'The Message' by Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani.

There is an interesting book entitled 'Mysticism in Iran: The Safavid Roots of a Modern Concept' by Ata Anzali. The blurb says : ""Mysticism" in Iran is an in-depth analysis of significant transformations in the religious landscape of Safavid Iran that led to the marginalization of Sufism and the eventual emergence of 'irfan as an alternative Shi'i model of spirituality. 

Ata Anzali draws on a treasure-trove of manuscripts from Iranian archives to offer an original study of the transformation of Safavid Persia from a majority Sunni country to a Twelver Shi'i realm. The work straddles social and intellectual history, beginning with an examination of late Safavid social and religious contexts in which Twelver religious scholars launched a successful campaign against Sufism with the tacit approval of the court. This led to the social, political, and economic marginalization of Sufism, which was stigmatized as an illegitimate mode of piety rooted in a Sunni past. 

Anzali directs the reader's attention to creative and successful attempts by other members of the ulama to incorporate the Sufi tradition into the new Twelver milieu. He argues that the category of 'irfan, or "mysticism," was invented at the end of the Safavid period by mystically minded scholars such as Shah Muhammad Darabi and Qutb al-Din Nayrizi in reference to this domesticated form of Sufism. Key aspects of Sufi thought and practice were revisited in the new environment, which Anzali demonstrates by examining the evolving role of the spiritual master. This traditional Sufi function was reimagined by Shi'i intellectuals to incorporate the guidance of the infallible imams and their deputies, the ulama.

Anzali goes on to address the institutionalization of 'irfan in Shi'i madrasas and the role played by prominent religious scholars of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in this regard. The book closes with a chapter devoted to fascinating changes in the thought and practice of 'irfan in the twentieth century during the transformative processes of modernity. Focusing on the little-studied figure of Kayvan Qazvini and his writings, Anzali explains how 'irfan was embraced as a rational, science-friendly, nonsectarian, and anticlerical concept by secular Iranian intellectuals.'

Pre-Buyid Shi'ism, which we find in Usul al-Kafi, spoke about an 'irfan that was based upon ma'rifa of the batin of the ontological Imam (the Imam as Light). The Imam as an external manifestation of the Intellect illuminates the intellect of the Shi'a (again, 'aql having a very specific definition, being that faculty that perceives the truth of the signs of Allah).

She must perform ghusl before commencing to pray.

The narration about not plucking the eyebrows is from Abu Hurayra, who even was accused by 'A'isha of narrating things that weren't true. He is rejected by Shi'i scholars due to his unreliability. Hence, there is no narration in Shi'i sources about women not being allowed to pluck their eyebrows.

It is reported supposedly from Ja'far as-Sadiq and Imam 'Ali (as) that Imam Hasan divorced a lot, and had up to 90 wives. (Suyuti) [This report has no isnāds]

Abu Talib Makki (d. 386 AH/996 AD), author of Qut al-Qulub, repeated the allegation that Imam Hasan (as) divorced a lot.

‘After a thorough study of these reports, I have found that the first man known to accuse Imam Hasan of "marrying and divorcing" was the 2nd Abbasid Khalifa, Mansur, who because of his dynastic policies was bent upon belittling Amir al-Mu'minin `Ali and his descendants. […] For this purpose, he gave a public address after that mass arrest, in which he shamelessly said: "By God, we left the descendants of Abu Talib and the Khilafat; we did not interfere at all. `Ali ibn Abi Talib became Khalifa. After him Hasan ibn `Ali became Khalifa. By God, he did not deserve it. He was offered money, which he accepted; Mu'awiya sent him a message that he would make him his successor. So, Hasan abdicated the Khilafat and left the government and power. He left everything to Mu'awiya, and turned his attention, to women, marrying one woman today, divorcing another one tomorrow. He remained like this till he died in his bed."

(AI-Mas'udi; in Muruj al-Dhahab, Vol.3, p.226).’ (Sayyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, Imam Hasan 'The Myth of his Divorces', Al-Serat, Vol 4 (1978), No 3). 

http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/imamhasan.htm

He actually only had three wives, the last of which poisoned him, at the request of Yazid ibn Mu’awiya (See Suyuti again)
 

Abu Hanifa al-Nu'man ibn Thabit; Anas ibn Malik; Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. The first two Sunni Imams studied under Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Imam of the Shi'a.

In general, they rely upon the narrations of companions that are rejected by the Imams of the Shi'a owing to the fact that these companions actively opposed the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib. The Imams of the Twelver Shi'a narrated directly back to the Prophet (s) via Ali ibn Abi Talib.

They rejected the legitimacy of the caliphates of Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman. Initially the name was used pejoratively by the 'Uthmaniyya, but it was taken up and used by the Imami Shi'a themselves.

I have not come across any ayah or any hadith that says so, although there may be hadiths that do.

Many answers can be found in the book Kitab al-Mu'min by al-Husayn b. Sa'id al-Kufi al-Ahwazi, published Ansariyan. I think you find it also on this website.

Until around the time of Imam al-Sadiq (as), the term 'Sufi' was not in regular use, and the few that used it as an appellation were of the Mu'tazili and Imami schools, not the Sunni Ash'ari or Maturidi schools, which now dominate the Sufi scene.

Sufism is an amalgamation of Islamic ideas and practices and others that have been integrated into it from spiritual traditions that existed prior to Islam expanding into wider territories.

I have written a paper on this in more detail, if you are interested. Please write to me at [email protected] and I can send it to you.

The story of the monk called Bahira is not considered authentic in the Imami school.

The Sunni schools and Imami schools differ on this with regard to egg donation. Originally, both the Sunni schools and Imami school considered that fertilisation of an egg between non-mahrams is zina and therefore haram. The scholars of the Imami school said that to solve the problem, a man can do temporary marriage with the egg donor, even though there is no physical relationship between them. 

Scholars of the Imami school have now changed, and ruled that egg donation and fertilisation between non-mahrams is not haram because zina involves the physical relationship. Therefore egg donation is permitted.

Sperm donation among both Sunni and Shi'i schools was also considered haram because a woman cannot both be married to her husband and to the sperm donor at the same time; the majority of Imami scholars still rule that sperm donation is prohibited because of the importance of the lineage of father in the child's life and most clinics prohibit any information about the identity of the child's father being given until the child is eighteen. However, Ayatollah Khamenei has now permitted sperm donation, as it is not classed as zina.

While sperm and egg donation may be now technically allowed in the Imami school, there are still ethical considerations to bear in mind, the most important being the well being of the child and the child's sense of identity. Islam recommends that a person check the family of a potential spouse carefully, going back, if possible, seven generations.  Bearing children with unknown donors is risky. Many children born of unknown donors are now starting to speak out about their anguish and pain at not knowing who their real parents are. Therefore, the Qur'anic injunction about calling adopted children by their real paternal names and not concealing their true identity shows the sensitivity and consideration for the child's sense of identity.

If Muslims are to engage in egg donation, it may be best to seek a donor from a mu'min family who will be known to the child. Donors have to go through health checks with a clinic to clear for donation. Likewise for sperm donation. Children born of sperm donation are now tracing their siblings and meeting them. One man fathered eleven children with different couples and these children have now all traced each other. This shows that blood relations are still considered of huge importance even among non-Muslim children, and that an egg or a sperm is not just a 'bunch of cells' as many clinics claim.