Answering objections from Zaydiyyah sect – part three

We are then presented with a follow-up question from the Zaydi sect

What are the arguments to reject the Imammah of Ismail son of Imam Jaffar as-Sadiq (may peace be upon him)? And what evidence and proof do we have against the Ismaili (Ismaliyya) sect that follows this belief?

Firstly we reject the Imamah of Ismail based on the tradition of the twelve Imams.

Secondly, we reject Ismail based on traditions that prove Ismail’s died during the lifetime of his father.

Among the reports that prove his death during the lifetime of his father is one that was related to me by my father, who says: Narrated to us Saad bin Abdullah from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa from Hasan bin Saeed from Fuzala bin Ayyub and Hasan bin Ali Fuzzal from Yunus bin Yaqoob from Saeed bin Abdullah Al-Araaj who said:

Abu Abdillah Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said: When Ismail died I ordered that the cloth should be removed from his face. Then I kissed his forehead, chin and upper breast. After that I ordered him to be covered with cloth again. Then I said: Uncover his face. And again I kissed his forehead, chin and upper breast. Then I again ordered him to be covered. Then I ordered and he was given the funeral bath. I came to his corpse when he had been shrouded and said: Uncover his face. And again I kissed his forehead, chin and upper part of breast.

Another point derived from this narration is that the Imam (a.s.) said: ‘I ordered that the funeral bath be given to him’ and he did not say: ‘I gave him the funeral bath myself’. And this tradition also mentions that which disproves the Imamate of Ismail. None other than Imam can give a funeral bath to an Imam, in his presence.