Sunnis respect the seventh Imam of the Shiites as a religious scholar. Some of their elders have praised Imam al-Kazim's knowledge and ethics and have spoken of his tolerance, generosity, abundance of worship, and other moral qualities.

Instances of Imam al-Kazim's (a.s.) tolerance and worship have been reported in Sunni sources. Some Sunni scholars, such as Sam'ani, a historian, hadith scholar, and jurist Shafi'i of the sixth century AH, used to visit the grave of Imam al-Kazim and seek his help. Abu Ali Khalal, a Sunni scholar in the third century AH, said that whenever I had a problem, I would visit the grave of Musa ibn Ja'far and seek his help, and my problem would be solved. Imam al-Shafi'i, one of the four Sunni jurists, is also quoted as describing his grave as a "healing medicine."