Condolences to our Awaited Saviour, Imam Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him and his family), and to all Muslims on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Jaffar al-Sadiq (as). Imam Jaafar Al-Sadiq (a.s.) was well known for his revolution of the intellect and was the first person to create a university in mankinds history. His profound knowledge of religion and other sciences was famed throughout the entire Islamic world. People came from distant regions to learn from him. The number of his students reached over Four Thousand. Among them were scholars of Jurisprudence, Tafsir (analysis), Haidth such as Imam Noman bin Thabit Abu Hanifa and Imam Mali Ibn Anas. Heads of other religions also came there to discuss with the Imams students many matters of dispute and on many occasions returned home embracing Islam. Sometimes he himself argued with the opponents especially atheists. Apart from religious sciences, he used to teach to some students mathematics, chemistry, medicine and astronomy. Jabir Ibn Hayyan, the famous pioneer of physics, chemistry and mathematics, was his disciple who wrote about four hundred treatises based on his mentor’s instructions. The jurists who learnt from him and wrote several volumes of books on jurisprudence can be counted by the hundreds. Perhaps the most interesting of all his pupils was Abu Hanifa who gave public lectures at Kufa that attracted much attention. In giving decisions, he claimed the right to exercise the privilege of deduction (Qiyas) and of using his own judgement (Ra’y) to supplement the traditions and for this departure he was severely criticized by the scholars in Makka and Madina.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 10:40:00 +0000