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Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A.S.) the Sixth Holy Imam from the progeny of holy Prophet Muhammad (S.W.), the creator of the first grand Islamic university and founder of the Imamia School of Jurisprudence was born in the holy city of Madinah on 17th Rabi al-Awwal 83 A.H.

In his time, there lived a young man called Zakariyya who had converted from Christianity to Islam. When Zakariyya went to Hajj, he stopped at Madinah to visit Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A.S.). On meeting the Imam (A.S.), Zakariyya asked him how he should behave towards his father, mother and other family members who were still Christians. Imam (A.S.) replied that Islam is a religion of mercy and kindness to all that has been created by Allah. Also Islam holds the rights of parents very highly. Imam (A.S.) then advised the man to be even more kinder and more helpful to his mother than he had ever been.

When Zakariyya returned home, he was there even more than before for his mother. He listened to her and was kind to her and ever ready to help her. He gave her food and drink with his own hands. He washed her clothes and kept the house tidy. And when he was free he would sit and chat with her and cheer her up. His mother was very surprised and asked Zakariyya what had made him become so kind towards her. Zakariyya explained that his Imam, our 6th Imam (A.S.), had told him to act in this way. His mother wanted to know what else the religion of Islam had taught her son. Zakariyya sat with his mother to tell her all about the teachings of Islam and when he had finished, his mother became a Muslim too.

One day Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A.S.) was sitting with a group of friends eating some grapes, when a man came and asked Imam (A) for help. Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A.S.) gave the man a bunch of grapes. The man did not take the grapes and asked Imam (A.S.) for money. Imam (A.S.) told the man that Allah would give him that. The man started to walk away then came back and asked for the grapes. Imam (A.S.) told him that Allah would give him that.

A little while later another poor man came and asked Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A.S.) for help. Imam (A.S.) gave him a bunch of grapes. The man took them and thanked Allah. Imam (A.S.) then gave the man some money again the man thanked Allah. Imam (A.S.) then gave the man his shirt, who took it and went away praying for Imam (A.S.). If the man had continued thanking Allah for what Imam (A.S.) was giving him, then Imam (A.S.) would have continued giving until he had nothing left to give.

One day Abu Shakir al-Daysam stood in a discussion group of Abu Abd Allah (A.S and said: "You are one of the shining stars, your fathers were wonderful full moons and your mothers were graceful discreet women. Your lineage is the most noble of lineages. When learned men are mentioned, it is for you that the little finger is bent (i.e. he is the first to be counted). So tell me, O bountiful sea, what is the evidence for the creation of the world?"

"The easiest evidence for that is what I will show you (now)," answered Abu- Abd Allah (A.S.). Then he called for an egg and put it in the palm of his hand. "This is a compact protective container; inside it is the thin (substance of an) egg which is surrounded by what could be compared with fluid silver and melted gold. Do you doubt that?"

"There can be no doubt about that," replied Abu Shakir. "Then it splits open showing a form like (for example) a peacock," continued Abu 'Abd Allah (A.S.). "Has anything entered into it other than what you knew (to be there already)?"

"No," he replied.

"This is the evidence for the creation of the world."

"You have explained, Abu Abd Allah," he said, "and you have made it clear. You have spoken and brought improvement. You have described it and spoken concisely. You knew that we would not accept anything which we could not realize with our eyes, or hear with our ears, or taste with our mouths, or smell with our noses, or touch with our skin."

"You have mentioned the five senses," said Abu Abd Allah (A.S.) "but they will not bring any benefit in rational deduction except as evidence, just as darkness cannot be removed without light."

He (A.S.) means by that that the senses without reason will never lead to the understanding of things which are not present, and that what he had shown with regard to the creation of the form was a concept whose recognition (ilm) was based on sense- perception.