We condole to the people of the world Martyrdom of Imam Jafar Sadegh (peace be upon him)

On 17^th day of month: Rabiolaval, year: 83 (lunar calendar) a baby was born in the homoe of Imam Mohammad Bagher (p.b.u.h.) who was known as Jafar Sadegh (p.b.u.h.). His mother was Om-e Farveh, a grand child of Mohammad Ibn Aboubakr one of the faithful friends of Imam Ali (p.b.u.h.). She was one of the few literate and pious women during her own time. After 66 years of bounteous life, Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) was poisoned and martyred on 25^th day of Shaval, year: 148 (lunar calendanr) by Mansour Davanighi. 

A. Life of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) is divided into two parts as follows:

A. Scientific efforts of Imam (p.b.u.h.): Imam Jafar Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) was an intelligent man and was educated in his father’s classes in the field of different sciences such as history, syntax, rhetoric, civility, geography, philosophy, astronomy, physics, etc. He was instructing the students in a faculty and those who were studying there, learned the supreme sciences of their time.

In scientific essays, Imam Jafar Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) had much to state. Disregarding his science of Imamate, his great father was enjoying the whole sciences of the time and his great mother was a pious charitable woman. Here, some instances are mentioned to clear the bright face of Imam.

Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) questioned the hypothesis of Ptolemy who had mentioned sun circulates around the earth. When one of the students of his great father took a wooden circle to Egypt, having been made upon the hypothesis of Ptolemy, Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) questioned the hypothesis and rejected it. 560 years had passed from death of Ptolemy and no one had considered it wrong  and no one had asked himself: how, sun which rotates 30 days a month to circulate around the earth might change its orbit every day while rotating round the earth to create night and day.

Another case which showed higher scientific rank of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) was his viewpoint about rotation of earth around itself and creation of day and night. Even Chepler, German scientist, who altered astronomy by statement of his three famous laws, could not find it out. While Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) knew 12 centuries before him that earth circulates around itself and what makes day and night is not circulation of sun around the earth but circulation of the earth around itself and the same fact has made half of the earth dark and night and the other half day and bright. (it should be mentioned that the case has been stated by different groups of European Scientists and professors of different universities of Europe and America in their research on life of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.)  and have been surprised how Imam Sadegh, in a far place like Medina, remote from scientific points of that time such as Constantine and Antakia  and Jondy Shapour could find such great issues while in the large centers no one could understand it.

Furthermore, Imam Sadegh was the first one who shattered the belief in Four Elements. At that time the people believed based on physics of Aristotle that there were four elements in the world: Soil, Water, Wind, Fire. Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) mentioned that soil is not an element, but there are too many different elements in soil, just as there are too many in the air.

1100 years later, scientists such as Priestly and Lavvosaire  understood the same thing and said there is in the air several elements such as oxygen and they discovered the properties to extent.

Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) prescribed in his lessens: If what helps burning the objects (Oxygen) is found in pure form, it might help burn even iron. This is one of the properties of oxygen which was not even found by Priestly and Lavvosaire despite their researches. 

Hypothesis of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) on creation of the world was the other wonderful issue for the group of researchers. Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) believed that the world had been created out of a germ ¹ having two opposite poles which makes particle crated, then it creates material. Material is diversified due to its high or low amount. This theory is not different with modern atomic theory on creation of world and there are two opposite poles, two positive and negative charges inside atom which emerge atom of each material. The difference between materials (elements) is owning to amount of the things existed inside atom.

It is wonderful to European scientists how Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) stated 14 centuries ago the theory which was obtained by physicians and astronomers and chemists in 21^st century after the long years of exchange of viewpoints. Of course it is an obvious point to the Shiite who believe in theological sciences.

B. Religious Efforts of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.)

Many points might be mentioned briefly among the actions of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) to avoid collapse of Shiite² in many cases:

At the time of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) some Shiite believed that prophet and Imams were divine, i.e. they were gods. Such a wrong belief had entered Shiite from Christianity because Christians considered Jesus as son of God. it was dangerous for Shiite belief and would divide it into different sects. Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) fought with this belief in his classes and prescribed: “The Last Prophet and the Imams were all human beings just as in Quran it has been narrated from prophet: “I am a man like you” but the only difference is that they were human beings close to God and selected by Him.”

Of the other actions taken by Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) we can mention is his opposition with monasticism³. monasticism propagated by Christians was prevalent among some Moslems in third century. Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) knew that if the Shiite were fond of monasticism, Shiism would be destroyed., specially because the governments were opposing Shiism directly and indirectly and it was for the benefits if the Shiite would be permanently among anchorite, and would disconnect their relationship with the world and would not be able to expand the thought by propagation. Isolation was the same thing the enemies wished for and Imam was opposing it severly.

The other case was disagreement of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) with what Moslems had learned from orthodox due to their relationship with Christians. Some Moslems were performing baptism⁴ in mosques, the same ceremony Christians were performing for naming their children in Churches. This ceremony which was totally Christian was disagreed by Imam because a Moslem should not imitate other religions.

Christian researchers believe that powerful religious culture of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) was relied on four columns: religion’s culture, civility, science, mysticism. They concluded in their researches that there has been no record available in the history of the world that science and civility were important just to the same extent they were significant in religious culture of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.). Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) knew that to obtain faith a faithful man had to enjoy knowledge and civility, because faith of a plain man is on surface without any root. He will not understand because he is plain that why he is faithful and because his faith has no root, he might lose his faith but the faithful man who enjoys science and civility, knows to what he is faithful and why and his faith shall not shatter as long as he is living. A European scientist considers definition of civility from viewpoint of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) and says: “ I don’t think that there is a more comprehensive definition for civility and decorum than that and no one has ever presented such a short, comprehensive and logical definition.” 

Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) defines civility as follows:

“Civility is a garment to worn by what one says and writes, so that it seems more interesting to the ear and mind of the audience.”

Imam also stated: “Civility might not accompany knowledge, but without knowledge there would be no civility.”

It should be taken into consideration that Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) does not say that what is stated or written shall not be interesting, having not worn the garment, but he says the garment will makes the speech more interesting.

The two aforesaid definitions make the relation of civility and science more comprehensive. Indeed, as Imam says: there is civility in all knowledge, but there might not be knowledge in all civility.

Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) was considering essential civility and knowledge not only regarding religious culture, but also for promotion of human prestige and for strengthening of good characteristics in the people.

What has been mentioned make only a part of wonders of science of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.) which made non Moslems surprised, so that they called him the genius and the thoughtful mind of Shiism.

The above text makes an abridged form of what 25 scientists and professors of universities in Belgium, France, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Lebanon, Italy, Greece, England, and Tehran University of Technology have registered in their researches on Life of Imam Sadegh (p.b.u.h.).

May Almighty God assist us to join the real followers of Imam.