The lesson
- Imam al-Rida named him his successor many times. Asked who would come after him, he pointed to the boy standing before him; and he said: This is Abu Ja'far; I have seated him in my place (al-Irshad of al-Shaykh al-Mufid). Al-Kafi, al-Irshad, I'lam al-Wara and Bihar al-Anwar each give a chapter of narrations on his Imamate.
- He became Imam when his father was martyred in 203 AH (818), at about eight years of age (Firaq al-Shi'a of al-Nawbakhti). Some Shia turned to his uncle Abd Allah ibn Musa, until they questioned him and found him unable to answer; most of Imam al-Rida's companions accepted Imam al-Jawad (Firaq al-Shi'a).
- To those who doubted an Imam so young, the answer came from the Qur'an: John was given judgment while still a child (19:12), and Jesus spoke from the cradle. Imam al-Rida had said that Jesus was younger than his son when given prophethood, and Imam al-Jawad himself cited Solomon, whom David made his successor while still a boy tending sheep (al-Kafi).
Questions
According to al-Shaykh al-Mufid's al-Irshad, how did Imam al-Rida indicate that his son would succeed him?
At what age did Imam Muhammad al-Jawad become Imam, according to Firaq al-Shi'a?
What example from the Qur'an was cited to those who doubted an Imam so young?
Questions are written by AI from the lesson’s facts, and each answer was checked against its fact.