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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam Chapter 10: The Imamate of Ja'far as-Sadiq The sixth Imam, Abu 'Abd Allah Ja'far, the eldest son of Muhammad al-Baqir, was born in Medina either in 80/690 700 or 83/703-704.[^1] On his father's side Ja'far was of course a Husaynid descendant of the Prophet, and like his father he had a doubly strong relationship to 'Ali, since Muhammad al-Baqir was an 'Alid on both his father's and his mother's sides.[^2] On his mother's side Ja'far was the great-great-grandson of Abu Bakr,[^3] and thus he was the first among the who combined in his person descent from Abu Bakr as well as from 'Ali.

His mother Umm Farwa was the daughter of Al-Qasim b. Muhammad b. Abi Bakr.[^4] Qasim married the daughter of his uncle 'Abd ar-Rahman b. Abi Bakr, and thus Umm Farwa was the great-granddaughter of Abu Bakr on both the father's and the mother's sides. For the first fourteen years of his life Ja'far was brought up under the guardianship of his grandfather Zayn al-'Abidin.

He observed the latter's acts of charity, his love for long series of prostrations and prayers, and his withdrawal from politics. At the same time, Ja'far noticed his grandfather's claims to the Imamate and his efforts, though meagre and limited, to collect around himself some devoted followers who resisted the popular appeal of the Imamate of Muhammad b. al- Hanafiya and then the latter's son, Abu Hashim.

Ja'far also saw the respect with which Zayn al-'Abidin was held by the famous lawyers and scholars of Medina and elsewhere.[^5] In his mother's house young Ja'far saw his maternal grandfather, Qasim b. Muhammad b.

Abi Bakr, considered by the people of Medina as one of the most erudite and esteemed traditionists of his time.[^6] Outside the family the childhood of Ja'far coincided with a rapidly growing interest in Medina in the acquiring of knowledge of Prophetic traditions and of seeking explanations of the Qur'anic verses.

His boyhood also witnessed the culmination of Umayyad power, the final establishment of their administrative imperium, a period of peace and plenty, but hardly of religious fervour, as will be elaborated below. It seems probable that an environmental background of this kind in the life of a boy of fourteen may have influenced his thinking and personality, giving his future work a certain direction.