In a tradition narrated by Abū Zuhrah in the book al-Imām al-Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (A.S), it has been mentioned that when Manṣur al-Dawaniqi(one of the Abbasid caliphs) heard about the intellec-tual fame of Imam al-Ṣādiq (A.S), he became very afraid. He was fearful that the people would gather around the Imam (A.S)and the Abbasid dynasty would weaken and be in danger. He decided that he must diminish this intellectual fame through the use of other scholars.

Manṣur al-Dawāniqī decided to invite the most knowledgeable scholar he knew of during his era, which was Abū Ḥanīfah. He invited him and said to him: I have a very important plan for you; prepare forty important intellectual issues and I will invite Imam al-Ṣādiq (A.S)so you can discuss these issues with him in a gathering. If you are able to challenge him and prove that he is unable to answer your questions, we will make sure to spread your fame and propagate that no one is more knowledgeable than you are. When Abu Hanifah (the founder of the Ḥanafī sect) heard this, he responded and said: I have not seen anyone more knowledgeable than Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad and so you have encharged me with a very heavy responsibility. Dominating over him, is no easy task, for I have seen his level of knowledge.

In any case, Manṣur al-Dawāniqī invited Imam al-Ṣādiq (A.S)and he seated him next to himself with honor and respect. He then said: Abū Ḥanīfah is one of the scholars of Iraq and he has some questions which he wishes to ask you. Abū Ḥanīfah came forward and he asked his forty questions one at a time. Abū Ḥanīfah himself has explained what took place in that gathering. He has mentioned: Manṣur al-Dawāniqī turned to me and said- O Abū Ḥanīfah, ask your questions.

I went ahead and asked my questions. Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (A.S)answered my questions and he would say: The answer to this question according to your opinion is this, and according to the people of Medina it is this, and according to us (the Shia school of thought), it is this… Sometimes, his opinion would be the same as the people of Medina and sometimes it would be different than everyone else’s. He continued to answer my questions until the forty questions had all been resolved in this fashion.

Abū Ḥanīfah has continued: ‘Do we not narrate [the tradition] that the most knowledgeable of the people is one who is aware of the opinions of the various groups?’ This is, in fact, an acknowledgement that Imam al-Ṣādiq (A.S)is the most knowledgeable of the people of that time period. When Manṣur al-Dawāniqī saw that Imam al-Ṣādiq (A.S)had answered all of the questions completely and he found himself unable to defeat him, he began to develop a deep hatred of the Imam ((A.S)). He decided that his only solution was to kill him, for he found his caliphate and rule under great threat.