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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
IMAM HASAN BIN ALI - 2
By: Syed-Mohsin Naquvi
In the first of the articles on the Life
and Times of Imam Hasan bin Ali, I presented a general overview of the
details as found in some of the most authentic books of our history of
that period.
Many readers have expressed their doubts
on this or that episode. That is the whole idea of reading and writing
of history. You take what has come down to us through historians. Then
you analyse it in view of the circumstances under which that history was
written. You then evaluate the various reports and draw your own
conclusions.
From that point of view, the passages
quoted below are very significant. The author, Husain M. Jafri, has
looked at some of the most authentic Sunni historians and their reports
as preserved in their own writings, and then analysed them. He presents
the reports and his analysis for our readers. The excerpt is from
Chapter 6 of the book.
The name of the book is: The Origina and
Early Development of Shia Islam, published by Longman,
London, 1976. The book is based on Jafri’s Ph.D. thesis.
In the following passages, Jafri presents
the details of Imam Hasan being hailed as the Khaleefa of Muslims after
the assassination of Imam Ali in the 40th year of Hijra, in
Koofa.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Syed-Mohsin Naquvi
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Hasan bin Ali Becomes the fifth Khaleefa of Muslims After the Prophet
During the last year of `Ali's caliphate,
Muawiya b. Abi Sufyan, the governor of
Syria and the main challenger of `Ali, managed to bring a
large part of the Muslim empire under his control. He also had the
authority vested in him, though under doubtful and ambiguous
circumstances, by `Amr b. al-As at the arbitration of Adruh after the
battle of Siffin.
Nevertheless, he could not claim
for himself the title of Amiral-Mu'minin while `Ali was yet alive. `Ali
was still the legitimate caliph chosen by the community at large in
Medina; this was not publicly repudiated by the community as
a whole, nor was the declaration of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari deposing `Ali
and that of `Amr b. al-`As installing Mu`awiya accepted by the Muhajirun
and the Ansar. Thus, despite all his military and political successes,
Mu`awiya could do no more than style himself only as Amir.
1
With `Ali's assassination, the road was finally cleared for the
realization of the ultimate goal of Mu`awiya's ambitions. The very
favourable circumstances that prevailed in the form of the impotence of
Medina and the remnant of the pious section of the community and the
vacillating nature of the Iraqi supporters of `Ali's successor Hasan,
coupled with the characteristic
shrewdness of Mu`awiya, made it easier for him to complete the task he
had initiated after the death of `Uthman: the seizure of the caliphate
for himself and his clan.
Hasan, the elder son of `All and
Fatima, was acclaimed as caliph by forty thousand people in
Kufa immediately after the death of his father.
2
We are told that at the battle of Siffin (Safar 37/July 657), less than
three years before his death, `Ali had in his army seventy Companions
who fought for the Prophet at Badr, seven hundred of those who renewed
their allegiance to Muhammad (bay`at ar-ridwan) at the time of the
treaty of Hudaybiya, and another four hundred from other Muhajirun and
Ansar. 3
Many of them were still residing in
Kufa with `Ali as he prepared for a final encounter with Muawiya. They
must have participated in the election of Hasan and must have accepted
him as the new caliph, otherwise our sources would have recorded their
opposition to his succession. To this there is no testimony at all. The
people of
Medina and
Mecca seem to have received the news with satisfaction, or at
least with acquiescence. This is evident from the fact that not a single
voice of protest or opposition from these cities against Hasan's
accession can be located in the sources.
Two major reasons can be advanced for this attitude. First, at the time
of `Ali's death almost all the distinguished Companions of the Prophet
from among the Muhajirun were dead. Of the six members of the Shura
appointed by `Umar, only Sa`d b. Abi Waqqas was still alive; the other
members of the leading elite of the community had also died. Among the
younger nobility such as `Abd Allah b. al-`Abbas, 'Abd Allah b.
az-Zubayr, Muhammad b. Talha, and `Abd Allah b. `Umar, none could match
Hasan, the elder and dearest grandson of the prophet. The people of
Medina still remembered that ardent love and affection which the Prophet
had showered upon his grandsons: that he interrupted his sermon and
descended from the pulpit to pick up Hasan, who had stumbled over his
long tunic and fallen down while entering the mosque ;
4 that he
allowed his grandchildren to climb on his back while he was prostrating
himself in prayer.
5 There are
numerous accounts describing extraordinary favours being bestowed by
Muhammad on his grandsons; these are preserved not only by the Shi`i
sources, but are overwhelmingly transmitted by the Sunni works as well.
6 Hasan is
also unanimously reported to have resembled the Prophet in appearance.
7 Secondly,
the people of
Mecca and
Medina naturally could not be expected to be pleased to see
Mu`awiya, the son of Abu Sufyan, the representative of the clan of
Umayya, become their leader. It was Abu Sufyan who had organized the
opposition to Muhammad and had led all the campaigns against him. The
Umayyads in general, and the Sufyanids in particular, did not
acknowledge Muhammad until the fall of
Mecca; their Islam was therefore considered to be of
convenience rather than conviction. Mu'awiya, for his part, depended on
the support of the Syrians, whom he had consolidated behind himself, and
to whom he had been attached for close to twenty years as governor of
the province, and on the support of his large and powerful clan and
their clients and allies who swarmed around him. It was therefore
natural, under the circumstances, that the inhabitants of the holy
cities, who formed the nucleus of the Islamic Umma, would not oppose
Hasan's caliphate, especially since the alternative was the son of Abu
Sufyan and Hind. As for the people of
Iraq, the eldest son of 'Ali was the only logical choice,
though not all of his supporters were motivated by the same feelings or
attachment to the same cause. To a great number of them Hasan's
succession meant the continuation of 'Ali's policy against the rule of
Mu'awiya and against the domination of
Syria over
Iraq. To some others, Hasan was now the only person worthy of
leading the community on religious grounds. Whether motivated by merely
political or by religious considerations, however, it cannot be denied
that the Iraqis acclaimed Hasan as caliph on the grounds that he was the
grandson of the Prophet through 'Ali and Fatima. Hasan's spontaneous
selection after the death of 'Ali also indicated Iraqi inclinations,
though in vague terms, towards the legitimate succession to the
leadership of the community in the line of 'Ali. It seems that the
people of Iraq, even at that early period, were quite clear in
distinguishing the line of the Prophet through Fatima from other members
of the Hashimite clan, otherwise they would have chosen, for example, 'Abd
Allah b. al-'Abbas, who was a cousin of the Prophet, was senior in age
to Hasan and was experienced in affairs of state, having been 'Ali's
governor in Basra.
8
Hasan's close relationship to the Prophet is frequently referred to as
the reason for the special consideration of the people for him.
Following the custom established by
Abu Bakr, Hasan made a speech on the occasion of his accession to the
caliphate. In this speech, reported in many sources with varying
lengths and wordings, Hasan praised the merits of his family and the
special rights and unmatched qualities of his father. He emphasized his
own intimate relations with the Prophet, described his own merits and
claims, and quoted the verses of the Qur'an which exalt the special
position of the Ahl al-Bayt.
9
Qays b. Sa`d b. 'Ubada al-Ansari, an ardent supporter of 'Ali and a
trusted commander of his army, was the first to pay homage to him. The
forty thousand troops of
Iraq who
had sworn allegiance to 'Ali on the condition to die for him (`ala'l-mawt)
readily hailed Hasan as their new caliph.
10
Apparently expressing his own sentiments as well as those of the Iraqi
army, Qays tried to impose the condition that the bay`a should be based,
not only on the Qur'an and the Sunna of the Prophet, but also on the
condition of the war (qital) against those who declared licit (halal)
that which is illicit (haram). Hasan, however, succeeded in avoiding
this commitment by saying that the last condition was implicitly
included in the first two. The more militant among the Iraqis, eager to
fight against Mu'awiya, were not in favour of exclusion of the third
condition from the terms of the bay'a, but they nevertheless paid their
allegiance to him.
11
Later events would demonstrate that Hasan was perhaps from the very
beginning quite apprehensive of the fickle-mindedness of the Iraqis and
their lack of resolution in time of trials; and thus he wanted to avoid
commitment to an extreme stand which might lead to complete disaster. He
was moreover a peace loving man of mild temper who hated to see the
shedding of Muslim blood.
12 However,
according to the majority of the sources, the oath of allegiance taken
by those present stipulated that: "They should make war on those who
were at war with Hasan, and should live in peace with those
who were at peace with Hasan."
13
Hasan's acclamation as caliph by the Iraqis, and a tacit approval, at
least an absence of protest or opposition, from the Hijaz, Yemen, and
Persia, were a great cause of alarm to Mu'awiya, who had been working
for the office since the death of 'Uthman and who, after five years of
ceaseless struggle, at last saw a clear path to undisputed authority
since 'Ali was no longer alive. He lost no time in taking action.
First of all, as soon as the news of Hasan's selection reached Mu'awiya,
he denounced the appointment, and both in speeches and in letters
announced his firm decision not to recognize Hasan a caliph.
14
Notes to Chapter 6
1
Tabari, II, p.5
2 Tabari, II, pp. I if.; Mas'udi, Muruj, II, p.426; Tanbih,
p.300;
'Iqd, IV, p.361; Ya'qubi, II, pp.214 f; Dinawari, pp. 216 f.; Isti'ab.
I, p. 385; Usd al-Ghaba, II, p.14
3 Ya'qubi, II, p. 188. According to Ibn Sa'd, VI, pp.4, 370 early
Sahaba immediately moved into Kufa and settled there as soon as
'Umar b. al-Khattab founded the garrison city.
4 Usd al-Ghaba, II, p.12; Tirmidhi, II, p. 306; Musnad, V, p.354;
Hadid, Sharh, XVI, p.27
5 Musnad, II, p.513
6 The standard works of tradition usually devote a separate
chapter to the special merits of Hasan and Husayn (Bab Manaqib
al-Hasan wa'l-Husayn).
7 Ibn Habib, Muhabbar, p. 46; Bukhari, Sahih, II, pp.175, 198;
Usd al-Ghaba, II, p.13
8 According to Abu'l-Faraj al-Isfahani, Maqatil at-Talibiyin,
p.52, 'Abd Allah b. al-'Abbas himself was the first to advance
Hasan's nomination and invite the people to pay homage to him
as the caliph after the death of 'Ali. See also Hadid, Sharh, XVI,
pp.3' f.
9 Dinawari, p. 216; Maqatil, p.52; Hadid, Sharh, XVI, p.30
10 Tabari, II, p. I; Usd al-Ghaba, II, p.14; Hadid, loc. cit.;
Isti'ab,
I, p. 383
11 ...
12 ibid.
13 Ibn A'tham, IV, p.148; Tabari; II, p.5; Hadid, Sharh, XVI,
p.22
14 Maqatil, pp.52 f.; Hadid, Sharh, XVI, pp.25 f. |