was ge nerally accepted by the Muslims as true. The two Imams enlightened their students who later on spread their teachings amo ngst other Muslims that the theories of those philosophers were incorrect, point ed out their mistakes and taught people their own accurate theories. Likewise, I mam Baqar (as) and Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) taught their students physics, chemi stry, geography, literature, etcetera way before the translation of these subjec ts from Indian, Greek and Persian into Arabic came into existence. Some of the most famous theories and discoveries of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) are : Rotation of the Earth around the Sun, Theory of Four Elements, Theory of Light, Theory of Transfer of Disease by Rays, Theory of the Light of the Stars, Polluti on and Environment, Origin of the Universe, Laws of Physics (about solid and abs orbent materials being opaque), Composition of the Human Body, discovery of Hydr ogen, and many more. After the martyrdom of his respected father, Imam Mohammed Baqar (as), our 6th I

mam undertook the flag of the guidance of Islam for 34 years. During the period when the Umayyad government was facing inutility and there was dispute and feud with the Abbasids, Imam Sadiq (as) utilized this golden opportunity in the renew al of the Prophet`s customs, the spreading of the Islamic civilization and educa ted students who created classics in the Shia history. During the same period, t he spiritual university of Imam Sadiq (as) included more than four thousand stud ents in the distinct field of Figh (Jurisprudence), Tafsir (Commentary) of Holy Quran, Kalaam, Hadith (traditions) and experimental science. It is significant t o state that two of the Imams of the Ahl-e-Sunnat (that is Abu Hanifa and Malik Ibn-e-Anas) acquired the knowledge from Imam Sadiq (as). Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as)`s Instructions to his disciples: He (al-Sadiq (as)) advised his followers to adopt truthfulness and to pay trust. These things are important for the person to live happily in this world. Al-Sad iq (A.S.) not only urged his students to seek knowledge but also urged them to a dopt clemency and gravity. Concerning humbleness, he, peace be upon him, said: " Be humble for whom you teach knowledge, be humble for him from whom you acquire knowledge, do not be haughty scholars, so, your falsehood removes your right. Ib id. p. 120. Regarding the ethical value and reliability of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as), it is n ecessary to point out that out of four thousands of his students even a single o ne did not object or disapprove upon the honorable character and behavior of Ima m Jafar as-Sadiq (as), and did not find a single flaw in him. He was a practical example for the Muslims with respect to eating, relaxing and resting, walking, speaking, and conducts with others. He didn`t differ his demeanor while in diffe rent company and had the same social conduct with his friends as he had with his children. Ahl-e-Sunnat alim, Malik Ibn-e-Anas says that "No eye has seen and no ear has he ard and on no human heart has passed to see a man in virtue, excellence and lear ning to be greater that Jafar Ibn Mohammed (as)". Toward the end of his life, 6th Imam was subjected to severe restraints which we re put upon him by the Abbasid caliph Mansur, who ordered torture and pitiless m urder of many of the descendants of the Prophet who were Shia. He was known to b e worst than the Umayyads. Hisham, the Umayyad caliph, had ordered Imam Jafar Sa diq(as) to be arrested and taken to Damascus. Later, the Imam was detained by Sa ffah, the Abbasid caliph, and brought to Iraq. Conclusively, Mansur had the Imam arrested again and brought to Samarrah where he had the Imam kept under managem ent, was in every way harsh and discourteous to him, and several times thought o f killing him. Eventually the Imam was allowed to return to Medina where he spen t the rest of his life in hiding, until he was poisoned and martyred through the intrigue of Mansur. Upon hearing the news of the Imam`s martyrdom, Mansur wrote to the governor of M edina instructing him to go to the house of the Imam on the pretext of expressin g his condolences to the family, to ask for the Imam`s will and testament and re ad it. Mansur gave orders to behead all the people whom Imam chose as his inheri tors. Of course the aim of Mansur was to put an end to the whole question of the Imamat and to Shia objectives. When the governor of Medina, following orders, r ead the last will and testament, he saw that the Imam had chosen four people rat her than one to administer his last will and testament: the caliph himself, the governor of Medina, Abdullah Aftah, the Imam`s older son, and Musa, his younger son. In this way the plot of Mansur failed. It is an absolute shame that no credit is given to the divine Imam for his tirel ess efforts, struggles, activities and immeasurable contributions to the world o f knowledge. His name undoubtedly deserves to be on the first page of both Easte rn and Western books of Physics, Literature, Philosophy, Sciences, and other sub

jects as "The School of Thought: Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as)." Shaheed Foundation Pakistan team offers condolences to Aaima-e-Masomeen (as) & a ll the Momineens on the loss of our 6th Imam, the truthful, the Jafari school of thought, Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) on his martyrdom anniversary. May Allah incre ases our capacity to take advantage of the knowledge of our Imams, to do good de eds, and raises us with Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his Progeny, ameen.