Imam Sadiq (AS) and Confrontation with False Theological Beliefs

Imam Sadiq continued his father’s policy against the false theological beliefs of his time, and strongly confronted them. Some of these theological beliefs existed from the time of Imam Baqir, such as Jabriyah, Qadariyah, and the Ghulat. However, some theologies emerged at the time of Imam Sadiq, such as atheism and Mu’tazila. The Imam would debate with the leaders of these false theologies, and defeat them to reveal the reality to the Muslims. The Imam was frequently contacted by his followers from all over the Islamic territory who were looking for persuasive reasoning to the doubts raised by the followers of these theologies. The Imam would guide them by providing them with justifiable reasoning.
Ironically, one of the newly emerged theologies at the time of Imam Sadiq was atheism, which was being openly spread among the Muslims. During the stressful times of unrest and political turmoil in society, the atheists not only could deny the Prophecy of the Holy Prophet, but could also openly deny the existence of God, which goes against the most basic principle of Islam. They would freely create doubts among the Muslims and propagate their theology, even next to the tomb of the Holy Prophet in Medina.
The Imam would debate with the leaders of the atheists. He would patiently listen to their false reasonings and justifications. He would then negate their arguments by presenting them with clear evidence. In addition to the intellectual evidence, in his debates, the Imam used natural evidence about the wonders of the creation to guide the atheists to the Almighty Creator. On one occasion, the Imam spoke to them about the wonders behind the creation of just an egg. On another occasion, the Imam debated with an Indian physician who didn’t believe in the existence of God. The Imam’s debate is known as Risala al-Ehlilajeh, because in the debate, the Imam referred to halile, an herbal grain the Indian physician was using to prepare his medicine.
In another incident, the Imam’s close companion, Mufazzal ibn Umar, encountered the leaders of the atheists next to the tomb of the Prophet. He came to the Imam disappointed with their audacity. To console him, the Imam asked Mufazzal to meet with him so the Imam could tell Mufazzal about the philosophy and wisdom behind God’s creations. He attended four sessions with the Imam, and documented his teachings. During the first session, the Imam spoke to him about the wonders and wisdom behind the creation of human beings. In the second session, the Imam talked about the wonders behind the creation of animals. In the third session, the Imam discussed the other wonders of nature, such as the sun, the sky, the day, the night, and the plants. In the last session, the Imam spoke about the wisdom behind the disasters and calamities of this world, and answered the false reasoning of the atheists, who used the calamities in this world as a sign of no God. Mufazzal’s documentation from the Imam is known as Tauheed-e-Mufazzal