History of the Shia in the Time of Imam Baqir

Imam Baqir’s Imamate began one century after the dawn of Islam, during the rule of Mu’awiya and the Umayyads. Given the oppressive rule of the Umayyads in their thirst for power through seeking conquests, dividing the Islamic community, promoting pre-Islamic traditions, and boycotting the Shi‘a and the ‘Alawites, Imam Baqir made efforts to spread the Islamic culture promoting the teachings of the school of Ahlul Bayt by establishing an Islamic educational institution. The following article offers a brief biography of the Imam, including his intellectual and political accomplishments. Some of Imam Baqir’s endeavours include solidifying the religious beliefs of the community, spreading a jurisprudential-religious culture, training students so as to become Islamically proficient, and protecting Shi‘a organizations from collapsing in the hands of the Umayyads.