Shi'a view of Hassan ibn Ali
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Hassan ibn Ali is Shi’ahs’ second Imam, and is also known as Al-Mujtaba and Sibtil Akbar (the elder and the first grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). As Anas ibn Malik has reported, that there was none who most resembled Muhammad than Hassan ibn Ali. Shi’ahs believe, Hassan ibn Ali was born on Ramadhan 15, 3 AH (March 1, 625 AD), to Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah bint Muhammad. The name Hassan by itself is enough to distinguish him from everyone else, since no one before him had this name, though Hassan was not unknown among Arabs. He was the first among the Purified Ahlul Bayt to enter the Yemeni Kisaa after Muhammad and at a tender age walked on his own feet with his hand in the hand of Muhammad to testify to the truth of Al-Islam at Mubahila. He was one of those about whom Suratul Hal Ataa was revealed. Yet, this is the most maligned Imam from among the Aimmah of Ahlul Bayt. He has been the victim of injustice not only from his enemies but also from those who claimed to be his admirers and devotees.
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[edit] Shi'a view of his life
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[edit] Abu Bakr's era
Shi'ahs view that although he saw his father’s right to the Caliphate being usurped, his mother’s house being set on fire and being mortally wounded, Hassan, together with his younger brother Husayn ibn Ali, still followed their father's way in so much as they valued the Muslim communities stability higher than defending their own rights, this since all three were to succeed each other as responsible for the entire Muslim community, even though they didn't fully recognize their duties. Some Shi'a also view that Abu Bakr was ultimately responsible for his unborn brother’s, Muhsin ibn Ali, death...
[edit] Umar era
[edit] Uthman era
Hassan, together with his brother Husayn, is seen by Shi'a as always standing loyal on his father’s side, even going to defend Uthman, whom Shi'a view as the third usurper, although they didn't succeed in defending his life.
[edit] Ali era
Shi'a view that during his father’s days as Caliph, he was always close to him and served him in any way he could, including being a soldier together with his brothers. The wars fought during Ali’s era where the Battle of Jamal, Battle of Siffin, and Battle of Nahrawan. Among the things he did is traveling to Mecca together with Ammar ibn Yasir in order to summon armies to fight against Aisha’s army .
[edit] His era
Shi'ahs view that Hassan took the caliphate and became the fifth caliph after his father’s death, and later on became the second Shi'a Imam. The conclusion that he was the fifth leader is also accepted by some prominent Sunni scholars such as Ibn al-Arabi, Suyuti and Ibn Kathir , however, other Sunni do not.
Muawiya I, whom Shi'a believe never stopped to violently or covertly oppose Hassan’s father, took immediate actions to send an army against Hassan. Shi'ahs view that Hassan’s men where demoralized and bribed by Muawiya, and hence he could no defend his duty to be a leader. Shi'a quote hadith from later Shi'a Imam who assure that Hassan would fight Muawiya if he only had men that could support him.
Shi'a view that since he was faced with inability to fight and win, he did the second best thing, to temporarily give power to Muawiya, Hassan signed an agreement that Muawiya could rule with the condition that he would return the power after his death, ie not give it to his son Yazid I. Shi'a view that also in the agreement was that Muawiya was not to curse Hassan’s father in his reign.
[edit] Muawiya I era
Hassan ibn Ali became the Caliph after the death of Ali ibn Abu Talib. Hassan ibn Ali was chosen by the people of Kufa as their Caliph. The election of Hassan ibn Ali as the next Caliph was a thorn in the heart of Muawiya. His propaganda machine against the House of Ali ibn Abu Talib, in fact against Islam, began its work in earnest. Large sums of money and fraudulent promises of vast properties and governorships of provinces were given to many commanders of Hassan ibn Ali’s army who left Hassan ibn Ali without much power. Thus, Hassan ibn Ali was forced to accept a treaty with Muawiya in order to save Islam. It was therefore the hallmark of Hassan ibn Ali’s life that making peace was his share in the same manner as Mohammed did in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. The salient points of the treaty are:
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- Muawiya should rule strictly according to the Qur'an and the Sunna of Muhammad.
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- Muawiya should not appoint or nominate anyone to the Caliphate after him but that choice should be left to the Muslims.
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- The people should be left in peace, wherever they are in the land of God.
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- The persecution of the companions of Ali ibn Abu Talib should immediately be stopped; their lives, properties and families guaranteed safe conduct and peace.
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- The cursing of Ali ibn Abu Talib from the pulpit should stop immediately.
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- No harm should be done secretly or openly against Hassan ibn Ali and his younger brother Hussain ibn Ali or any of the Ahlul Bayt.
Thus the rightly guided Caliphate came to an end with the abandonment of the Caliphate by Hassan ibn Ali. He returned to Medina after administering the people’s affairs, following the death of his father, Ali ibn Abu Talib, for a period of six (6) months.
History tells us that from day one Muawiya did not comply with any one of the terms of the treaty agreed upon between him and Hassan ibn Ali. He trampled the treaty under his feet saying to the people of Kufa, “do you think I have taken power to teach you about Islam. No, I have taken power for the sake of it and if any one of you tries to disagree with me shall pay a costly price of losing his head.”
Muawiya carried out his ambition of keeping the power in his family by nominating his son Yazid after him as the ruler of the Kingdom. This demanded that Hassan ibn Ali should predecease him, an unlikely event considering their discrepancy in their ages. Hence Muawiya bribed Ju’ada binte Ash’ath (wife of Hassan ibn Ali), to poison him. He also promised to marry her to his son Yazid and so Ju’ada poisoned Hassan ibn Ali in 50 Hijra. Hassan ibn Ali died with the effect of poisoning on 28th of the month of Safar, at the age of forty seven (47) years.
When Hassan ibn Ali died, the followers of Hassan ibn Ali from Iraq began to make plans. They wrote to Hussain ibn Ali concerning removing Muawiya and giving the pledge of allegiance to him. However, he refused and chooses to abide by the treaty between Hassan ibn Ali and Muawiya, which he could not break until the period came to an end.
But the decision of nominating Yazid as the ruler, stirred widespread agitation among the faithful, particularly amidst prominent personalities such as Hussain ibn Ali, Abdul-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr, Abdullah in Omar, Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr and other well-known, leading figures, because Muawiya was the first one to appoint his son to succeed him and the first ever to do so during his life.
[edit] Hassan ibn Ali’s dead body gets shot by arrows
As the funeral proceeded towards the grave of Muhammad, some Umayyads mounted on horses obstructed and Ayesha binte Abu Bakr appeared, mounting a mule, shouting that the grave of Muhammad was in her house and she would not allow the grandson of Khadijah binte Khuwaylid to be buried beside Muhammad. With the shouts from Ayesha a shower of arrows fell on the coffin. Hussain ibn Ali in the fulfillment of the last wish of his departed brother, turned the procession of the funeral towards Jannat al-Baqi and when the body was taken out of the coffin to be laid to rest in the grave, Hussain ibn Ali finding some of the arrows which were showered at the coffin, had struck body of his dead brother.
[edit] Legacy
Shi'a honour him with the title "Al-Mujtaba" .
The shrine of his tomb was destroyed by the Salafi Saudis .
[edit] Critics
[edit] Non-Muslim
Wilferd Madelung believes that the poisoning theory is not purely a Shi'a view, and cites several Sunni scholars as supporting the poisoning theory .
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 1: Sahih Bukhari: [6][7][8]
- ^ 2: Suyuti in The Khalifas who took the right way page 9 and History of the Caliphs Vol 12
