Rasulullah ﷺ wafat tanpa melantik seorang individu tertentu untuk menggantikan baginda ﷺ sebagai Khalifah. Selepas para Sahabat (ra) bertemu dan bermusyawarah, mereka memutuskan untuk memilih Abu Bakr (ra) sebagai Khalifah. Semua Sahabat (ra), termasuk Ali (ra), memberikan Bai'ah kepada Abu Bakr (ra). Sebelum wafat, Abu Bakr (ra) melantik Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) sebagai penggantinya, selepas berunding dengan penduduk Madinah. Umar (ra) menjadi Khalifah; namun, hanya selepas diberikan Bai'ah. Di atas katil kematiannya, Umar (ra) melantik 6 orang dan mencadangkan agar Khalifah dipilih dari kalangan mereka.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) died without appointing a specific person to succeed him (saw) as a Khaleefah. After the Sahabah (ra) met and deliberated, they decided to select Abu Bakr (ra) as the Khaleefah. All the Sahabah (ra), including Ali (ra), gave the Bay‟ah to Abu Bakr (ra). Before he died, Abu Bakr (ra) nominated Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) to be his successor, after consulting with the people of Madinah. Umar (ra) became the Khaleefah; however, only after being given the Bay‟ah. On his deathbed, Umar (ra) nominated 6 people and suggested that the Khaleefah be chosen from among them.

Antara senarai calon ini ialah Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) dan Uthman bin al-Affan (ra). Selepas kematian Umar dan pengebumiannya, kumpulan yang telah dicalonkan oleh Umar berhimpun kecuali Talha yang sedang bermusafir. Diriwayatkan bahawa pertemuan mereka berlangsung di rumah Aisyah (ra), dan Abdullah bin Umar bersama mereka. Mereka meminta Abu Talhah Al-Ansari untuk mengawal mereka. Setelah mereka duduk, Abdul-Rahman bin Awf berkata: "Siapakah yang akan menarik diri daripadanya (Khilafah) dan mempengerusikan mesyuarat ini dengan syarat dia menyerahkannya kepada orang yang terbaik antara kamu?" Maksudnya, siapakah yang akan melepaskan haknya terhadap Khilafah, dengan syarat setiap orang menjadikannya hakim (penimbang tara), untuk memilih sendiri seorang Khalifah dari kalangan mereka sebagaimana yang dia pandang wajar." Setelah berkata demikian, Abdul-Rahman bin Awf menunggu jawapan, tetapi tiada seorang pun menjawabnya, lalu dia meneruskan kata-katanya: Saya sendiri melepaskan hak saya terhadap Khilafah. Setelah itu Uthman berkata: "Sayalah orang pertama yang menerimanya, kerana saya telah mendengar Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda:

Included in this list of nominees were Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) and Uthman bin al-Affan (ra). After Umar's death and his burial, the group which Umar had nominated gathered except for Talha who was in travel. It is reported that their meeting took place in Aisha‟s (ra) house, and Abdullah b. Umar was with them. They asked Abu Talha Al Ansari to shield them. Once they settled, Abdul-Rahman b. Awf said: "Who would take himself out of it (the Khilafah) and preside over the meeting on condition that he gives it to the best among you?" That is, who would renounce his right to the Khilafah, on condition that everyone makes him judge (arbitrator), to choose by himself a Khaleefah from amongst them as he deemed fit." Having said this, Abdul-Rahman b. Awf waited for an answer but no one answered him, so he went on saying: I myself renounce my right to the Khilafah. Upon this Uthman said: "I am the first to accept, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:

"Seorang pemegang amanah di bumi ialah pemegang amanah di langit," dan Al-Zubayr dan Sa'ad juga berkata: "Kami setuju." Ali diam; maka Abdul-Rahman bertanya kepadanya: "Apa pendapat kamu, wahai Abul Hassan!" Ali menjawab: "Berikan aku sumpah bahawa kamu akan memilih kebenaran dan tidak mengikut hawa nafsu, dan tidak mengutamakan mana-mana ahli keluargamu, serta tidak mengabaikan kepentingan Ummah." Abdul-Rahman menjawab: "Berikan aku (kamu semua) sumpah bahawa kamu akan berdiri bersamaku menentang sesiapa yang mengubahnya, dan bahawa kamu akan menerima sesiapa yang aku pilih untuk kamu (bagi pihak kamu). Dan aku memberikan kamu sumpahku bahawa demi Allah, aku tidak akan mengutamakan saudara-mara, dan tidak akan mengabaikan kepentingan Ummah." Dia mengambil sumpah daripada mereka dan memberikan sumpah kepada mereka sendiri. Kemudian dia mula berunding dengan setiap seorang daripada mereka secara individu sambil berkata: "Selain daripada dirimu, siapakah pada pendapatmu yang layak memegang kuasa ini daripada kalangan kumpulan ini?" atau kata-kata yang seumpamanya. Ali berkata: "Uthman." Uthman berkata: "Ali." Sa'ad berkata: "Uthman," begitu juga Al-Zubayr. Kemudian Abdul-Rahman meminta pendapat tokoh-tokoh terkemuka di Madinah, dan bertanya kepada semua kaum Muslimin di Madinah seorang demi seorang, lelaki dan perempuan. Dia tidak membiarkan seorang pun tanpa bertanya tentang siapa, sama ada dia, yang ingin menjadi Khalifah daripada kalangan kumpulan itu. Sekumpulan daripada mereka memilih Uthman dan sekumpulan lain memilih Ali.

“A trustee on earth is a trustee in the heveans,” Al-Zubayr and Sa‟ad also said: "We agree". Ali kept silent; so Abdul-Rahman asked him: "What do you say O Abul Hassan!" Ali replied: "Give me an Oath that you would prefer the truth and not to follow the whims and not to favour any member of your family and not neglect the interest of the Ummah". Abdul-Rahman replied: "Give me (all of you) your Oaths that you would stand with me against whoever changes, and that you would accept whoever I choose for you (on your behalf) and I give you my Oath that By Allah, I shall not favour a relative nor shall I neglect the interest of the Ummah." He took an Oath from them and gave them an Oath himself. Then he started to consult each one of them individually saying: "Apart from yourself, who do you think is worthy of this authority from among this group?" or words to that effect. Ali said: "Uthman." Uthman said: "Ali." Sa‟ad said: "Uthman," so did Al-Zubayr. Then Abdul-Rahman sought the opinion of the prominent figures in Madina, and asked all the Muslims in Madina one by one, men and women. He left no one without asking him about whom, he or she, would like to be the Khaleefah from amongst that group. A group of them chose Uthman and another group chose Ali.

Setelah Abdul-Rahman menyelesaikan misi mencari fakta dan berunding dengan semua orang, lelaki dan perempuan, dia memanggil kaum Muslimin ke masjid dan naik ke mimbar dengan pedangnya tersandang serta serban (ʻamāmah) yang diberikan Rasulullah ﷺ kepadanya. Dia berdiri lama, kemudian berkata:

Once Abdul-Rahman completed his fact finding mission and consulted all the people, men and women, he summoned the Muslims to the mosque and went up the Minbar (podium) with his sword on and his "Amama" (head-dress) which the Messenger of Allah (saw) gave him: He stood for a long while then spoke:

"Wahai manusia! Aku telah bertanya kepada kamu secara terbuka dan secara rahsia tentang Imam kamu, dan aku mendapati bahawa kamu tidak dapat meletakkan sesiapa pun pada kedudukan yang sama dengan dua lelaki ini: Ali dan Uthman." Kemudian dia menoleh kepada Ali dan berkata kepadanya: "Mari kepadaku, wahai Ali!" Ali bangun dan berjalan ke mimbar sehingga dia berada di bawahnya. Abdul-Rahman memegang tangannya dan berkata: "Adakah engkau akan memberikan Bai'ah kepadaku menurut Kitab Allah dan Sunnah Rasul-Nya ﷺ serta (amalan) Abu Bakar dan Umar?" Ali menjawab: "Demi Allah, tidak, tetapi menurut usaha ijtihad saya sendiri dan pengetahuan saya" - iaitu, saya akan memberikan Bai'ah kepada engkau menurut Kitab Allah dan Sunnah Rasul-Nya ﷺ mengikut usaha ijtihad saya sendiri dan pengetahuan saya tentangnya. Adapun amalan Abu Bakar dan Umar, saya tidak mengikatkan diri saya dengannya tetapi menggunakan pendapat saya sendiri." Abdul-Rahman kemudian melepaskan tangannya dan memanggil: "Mari kepadaku, wahai Uthman!" Dia memegang tangan Uthman ketika Uthman berdiri di tempat Ali berdiri tadi dan berkata kepadanya: "Adakah engkau akan memberikan Bai'ah kepadaku menurut Kitab Allah dan Sunnah Rasul-Nya ﷺ serta amalan Abu Bakar dan Umar?" Uthman menjawab: "Demi Allah, ya." Lalu Abdul-Rahman mendongak ke bumbung masjid dengan tangannya menggenggam tangan Uthman dan berkata: "Ya Allah! Dengarlah dan saksikanlah; ya Allah, aku telah letakkan apa yang ada di leherku mengenai perkara itu ke atas leher Uthman." Maka orang ramai bergegas memberikan Bai'ah kepada Uthman sehingga mereka menghimpitnya. Kemudian Ali datang menolak jalannya untuk sampai kepada Uthman dan memberikan Bai'ah kepadanya. Dengan itu, Bai'ah kepada Uthman pun dimuktamadkan.

"O people! I have asked you openly and secretly about your Imam, and I found that you cannot place anyone on the same level as these two men: Ali and Uthman". Then he turned to Ali and said to him. "Come to me O Ali!" Ali stood and walked to the Minbar until he came underneath it. Abdul-Rahman took his hand and said: Would you give me your Bay‟ah according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and the (actions) of Abu Bakr and Umar?" Ali replied: By Allah no, but on my own exertion of that and my knowledge" - i.e. I would give you my Bay‟ah according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger according to my own exertion of that and my knowledge of them. As for the actions of Abu Bakr and Umar, I do not adhere myself to them but exert my own opinion." Abdul-Rahman then released his hand and called: "Come to me O Uthman!" He took his hand as he stood on the spot where Ali stood earlier and said to him: "Would you give me your Bay‟ah according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger as well as the actions of Abu Bakr and Umar?" Uthman replied, "By Allah yes. Upon this Abdul-Rahman looked up to the roof of the mosque with his hand clutching that of Uthman and said: "O Allah! Hear and witness; O Allah, I have put what was in my neck of that (matter) in the neck of Uthman". Then people rushed to give their Bay‟ah to Uthman until they overwhelmed him. Then Ali came pushing his way through to reach Uthman and gave him his Bay‟ah. Thus Bay‟ah was concluded to Uthman.

Semasa Khilafah Umar (ra), beliau menghadkan para Sahabah (ra) daripada meninggalkan Madinah, tetapi dalam Khilafah Uthman (ra), para Sahabah (ra) dibenarkan bertebaran dari Madinah. Terdapat beberapa keputusan yang dibuat oleh Khalifah Uthman (ra) yang diperdebatkan oleh sebahagian Sahabah (ra). Sebahagian orang dari Mesir dan wilayah-wilayah terpencil yang lain, yang digerakkan oleh Abdullah bin Saba, datang ke Madinah dengan tujuan membunuh Khalifah Uthman (ra). Abdullah bin Saba ialah seorang Yahudi, yang didakwa telah memeluk Islam.

During Umar‟s (ra) Khilafah, he restricted the Sahabah (ra) from leaving Madinah, but in Uthman‟s (ra) Khilafah, the Sahabah (ra) were allowed to disperse from Madinah. There were some decisions made by Khaleefah Uthman (ra) that were debated by some of the Sahabah (ra). Some people from Egypt and other out-lying territories orchestrated by Abdullah bin Saba, advanced to Madinah in order to kill the Khaleefah Uthman (ra). Abdullah bin Saba was a Jew, who supposedly converted to Islam.

Semua Sahabah (ra), termasuk Ali (ra), berusaha sedaya upaya untuk berunding dengan orang-orang itu, tetapi mereka tidak cenderung untuk mendengar apa yang dikemukakan oleh Ali (ra). Keadaan semakin memuncak dan membawa kepada pembunuhan Uthman (ra). Mereka yang mengawal Uthman (ra) pada masa pembunuhannya adalah orang-orang yang amat mulia, dan termasuk dalam kalangan mereka ialah anak-anak Ali (ra), Hasan (ra) dan Hussein (ra); namun, para pengawal itu akhirnya dikalahkan dan Uthman (ra) dibunuh.

All of the Sahabah (ra), including Ali (ra), tried their best to negotiate with those people, but they were not inclined to listen to what was being presented by Ali (ra). The issue escalated and led to the assassination of Uthman (ra). Those who were guarding Uthman (ra) at the time of his assassination were extremely honourable people and included Ali‟s (ra) sons Hasan (ra) and Hussein (ra); however, the guards were eventually overwhelmed and Uthman (ra) was assassinated.

Apabila Uthman b. Affan (ra) dibunuh oleh pemberontak, Madinah kekal tanpa khalifah selama lima hari selepas baginda. Amir pada masa itu ialah Al-Ghafiqi b. Harb, salah seorang pemimpin pemberontak. Para pemimpin tersebut meminta Ali b. Abi Talib (ra) untuk mengambil alih jawatan Khilafah. Beliau (ra) cuba mengelak daripada mereka, kemudian para sahabat Rasulullah ﷺ datang kepadanya dan berkata: "Lelaki ini - maksudnya Uthman - telah dibunuh, dan orang ramai mesti mempunyai seorang imam. Pada hari ini kami tidak melihat sesiapa yang lebih layak memegang jawatan itu daripada tuan, tiada seorang pun yang lebih utama daripada tuan dan tiada seorang pun yang lebih dekat daripada tuan kepada Rasulullah ﷺ." Beliau berkata, "Jangan calonkan aku untuk jawatan ini, kerana aku lebih baik menjadi pembantu daripada menjadi amir." Maka mereka berkata, "Tidak, demi Allah, kami tidak akan berbuat demikian sehingga kami memberikan bai‘ah kepada tuan." Beliau berkata, "Kalau begitu, ia mesti dilaksanakan di masjid, kerana aku tidak mahu bai‘ahku dilakukan secara rahsia, dan tidak mahu ia diambil kecuali dengan persetujuan kaum Muslimin." Abdullah b. Abbas kemudian mengulas: "Aku bimbang dengan kedatangannya ke masjid kerana aku khuatir sebahagian orang akan menimbulkan fitnah, namun beliau tetap berkeras untuk pergi ke masjid. Apabila beliau masuk ke masjid, kaum Muhajirin dan Ansar mengikutinya masuk lalu memberikan bai‘ah kepadanya. Kemudian orang ramai juga memberikan bai‘ah kepadanya, begitu juga majoriti kaum Muslimin, walaupun Bani Umayyah dan sebahagian sahabat tidak hadir." Pada zaman Ali (ra), beliau mempunyai perbezaan pendapat dengan sebahagian sahabat (ra). Sebenarnya Ali (ra) mendapati dirinya berhadapan dengan pelbagai isu kritikal, antaranya pendapat beliau (ra) bahawa komplot tersusun yang membawa kepada pembunuhan Uthman (ra) merupakan kekacauan dalaman yang terancang dan bukannya usaha seorang individu. Terdapat perbezaan dengan sahabat (ra) seperti Talha, Zubair dan Aisyah binti Abu Bakar (ra); Mu‘awiyah (ra) dan kegigihannya menuntut agar pembunuh Uthman (ra) diserahkan kepadanya; serta sebahagian daripada "penyokong" Ali (ra) yang mula membuat dakwaan bahawa Ali (ra) adalah Tuhan yang menjelma.

When Uthman b. Affan (ra) was killed by the rebels Madina remained without a Khaleefah for five days after him. Its Ameer during that time was Al-Ghafiqi b. Harb, one of the rebel's leaders. Those leaders requested Ali b. Abi Talib (ra) to take over the post of Khilafah. He used to avoid them, then the companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) came to him and said: "This man - meaning Uthman - has been killed and people must have an Imam and nowadays we do not see anybody more worthy of the post than yourself, no one is of more precedence than you and no one is nearer than you to the Messenger of Allah". He said, "Do not put me forward for this post, for I would be a better assistant than an Ameer". So they said, "No, by Allah we should not do this until we give you our Bay‟ah". He said, "Then this has to take place in the mosque, for I do not wish for my Bay‟ah to be secret, nor to be taken except with the consent of the Muslims". Abdullah b. Abbas later commented: “I was apprehensive about him coming to the mosque for I feared that some people would stir up trouble, but he insisted to go to the mosque. When he entered the mosque, the Muhajireen and the Ansar followed him in and gave him their Bay‟ah. Then the people gave him also their Bay‟ah as well as the majority of the Muslims despite the absence of Banu Umayyah and some of the Sahabah.” During the era of Ali (ra), he had differences with some of the Sahabah (ra). Actually Ali (ra) found himself facing a variety of critical issues, such as his (ra) opinion that the organised conspiracy, which led to Uthman‟s (ra) assassination, was an organised internal disruption rather than a one-man effort. There were differences with Sahabah (ra) such as Talha, Zubair, and Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra); Mu‟awiyyah (ra) and his persistence in having Uthman‟s (ra) killers handed over to him; some of Ali‟s (ra) so-called “supporters” began evoking claims that Ali (ra) was God incarnate.

Dari pihaknya, Ali (ra) memilih untuk menangani semua krisis ini sekaligus; beliau membunuh mereka yang mendakwa bahawa beliau adalah tuhan; beliau bergerak ke Kufah untuk menangani isu Talhah, Zubair dan Aisyah binti Abu Bakar (ra); dan beliau berjaya mengatasinya walaupun ia membawa kepada terbunuhnya Talhah dan Zubair (ra); dan kemudian beliau (ra) bergerak ke arah Syria untuk menangani Mu'awiyah (ra). Semua aktiviti ini menyebabkan Ali (ra) sentiasa terlibat dalam satu konflik atau yang lain. Akhirnya konflik itu berakhir dengan pembunuhan beliau (ra).

From his side, Ali (ra) chose to handle all of these crises at once; he killed those who claimed that he was god; moved to Kufah to deal with Talha, Zubair and Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) issue; and was able to overcome this although it led to the killing of Talha and Zubair (ra); and then he (ra) moved towards Syria to deal with Mu‟awiyyah (ra). All of these activities caused Ali (ra) to be continuously engaged in one conflict or another. Finally the conflict ended in his (ra) assassination.

Dalam suasana inilah benih-benih Syi'ah ditaburkan dan mula tumbuh. Pada mulanya ia bermula sebagai gerakan politik yang bekerja di bawah dalih untuk mengembalikan Khilafah kepada Ali (ra) dan keturunannya. Kemudian, ia diberikan konteks intelektual. Syi'ah terbahagi kepada banyak kumpulan. Sebahagian daripadanya melampau dengan mendakwa bahawa Ali (ra) adalah tuhan. Yang lain pula mendakwa bahawa kerasulan itu ditujukan kepada Ali (ra) dan bukan kepada Muhammad ﷺ. Kedua-dua kumpulan ini tidak dianggap sebagai Muslim. Malah golongan Syi'ah sendiri melabelkan kumpulan-kumpulan ini sebagai bukan Muslim. Selain itu, terdapat juga kumpulan lain seperti Zaydiyyah dan Ja'fariyyah yang sama sekali tidak melampau sehingga ke tahap tersebut.

It is within this environment that the seeds of the Shi‟a were sown and started growing. In the beginning it started as a political movement working under the pretext of getting the Khilafah back to Ali (ra) and his descendants. Later on, it was given an intellectual context. The Shi‟a were divided into many groups. Some went to the extreme claiming that Ali (ra) was god. Others claimed that the Messengership was meant for Ali (ra) and not for Muhammad (saw). These two groups were not considered Muslims. Even the Shi‟a label these groups as non-Muslims. In addition to this, there were others like the Zaydis and the Jafaris who did not at all go to these extremes.

Sebsesetengah orang kini membuat generalisasi dan melabelkan semua golongan Syi‘ah sebagai bukan Muslim. Generalisasi ini sama sekali tidak tepat, kerana tidak semua golongan Syi‘ah berpegang bahawa ‘Ali (ra) layak menerima kerasulan, atau bahawa ‘Ali (ra) adalah tuhan yang menjelma, atau bahawa al-Qur’an telah diubah dan tidak sempurna. Golongan Zaydiyyah dan Ja‘fariyyah tidak boleh dilabelkan sebagai bukan Muslim kerana mereka tidak menganut kepercayaan kufur tersebut. Namun, jika seseorang individu memegang kepercayaan atau idea sedemikian, maka individu itu layak dilabelkan sebagai bukan Muslim, sama ada dia seorang Syi‘ah atau Sunni. Sesiapa yang memegang idea dan konsep kufur, sekalipun dia dilahirkan oleh ibu bapa Sunni, tidak akan dianggap sebagai Muslim.

Some people presently generalise and label all of the Shi‟a as Non-Muslims. This generalisation is not at all correct, since not all of the Shi‟a believe that Ali (ra) deserved the Messengership or that Ali (ra) was god incarnate, or that the Qur‟an was changed and is imperfect. The Zaydis and the Jafaris cannot be labelled as non-Muslims since they do not subscribe to such Kufr beliefs. However, if an individual carries such beliefs or ideas then that individual deserves the label as being non-Muslim, whether he is Shi‟a or Sunni. Anyone who carries Kufr ideas and concepts even if he was born to Sunni parents will not be considered as Muslims.

Imam Zayd bin Ali (80 H - 122 H) dilahirkan di Madinah. Bapanya, Ali, anak kepada Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib, khalifah keempat, adalah antara segelintir keturunan Hussein yang terselamat di Karbalah. Bapa Imam Zayd sangat dihormati dan sangat berilmu, serta menolak sikap melampau golongan yang mendakwa diri mereka sebagai Syiah.

Imam Zayd bin Ali (80 AH - 122 AH) was born in Madinah. His father Ali, son of Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib the fourth Khaleefah, was one of the few descendants of Hussein that were spared at Karbalah. Imam Zayd‟s father was highly respected and highly educated, and rejected the extremism of those who claimed themselves to be Shi‟a.

Di dalam persekitaran inilah Imam Zayd dilahirkan. Ayahnya meninggal dunia ketika beliau berusia 14 tahun, dan abangnya Muhammad al-Baaqir menjaganya. Pendidikan awalnya diperoleh daripada abangnya Muhammad al-Baaqir, yang pada waktu itu dianggap sebagai seorang ulama besar. Beliau juga belajar dengan seorang lagi ulama besar, Abdullah bin Hasan bin Ali. Kedua-dua al-Baaqir dan Abdullah bin Hasan merupakan guru kepada ramai ulama besar dan imam seperti Abu Hanifah dan Imam Malik, yang mengambil hadis daripada mereka. Zayd juga belajar daripada tabi'in lain yang menetap di Madinah.

It was in this environment that Imam Zayd was born. His father died when he was 14 years old and his elder brother Muhammad al-Baaqir took care of him. His early education was taken from his elder brother Muhammad al-Baaqir, who was considered at that time as a great scholar. He also studied with another great scholar, Abdullah bin Hasan bin Ali. Both Al Baaqir and Abdullah bin Hasan were teachers of many great scholars and Imams like Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik, who took Hadith from them. Zayd also studied under other Tabi‟een who were residing in Madinah.

Kemudian Imam Zayd berpindah ke Basrah, di sana beliau bertemu dengan Waasil bin „Ataa, pengasas Mu‟tazilah. Beliau terus berulang-alik antara Iraq dan Hijaz mencari ilmu. Abu Hanifah pernah berkata tentang Imam Zayd, "Aku bertemu dengan Zayd dan aku tidak pernah melihat dalam generasinya seorang yang lebih berilmu, lebih cepat berfikir, atau lebih fasih daripadanya. Beliau berada dalam kelasnya tersendiri." Imam Zayd berselisih dengan Khalifah Abdul Malik, bahkan memberontak terhadapnya. Beliau pergi ke Kufah, di mana golongan Syi‟ah Iraq menyertai beliau. 15,000 orang memberikan Bay‟ah kepada beliau di sebuah masjid, tetapi hanya kira-kira 400 daripada mereka yang berdiri bersama beliau ketika beliau berhadapan dengan tentera Khalifah. Imam Zayd berpendapat bahawa konfrontasi ketenteraan ialah cara terbaik untuk menghadapi Khalifah, dan beliau merasa kecewa setelah para penyokong yang didakwa itu meninggalkan beliau, sama seperti penyokong datuknya Hussein telah meninggalkan baginda.

Later on Imam Zayd moved to Basra where he met Waasil bin „Ataa, the founder of the Mu‟tazilah. He kept moving between Iraq and Hijaz seeking knowledge. Abu Hanifah once said about Imam Zayd, “I met with Zayd and I never saw in his generation a person more knowledgeable, as quick a thinker, or more eloquent than him. He was in a class by himself.” Imam Zayd had differences with Khaleefah Abdul Malik, and even rebelled against him. He went to Kufah where Shi‟a of Iraq joined him. 15,000 people gave him the Bay‟ah in a Masjid, but only about 400 of them stood with him when he faced the army of the Khaleefah. Imam Zayd felt that a military confrontation was the best way to deal with Khaleefah, and felt let down after his so-called supporters abandoned him in the same way that his supporters abandoned his grandfather Hussein.

Salah satu ulama paling terkenal dari Mazhab Imam Zayd ialah Imam Syawkani. Imam Syawkani wafat pada tahun 1250 H di Yaman. Tulisan-tulisan beliau menunjukkan bahawa beliau menentang taqlid. Ia juga menunjukkan bahawa beliau memperlakukan semua mazhab secara sama rata, termasuk mazhab Zaydiyyah, dan dalam persoalan akidah beliau sama sekali tidak menyanggahi akidah Salaf. Antara kitab-kitab Imam Syawkani ialah Nayl al-Awtar dalam bidang hadis, Irshad al-Fuhul dalam bidang usul, dan Fath al-Qadir dalam bidang tafsir.

One of the most famous scholars of the Madhab of Imam Zayd is Imam Shawkani. Imam Shawkani died in 1250 AH in Yemen. His writings show that he was against Taqleed. They also show that he treated all Madhabs equally, including the Zaydis, and in the issues of the „Aqeedah he did not go against that of the Salaf at all. Imam Shawkani‟s books include Nayl al Awtaar in Hadith, Irshad ul-Fuhool in Usul and Fathul-Qadeer in Tafseer.

Imam Muhammad bin Isma‟eel as-Sana‟anee (1059 H - 1182 H) dilahirkan di Yaman dan berpindah ke Makkah, di mana beliau berkembang menjadi seorang Mujtahid yang sangat cekap. Beliau menolak taqlid, dan sangat dicabar oleh mereka yang menolak konsep ijtihad; namun, beliau tetap teguh pada pendiriannya dan tidak pernah mengendahkan para penentangnya. Salah satu daripada banyak kitabnya ialah Subul-us-Salaam, dalam bidang Hadith.

Imam Muhammad bin Isma‟eel as-Sana‟anee (1059 AH - 1182 AH) was born in Yemen and moved to Makkah, where he developed to be an extremely capable Mujtahid. He rejected Taqleed, and was severely challenged by those who refused the concept of Ijtihad; however, he held his ground and never paid attention to his objectors. One of his many books is Subul-us-Salaam, in Hadith.

Kedua-dua Subul-us-Salaam dan Nayl Awtaar pada masa kini dianggap amat penting atas sumbangan mereka dalam bidang Fiqh dan Hadis.

Both Subul-us-Salaam and Nayl Awtaar are considered presently to be extremely essential for their contributions in the area of Fiqh and Hadith.

Walaupun Shi‟a Imamiah juga dipanggil Jaafariah, ini tidak bermakna bahawa sumber tunggal Fiqh Shi‟a ialah Imam Jaafar. Ia bercampur dengan sumber-sumber lain. Mazhab Jaafariah tersusun daripada Fiqh yang datang daripada tokoh-tokoh lain seperti al-Qummi, al-Tusi dan al-Qulani. Oleh itu, sangat sukar untuk mengesahkan apa yang diriwayatkan daripada Imam Jaafar. Antara dakwaan Jaafariah ialah:

Though the Shi‟a Imamia is also called Jafariah, this does not mean that the sole source of the Shi‟a Fiqh is Imam Jafar. It is mixed with others. The Jafariah Madhab is composed of Fiqh from other people such as Qumi, Tousi and Qulani. Thus, it is very hard to verify what was reported by Imam Jafar. Among the Jafariah claims are:

A. Para Imam dilantik oleh Nabi ﷺ, iaitu Ali (ra) dan keturunannya. Dua belas Imam itu adalah seperti berikut:

A. The Imams were appointed by the Prophet (saw), namely Ali (ra) and his descendants. The twelve Imams are as follows:

1. Ali (ra).

1. Ali (ra).

2. Hasan ibn Ali (ra).

2. Hasan ibn Ali (ra).

3. Hussein ibn Ali (ra).

3. Hussein ibn Ali (ra).

4. Ali Zain-ul-Aabideen.

4. Ali Zain-ul-aabideen.

5. Muhammad al-Baaqir.

5. Muhammed al-Baaqir.

6. Ja'far as-Sadiq.

6. Ja‟far as-Saadiq.

7. Musa al-Kazim.

7. Musa al-Kazim.

8. Ali al-Rida.

8. Ali al-Rida.

9. Muhammad al-Jawad.

9. Muhammad al-Jawad.

10. Ali al-Hadi.

10. Ali al-Hadi.

11. Al-Hasan al-Askaree.

11. Al Hasan al-Askaree.

12. Muhammad bin al-Hasan.

12. Muhammad bin al-Hasan.

Ja'far menyaksikan, pada usia muda, tindakan bapa saudaranya terhadap Khalifah Umayyah. Beliau menyedari bagaimana para pengikutnya telah mengecewakannya. Oleh itu, beliau dapat membentuk gambaran yang lengkap tentang orang-orang yang menamakan diri mereka Syi'ah. Kemudian, dalam Khilafah Abbasiyah, kerana mereka juga berasal daripada Bani Hashim, dijangkakan keadaan akan berubah menjadi lebih baik bagi Ahl ul-Bayt.

Jafar witnessed at an early age, his uncle‟s move against the Umayyad Khaleefah. He realised how his followers had let him down. Therefore, he was able to develop a complete image about the people who were calling themselves the Shi‟a. Later on, in the Abbasid Khilafah, since they were also from Bani Hashim, it was expected that the situation would change for the better with Ahl ul-Bayt.

Namun, apabila sebahagian daripada Ahl ul-Bayt memberontak terhadap Abbasiyah, satu lagi pembunuhan beramai-ramai berlaku, dan Imam Jaafar menyaksikan satu lagi zaman penganiayaan. Maka kita dapati beliau berusaha menjauhkan diri daripada kehidupan politik sedaya upaya, dan beliau tidak pernah menuntut Bay‟ah untuk dirinya sendiri. Walau bagaimanapun, ini tidak bermakna beliau tidak mempunyai atau tidak membentuk pandangan politik. Pada zamannya, pandangan ekstremis Syiah muncul. Antara idea tersebut ialah anggapan bahawa para Sahabat (ra) adalah kafir, cercaan terhadap Abu Bakar dan Umar (ra), serta dakwaan bahawa idea-idea sedemikian datang daripada Jaafar dan Imam Al Baaqir. Juga pada zamannya, al-Khattabiyyah, sebuah kumpulan sesat yang lain, muncul.

However, when some of Ahl ul-Bayt rebelled against the Abbasids, another massacre occurred and Imam Jafar witnessed another era of persecution. So we find him trying to keep away from the political life as much as possible, and he never claimed the Bay‟ah for himself. However, this does not mean that he did not have nor develop political opinions. In his era, the extremist opinions of Shi‟a appeared. Such ideas included that the Sahabah (ra) being Kuffar, the slandering of Abu Bakr and Umar (ra), and claims that such ideas were from Jafar and Imam Al Baaqir. Also in his era, the Khattabiyyah, another deviant group, emerged.

Seorang Parsi bernama Abul Khattab, yang mendakwa dirinya sebagai nabi, telah membangunkan gerakan Khattabiyyah. Imam Jafar memikul tanggungjawab untuk membersihkan kekacauan yang didakwa dilakukan oleh Khattabiyyah, dan hal ini menyebabkan beliau menanggung banyak penderitaan dalam perjuangan ini. Sebagai contoh, diriwayatkan bahawa Khalifah Al Mansoor memanggil Imam Jafar menghadapnya, berdasarkan laporan bahawa Imam Jafar sedang mengutip zakat secara sendirian. Kemudian beliau mendapati dakwaan ini adalah palsu dan kemungkinan besar disebarkan oleh musuh-musuh Imam Jafar.

A Persian named Abul Khattab, who claimed Prophethood, developed the Khattabiyyah movement. Imam Jafar took the responsibility of clearing the mess being purported by the Khattabiyyah, which caused him to suffer a lot in this cause. For example, it was reported that the Khaleefah Al Mansoor summoned Imam Jafar to him, based on reports that Imam Jafar was collecting Zakah on his own. He later found that this claim was false and was probably spread by the enemies of Imam Jafar.

Selain usahanya membersihkan kekacauan yang ditimbulkan oleh golongan menyeleweng, Imam Jafar juga memberikan sumbangan besar kepada bidang Fiqh dan Hadis. Fiqh Imam Jafar dianggap sebagai salah satu fiqh daripada Sunnah. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat sebilangan orang yang mendakwa diri mereka sebagai Jafari cuba mempersembahkan gambaran yang berbeza tentang Imam Jafar.

Beside his struggle to clean up the mess of the deviant people, Imam Jafar also made great contributions to Fiqh and Hadith. The Fiqh of Imam Jafar is considered to be one of the Fiqh from the Sunnah. However, there are some people who claim themselves to be Jafaris try to present a different picture of Imam Jafar.

Al Kulaynee, dalam kitabnya Al Kafee, mendakwa bahawa Imam Jafar mempunyai satu ilmu khas (ʿIlm) yang dibawa dari telaga Nabi ﷺ kepada Ali (ra), kemudian kepada Imam-Imam lain, sehingga sampai kepada Imam Jafar, yang seterusnya memindahkannya kepada Imam-Imam Jafari yang selebihnya. Ilmu khas ini dinamakan oleh Al Kulaynee sebagai Al Jafr. Jafr ini memberikan kepada Imam yang membawanya atau memilikinya pengetahuan tentang Al Ghayb, iaitu perkara yang tidak dapat dilihat dengan pancaindera, dan nampaknya dakwaan ini sebenarnya berasal daripada Al Khattabiyyah.

Al Kulaynee, in his book Al Kafee, claims that Imam Jafar has a special „Ilm which was carried from the well of the Prophet (saw) to Ali (ra), and then to other Imams, arriving to Imam Jafar, who then transferred it to the remaining Jafari Imams. This special knowledge Al Kulaynee called Al Jafr. This Jafr gives to the Imam who carries or has it, knowledge of the Ghayb or the unsensed, and it seems as if this claim actually came from Al Khattabiyyah.

Tuntutan sedemikian tidak sama sekali dijangka atau disangka datang daripada Imam Jafar yang mulia dan amanah, terutamanya apabila kita menyedari bahawa perawinya, Al Kulaynee, mendakwa bahawa Al-Qur'an telah diselewengkan. Jelas bahawa dakwaan bidaah ini yang dinisbahkan kepada Imam Jafar dan Imam Zayd adalah palsu, dan Imam-imam yang mulia dan amanah ini tidak akan mengatakan perkara sedemikian.

Such claims are not at all expected or suspected to be from the honourable and trustworthy Imam Jafar, especially when we realise that the reporter, Al Kulaynee, purports claims that the Qur‟an was tampered with. It is clear that these heretic claims attributed to Imam Jafar and Imam Zayd are false, and that these honourable and trustworthy Imams would not have said such things.

Akhirnya, Ummah Islam telah menyaksikan pergolakan sepanjang sejarahnya. Kini kita perlu menyedari bahawa saling menyalahkan atas perpecahan Ummah bukanlah jawapan kepada masalah kita pada hari ini. Ummah Islam perlu bersepakat mengenai perkara-perkara Islam yang tidak boleh diperdebatkan, dan perlu menyedari bahawa terdapat perkara-perkara yang secara semula jadi menimbulkan perbezaan pendapat, justeru ruang perlu diberikan kepada perbezaan-perbezaan tersebut.