Hawzah News Agency – Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) was one of the greatest jurisprudents and scholars of his own age. The Messenger of Allah (S) had declared his scientific stance before.

Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari has narrated from Prophet Muhammad (S) who told him, “O Jabir! You will visit one of my progeny from the generation of Husayn, whose name is my name. He will discover sciences and explain facts. When you meet him, say my hello to him.” Jabir was alive until he met Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) and said Prophet Muhammad (S)’s greetings to him.

Many great scholars have praised his scientific stance, including the following: Ibn Barqi has called him a learned jurisprudent among Medina jurisprudents and one of the followers of Prophet Muhammad (S)’s companions.

Abdullah Ibn ‘Atayi Makki says, “The scholars showed a kind of humility before Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Husayn that showed for no one else. I saw Hakam Ibn ‘Atibah, who was so learned and honorable, that behaved like a child before his teacher when facing Muhammad Ibn Ali.”

When Jabir Ibn Yazid Ju’fi narrated a tradition from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.), he said, “The successor of the ‘awliya’ and the heir of sciences of the prophets (S), Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Husayn, told me…”

Ibn Abil Hadid writes, “Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Husayn was the greatest jurisprudent in Hijaz. The people learned jurisprudence from him and his son, Ja’far. He was titled Baqirul ‘Ulum. When he was not yet born, the Messenger of Allah (S) gave him this title, gave good tidings of visiting him to Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari, and told Jabir, ‘Say my greetings to him.’”

Shiykh Mufid writes, “Some traditions are narrated from Imam Abu Ja’far (a.s.) about the beginning of creation of world, the history of Prophets (S), wars, conducts, traditions, and Hajj rituals from Prophet Muhammad (S), as well as Quran exegesis by general and specific narrators. He had debates with some of the dissidents and deviant opinion makers. People have narrated various sciences from him.”

The best witness for proving scientific stance of Imam Baqir (a.s.) is the many traditions issued by him in belief, kalam, philosophy, jurisprudence, ethics, history, social issues, exegesis, etc. Narrators have narrated and recorded them in tradition books.

The traditions attributed to Imam Baqir (a.s.) are very numerous. After his son, Imam Sadiq (a.s.), he has the greatest number of traditions compared to other infallible Imams (a.s.).

Taken from the book "Imamate and the Imams" written by Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini