By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
       
“Then We made Heirs to the Book those whom We chose from Our servants… and some of them are those who take the lead in all the good works by Allah’s Will. That is the greatest grace [of Allah]!” – Holy Qur’an 35:32
Yesterday we celebrated the birth anniversary of the Best of Creation, whose light was the first ever thing created by Allah before He created the universe. 
The All-Wise Creator, however, sent him as the Last and the Greatest of the 124,000 messengers, but with the difference that unlike the Prophets that preceded him, the mission entrusted to him – Islam – would be universal.
It means the Seal of Messengers to whom the Almighty revealed the Holy Qur’an as the Last and Final Heavenly Scripture for the guidance of all humanity for all time will, not reveal any other book to anyone.
True, Divine Signs did precede and accompany the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). These miracles, however, although they bewildered the mostly disbelieving peoples of his times, were not of a lasting nature. These were Divine warnings to the rulers and the people of that particular period, in order to jolt their conscience from deep slumber.
Thus, what the Lord Most High granted the “Mercy unto the creation” as the permanent sign and eternal miracle of his prophethood for guidance of the seekers of truth, is the Holy Qur’an, along with his Divinely Designated Heirs. These blessed personages as the above-mentioned Ayah says in clear terms are pioneers in all good works, and indeed the Greatest Grace of Allah for the benefit of human societies.
Now we understand what the Messenger of Mercy meant by emphasizing very often on the famous Hadith Thaqalayn, which reads;
“I am leaving behind among you Two Weighty Things (Thaqalayn), the Book of God and my progeny the Ahl al-Bayt. Hold fast to them and you will never go astray, for the two never separate with each other, even when they return to me at the Fountain (of Kowthar on Judgement Day). You will be questioned about your behaviour towards them.”
Divine Providence immortalized these words of the Prophet by decreeing that his Sixth Infallible Heir and the Reviver of his “Sunnah wa Seerah” (behaviour and practice), be born on the 83rd anniversary of his blessed birthday, that is, Rabi al-Awwal 17.
Named Ja’far, like the Prophet he would acquire the epithet of “Sadeq” or the Most Truthful. For 34 years he would so profoundly enlighten minds, strengthen spirits, uplift hearts, and succor souls, that the code of genuine Muhammadan “Shari’ah” promulgated by him, will be known forever as “Fiqh al-Ja’fariyya” (Ja’fari Jurisprudence). 
In this regard, a famous hadith related by Isma’il Ibn Jaber from Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS.) says:
“Allah the Exalted sent Muhammad (SAWA) as the Prophet and will not send any other prophet after him. He revealed a book to Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and will not reveal any other book after it. In that book, Allah set some deeds “halal” (lawful) and some “haram” (unlawful). The “halal” and “haram” deeds will remain so forever. The news of the people in the past, in the future, and in the present time exist in this heavenly Book.”
Then Imam Sadeq (AS) pointing to his own chest said, “We do know all these facts.”
A brief newspaper column cannot do justice to the virtues and God-given merits of Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS), who lived at a very critical period of history, when the Godless Omayyad dynasty was falling apart and a new ungodly dynasty of usurpers, the Abbasids, was emerging.
He utilized this breathing space, despite persecution, especially Hisham ibn Abdul-Malik the Omayyad, to expand the academy of Medina, founded by his grandfather Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) following the heartrending tragedy of Karbala, and developed by his father Imam Muhammad al-Baqer (AS).