Year Nineteen
Issue No. 950 - 8/Ramadan/1432 AH
Corresponding to August 09, 2011 AD

Contents:
* Mihrab Platform:
Imam Hassan (a.s.)¹– Wronged Prophet's Grandson

Mihrab Platform
Imam Hassan (a.s.) – Wronged Prophet's Grandson

The main axes of the subject:

1- Confused Vision
2- Summarized Interpretation
3- The Noble of the Household of Muhammad (s.a.a.w.)²
4- Testimonies about his Struggle
5- Reconciliation a Last Resort

Purpose:

Explaining the conditions that surrounded the reconciliation of Imam Hassan (a.s.) in order to clarify the confusions and arguments regarding this issue.

Exporting the Subject:

Saad Bin Zeid al Ansari was quoted as saying that the prophet (s.a.a.w.) carried Hassan and said: "O Allah, I love him, love him twice."

Confused Vision:

There is no person in the history of Islam that possessed the qualities of such nobility of character, purity of heart, clarity of intention, and nearness to Allah. Allah's messenger (s.a.a.w.) quoted Gabriel who transmitted Allah's words as saying in Hassan: "The master of the youth in heaven."³

He is also the sweet basil of Allah's messenger (s.a.a.w.) who was quoted as saying: "Hassan and Husayn are my two sweet basils."⁴

There is no character that attributes generosity, high spirit, sound judgment, and perception, and perfect mind, solidity of proof, sensitivity and true feelings like Imam Hassan (a.s.). Therefore, it is not fair for him to be wronged by the pulls back and forth and injustices of the imaginers of certain tendency on one hand, and of the owners of imperceptions and futile opinions that cannot reach the truth or facts on the other hand.

It was unfortunate when many owners of these qualities were driven by the circumstances to be in the positions of the historians who transmitted fallacious hadiths with confusion and lies coupled with other apocryphal hadiths. The issue reached the point where an ambiguous understanding of the personality of Imam Hassan (a.s.) was almost founded. However, the sun can never be occulted by the fingers. Moreover, it is impossible for the merits of such character to be obscured, caused to fade away and its lights and glows to be extinguished.

Summarized Interpretation:

Imam Hassan Bin Ali Bin Abi Talib (a.s.) was born in the middle of Ramadan of the third year of Hijrah. He was the first fruit of the two wedded lights, Ali and Fatima al Zahra'a (a.s.).

He attained seven years and several months of the life of his grandfather the prophet (s.a.a.w.) and of the life of his mother al Zahra'a (a.s.) eight years or less. He lived with his father after his mother passed away for almost thirty years. After his father passed away, he lived almost ten years. He was martyred poisoned due to a conspiracy by Muawiyah Bin Abi Sufyan in the year fifty of Hijrah at an age of 48 years. He was buried in Baqe'i cemetery in the holy city of Medina.⁵

The Noble of the Household of Muhammad (s.a.a.w.):

Imam Hassan ~ al Mujtaba (a.s.) represented the highest values of Islam by helping the poor and needy. Besides, he materialized the highest divine morals regarding generosity, openhandedness and liberality. He would never turn down any poor man who knocks his door unless he satisfies his need nor would he send away any distressed person unless he pacifies his heart. Author al Suyuti wrote, saying: "Al Hassan possessed several virtues such as mastership, tolerance, solemnity, and praised generosity."⁶

Historians wrote several pages about his openhandedness and unique generosity, which made his followers proud and glorious. No one could ever match his generosity or greatness. These facts indicated how he renounced worldly pleasures coupled with his asceticism, large-heartedness, and tolerance. Historians and biographers wrote, saying: "He gave away his money twice for the way of Allah, and divided his money three times. He even gave away one shoe and kept the other."⁷

Testimonies about his Struggle:

The Imam (a.s.) served under his father in three wars, led his army, and “raced the brave companions of his father and penetrated the lines of the enemy army with bravery and dangerous attacks.”⁸ He was extreme in his penetrations and eagerness to sacrifice in the way of Allah, which rendered the commander of the faithful ask his companions to prevent him and his brother Husayn from advancing further in fear of the extinction of the progeny of Allah’s messenger (s.a.a.w.).⁹

Regarding the war administration, the Imam was, like father like son, “when he entered Koufa during al Jamal war with Abu Moussa al Ashari - the governor of Othman who protested the commander of the faithful - present,” yet, he managed to recruit nine thousand warriors and deployed them to the war zone.”¹⁰

Reconciliation a Last Resort:

Imam Hassan (a.s.) marched to al Nakhilah, where he had positioned and sent Hujur Bin Odai al Kanadi to Koufa ten days after the recurrent calls that brought only a few people in support. He asked him to order the workers to exert efforts and called upon the people for jihad, but they tarried and decreased in number. He had only 4000 people with different tendencies:

a- Some were his and his father’s partisans (Shia), including Obaidallah Bin al Abbass, who sold himself to Muawiya for a few thousands of Dinars.

b- Some were out of control (Khawarij) who favored fighting against Muawiyah in every way (they hated Muawiyah but did not love Hassan.)

c- Some were seditious and greedy for booties.

d- Some were skeptic, did not see Hassan as better than Muawiyah.

e- Some were tribal who would follow only the sheikhs of their tribes, and would never submit to a religion.¹¹

The best army the Imam (a.s.) could ever have recruited was during his unifying speech in Madaen, his final destiny, he said: “I swear in Allah, it was neither doubt nor regret that stopped us from fighting the people of sham (Syria now). Instead, we fought with safety and patience hence, safety was exchanged with animosity and patience with grief. You in Siffin fought with your religion against your world, but now you, with your world, are fighting against your religion. We still belong to you like ever, but you do not belong to us anymore. You've placed yourselves in a situation between two cases of deaths: One killed in Siffin whom you mourn, and another in Nahrawan, whose revenge you seek. Those remaining are deserters (in time of need) while the criers are revolting. Muawiyah, on the other side, invited us to a matter that was unfair and lacked pride. Therefore, if you seek death we will inflict it upon him and ask his trial by Allah (The Exalted) through the edge of the swords. On the other hand, if you want life we will accept it and bring satisfaction to you. In the end, when they deserted him he found himself forced to reconcile.¹²

1- A.s.: Abbreviation for alaihis-salam, which means peace be upon him.
2- S.a.a.w: Abbreviation for salla allahu alaihi wa alihi, which means God sends blessing on him and his household.
3- Sahih al Tarmazi, al Manaqib book, chapter virtues of Hassan and Husayn, H. 8773. Also book Masnad Bin Han-bal, Vo. 3, P. 3. Also book The history of Baghdad, by Khatib al Baghdadi, Vo. 9, P. 231, tranmited in many ways. There are other several sources such as: Tahzib al Tahzib by Ibn Hujur; etc…
4- Masnad Ahmad Bin Hanbak, Vol. 2, P. 85, transmitted in different ways. There are other several sources.
5- Asad al Ghaba, by Ibn Athir al Jizri, Vol. 2, P. 10. Al Ershad, by Sheikh al Mofid, P. 187. Manaqib A'al Abi Talib, by Shar Ashoub al Mazendrani, Vol. 4, P. 28; summarized by everyone.
6- Tareekh al Kholafa'a, by Jalal al Dean al Sayoti, P. 189.
7- Tareekh al Yaacoubi, Vol. 2, P. 215. Tareekh al Kholafaa, by al Sayouti, P. 190, and other sources.
8- Manaqib Ibn Shar Ashoub, Vol. 4, P. 21.
9- Nahj al Balagha, explained by Ibn Hadid al Mo’tazali, Vol. 11, P. 25, explaining sermon 200.
10- Al Kamil Fi al Tarikh, by Ibn al Athir, Vol. 3, P. 23.
11- Al Ershad, P. 189. Al Fosoul al Mohimma, by Ibn Sabbagh, P. 167.
12- Asal al Ghaba, Vol. 2, P. 13.