Who is Ja'far al-Sadiq, and what are the reliable sources that deal with his biography?

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq was the grandson of Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, and his mother was a descendant of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. He was born in the year 80 AH and met some of the Companions.

Al-Sadiq was among the most trustworthy of people and had many narrations from his father and his forefathers. Major imams narrated from him. He denied any connection to the Rafidah, emphasizing his love for Abu Bakr and Umar, saying: "By Allah, I hope that Allah will benefit me through my kinship with Abu Bakr," and "May the intercession of Muhammad not reach me on the Day of Resurrection if I do not pledge allegiance to them both and disavow their enemies."

Many falsehoods were attributed to Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, so much so that it was said: "No one has been lied about as much as Ja'far." This is due to the fabrications of the Rafidah, who claim that taqiyya (dissimulation) is a principle of their religion and attribute lies to him, whereas his teachers and students were prominent figures of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah.

His biography can be found in many books of biographies and أعلام (notable figures), such as "Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'" by al-Dhahabi. There are also works dedicated to his biography, such as "Al-Imam al-Sadiq" by Muhammad Abu Zahra and "Al-Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq" by Salih al-Darwish.