Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali Ibn al-Hussein well known as al-Bāqir and his son, Ja’far as-Sādiq: Rebutting Shi’ah Claims.

Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali Ibn al-Hussein well known as al-Bāqir and his son, Ja’far as-Sādiq:

Al-Bāqir is the father of Ja’far as-Sādiq, and his father was Zain al-‘Ābideen ‘Ali bin al-Hussein—one of the nobles and chiefs of the household of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), for Aal al-Bayt—he is from their virtuous ones. He was born in 56H and died in 114H and was a scholar, a leader and an elder who gathered between knowledge and action upon it, dignity, honour, trustworthiness and composure. He was called ‘al-Bāqir’ because he was vast and expansive in knowledge (tabaqqara). He was acquainted with the foundations and subtleties of knowledge and was an Imām and a Mujtahid, well versed in the Book of Allah, high in rank, and the huffādh (the great scholars of hadeeth) have agreed that his narrations are used as a proof. He is an Imām of Ahlus-Sunnah from Ahlul-Bayt (family of the Prophet) through the lineage of Fātimah (radiyallāhu ‘anhā).

He is the third of the twelve Imāms of those who call themselves ‘The Twelvers’ from amongst the Rāfidah who claim infallibility for all twelve of their Imāms.

The ‘aqeedah of Abu Ja’far al-Bāqir was sound and correct, he had fine speech concerning Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā), and this is in opposition to what the Rāfidah ascribed to him and to his son, Ja’far as-Sādiq—they lie upon them saying that they used to revile the two sheikhs Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā).

Ibn ‘Asākir (rahimahullāh) speaks at length and mentions many narrations from Abu Ja’far al-Bāqir and his son, Ja’far as-Sādiq, where they both praised Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) and showed allegiance to them, and they would free themselves from those who reviled them.

Imām adh-Dhahabi (rahimahullah) stated in his book as-Seer ‘A’lām an-Nubalā (vol. 4 pp. 402-403): Ibn Fudayl from Sālim bin Abee Hafsah that he said, ‘I asked Abu Ja’far (al-Bāqir) and his son Ja’far as-Sādiq concerning Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) and both of them said to me: ‘O Sālim, hold allegiance to them and free yourself from those who are their enemies, for indeed the two of them were Imāms of guidance.’

This Sālim (who narrated the above) had with him something of tashayyu’ (the ideas of the Shee’ah) but he still spread this truthful speech and he recognised the excellence for the people of excellence by the people of excellence!

Likewise, it was narrated from Ibn Fudhail who was a Shi’ee, though he was trustworthy in his narrations because his level of tashayyu’ was not extreme.

Imām adh-Dhahabi continued, saying, ‘So, Allah caused the Shee’ah to stumble and trip in our times, and how He has drowned them in their ignorance and their lies, such that they revile the two sheikhs and the two ministers of al-Mustafa, Muhammad (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), yet they narrate this truthful saying from al-Bāqir and as-Sādiq, and this is from their deception.’

Sheikh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) stated in Minhāj as-Sunnah (vol. 2, pp. 368-369):

“The Imāmiyyah (referring to the Rāfidah) oppose Ahlul-Bayt in practically all of their Usool (the fundamentals of the religion) for there was not from the Imāms of Ahlul-Bayt anyone, whether it be ‘Ali, Hussein or Abu Ja’far al-Bāqir or his son as-Sādiq, who denied the Ru’yah (seeing of Allah by the believers on the Day of Resurrection), nor did anyone of them say that the Qur’ān was created, nor did anyone of them deny the pre-decree or anyone who claimed revelation for ‘Ali (radiyallāhu ‘anhu) and nor did anyone of them claim infallibility for the Twelve Imāms. None of them ever reviled Abu Bakr or ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā)—rather what is narrated and established by mutawātir reports (with many chains of narration) from them is that which is known and present—and that is what Ahlus-Sunnah rely upon.

The sheikhs of the Rāfidah themselves affirm and acknowledge that their beliefs in the subject of Tawheed and the Attributes of Allah and the pre-decree is not taken from the Book of Allah, nor from the Sunnah and nor from the Imāms of Ahlul-Bayt, rather they claim that it is the intellect (‘aql) that guides them to their beliefs. This is what the Mu’tazilah also say and, in reality, the Rāfidah take their beliefs from the Mu’tazilah, and they (the Mu’tazilah) are their sheikhs in the affair of Tawheed and justice (i.e., regarding pre-decree).”

Abu Khadeejah.