Jafar ibn Muhammad (Arabic: جعفر بن محمد; 702-765), also known as As-Sadiq (The Truthful) was the sixth Shia imam. He was the grandson of Zayn al-Abidin and the descendent of Ali ibn Abi Talib on the side of his father and Abu Bakr on the side of his mother. He is highly respected among both the Sunnis and the Shias. He was a spiritual person, hadith teller and a jurist.
After the death of Jafar ibn Muhammad, division occurred among Shias on the question of next Imam. Some said that his eldest son, Ismail ibn Jaffar (who had died before his father) to be the next imam, while the majority of Shiites said that his third son Musa al Qazim should be the next imam. The first group became known as the Ismailis and the second, larger group was named Jafari or the Twelvers.
Jafar ibn Muhammad
Questions and Answers
Q: Who was Jafar ibn Muhammad?
A: Jafar ibn Muhammad, also known as As-Sadiq, was the sixth Shia Imam who was a spiritual person, hadith teller and a jurist.
Q: What was Jafar ibn Muhammad's lineage?
A: Jafar ibn Muhammad was the grandson of Zayn al-Abidin and the descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib on the side of his father and Abu Bakr on the side of his mother.
Q: How is Jafar ibn Muhammad perceived among Muslims?
A: Jafar ibn Muhammad is highly respected among both the Sunnis and the Shias.
Q: Who was supposed to be the next Imam according to the Ismailis?
A: The Ismailis believed that Jafar ibn Muhammad's eldest son, Ismail ibn Jaffar (who had died before his father), should be the next imam.
Q: Who was supposed to be the next Imam according to the Jafari or Twelvers?
A: The majority of Shiites believed that Jafar ibn Muhammad's third son, Musa al Qazim, should be the next imam.
Q: What caused divisions among Shias after Jafar ibn Muhammad's death?
A: The question of the next Imam caused divisions among Shias after Jafar ibn Muhammad's death.
Q: What were the two groups formed after Jafar ibn Muhammad's death?
A: The first group, Ismailis, believed that Ismail ibn Jaffar should be the next imam, while the larger group, Jafari or the Twelvers, believed that Musa al Qazim should be the next imam.