| (This is) an account of the
Imam after the Commander of the faithful, peace be on
him, the date of his birth, the evidence for his Imamat
(the period of his succession), the time of his death,
and the place of his grave. (It also provides) a brief
outline of the reports about him. |
| The Imam after the Commander
of the faithful, peace be on him, was his son al-Hasan,
the son of the mistress of the women of the worlds, Fatima,
daughter of Muhammad, the Lord of messengers, may God
bless him and his pure family. (Al-Hasan's) kunya was
Abu Muhammad. He was born in Medina, on the night of the
middle day of the month of Ramadan, three years after
the hijra (624). |
| His mother, Fatima, peace
be on her, brought him to the Prophet, may God bless him
and his family, on the seventh day in a silken shawl from
Heaven, which Gabriel had brought down to the Prophet,
may God bless him and his family. He named him Hasan and
sacrificed a ram for him (in the ceremony of aqiqa). |
| [It is reported by a group
(of authorities), including Ahmad b. Salih. al-Tamimi
on the authority of Abd Allah b. Isa, on the authority
of Jafar al-Sadiq b. Muhammad, peace be on him;] |
| Al-Hasan, peace be on him,
was the most similar person to the Apostle of God, may
God bless him and his family, in form, manner and nobility. |
| [It is reported by a group
(of authorities), including Ma'mar, on the authority of
al-Zuhri, on the authority of Anas b. Malik, who said:] |
| No one was more like the
Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, than
al-Hasan b. Ali, peace be on them. |
| [Ibrahim b. Ali al-Rafi'i
reported on the authority of his father, on the authority
of his grandmother Zaynab, daughter of Abu Rafi' - and
Shabib b. Abi Rafi' al-Rafi'i on the authority of those
who told him - she said:] |
| Fatima, peace be on her,
brought her two sons, al-Hasan and al- Husayn, peace be
on them, to the Apostle of God, may God bless him and
his family, at the time when he was suffering from the
sickness from which he died. |
| "Apostle of God,"
she said, "these are your two (grand) sons. Give
them something as an inheritance." |
| "As for al-Hasan,"
he replied, "he has my form and my nobility. As for
al-Husain, he has my generosity and my bravery." |
| Al-Hasan b. Ali, peace be
on him, was the testamentary trustee (wasi) of the Commander
of the faithful, peace be on him, over his family, his
children and his followers. He bequeathed him to look
after his position and (the position of) his taxes (sadaqat)
and he wrote him a covenant (of succession) which is well-known.
His testamentary trusteeship is obvious in terms of the
outlines of religion, the essential characteristic of
wisdom and good-breeding. A great number of scholars have
reported this trusteeship and many of the men of understanding
have realised the truth of this through his (attitude
to) the world. |
Al-Hasan's Succession to the Caliphate and his Abdication
|
| When the Commander of the
faithful, peace be on him, died, al- Hasan addressed the
people. He reminded them of his right (to authority).
The followers of his father pledged allegiance to him
in terms of fighting those he fought and making peace
with those with whom he made peace. |
| [Abu Mikhnaf Lut b. Yahya
al-Azdi reported: Ashath b. Suwar told me on the authority
of Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i and others, who said;] |
| Al-Hasan b. Ali, peace be
on them, addressed the people towards dawn on the night
in which the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him,
died. He praised and glorified God and blessed the Apostle
of God, may God bless him and his family. Then he said:
|
|
There has died
tonight a man who was the first among the early (Muslims)
in (good) actions. Nor did any later (Muslims) attain
his level in (good) actions. He used to fight alongside
the Apostle of God, may Allah bless him and his family,
and protect him with his own life. The Apostle of God,
may God bless him and his family, used to send him forward
with his standard while Gabriel supported him on his
right and Michael supported him on his left. He would
not return until God brought victory through his hands.
He, peace be on him, has died on this the night on which
Jesus, son of Mary, was taken up (to Heaven), on which
Joshua, son of Nuh, the testamentary trustee (wasi)
of Moses, peace be on him, died. He has left behind
him no gold and silver except seven hundred dirhams
of his stipend (ata'), with which he was intending to
buy a servant for his family.
|
| Then tears overcame him and
he wept and the people wept with him. Then he continued: |
|
I am the (grand)
son of the one who brought the good news. I am the (grand)
son of the warner. I am the (grand) son of the man who,
with God's permission, summoned (the people) to God.
I am the (grand) son of the light which shone out (to
the world) . I am of the House, from whom God has sent
away abomination and whom God has purified thoroughly.
I am of the House for whom God has required love in
his Book, when God, the Most High, said: Say: I do not
ask you for any reward except love for (my) kin. Whoever
earns good, will increase good for himself [ XXXIII
33 ]. The good is love for us, the House.
|
| Then he sat down. |
| Abd Allah b. al-Abbas, may
God have mercy on him, arose in front of him and said:
|
|
People, this
is the son of your Prophet, the testamentary trustee
(wasi) of your Imam. So pledge allegiance to him.
|
| The people answered him saying: |
|
No one is more
loved by us nor has anyone more right to succession
(khilafa).
|
| They rushed forward to pledge
allegiance to him as successor. That was on Friday on
the eleventh of the month of Ramadan in the year 40 A.H.
(660). Then he assigned (the posts of) the tax collectors
and he gave instructions to the governors (of the provinces).
He sent Abd Allah b. al-Abbas to Basra. He took charge
of all the matters. |
| When Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan
learnt of the death of the Commander of the faithful,
peace be on him, and the people's pledge of allegiance
to his son, al-Hasan, peace be on him, he sent a man of
secretly to Kufa and a man from Banu al-Qayn to Basra.
They were to write reports to him to undermine affairs
for al-Hasan, peace be on him. Al-Hasan, peace be on him,
learned of that. He ordered the Himyari to be brought
out from among (the tribe) of Lakhm in Kufa. He had him
brought out and executed. (Al-Hasan) wrote to al-Basra,
ordering the Qayni to be brought out from among the Banu
Sulaym. He was brought out and executed. |
| Then al-Hasan, peace be on
him, wrote to Muawiya: |
|
You sent men
to use deception and to carry out assassinations and
you sent out spies as if you want to meet (in battle).
That is something which will soon happen so wait for
it, if God wills. I have learnt that you have become
haughty in a way that no wise man would become haughty.
In that you are just as al-Awwal described: Say to him
who desires the contrary of the one who has died: Prepare
for another like him, as if (from the same) root. I
and the one among us who has died are like the one who
goes in the evening so that (the other) may come in
the morning.
|
| Muawiya replied to him with
his letter, which there is no need to mention. There followed
between him and al-Hasan, peace be on him, correspondences
messages and disputes regarding the right of al- Hasan,
peace be on him, to authority and the unlawful seizure
of power of those who came before his father, peace be
on him, and of Mu'awiya's attempt to strip the nephew
of the Apostle of God, may God bless him anel his family,
from his authority and of their (the House's) right to
it apart from them. (All these) matters would take too
long to describe. |
| Muawiya set off towards Iraq.
When he reached the bridge of Manbij, al-Hasan, peace
be on him, reacted. He sent Hujr b. Adi to order the leaders
of Amman to set out and to call the people together for
war. |
| They were slow to (answer)
him and then they came forward. (Al- Hasan) had a mixed
band of men: some of them belonged to his Sh'ia and to
his father's: some of them were members of the Muhakimma
(i.e. Kharijites) who were influenced by (the desire of)
fighting Muawiya with every means (possible); some of
them were men who loved discords and were anxious for
booty; some of them were doubters; others were tribal
supporters who followed the leaders of their tribes without
reference to religion. |
| He set off until he came
to Hammam Umar, then he went on to Dayr Kab. He stopped
at Sabat, just before the bridge and spent the night there.
In the morning, he, peace be on him, wanted to test his
followers and make their situation clear with regard to
obedience to him, so that in that way he might be able
to distinguish his friends from his enemies and be in
a clear mind (about his position) to meet Mu'awiya and
the Syrians. He ordered the call to be made: |
|
The prayer
is a general one (which all should attend) (al-salat
jamia).
|
| They gathered and he went
up on the pulpit and addressed them. He said: |
|
Praise belongs
to God whenever a man praises Him. I testify that there
is no god but God whenever a man testifies to Him. I
testify that Muhammad is His servant and His apostle
whom He sent with the truth and whom He entrusted with
revelation, may God bless him and his family. By God,
I hope that I shall always be with God's praise and
kindness. I am the sincerest of God's creatures in giving
advice to them. I have not become one who bears malice
to any Muslims nor one who wishes evil or misfortune
tor him. Indeed what you dislike about unity (jama'a)
is better for you than what you like about division.
I see what is better for you better than you see for
yourselves. Therefore do not oppose my commands and
do not reject my judgement. May God forgive both me
and you and may He guide me and you to that in which
there is love and satisfaction.
|
| [He reported:] |
| The people began to look
at one another and asked each other, "What do you
think he intends by what he has just said? |
| "We think that he intends
to make peace with Muawiya and hand over the authority
to him" they answered. |
| "By Gods the man has
become an unbelievers they declared and they rushed towards
his tent. They plundered him to the extent that they even
took his prayer mat from under him. Then Abd al- Rahman
b. Abd Allah b. Ja'al al-Azdi set on him and stripped
his silk cloak from his shoulder. He remained sitting,
still girt with his sword but without his cloak. He called
for his horse and mounted it. Groups of his close associates
and his Shia surrounded him and kept those who wanted
(to attack) him away from him. He said: |
|
Summon (the
tribes of) Rabia and Hamdan to me.
|
| They were summoned to him
and they surrounded him and defended him, peace be on
him, from the people. A mixed group of others went with
him (as well). When he was passing through the narrow
pass of Sabat, a man of Banu Asad called al-Jarrah b.
Sinan caught hold of the reins of his mule. He had an
axe in his hand. He cried: |
|
God is greater
(Allaku akbar)! You have become a polytheist, Hasan,
just like your father became a polytheist before.
|
| Then he stabbed him in the
thigh. It penetrated right through to the bone. He seized
(al-Hasan) by the neck and they both fell to the ground.
A man from al-Hasan's Shi'a called Abd Allah b. Khatal
al- Tai; pulled the axe away from his hand and struck
him with it in the stomach. Another man called Zubyan
b. Umara attacked him, struck him upon the nose and killed
him. Another man who had been with (al-Jarrah) was caught
and killed. |
| Al-Hasan, peace be on him,
was carried on a stretcher to al- Mada'in where he was
lodged with Sa'd b. Masud al-Thaqafi. The latter was the
governor of (Ali), the commander of the faithful, peace
be on him, there and al-Hasan had confirmed him in that
position. |
| Al-Hasan, peace be on him,
was distracted by his own (discomfort) and with treating
his wound. (In the meantime) a group of the tribal leaders
wrote secretly to Mu'awiya offering to accept his authority
(lit. to listen and obey). They urged him to come to them
and they guaranteed to hand over al-Hasan, peace be on
him, when they got to his camp, or to kill him treacherously. |
| Al-Hasan, peace be on him,
learnt of that when a letter came to him from Qays b.
Sa'd, may God be pleased with him. He had sent Qays with
Ubayd Allah b. Abbas (to go on ahead) when he had set
out from Kufa to meet Muawiya and to drive him out of
Iraq, and make himself a commander of a unified people
(jama'a). He had said to Ubayd Allah: |
|
If you are
struck down, then the commander will be Qays b. Sad.
|
| Qays b. Sad's letter arrived
informing him that they had stopped Muawiya at a village
called al-Habubiyya opposite Maskan. Then Muawiya had
sent to Ubayd Allah b. Abbas, urging him to come to him
and offering him a million dirhams, half of which he would
give him immediately, and the other half on his entry
into Kufa. Ubayd Allah had slipped away in the night with
his close associates to (join) Muawiya's camp. In the
morning the people found their leader missing. Qays b.
Sa'd, may God be pleased with him, said the prayer with
them and took charge of their affairs. |
| Al-Hasan's awareness of the
people's desertion of him increased, (as did his awareness)
of the corrupt intention of the Muhakkima (the Kharijites)
against him, which they made obvious by cursing him, accusing
him of disbelief, and declaring that it was lawful to
shed his blood and plunder his property. There remained
no one to protect him from his unfortunate predicament
except the close associates from his father's Shia and
his own Shia, and they were a group which could not resist
the Syrian soldiers. |
| Muawiya wrote to him about
a truce and peace treaty. He also sent him the letters
of his followers in which they had guaranteed to kill
him treacherously or to hand him over. He offered him
as many conditions as he wanted, to answer his (call)
for peace and he gave his (sworn) covenant by whose fulfilment
everybody's interests would be served. Al-Hasan, peace
be on him, did not trust him. He was aware of his deception
and his attempts at assassination. However he could find
no escape from assenting to his demands to abandon the
war and bring about a truce because of the weakness of
his followers' understanding of his right, their corrupt
attitude towards him and their opposition to him. (In
addition, he was aware) of the view of many of them in
declaring it lawful to shed his blood and to hand him
over to his rival. (He also knew) of his cousin's desertion
(of him) and his joining his enemy, as well as the inclination
of the people towards the immediate present and their
reluctance (to show concern) for the future. |
| Therefore he, peace be on
him, bound himself (in a treaty) with Muawiya as a result
of the confirmation of the proof (of his situation) and
with the excuses before God, the Most High, and all the
Muslims, of what had taken place among them. He stipulated: |
|
That the cursing
of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, should
be abandoned and the practice of using the personal
prayer (qunut) in the formal prayer (salat) (as prayer)
against him should be set aside; That his Shia, may
God be pleased with them, should be given security and
that none of them should be exposed to any evil; That
each of them who had certain rights should attain those
rights.
|
| Muawiya accepted all that
and made a treaty with him to observe that. He swore to
him that he would fulfil it. When the truce had been concluded,
Muawiya went on until he reached al-Nukhayla. That was
on a Friday; he prayed the mid-morning prayer (duha al
nahar) with the people, and he addressed them. In his
address, he Said |
|
By God, I have
not fought against you to make you pray, nor to fast,
nor to make the pilgrimage, nor to pay zakat. Indeed
you do that (already). I fought so that I might have
power over you and God has given that to me when you
were reluctant to (obey) Him. Indeed I have been requested
by al-Hasan, peace be on him, (to give him) things and
I have given things to him. All of them are now under
my foot. And from now on I will not fulfil anything.
|
| Then he went on until he
entered Kufa. He resided there for several days. When
the pledge of allegiance by its inhabitants had to be
carried out, he went up on the pulpit and addressed the
people. He mentioned the commander of the faithful, peace
be on him, and that he had taken from him and from al-Hasan,
peace be on him, what he had taken. |
| Al-Hasan and al-Husain, peace
be on them, were present. Al- Husayn, peace be on him,
rose to reply but al-Hasan, peace be on him, took him
by the hand and made him sit down. Then he, himself, (al-Hasan)
arose and spoke: |
|
O you who mention
Ali, I am al-Hasan and Ali was my father. You are Muawiya
and your father was Sakhr (Abu Sufyan). My mother was
Fatima and your mother was Hind. My grand father was
the Apostle of God and your grandfather was Harb. My
grandmother was Khadija and your grandmother was Futayla.
May God curse him who tries to reduce our reputation
and to diminish our nobility, who does evil against
our antiquity and yet who has been ahead of us in unbelief
and hypocrisy.
|
| Groups of the people in the
mosque shouted out: "Amen, Amen" |
| When the peace between al-Hasan,
peace be on him, and Muawiya was concluded in the way
we have mentioned, al-Hasan, peace be on him, left for
Medina. He resided there, restraining his anger, staying
close to his house, and awaiting the command of his Lord,
the Mighty and High, until Muawiya had completed ten years
of his administration. (Then) the latter decided to have
the pledge of allegiance given to his son, Yazid, (as
his successor). He communicated secretly with Ju'da, daughter
of al-Ash'ath b. Qays- she was the wife of al-Hasan, peace
be on him - to urge her to poison him. He gave an undertaking
to her that he would marry her to his son, Yazid, and
he sent her a hundred thousand dirhams. Juda gave him
the poison to drink but he lingered on sick for forty
days. He passed along his (final) road in the month of
Safar in the year 50 A. H. (670). At that time, he was
forty-eight years of age. His succession (to the Imamate)
had been for ten years. His brother and testamentary trustee
(wasp), al-Husayn, peace be on him, undertook the washing
and shrouding of his body, and buried him with his grand
mother, Fatima, daughter of Asad b. Hashim b. Abd Manaf,
may God be pleased with her, in (the cemetery) of al Baqi. |
|
Reports of
the Cause of the Death of al-Hasan, Peace be on him,
and of Mu'awiya Poisoning him, the Story of his Burial
and the Actions and Statements Concerning that.
|
| [Isa b. Mihran reported:
Ubayd Allah b. al-Sabb'ah told us: Jarir told us on the
authority of Mughira, who said:] |
| Muawiya sent to Juda daughter
of al-Ashath b. Qays: |
|
I will arrange
for you to marry my son, Yazid, on condition that you
poison al-Hasan.
|
| He also, sent her a hundred
thousand dirhams. |
| She did that: she poisoned
al-Hasan, peace be on him. (Mu'awiya) gave her the money
but did not marry her to Yazid. Instead he gave her a
man from the family of Talha as a substitute. The latter
gave her children. Whenever any argument occurred between
them and the clans of Quraysh, they would revile them
saying: |
|
Sons of a woman
who poisons her husbands.
|
| [Isa b. Mihran reported:
'Uthman b. Umar told me Ibn Awn told us on the authority
ot 'Umar b. lshaq, who said.] |
| I was with al-Hasan and al-Husayn,
peace be on them, in the house. Al-Hasan, peace be on
him, came in from outside and then went out again. He
said: |
|
I have been
given poison to drink several times but I have never
been given poison like this. A bit of my liver has come
out of my mouth and I began to turn it over with a stick
I had. Who gave you the poison to drink, al-Husayn,
peace be on him, asked him, and what do you want for
him? Do you want him killed? If he may remain as he
is, then God will be more terrible in His vengeance
than you. It he may not remain as he is, then I should
like to be free of any blame.
|
| [ Abd Allah b. Ibrahim reported
on the authority of Ziyad al- Makhariqi, who said:] |
| When death was close to al-Hasan,
peace he on him, he summoned al-Husayn, peace be on him,
and said. |
|
My brother,
I am leaving you and joining my Lord. I have been given
poison to drink and have spewed my liver into a basin.
I am aware of the person who poisoned me and from where
I have been made a subject to this deceitful action.
I will oppose him before God, the Mighty and High. Therefore
by the right I have with regard to you, say nothing
about that and wait for what God, the Mighty and High,
will decide concerning me. When I have died, shut my
eyes, wash me and shroud me. Then carry me on my bier
to the grave of my grandfather, the Apostle of God,
may God bless him and his family, so that I may renew
my covenant with him. After that take me to the grave
of my grandmother, Fatima daughter of Asad, may God
be pleased with her, and bury me ther. My brother, the
people will think that you intend to bury me with the
Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family. For
that reason, they will gather to prevent you from doing
it. I swear by God that you should not shed even your
blood into the cupping-glass in (carrying out) my command.
|
| Then he made his testamentary
bequests to his family and his children. (He gave him)
his heirlooms and the things which the Commander of the
faithful, peace be on him, had bequeathed to him when
he had made him his successor, had declared him worthy
to occupy his position, and had indicated to his Shia
that he was his successor, and set him up as their sign-post
after himself. |
| When he passed on his (final)
journey, al-Husayn, peace be on him, washed and shrouded
his (body). Then he carried him on his bier. Marwan and
those of the Banu Umayya who were with him had no doubt
that they would try to bury him beside the Apostle of
God, may God bless him and his family. They gathered together
and armed themselves. When al-Husayn, peace be on him,
approached the tomb of the Apostle of God, may God bless
him and his family, with (the body of al-Hasan) so that
he might renew his covenant with him, they came towards
them with their group. 'A'isha had joined them on a mule
and she was saying: |
|
What is there
between you and me that you should allow someone I don't
want to, to enter my house?
|
| Marwan began to recite: |
| O Lord,
battle is better than ease. |
| (Then he went on:) |
|
Should Uthman
be buried in the outskirts of Medina and al-Hasan be
buried alongside the Prophet, may God bless him and
his family? That will never be while I carry a sword.
|
| Discord was about to occur
between the Banu Umayya and the Banu Hashim. Ibn 'Abbas
hurried to Marwan and said to him; |
|
Go back to
where you came from, Marwan. Indeed we do not intend
to bury our companion with the Apostle of God, may God
bless him and his family. But we want him to be able
to renew his covenant with him by visiting him. Then
we will take him back to his grandmother, Fatima, and
bury him alongside her according to his last instructions
concerning that. If he had enjoined that he should be
buried alongside the Prophet, may God bless him and
his family, you know that you would be the least able
to deter us from that. However, he, peace be on him,
was much too aware of God and His Apostle and the sacredness
of his tomb to bring bloodshed to it as others have
done (who) have entered it without his permission.
|
| Then he went to Aisha and
said to her: |
|
What mischief
you bring about, one day on a mule and one day on a
camel! Do you want to extinguish the light of God and
fight the friends (awliya') of God? Go Back ! You have
been given assurance against what you fear and have
learned what you wanted (to know). By God, victory will
come to this House, even if it is after some time.
|
| Al-Husayn, peace be on him,
said: |
|
By God, if
there had been no injunction to me from al-Hasan, peace
be on him, to prevent bloodshed and that I should not
even pour blood into a cupping-glass in (carrying out)
his command, you would have known how the swords of
God would have taken their toll from you, you have broken
the agreement which was made between you and us, you
have ignored the conditions which we made with him for
ourselves.
|
| Then they went on with (the
body of) al-Hasan, peace be on him, and they buried him
in (the cemetery of) al-Baqi' beside his grandmother,
Fatima daughter of Asad b. Hashim b. 'Abd Manaf, may God
be pleased with her. |
Complete ref:
Kitab al Irshad (The Book of Guidance)
Pages 279 - 289
By Sheikh al Mufid
Translated by I.K.A Howard
Published by Tahrike Tarsile Quran
Paper back, ISBN 0-940368-11-0 |
