Shia Islam has existed since the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and Imam Sadegh is known as the Founder of the Shia school of thought because he lived at a time when he had the opportunity (unlike other Shia Imams) to expand Shia Islam in a massive scale but this does not mean to overlook the hard works carried out by other Shia Imams for the sake of the religion.

Imam Sadegh (AS) is widely known as the Founder of the Shia school of thought because in his time all other Sunni schools of thoughts have been formed. Without any doubts the Shia Islam is the real true Islam whose Founder is the holy Prophet (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) asked the Ummah to follow Imam Ali (AS) and the Ahlul-Bayt (members of Prophet’s household) in order to be guided in the right path. At the time of Imam Sadegh (AS) the opportunity of spreading the religion and other sciences were provided.

More than 70% of Shia Fiqh has been narrated from Imam Sadegh (AS) as well as Sunni Fiqhs also formed during the same time. So the time of Imam Sadegh (AS) was the time of formation of Islamic denominations based on Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Therefore the phrase “the Founder of the Shia school of thought” is basically an expression which applies to Shia Fiqh opposite to Sunni Fiqhs. The Shia Islam, the Shia school of thought and the Imamat school of thought are in fact various names but they are all the same and they apply to the same beliefs and represent real Islam which cannot be realised without the Ahlul-Bayt.

Source: shafaqna