Machine summary:
Shahrastani and Nawbakhti show, from Sunni and Shi'i standpoints, how J a'far belongs to the Shi'i tradition; Dhahabi, for all his opposition to tasaunouf and the Shl'ah, can recognize Ja'far's contribution to Sunni tradition; Abu Nu'ayrn and Farid al-Din 'At~ar place Ja'far at the head of the line of saints and mystics.
The Sufts took up those intimate spiritual issues of revelation and the search for haqiqah, of personal morality, of individual communion with God, and of His continuing guidance, issues which will be seen to be the raison d'etre for the early Shi'i's self-assertion.
Muhammad came into his presence, and al-Mansur said to him, 'Abu 'Abdullah why did God create flies?' He replied, 'In order that the tyrants might be humbled by tbem '.
" 24 The importance of esoteric contemplation and apprehension is great for both Siifis and Shi'Is ; nor should it be incomprehensible to a Sunni who perceives the dimension of mystery in God's dealings with men and man's response to God. Corbin points out that when Ja 'far makes repeated references to sirr he is referring at once to that which is hidden and also to that which may be discovered through the "pensee secrete," "transconscience" or "sup- raconscience.
of the views of his father, the fifth imam, Muhammad Baqir : ''A man of the Khatcdri] came into the presence of Abu Ja'far and said to him, '' .
Ja'far saw the points of man's contact with God in the person of the prophets and imams.