Splitting open knowledge: The title "Baqir" tells us what was special about this Imam. People said that he "split open" knowledge, the way a person splits open the earth to find a treasure, or splits open a fruit to reach its heart.
Deep meanings of the Quran: He explained the deep meanings of the Quran. He taught the laws of prayer, fasting, hajj and trade. And he taught the true meanings of many Hadith of the Prophet (saww) that people had misunderstood.
Source of Al-Kafi: Much of what later Shia books of Hadith record — including the great book Al-Kafi — comes through chains of narrators who learned from Imam al-Baqir (as) and his son Imam al-Sadiq (as).
Example
Surface and depth: Reading a verse of the Quran is like seeing the surface of a sea. A great teacher shows you the depth below. That is what Imam al-Baqir (as) did for his students.
Key Terms
- Al-Kafi (الکافی) — the great Shia collection of Hadith, compiled by Shaykh al-Kulayni
- Tafsir (تفسیر) — explanation of the meanings of the Quran
- Baqara (بقر) — the Arabic root meaning to split open
Quran or Hadith
Quran: "Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" (Surah al-Zumar 39:9) — to be checked.
- "Baqir" means he split open knowledge and showed its depths.
- He explained the Quran, Hadith and Islamic law to his students.
- His teachings are preserved in books like Al-Kafi.