Some questions to raise & ponder about  Imam Jafar al-Sadiq...

Some questions to raise & ponder about  Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as) never appointed Ismail as his successor. Even the Ismaili books have no mention that Ismail was appointed by Imam al-Sadiq (as) as his successor. The Ismaili books, like ‘Imam e Ismail’ written by Mulla Hussain Ali Saheb Sarangpoori’ written in Urdu,[^12] claim that Ismail was appointed successor by Imam al-Sadiq (as), but unfortunately, provided no reference to prove his claim.

 Let us suppose that Ismail was appointed as a successor of Imam al-Sadiq (as). However, Ismail ibn Jafar died while Imam al-Sadiq (as) was still alive and al-Sadiq (as) was the Imam of the time. This means that Ismail was not an Imam when he died. Then why do the Ismailis take him as an Imam? Why do the Ismailis automatically assume that Muhammad ibn Ismail was the successor of Imam al-Sadiq (as)?  If Ismail was an Imam, then why don’t the Ismailis have much information regarding him?

The Ismaili books, such as ‘Uyun al- Akhbar’, contain little information regarding him.  Ismail was popular among the radical Shias and was closely associated with them. Imam al-Sadiq (as) did not approve of these radical Shias who were leading his son astray. A person who is meant to be an Imam should have impeccable qualities. Ismail was closely associated with the radical shias, who were not approved by Imam al-Sadiq (as), why?

 Ismail was evidently involved in a militant anti-regime plot in collaboration with several others, including Bassam b. Abd Allah al-Sayrafi, another extremist Shia. Imam al-Sadiq (as) expressed his strong disapproval of Ismail’s activities. How can it be possible that Imam al-Sadiq (as) would appoint such a son as his successor?  A successor is one who succeeds, but Ismail died before his father and did not succeed Imam al-Sadiq (as). How can he be a successor then?

 There are no thought provoking sayings of Ismail ibn Jafar found in the scrolls of history, why? Muhammed Ibn Ismail, Abd Allah ibn Muhammad & Ahmad ibn Abd Allah Muhammed Ibn Ismail, Abd Allah ibn Muhammad & Ahmad ibn Abd Allah (7th, 8th and 9th Ismaili Imams respectively) Muhammad was the eldest son of Ismail ibn Jafar. As per the Ismaili sources, he was 26 years old when Imam al-Sadiq (as) was martyred and was 8 years older than his uncle, Imam Musa ibn Jafar (as).

On the basis of these details, Muhammad ibn Ismail must have been born around 120 AH/738 AD.