Hasan ibn Ali
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Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (الحسن بن علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب) (c. 624 – 669)(3-50 H)[1] was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima Zahra, and the first grandson of Prophet Muhammad. He is considered by sunnis as the fifth rightly guided caliph(Rashidun), the second Shi'a Imam by most Shi'a sects; other sects accept his brother Husayn as the second Shia Imam. Nonetheless, he is an important figure in both Sunni and Shi'a Islam as a member of the Ahl al-Bayt, the household of Muhammad.
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[edit] His birth and family life
Al-Hasan was born three years after the Hijra (624 CE)[2], the migration of the early Muslim community from Mecca to Medina. His parents were Ali, Muhammad's cousin and trusted lieutenant, and Fatima Zahra`, Muhammad's daughter.
Al-Hasan ibn Ali was Muhammad's first grandchild. According to Shi'a tradition, he was named by his grandfather, who acted on divine inspiration. Hasan means "pleasant" or "handsome" in Arabic.
Al-Hasan and his brother Husayn are said to have been greatly beloved by their grandfather. There are numerous hadiths, or oral traditions, that affirm this claim. Other hadiths say that Hasan and Husayn will be the chiefs of the youth in paradise. Shi'a believe that Hasan is one of the four persons included in the Hadith of The Cloak.
[edit] The Caliphate
Upon the death of Ali in Kufa, the Muslim garrison town in what is now southern Iraq, a number of Ali's Kufan supporters swore allegiance to al-Hasan as caliph. This threatened the ambitious Muawiyah I, who had been fighting Ali for the caliphate. Mu'awiya summoned all the commanders of his forces in Syria, Palestine, and Transjordan to join him in preparation for war. He also attempted to negotiate with al-Hasan, sending the young heir letters asking him to give up his claim. If he could persuade al-Hasan to renounce his claim to the caliphate, then Muawiyah would certainly avoid the undesirable consequence of killing fellow Muslims, and would further support his claim to the caliphate. If Muawiyah were forced to defeat al-Hasan in battle, Muawiyah would gain absolute power, but questions regarding his legitimacy would linger.
Negotiations stalled, and Mu'awiyah marched against al-Hasan with an army claimed to number sixty thousand fighters [3]. al-Hasan also marched his army towards Mu'awiyah. The two armies faced opposed near Sabat.
During this period of suspense, al-Hasan is said to have given a sermon in which he proclaimed his hatred of schism and appealed to his men to follow his orders even if they did not agree to them. Some of the troops took this as a sign that al-Hasan was preparing to surrender, and thus they rebelled on him and attacked him. al-Hasan was wounded, but his loyal soldiers surrounded him in protection and managed to kill the mutineers. Another one of Hasan's commanders, Ubayd-Allah, deserted him and joined Mu'awiya's forces.
The two armies fought a few inconclusive skirmishes. Muawiyah, distressed that the result of a battle would mean a loss of many men and a lack of people to go back and partake in caring for the people, sent two Quraishi men to al-Hasan in order to negotiate a settlement with al-Hasan and his followers.[4] al-Hasan, wounded and facing disaffection in his own army, and desiring to end the long-fought civil wars, finally negotiated a settlement with Mu'awiyah. According to Sunni scholars, al-Hasan stipulated that Mu'awiyah should follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah, allowing a shura for the caliphate to be held after his death, and refrain from any acts of revenge against al-Hasan's followers. Shia scholars state that al-Hasan further stipulated that the caliphate should be returned to him after Muawiyah's death if al-Hasan was still alive, and to his brother Husayn ibn Ali if Hasan was deceased. [6]
Mu'awiyah proceeded to Kufa and demanded that the Muslims there swear allegiance. He also attempted to force al-Hasan to join him and support him in the fight against the rebellious Kharijites. al-Hasan is claimed to have written him in response: "I have abandoned the fight against you, even though it was my legal right, for the sake of peace and reconciliation of the nation. Do you think that I shall then fight together with you?" [5]
[edit] Was he a Sunni Caliph?
Most caliph chronologies do not include al-Hasan. al-Hasan claimed the caliphate only briefly and was recognized by only a small portion of the Islamic empire. He resigned his claim, and recognized Mu'awiyah. However, a handful of the older Sunni historians, such as Suyuti, Ibn Arabi, and Ibn Kathir accept Hasan as a caliph before Muawiyah[6]. Twelver Shi'a Muslims also regard al-Hasan as one of the twelve infallible imams.
[edit] Retirement to Medina
Hasan retired to Medina. He received a pension from Mu'awiyah and also some income from the properties he had inherited.
[edit] Death
Historians believe that Hasan died in Medina in 669 (or in some accounts, 670) CE. He is buried at the famous Jannat al-Baqi cemetery across from the Masjid al-Nabawi, the Mosque of the Prophet.
[edit] Was Hasan poisoned?
Some early Arab historians, mostly of Shi'ite tendency, give forward another account. They say that Muawiyah wished to pass the caliphate to his own son Yazid ibn Muawiyah, and saw Hasan as an obstacle to his plans. And thus Muawiyah plotted to kill al-Hasan. He secretly contacted al-Hasan's wife Ja'da bint al-Ash'ath ibn Qays, and instigated her to poison her husband. Ja'da did as Muawiyah suggested, giving her husband poison mixed with honey. Madelung (pp. 331-333) notes other traditions suggesting that al-Hasan had been poisoned by another wife, the daughter of Suhayl ibn Amr, or perhaps by a servant. Madelung also cites the early historians (Baladhuri, Waqidi, etc.) who recounted these traditions. Madelung, who is more accepting of Shi'a traditions than most Western academic historians, believes that al-Hasan was poisoned and that the famous early Islamic historian Tabari suppressed the tale out of concern for the faith of the common people.
Shi'a accounts have embroidered this basic story. Ja'da was promised gold and marriage to Yazid. Seduced by the promise of money and power, she poisoned her husband, then hastened to the court of Muawiyah in Damascus to receive her reward. Muawiyah reneged on his promises and married her to another man. [7]
Sunnis believe that all these reports are fables, created for the sole purpose of slandering Muawiyah.[8]
[edit] Burial of Hasan
Shi'a also claim that al-Hasan, before his death, uttered his desire to be buried next to his grandfather, the prophet Muhammad, if it could be done. They further claim that Aisha, the prophet Muhammad's wife, who had to be asked for permission for burying anyone near the prophet Muhammad in his tomb, refused to let al-Hasan be buried in the prophet Muhammad's tomb. The governor of Medina, who had been appointed by Muawiyah, further sent soldiers to prevent al-Hasan's burial next to the prophet Muhammad. [7] Al-Hasan's family was thus forced to bury him elsewhere, and so they buried him in Jannat ul-Baqi.
[edit] Sunni view
Sunni muslims honour al-Hasan ibn Ali as one of the ahl al-Bayt and one of the Sahaba. Certain Sunni scholars of the past also bestow him the honor of being the fifth caliph, before Muawiyah, because of his appointment by Ali.[6]
[edit] Shi'a view
TV Series: "Tanhatarin Sardar" also known as "Imam AlHassan bin Ali (as)", "Yalnız İmam (HZ. İMAM HASAN)", "The Loneliest Commander" and/or "The Most Lonely Commander" Tanhatarin Sardar (Template:تنهاترین سردار) is available in Persian, Arabic & Turkish, along with Urdu Interpretation, and English, Spanish & Swahili subtitles. The TV Serial Tanha Tareen Sardar focuses on the political events surrounding Imam Hasan-ibn-Ali from the bereavement of his father, covering his Imamate, the Peace Treaty with Muawiya, and his own bereavement & Funeral. This complete set of the 16 hour Iranian Television Serial is divided into 19 episodes and is available on 7 DVDs.
Shi'as hold Hasan ibn Ali in a very high postive view. Shi'as regard al-Hasan as their second Imam and they also regard his as a martyr.
| Preceded by: Ali ibn Abu Talib |
Shia Imam 661–669 |
Succeeded by: Husayn ibn Ali |
[edit] See also
- Islamic Prophet Mohammed
- Ali ibn Abu Talib
- Hassan ibn Ali
- Hussain ibn Ali
- Shi'a Islam
- Qasim ibn Hassan
- Sharif
[edit] References
- ^ Ketab Alershad, Sheikh Mofid
- ^ Ketab Alershad, Sheikh Mofid
- ^ Ibn A'tham IV, p. 153. Other numbers: [1]
- ^ Sahih Bukhari 3:49:867
- ^ Madelung The Succession to Muhammad 1997 pp. 324-325
- ^ a b
- Suyuti in The Khalifas who took the right way page 9 and History of the Caliphs Vol 12
- Ibn al-Arabi in his Sharh Sunan al-Tirmidhi 9:68-69 ref
- Ibn Kathir in The Beginning and the End Vol 6 page 249-250
- ^ [2], [3], [4], [5]
- ^ Muawiyah had no apparent interest in killing al-Hasan, and he never order for al-Hasan to be poisoned, while there actually isn't any confirmation that al-Hasan did not die a natural death.
