Imam Jafar Sadiq's sayings

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Imam Jafar Sadiq's reliability among the Muslims

Imam Jafar Sadiq is a member of Ahlul Bayt (the Prophet (SAAW) family and offsprings), so his narrations are just as reliable, as the Prophet (SAAW), as according to the Quran and Hadiths:

Quran verse 33:33 mentions Allah has purified the Ahlul Bayt, and here Ahlul Bayt refers to the Prophet (SAAW) himself, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain (sahih muslim)

according to hadiths, the Prophet said:
I leave two things behind (after i pass away), one of them is greater then the other, the book of Allah (Quran) and my Ahlul Bayt, they will not seperate until the day of hawd (al kauthar, in the hereafter) (thirmidhi)

I leave two wiehty things behind (after i pass away), the book of Allah, and my Ahlul Bayt (usool kafi, sahih muslim)

and, another hadith, the Prophet (SAAW), said:
"Hussain is from me and i am from him, Hussain is the sibt amongst the asbat (meaning Imam Hussain's offsprings will be of great tribe and knowledge), and Imam Jafar Sadiq is part of the offsprings of Imam Hussain. (thirmidhi)

for this reason, Imam Jafar Sadiq narrations, are just as reliable as the Prophet (SAAW) narration himself.

Imam Jafar Sadiq's students

Imam Jafar Sadiq was the only member of the Ahlul Bayt who was a university teacher. This must be the reason why many hadiths were collected from him. Imam Jafar Sadiq had many great students both of the sunni and shia, and i believe even mutalizite. this a clear sign from all muslims today to collaborate together, and love one another as brothers, whether we are sunni, shia, wahabbi, mutazil, etc., we are all brothers in faith. 
Majority of students reported atleast some hadith on the authority of Imam Jafar Sadiq. Some of Imam Jafar Sadiq students were:

from among his sunni students:

Abu Hanifa (the founder of the Hanafi school of thought. Abu Hanifa studied 2 years from Imam Jafar Sadiq, and made a statement that without the 2 years of study with Imam Jafar Sadiq, i would have been perished)
Malik ibn Anas (the founder of the Maliki school of thought)
Sufyan al Thawry (he had joined Zayd ibn Ali fight against the ummayah, and he was martyred in that battle)
Al Qattan (he was a great narrator or colletor of hadith)
Yahyah ibn Said al-Ansary (he was a supreme judge from the current Abbasid khilafah at that time, Al-Mansur)
etc.

from among his shia students:

Hafs ibn Salim (he had joined Zayd ibn Ali fight against the ummayah, and he was martyred in that battle)
Aban ibn Taghiub (he reported hadiths on the authority of Imam Mohammad Baqir and Imam Jafar Sadiq. both sunni and shia had agreed on the reliability on his hadith narrations)
Ishaq al-Sayrafy (he reported hadiths on the authority of Imam Jafar Sadiq and Imam Musa al-Kathim)
Al-Sikuny (he was a judge from Mosul, Iraq)
Jamil ibn Darraj (he was among the 6 reliable companions of Imam Jafar Sadiq)
Al-Harith ibn Al-Maghira al-Nasry (he was among the high ranking narrators of hadith)
etc.

Hadith or sayings mentioned from Imam Jafar Sadiq are:

Amru ibn al-Muqdam said: "When I came to him (Imam Jafar Sadiq) for the first time, Abu Abd Allah (Imam Jafar Sadiq) said to me, 'learn truthfulness before the speech'" (usool kafi)

"if a person gains knowledge and does not act upon it, it is just like a person has treasure and does not use it"

"knowledge is lock, and the key is the question"

"wisdom (hikma) is a person gaining knowledge and using it wisely and getting a deep understand of his religion"

fear and hope (of Allah)

"fear Allah as if you had seen him. If you do not see him, surely he see's you. If you think that he (Allah) does not see you, then you are a unbeliever" (usool kafi)

"whoever knows Allah fears him, whoever fears Allah abstains from life in this world"

"the believer is not believing unless he is afraid and hopeful, and he is not afraid and hopeful unless he put into practise what he is hopeful and afraid of"

"good opinion is that you must hope no one but Allah and that you fear nothing but your sin."

Piety and Devotion:

"The strongest thing Allah imposes on his creation is that they should remember Allah many times. I do not mean that they should say, Allah akber, subhanallah, la-illaha illallah, though these are parts of it, I mean they should remember Allah during the time of act. If the act leads to obedience, the person should do it. If the act leads to disobedience, the person should refrain from it."

"pious is one who refrains from what Allah has prohibited"

"...whoever saids there is no God but Allah, a tree is planted planted for him in the garden". A companion said to the Imam, "therefore our trees in the garden are many". Imam Jafar Sadiq replied, "however do not send fire for them to burm them" (meaning metaphorically don't let your sins override your remembrance of Allah, or else the hell fire can burn those trees in heaven)

Religious Devotion

Imam Jafar Sadiq said that his grandfather, the Prophet (SAAW) said:
"the person does not find the sweetness of belief till he is indifferent to him who controls pleasures in the world"

"it is forbidden for your hearts to know the sweetness of belief till they refrain from the wordly pleasure"

"If Allah wants to do good for a servant, he makes him refrain from the life in this world, makes him understand the religion, and makes him see its defects (of this world). and whoever is granted these things is granted the good of here and of the hereafter."

"refraining from the life of this world is the best method to seek the truth, and it is against the thing which is sought by the enemies of the truth, who wishes for it (wordly life), is there any patient, generous (one)? Indeed it (wordly life) is nothing but very few days". (from my understanding, the Imam means the one who intentially seeks the worldly pleasures till he dies, he cannot be compared with a momineen and mominat in regards to patient and generousity)

"whoever adopts religious devotion in this world, Allah will fix the wisdom in his heart and will make his tongue utter it, and will make him see the defects of life in this world, and Allah will take him to paradise"

"Indeed, the most knowledgeable of men is the most afraid of them of Allah, the most afraid of them is the most knowledgeable of them of him, and the most knowledgeable of him is the most devout of them" (bihar al anwar)

Life in this world

"verily, the parallel of life in this world is like the parallel of the water of the sea, whatever the thirsty drink of it, they increase in thirst till it kills them"

"indeed, the parallel of the life in this world is like the parallel of the silkworm-the more it wraps itself with silk, the more it will be difficult for it to go out till it dies of worry"

"indded, the parallel of the life in this world is like the parallel of the snake whose touching is smooth whilst the lethal poison is inside it, the wise man is careful of it..."

Imam Ali has also said:
"the life of this world is attractive from the outside, but destructive from the inside"

"I have regarded the rank of the life in this world as the rank of the dead animal. When i am forced to eat of it I eat. Indeed, Allah, the blessed and exalted, knows what the servants do and where they will return to..."

"whoever enters upon morning and evening and life in this world is his greatest intentions (starting the day to make intentions to sin), Allah will put poverty between his two eyes and scatter his affair, and he will not get anything of life in this world except that which has been allotted for him. And whoever enters upon morning and evening and the hereafter is his greatest intention (starting the day to do good deeds for Allah), Allah will be riches in his heart and gather his affair" (usool kafi)

"he whose longing is much for life in this world, his sorrow is more when he leaves it"

"he whose heart cleaves to the life in this world (suffers from) three qualities: unperishable worry, unobtainable hope, and inaccessible wish" 

"what is the life in this world? and what could it be? is life in this world nothing but a meal you have eaten it? or a garment you have worn? or an animal you have ridden? the believer has no confidence in the life of this world and do not feel safe from the coming of the hereafter. The life of this world is transient, and the life in the hereafter is permanent. The people (who cling on) to this world are heedless....Then regard the life in this world as a (temporary) house you have lived in it, then you have left it (when we die for the hereafter)"

"By Allah, the obedients who do not commit even the little harm (little sins) have succeeded, to fear Allah is enough knowledge (in regards to taqwa) and self-conceit is enough ignorance." (bihar al anwar) 

Injustice

"be careful not to do injustice to him who finds no helper against you except Allah" (usool kafi)

"whoever excuses an unjust person for his injustice, Allah empowers a person over him to do injustice to him, if he asks Allah, Allah does not answer him and does not reward him because of his injustice"

"whoever enters upon morning and does not intend to do injustice to anyone, Allah forgives him all his sins on that day unless he sheds blood or takes the prohibited money of the orphan"

"Indeed, whoever is successful through injustice does not get any good..."

"beware of injustice, for the dua of the wronged person ascends to the sky" (usool kafi)

The believer

"verily, knowledge is the friend of the believer, clemency is his minister, patience is the emir of his solders, fellowship is his brother, and kindness is his father" (usool kafi)

"the believe should have eight qualities:
1. (he should be) solemn during misfortunes
2. patient during tribulation
3. grateful during welfare
4. satisfied with what Allah has given him
5 and 6. (he should) not do injustice to the enemies, nor does he wrong friends
7 and 8. his body, because of him is tired, and people, because of him, are please"

"Postponing repentance is self-conceit, lengthening procrastination is perplexity, offering an excuse for Allah is ruin, persisting on the sin is safetly from Allah's plan. But none feels safe of Allah's plan except the people who shall perish"
"whoever fears Allah, Allah saves him (from adversities). Whoever thanks him, he increases him. And whoever grants him a loan, he will reward him."

"indeed the hypocrite is displaesed with what the believer is happy. The happy (person) takes a lesson from the sermon of religious devotion even if the sermon is offered to other than him"

"The believer has strength in religion, determination along with leniency, faith with conviction, eagerness in (seeking) knowledge, activity with guidance, obedience with righteousness, knowledge with clemency, courtest with fellowship, gererosity with rightness, moderation in riches, gracefullness in starvation, forgiveness with ability, obedience of Allah in his order, giving up the appetite, piety in the desire, eagerness in (waging) jihad, worship in devotion, endurance in hardship. He is dignified during calamities, patient in distress, and thankful during ease. He does not backbite (people), nor does he become proud, and nor does he abandon his blood relations. He is not feeble, nor is he rude, nor is he rough. His sight does not precedes him, not does his abdomen expose him, and nor does his private part overcomes him. He does not envies people, nor taunts (people), nor is taunted, and nor does he steal. He supports the victim of injustice, has mercy on the poor. His own self is in distress because of him, while people are in ease from him. He does not wish to go for the glory (and sins) of this world, nor does he become impatient because of its humiliation. For people there is purpose (which) makes him busy. No defects is seen in his judgement nor weakness is in his idea, and nor loss is in his religion. He guides him who seeks his advice, helps him who helps him, and abstains  from indecency and ignorance." (usool kafi)

"The believer is not believing till he is perfect in mind. And he is not perfect in mind till he has ten traits. Good alone is expected from him, evil from him is not to be feared (meaning he stays away from evil). He regards much good of his own self as little, regards little good of others as much (wants to do alot of good for others), regards much evil of his own self as much, regards much evil of others as little (wants to avoid evil for others). He does not become fed up with needs (requested) from him and is not tired of seeking knowledhe all his lifetime. Humbleness is more disirable with him than glory, and poverty is more desirable with him than riches. Little food is enough for him. And when he meets someone, he says:'he is better and more devout than me'" (shaykh Tusi)

Imam Jafar Sadiq sermon on various matters

"If Allah has guarenteed livelihood, then why do you worry?
If livelihood is determined then why are you eager for it?
If the reward is from Allah, then why do (you) slacken?
If the recompense if from Allah, then why do you try to be miserly?
If the fire is the (decreed) punishment by Allah, then why do you disobey him?
If death is true, then why do rejoice?
If standing before Allah is true, then why do you cheat (people)?
If satan is an enemy, then why are (you) heedless?

If walking on the sirat (bridge which is thin as hair, sharp as knife and hot has fire) is true, then why do you incline to vanity?

If every thing is predenstined by Allah, then why do you feel sadness?

And if the life in this world is mortal, then why do you have confidence (proudness which allow does not like) in it?"

"you are (living) with taken souls and in counted days, death comes suddenly, whoever sows good, reaps happineess; whoever sows evil, reaps regret; the slow one of you does not precede his luck, the eager one does not obtain (anything) except that which has been predestined for him. Whomever is give good, Allah has given it to him. Whoever is saved from evil, Allah has saved him from it."

Imam Jafar Sadiq said to Abu Basir, "Do you not feel sadness? do not you worry? do not you feel pain?"

Abu Basir said, "Yes"

Imam Jafar Sadiq replied, "If you feel all these things, then remember death, your loneliness in your grave, the running of your eyes on your cheeks, the cutting of the members of your body, the eating of the ants from your flesh, your wearing out, and your departure from this world. All these things shall urge you to act and prevent you from cleaving to this life in this world"

"Whoever fears Allah, Allah saves him (from advertities). Whoever thanks him (Allah), he increases him. And whoever grants him a loan (spending in the way of Allah), he (Allah) will reward him."

"Postponing repentance is self-conceit, lengthening procrastination is perplexity, offering an excuse for Allah is ruin, persisting on the sin is safety from Allah's plan. But none feels safe of Allah's plan except the people who shall perish"

"Indeed, the hypocrite is displeased with what the believer is happy. The happy (person) takes a lesson from the sermon of religious devotion even if the sermon is offered to other than him."

His (Imam Jafar Sadiq) teaching for his students

  

"seek knowledge and with it adorn yourselves with clemency and respect"

"do not seek knowledge for three (things): for dissembling, for boasting, and for disputing. And do not seek it (knowledge) for three (things): for seeking ignorance, for abstaining from knowledge, and for feeling shame of people. And preserved knowledge is like the lamp" (usool kafi)

Imam Jafar Sadiq said to his students: "I like to see the young men of you following two states: either or scholar or a learner. If he does not do (these two states), then he wastes (his time); if he wastes (his time), he loses; and if he wastes, he commits a sin"

"seek knowledge even if you sacrafise your hearts and cover the depth of the sea."

"seek knowledge from the origin of knowledge. And beware of those who intrude upon knowledge because they prevent you from Allah"