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Shia answers: What is meant by Jafari School?

Jafari school

SHAFAQNA- What is meant by Jafari School? 

Short answer:Jafari School” refers to a special intellectual and cognitive system that was organized and expanded by the efforts of Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS). Of course, the roots of this knowledge system existed in the prophetic traditions and hadiths of the previous Shia imams; But during the era of Imam Sadiq (AS), the political, social and cultural conditions of the Islamic society emerged a suitable opportunity for completing, explaining and expanding the previous teachings, and the wise use of this opportunity by Imam made this intellectual system of knowledge be known as of imam’s. Imam Sadiq (AS) used to explain the religious teachings based on the original Prophetic Tradition as he had inherited from his ancestors, and he also pointed out the depravations, heresies, and errors of others, and in this way, he was also demarcating other schools.

Jafari school
Shia answers: What is meant by Jafari school? ©Shafaqna

Jafari School is a special system of thought and knowledge

First of all, it should be noted that the term “Jafari School” is not a specified term in religious texts which needs to interpret and explain the narrative texts to understand its meaning. This term is created by historian scholars and researchers who have used such an interpretation to refer to an epistemic intellectual system.

The meaning of “Jafari School” is a special system of thought and knowledge that was organized and expanded by the efforts of Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS). Of course, the roots of this cognitive system of thoughts existed in the prophetic traditions and hadiths of the previous Shia imams; But during the era of Imam Sadiq (AS), the political, social and cultural conditions of the Islamic society emerged a suitable opportunity for completing, explaining and expanding the previous teachings, and the wise use of this opportunity by Imam made this intellectual system of knowledge be known as of imam’sSome people use “Imam Sadiq’s School” or “Jafari School” to refer to this system, and others use the term “Jafari Religion”.

The era of expansion of Ahlul-Bayt (AS) sciences in various fields

The era of Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (AS) was the era of the expansion of Ahlul-Bayt (AS) sciences in various fields, and especially during the era of Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS), due to the fact that a part of his leadership coincided with a political open atmosphere, there was a good opportunity for doing scientific and cultural activities. This atmosphere was the result of the political vacuum caused by the extinction of the Umayyad rule on the one hand and the rise of Bani Abbas on the other hand. Of course, other religions and schools of thought also benefited from this space. The conflict of opinions of the owners of these schools and religions had caused the scientific space in the Islamic society to prosper more and more, and as a result, the scientific and cultural movement had been established in various fields of Islamic sciences.

Imam Sadiq (AS) also took advantage of such environment and trained many students in different fields of sciences of that day, whose number is said to be four thousand. (1) Imam drew the full attention of all Shias to Ahlul-Bayt (AS) and prevented them from adhering to the hadiths of others. This was the most important reason to the formation of Shia jurisprudence and knowledge in an independent and original way, the importance of which, of course, was explained to some extent during the era of Imam Baqir (AS). (2)

It is worth noting that in such an environment, dealing with other schools of thoughts and beliefs was inevitable, and therefore, in addition to explaining the teachings of Ahlul-Bayt (AS), imam should have also familiarized his students with the weaknesses and problems of those schools of thoughts. Thus, the movement of imam had two affirmative and privative aspects. In the affirmative part, he explained the religious teachings based on the original prophetic tradition as he had inherited from his ancestors, and in the privative part, he pointed out the depravations, heresies, and errors of others, and in this way, he was also demarcating other schools.

Continuation of the prophetic style of life and authentic teachings of revelation

This knowledge system, in fact, was considered the continuation of the prophetic style of life and authentic teachings of revelation. What was not clearly explained before was explained in this system. (3) What was said in brief, was detailed then. (4) What was an emerging or a new issue or was considered serious, its ruling was clarified based on the Quran and authentic prophetic knowledge. (5) What was deviated was corrected then (6) and…

These efforts were actually the expansion of Islam, with the foundations of Ahlul-Bayt (AS) and Shia doctrines. However, the fact that this intellectual system was attributed to Imam Sadiq (AS) was due to his effective role in compiling and organizing this system, otherwise, it can be attributed to any of the other Shia imams. To understand the meaning of this naming, it is enough to know that among all the hadiths narrated in Shia Hadiths societies, the largest contribution is from Imam Sadiq (AS). (7)

Therefore, Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) by taking advantage of the scientific, cultural and political environment of his era, created a special intellectual and epistemological system in various fields such as jurisprudence, interpretation and beliefs, “Jafari religion” or “Jafari School”, which still exists. And it was named after the same Imam, and Twelve Shias still consider themselves followers of the same teachings.

Postscripts:

1. Peshwai, Mehdi, Sire Peshwayan, Imam Sadiq Institute, 22nd edition, 1389, p. 356.

2. Jafarian, Rasul, Intellectual and Political Life of Shia Imams, Ansarian Publications, Qom, fifth edition. 1381, p. 345.

3. Like many topics related to Mahdism in religious topics.

4. Like many branches of khums in jurisprudence.

5. Such as the ruling of helping the unjust sultans or the religious issues under the title of Arjaa, Jabr, and Devolution.

6. Like many of the inappropriate titles that was given to the Prophet(PBUH) and his family and other prophets Been.

7. Published in: Dimensions of personality, “Criticism of Hadith in Jafari School” and Imam Sadiq’s (AS) life, Sahrai Ardakani, Kamal,a group of writers under the care of Ahmad Paktachi, Imam Sadiq (AS.) University Publications, first edition, 1391 AH, p. 318.

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