Ismaʿil ibn Jaʿfar
إسماعيل بن جعفر
Ismāʿīl ibn Jaʿfar
✨Ismaili Terms
Son of Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, from whom Ismailis take their name.
Full Definition
Ismaʿil was the eldest son of the sixth Shi'a Imam, Jaʿfar al-Sadiq. Ismailis believe that Imam Jaʿfar designated Ismaʿil as his successor, and that the imamate continued through Ismaʿil's line even though he predeceased his father. The Ismaili branch of Shi'a Islam is named after him.