There Is No Ja'fari Madhhab!

Sincere Muslims who may possess good intent, but are insufficiently educated in their Deen, are misled into accepting a myth of a so-called “fifth Madhhab” referred to as the “Ja’fari Madhhab,” supposedly named after Imam Sayyid Ja’far as-Sadiq, radiyallahu ‘anh. The above-mentioned are unaware of the fact that no such Madhhab exists, is not accepted by Muslims as a “fifth Madhhab,” and is a continuous attempt by Shiites[1] to gain acceptance from Muslims under the guise of a school of Islamic Law (Shari’ah). Examination of this “Madhhab” by one who does not have a firm foundation in Shari’ah or a sound grasp on the existence and history of Islamic Law will lead one to unknowingly think: “This is very similar to the Maliki and Hanafi Madhhab.” A brief glance at the history of this hoax, who it is named after, and where its name really originates is necessary in order to understand its inception.

Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (radiyallahu ‘anh) was a blessed Wali of Allah who revived al-Islam in Madinah, upholding the letter and spirit of al-Islam. By lineage, he is Sayyid Abu Abdullah Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husain ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib al-Hashimi; son of Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Baqir and father of Imam Musa al-Kazim (radiyallahu ‘anhuma).

As it is well known, the Four Imams of Fiqh[2] wrote many books pertaining to Islamic Jurisprudence, Doctrine, and Worship. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (radiyallahu ‘anh) did not write any books on such matters, but as related in Asmaa’ul-Mu’allifeen, three books were written by Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq: 1.) Taqseem-i-Ru’ya, 2.) Jami’atu fil-Jafr, and 3.) Kitab-ul-Jafr. The word Jafr means a four month-old lamb. When referenced in scientific terminology, the word “Jafr” relates to a branch of predicting future events beforehand. In the narrative of Sayyid Abdul-Wahhab and Kamus-ul-A’lam, it is related that the first book written in this science was by Hazrat Babul-‘Ilm Ali ibn Abu Talib (karramallah wajhah). Two of the three books written by Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq were written on sheets of sheepskin, and because of this, the science dealt with in these two books was named ‘Ilm-i-Jafr.

A book titled Imam-i Ja’far Buyrugu, in the possession of Shiites today, was written by a clergyman named Ja’far bin Husain al-Qummi (d. AD 951), who was the first to write on religious practice in the Shi’ah religion. Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Tusi (d. AD 1068) wrote another book, titled Risala-i Ja’fariyyah, a commentary consisting of twenty volumes. Putting forward the books written by the two Ja’fars (al-Qummi and al-Tusi), Shiites name themselves “Ja’fari,” thus attempting to project that they are directly following Hazrat Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, the way that Muslims who are Hanafi or Hanbali actually follow Imam Abu Hanifah or Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal, respectively. Exploiting the similarity between the words “Ja’far” and “Jafr,” Shiites assert that these two books, authored by Abu Ja’far al-Tusi and Ja’far al-Qummi, were written by Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (radiyallahu ‘anh).

Clearly, the “Ja’fari Madhhab” is a case of word games being played. Some even have the cheeks to say that it is the “Madhhab of Ahlul-Bayt.” The Four Madhhabs of al-Islam (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hambali) were either founded by the Imams themselves or by their students who expounded upon the decisions of the Imams. The ‘Ilm of Hazrat Ja’far al-Sadiq can only find it in the Madhhabs of Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik ibn Anas (rahmatullahi alaihima), both of whom were the only students of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq to have a Madhhab founded. The direct connection with the Ahlul-Bayt is prevalent in Madhhab of both. The Maliki Madhhab connects with Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq. The Hanafi Madhhab connects to a total of five members from amongst the Ahli-Bait, four of which being Imams. In addition to the gaining of ‘Ilm from Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, Imam Abu Hanifah gained ‘Ilm from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, Imam Zaid ibn Ali, and Abdullah ibn Hasan ibn Ali (radiyallahu ‘anhuma). The Sahibain (Imam Muhammad al-Shaibani and Imam Abu Yusuf al-Ansari) gained ‘Ilm from Imam Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kazim (rahmatullahi ‘alaih). Thus, the true Madhhab of Ahlul-Bayt resides within the Hanafi and Maliki Madhhabs.

From the facts presented, it is evident that the “Ja’fari Madhhab” is not only a non-existent (and illegitimate) school of Islamic Law, but it is merely a cloak utilized by Shiites, with their clergymen plagiarizing many of the works of Islamic Jurists and placing the name Ja’fari (or Imami) upon them. Muslims should not allow themselves or their family members to get tricked, swayed, or softened by Shi’ah propaganda. If one wishes to gain the Fiqh of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (radiyallahu ‘anh), then one does not have to look any further than the Hanafi or Maliki Madhhab.

Taken from the Central Mosque website.