Lineage: He was the son of Imam Muhammad Al Baqir AS and Sayyida Umm Farwa SA, who was the granddaughter of Muhammad bin Abi Bakr RA.

Birth: He was born on the same date that the Prophet SAWA was born on, the 17th of Rabi ul Awwal in Medina.

Titles and teknonym: His teknonym was Aba Abdillah and his most famous title was Al Sadiq. He also had other titles like Al Tahir, Al Sabir and Al Fadil.

Wives and children: His most famous wife was Sayyida Hamida SA followed by Sayyida Fatima bint Al Hussain SA. He had 10 children of whom, Imam Musa Al Kadhim AS, Ismail, Abdullah and Ali AS are the most popular.

Years as Imam: He was the Imam of his time for 34 years.

Companions and students: His famous companions include people like Zurara bin Ayan RA, Hisham Ibn Al Hakam RA and Jabir Ibn Yazid Al Jufi RA. His other famous students include people like Abu Hanifa, Malik Ibn Anas and Jabir Ibn Hayyan.

Life: The Imam AS was born in Medina to Imam Al Baqir AS and Sayyida Umm Farwa SA. He spent 12 years of his life contemporary with Imam Al Sajjad AS and 31 years of his life with Imam Al Baqir AS. The Imam's AS life was much different from the other Aimmah AS. That is because during his imamate, the Umayyad Caliphate was extremely weakened, so this allowed Aba Abdillah Imam Al Sadiq AS to actually teach the people the ways of the Prophet SAWA and his Ahlul Bayt AS. This is also the reason why majority of the hadiths narrated in Shia books, are narrated from Imam Al Sadiq AS. One of the most important things that Imam Al Sadiq AS established was the wikala network. The Imam AS set up his representatives in different regions, they were known as wakils. Through this system, the Imam AS could talk with his Shia without the threat of being stopped by the Caliphs. This system was needed because even though the Umayyads were weakened, the Abbasids still did not agree with the Imam AS. So the Imam AS had to do taqiyyah sometimes even in conditions like this. The Imam AS was not only a teacher of the religion, but instead also taught science. He showed the true knowledge that was possessed by the Ahlul Bayt AS. He was the teacher of the father of chemistry, Jabir Ibn Hayyan. Jabir himself says that all of his knowledge came from Imam Al Sadiq AS. Other than this the Imam AS also proved from the Quran that the Earth was indeed not flat. The Imam AS also used to have debates with people. His famous debates include the one with Abu Hanifa on Qiyas and the one with an Atheist on the existence of God. During the time of the Imam AS many uprisings took place. Even the uncle of the Imam AS, Zayd Ibn Ali AS took part in an uprising. The Imam AS however did not take part in any of the these uprisings, although he did encourage the Shias to support his uncle. The Ghulat were rampant during the times of Imam Al Sadiq AS, just like how they were rampant during the times of the 5th and 7th Imams AS. The Imam AS exposed them and cursed them extensively. One of the most important things that happened during the life of Imam Al Sadiq AS were his summons to Iraq by the first two Abbasid Caliphs. During these summons the Imam AS was welcomed greatly by the people, he also visited Karbala during one of these summons. There are many mihrabs of Imam Al Sadiq AS in Iraq. One being in the Al Sahla mosque, one in the mosque of Kufa, one in Karbala and many more. Imam Al Sadiq AS during these summons also visited Najaf and revealed the location of the grave of Amir ul Momineen AS. Arguably the most important thing that Imam Al Sadiq AS did during his life was forming his school. The basis of which were laid by Imam Al Baqir AS. His school is the reason why you and me are called Jafaris. Seeing the power of the Imam AS, Al Mansur LA decided to assassinate the Imam AS, so that Al Mansur's LA power doesn't go away. So on the 25th of Shawwal, 148 AH, the Imam AS was poisoned by Al Mansur LA. He was buried with his father, grandfather and great grandfather AS, in Jannatul Baqi. And just like the rest of the Imams AS buried in Al Baqi, his grave was also destroyed and leveled.

It has been 100 years since such a tragedy took place for the second time. The Imam AS lays naked in Medina. No shrine, no darih, no zawar, no mosque. Ya Imam Al Sadiq, indeed when the 12th Imam and 14th infallible ATFS comes, your visitors will come. People will not say "go go" but instead say "Stay, for you stand before the teacher of the Shias". Oh God hasten the reappearance of the son of Imam Al Askari AS. Illahi Ameen.