His knowledge and virtue...

His knowledge and virtue, wisdom and understanding, abstinence and piety, truth and justice, nobility, generosity and bravery and all his other virtues are more than can be enumerated. Shaykh al-Muf:d said: ‘The learned scholars have transmitted on the authority of no other member of the House (ahl al-bayt) as much as they have transmitted on his authority.

None of them met as many of the reporters of traditions as he did, nor did the latter transmit on their authority to the same extent as they transmitted on the authority of AbY !Abdull"h (Ja!far ibn Mu9ammad), peace be on him. The specialists in traditions have gathered together the names of those who narrated on his authority, who were reliable - despite differences in views and doctrines - and they were four thousand men . .

.’263 Both AbY .anifa the Imam of the .anafite school and M"lik the Imam of the M"likite school were students of his. His abstinence was such that he used to eat [only bread with] oil and vinegar and would wear a very rough and thick shirt and would often wear patched clothes. He used to work by himself in his orchard. As for his worship of Alla>h, he used to pray a great deal and often fainted during prayer.

One night he was summoned by the Abbasid ruler H"rYn al-Rash:d whose servant, when he went to his door, found him in solitude with his face and hands in the dust and the dust had left marks on his face and cheeks. He was very giving, of beautiful character, softly spoken, good company and a delight to be with. Hadith from Imam Sadiq (A) ‘Nothing other than three matters continue to bring an individual rewards after death.