Does Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq is the founder of Shia faith?
What's the cause of naming Shias as Ja'fari faith?
Does Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq is the founder of Shia faith?
What's the cause of naming Shias as Ja'fari faith?
The word of Shia means follower, and the term of Shia means the one who believes in Imam Ali's succession after holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), immediately.
But what about naming Shia as Ja'fari faith?
Imam Sadiq (as) was in a age that four Sunni schools of thought were appeared, Imam had established a school including various scientific fields, and was the teacher of about 4000 students.
In the age when science had been invaluable, Imam propagated Shia school of thought for some students who after that had established a school independently, like Abu Hanifa, and other famous scholars like Qadhi Sakuni, Qadhi Abul Bakhtari.
Shia has named Ja'fari faith, because lots of shia jurisprudence hadiths have narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (as). Shia has established at the age of holy Prophet (SAWA) and Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) was the first one who named the followers of Imam Ali as the Shia of Ali. [1]
However, it's a wrong thought that someone imagines Shia faith has founded at the hand of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as)
Footnote:
1. al-Durr al-Manthur, vol. 8, p. 589. and al-Tafsir al-Tabari, under tafsir of surah al-Bayyinah