“IMAMATE A DIVINE COMMAND’’ 

Part 3

A discourse by: Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump.

“In the Name of ALLAH the Merciful, the Compassionate”

Brief review:

Let us review what we have discussed so far in this discourse. We started it all with an explanation of the phrase in the Qur’anic verse: “follow what ALLAH has sent down” (The Holy Qur’an 2 Al-Baqarah 170) and how it was our duty as Muslims to follow this Divine Command. We looked at how Islam was the perfect religion chosen for us by ALLAH (swt) and we were commanded to follow our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saww). We showed that without any doubt ALLAH (swt) had commanded HIS Messenger and Prophet Muhammad (saww) to announce to all mankind his successor Ali ibn Abi Talib (a-s) and after him, his son Imam Hasan (a-s), then Imam Hussayn (a-s) followed by 9 of the divinely chosen from the progeny of Imam Hussayn (a-s) and that they are all together the 12 infallible Imams (successors to the Prophet Muhammad (saww)) they are: “those in authority from amongst you”. (The Holy Qur’an 4 An-Nisa 59) We also looked at the very high position the Ahlul-Bayt have and that they are the ropes of salvation that lead to the Paradise. After proving these points we spoke of when and why some of the Ummah had resentment towards the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his Alhul-Bayt (a-s). Now we may look at some of these facts in more details, to show the hardships and sufferings poured on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). Also in part4, we will briefly look at our responsibility towards our current Imam; Imam Muhammad Ibn Hasan Al-Askari Al-Mahdi (a-s) (may ALLAH hurry his advent).
 

Some of the sufferings of the Holy Prophet (saww) and his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s):

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (a-s) said: “The one who is unaware of the oppression done upon us, the one who is oblivious of the snatching away of our rights and the one who is not aware of the misbehavior of the Ummah towards us-surely he is among those oppressors”. (Bihar ul-Anwar vol. 55, p. 77 / Eqaabul Aamaal, p.208)

If we are starting this portion of our discourse with the subject of the oppressions and the assaults that  the Holy Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) have suffered, then be sure that this is only to prove to all without any doubt the Infallibility of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). For if we take the true Message of Islam and look at all the pains and sufferings that these Holy Saints (a-s) faced up to, that without the Essence of the Message ever changing in any way, we then understand the true Divine essential essence that Islam is. Never did the Imams (a-s) ever change, alter, modify, or substitute the original Universal Message of Islam. Just study the amazing and miraculous life story of the Prophet Muhammad (saww) and no matter how the conditions became extremely hard, or easy, during war, or time of peace, with death all around, or with new life coming out, when he and his family were starving during a draught in the desert, or on the high level of concurring Mecca, the revelation of the Holy Qur’an stayed always the same with the exact same Essence and Message, proving without any doubt or objection, that the Holy Qur’an is the word of ALLAH (swt) who is above all these conditions. Also the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) never changed his kind and generous ways of teaching mankind the essential meaning of life and the mission of Islam: Mans spiritual and essential perfection, he (saww) never failed to propagate Islam in the most perfect and complete way, even under the hardest of conditions showing his Infallibility in every possible way.

The same is true with the most astonishing and extraordinary life story of Imam Ali (a-s) from the time he was a young child right to the day he (a-s) left this life in Martyrdom, he (a-s) preached, propagated, protected, taught, fought for, defended, lived and breathed, the true Message of Islam. As did all the 11 Holy Imams that followed one another up to our current Imam today: Imam Muhammad Ibn Hasan Al-Askari Al-Hujjat Al-Mahdi (a-s) (may ALLAH (swt) hurry his Advent). The reason for this is because they have a most special spirit blown into their being, superior to any other living beings, making their souls pure and Infallible, they are one with the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Qur’an is deeply imprinted in the holiest place of their soul, making it one with them. As we spoke of at the beginning of part 1of this discourse ALLAH (swt) created the most perfect religion for mankind and he sent down as leader and guides for us the most pure and perfect souls. Remember the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said: “I am leaving for you a thing which if you will keep hold of, you will never go astray after me and those two things which are greater and higher than one another.  One of them is the Book of ALLAH which is a rope drawn from earth up to the sky and another one is my progeny who are my Ahlul Bayt (a-s).  These two will never separate from one another until they arrive to me on the Hauz of Kauthar.  So just think how you will act for me on their matter”.  (Zaid bin Arqam – Sahih Tirmidhi). And we must not forget the words of ALLAH (swt): “ALLAH intendeth but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanness, O’ye the people of the house (Ahlul-Bayt) and purify you (with) a thorough purification”. (The Holy Qur’an 33-Al-Ahzab-33). Now we must all agree that if ALLAH (swt) created man so that he may perfect himself, through worship of the One God ALLAH (swt), by eliminating and annihilating all of his sins, evil acts, bad behaviours, bad characteristics, base desires, etc… To do good, be helpful to others, respect the parents, promote goodness and forbid and fight against all evil, to be generous, etc… And in order for man to do all this, he must be guided on earth, by those who are the Pure and Infallible leaders, who are the Prophet Muhammad (saww) and the Holy Imams (a-s), and man must follow and love them without any doubt. Now we quickly understand man was created only because and for these infallible Saints (a-s). Because on earth they are our only ropes of salvation, leading directly to ALLAH Azz wa Jall and to eternal bliss and happiness in the Paradise forever. The love of the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) is the direct worship, prescribed to all mankind by ALLAH (swt) the One and the Only God with no partners, children, wives, or equals of any kind. For ALLAH (swt) says: “O you who believe! Obey ALLAH and obey the Apostle and those in authority from amongst you”. (Holy Qur’an 4 Surah An-Nisa 59). So let us now explore only a small amount of the sufferings that our beloved Infallibles (a-s) had to endure and let us reflect deeply on this issue. May ALLAH (swt) Guide us all.
 

The Prophet and Messenger of ALLAH (swt) Muhammad (saww):

In the beginning of his prophethood right up to his last breath, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saww) was assaulted, insulted, persecuted, mocked, assailed, attacked, etc…His most bitter enemies tried many different way to stop the spread of Islam: Economic blockade against the Bani-Hashim, torture and violence against the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (saww), false rumors about the Prophet (saww) calling him a magician and an insane person, etc…They even tried to murder him. Nothing was off limits in order to stop Islam, and no matter how hard they tried it would just grow more and more. In their overwhelming ignorance the enemies of the Prophet Muhammad (saww) did not realize that the coming of Islam was a divine command that was absolutely unstoppable, the message; the great miraculous Holy Qur’an and the Messenger of ALLAH (swt) Prophet Muhammad (saww) only got greater every time the enemies tried to stop it. (Note: Much like the efforts of the tyrannical Umayyad Dynasty tried to dishonor Imam Ali (a-s) without any success, how the Umayyad and the Abbasid Dynasties tried to eliminate any record or remembrance of the terrible tragedy at Karbala. And how even today, the visible and the hidden enemies of Islam are still trying to eliminate the Religion that ALLAH (swt) has chosen for all mankind without any real success).

Exile and Blockade:

Quraysh forced and exiled the Bani-Hashim out of Makkah the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) and the descendants of Bani-Hashim, Abdul Muttalib and all their families set up tents and lived in a valley (known as valley of Abu Talib). The tyrannical Quraysh put economic sanctions on them, prohibited anyone to associate with them, also any matrimonial alliances with the Muslims was forbidden, and the opponents of the Prophet Muhammad (saww) must be supported in all circumstances. This blockade lasted for 3 years. Ayatullah Shaykh Jafar Subhani reports: ‘The pressure and hardships suffered by them assumed unprecedented dimensions. The heart-rending cries of the children of Bani-Hashim reached the ears of the stone hearted people of Makkah, but had no effect on them. The severity of the action of Quraysh in implementing their covenant did not diminish the patience and the fortitude of the Holy Prophet of Islam (saww) and the Muslims. Eventually the piteous clamoring of the infants and the children, and the tragic condition of the Muslims aroused the sentiments of some persons’ (Ref: The Message p. 262-263. Ayatullah Shaykh Jafar Subhani)

Violence and Torture:

The Quraysh acted violently against the Prophet Muhammad (saww) and began strenuously to oppose the teachings and innovations of the Holy Prophet (saww). They insulted him (saww) in public, threw dust and dirt at him (saww) and over him in prayers, made loud cries, hooted or sang wild songs to drown his (saww) voice while he was preaching; but to their great discomfiture they could not prevent him (saww). After the death of the Prophets wife Khadija and his Uncle Abu Talib (r-a), he (saww) went to Ta’if to try to get support there from them. The chiefs of Ta’if were a conceited and arrogant crew, so they greeted the Holy Prophet (saww) with mockery and ridicule and set upon him (saww) the thugs and crude to throw clods and rocks at him (saww). Wounded and covered in blood the Holy Prophet of Islam (saww) staggered out of Ta’if. (Ref: Rawzdat-al-Ahbab; Ibn Hisham. / A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims; Sayyid Ali Asgher Razwy)

Attempted Murder: 

Murder was the next solution by the polytheists to try and get rid of Islam, the chosen religion for all mankind and our Prophet (saww) the seal of all prophets. The pagans of Makkah hated the Prophet Muhammad (saww) so they decided to team up, they selected one man from each tribe to hide near the Prophet’s (saww) house until dark, and then when he was asleep they would all together kill him. The Prophet (saww) knowing of the plan asked Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) help and to stay in his (the Prophet’s (saww) bed) while he would escape the evil clutches of the killers. M.Shibli in his famous book writes: ‘The Holy Prophet (saww) called Ali (a-s) and said: “ALLAH (swt) has ordered me to go to Yathrib. You sleep in my bed and tomorrow return all the deposits of the Makkans to them”. This was a situation fraught with the gravest danger. Ali (a-s) also knew that Quraysh had resolved to kill the Appostle of ALLAH (saww) that night, and that to sleep in his bed was to sleep in the jaws of death. But when was Ali (a-s) ever afraid of death? The conqueror of Khyber slept in the jaws of death so soundly as he never slept in all his life. (Life of the Apostle of God, Azamgarh, India, 1976. M.Shibli. / A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims; Sayyid Ali Asgher Razwy p.85)

The Defeat at Uhud:

During the battle of Uhud the Muslim army after having an upper hand and near complete victory. However some of the archers decided to leave their positions in order to rush to get the booty. This gave the infidels a chance to attack the Muslim army by the rear and defeating them in a most harsh and ferocious manner.

 Imam Al-Sadiq (a-s) said: “Only Ali (a-s) and Abu Dujanah and Nasibah, the daughter of Kasb, remained with the Prophet Muhammad (saww) at this critical juncture. Ali (a-s) killed many of the Quraysh that attacked the little party, and repulsed them all. Nasibah likewise distinguished herself; for arresting her fleeing son, she compelled him to turn on the enemy, and being soon slain, she caught up his sword and killed his murderer. The Holy Prophet (saww) applauded her heroism, and she stood before him and presented her own bosom as his shield, and received many wounds in his defense. Ibn-Kimyah assaulted the Apostle of ALLAH (saww) and aiming a blow at his shoulder, shouted that he had killed him. The Prophet’s (saww) glance now fell on a cowardly fellow of the Muhajirees, who was running away with his shield hung on his back. “Throw down your shield and burn in the hell fire!” cried the Messenger of ALLAH (saww). The fellow actually dropped his shield, which was picked taken by Nasibah and born in deffence of the Prophet (saww), who declared her reward greater than that of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. Ali (a-s) fought until his sword was broken, and the Prophet (saww) gave him his own sword, Zhulfakir, by which he sent every wretch that ventured to attack the Prophet (saww), to the lowest hell”. (Hayat Al-Qulub vol. 2, Allamah Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi (r-a)).

In the battle of Uhud, Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad (saww) was martyred, making the agony and pain of this particular battle even harder to bear. Hamza was a great defender of Islam, a great protector of the Holy Prophet (saww), a great warrior on the battle field. His nick-name was: ‘The lion of ALLAH’. Sayyid Safdar Husayn says in his famous book: ‘Ali (a-s) and Hamza (r-a) the champions of Badr, unsparingly dealing out death, worked havoc among the enemy. Hamza however, while dueling with saba ibn Abd-al-Uzza a Makkahan champion, was treacherously speared from behind by Wahshi, an Ethiopian slave, who lurked behind a with that intent with a promise of freedom if he would kill Ali (a-s) or Hamza (r-a)’. (The early History of Islam; chap. 10, p.119)

I do not wish to write a history lesson here, this is just so we can understand the incredible true hardships the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) had to face. This is only a very small drop of the ocean that constantly tried to drown the Message of Islam, proving to us and the whole world, that Islam is truly a divine Mission, which cannot be stopped by its enemies. This shows us clearly that the Holy Qur’an is the pure words of ALLAH (swt), for through all of these extreme difficulties the flow, purity, truth and message never changed in even the slightest way, shape or form. 

This very small example of incidents also shows us the Infallibility of the Prophet Muhammad (saww). For the Prophets have a very special celestial spirit that ALLAH (swt) has blessed them with, making them the most superior humans amongst all Humankind. This very special essence that is in their souls is the source of their higher knowledge, celestial closeness to ALLAH Azz wa Jall and HIS Angels and opens their hearts to the possibility of divine revelation. For if any one of us was to live through even a small part of some of these events, we would surely loose touch with our spirit, somehow we would deviate from the mission because of such hardships and pain. This is why at all times mankind needs guides who are divinely gifted with this kind of divine purity and infallibility. The Prophet’s (saww) Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) also have a kind of special spirit which is also pure and infallible, when the Holy Prophet (saww) was nearing the end of his prophethood and his life, humankind still needed a special kind of leader to guide them, since the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) was the seal and last of all the Prophets. With the Holy Qur’an and the rich Sunnah left to us we have the great blessing of all the tools to achieve human perfection, salvation, and eternal happiness in the Paradise of ALLAH (swt). However, who are those who can truly show us how to use such sophisticated tools, who can be our pure and infallible teachers to guide us on our spiritual migration towards ALLAH (swt). The answer is very easy ALLAH (swt) commanded the Holy Prophet of Islam (saww), to announce it to the entire world until the end of time who are: “those in authority from amongst you”. (Holy Qur’an 4 Surah An-Nisa 59). And the Prophet Muhammad (saww) did exactly that when he said: “I am leaving for you a thing which if you will keep hold of, you will never go astray after me and those two things which are greater and higher than one another.  One of them is the Book of ALLAH which is a rope drawn from earth up to the sky and another one is my progeny who are my Ahlul Bayt (a-s).  These two will never separate from one another until they arrive to me on the Hauz of Kauthar.  So just think how you will act for me on their matter”.  (Zaid bin Arqam – Sahih Tirmidhi). We will come back to this issue Insha’ALLAH, for now let us continue to investigate the sufferings of the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s).
 

Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra, Imam Ali, Imam Hasan (a-s):

The Evil Oppression poured on Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a):

The Prophet Muhammad (saww) said the following about his daughter Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a):“Surely my daughter Fatimah is the mistress of all women from the beginning to the end.  She is part of me and the light of my eyes, she is the flower of my heart and is my soul, Fatimah is a human huri, who whenever she stands in prayers in the presence of her Lord (exalted in his name), her light illuminates the skies for the angels,  like stars shine to people on the earth”.  (Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 10).

Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) said: “O prophet of ALLAH! After your death, I am scared of destruction of myself and my children”. (Kitab-e-Sulaym ibn Qays Al-Hilali, hadith #1).

As explained in the 2^nd part of this discourse when the Holy Prophet (saww) left this transient life, certain members of the Islamic Ummah became oppressors of the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and tried to pull the followers away from the true Islam, the love of the Prophet (saww) and make them return to the past days of ignorance. After these men put one of their own in power, going against the command of ALLAH (swt) and his Messenger (saww), they misappropriated the heritance (Fadak) left by the Holy Prophet (saww) to his beloved daughter Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a). They then decided to force Imam Ali (a-s) to pledge allegiance to the new Khalif, they went to Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra’s (s-a) house and there they forced themselves to enter the house:

‘Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) said to them: “I implore you for the sake of ALLAH and the sake of my father, the Holy Prophet (saww)! Leave us alone and return to your homes”.

Umar ordered Qunfus (may ALLAH (swt) curse him) to bring a whip and strike Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) with it. The whip struck her on the hand and left a black mark on it. Umar kicked at the door and broke it down. Lady Fatimah (s-a) turned her womb away from the door to protect it and shield it from the door. Umar crushed Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) between the door and the adjoining wall. She (s-a) was in so much difficulty that it appeared she would die there. A nail on the door pierced her chest. Her chest and arms were stained with her blood-blood that was flowing from her wounds. She (s-a) fell on her face down on the ground. At this point, the fire was still burning. Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) in a heart-rending cry said: “O father! O Prophet of ALLAH (saww)! Look at what the people have done to your daughter! O Fizzah! Come and help me! By ALLAH! They killed the child in my womb”.’ (Oppression on the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) p. 55-56 / Ibid. p. 178-179 and 407 / Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 53, p. 13 / Tafsir’e Ayyaashi, vol. 2, p. 67; Al Ikhtesaas, p.176 / Dalaael-ul-Imaamah, vol.2 / Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol.30, p.294 / Muattamire’ Ulamaae’ Baghdad, p.63 / Kaukabe’ Durri p.194-195 / Al Hidaayat-ul-Kubra,p. 178-179).

The Hardships of Imam Ali (a-s):

Imam Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a-s) who as we saw earlier in our discourse (part 1 and 2), was the first of the 12 Divinely chosen Imams (a-s), however, we also saw that the Ummah in majority (except a small number of them) turned away from their pledge they made in Ghadir Khumm. That pledge was a Divine command by ALLAH (swt) to HIS Apostle Muhammad (saww) who declared: “ALLAH gave me wilāyah (authority) and I am more worthy than the believers and the followers themselves.  Therefore, to whosoever I am his wali (master) and guardian, Ali is his master and guardian too.  O ALLAH! Be the friend of his friends and the enemy of his enemies.  Help anyone who helps him and punish anyone who rebels against him.  Now everyone who is present must tell those who are absent”. (Al-Amini: Al-Ghadir). To make things worst they were the cause of the Martyrdom of his most beloved wife, mother of his blessed children and the most loved and dear daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww), Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) for whom the Holy Prophet (saww) said: “Fatimah is a part of me; whoever pleases her pleases me and whoever displeases her, displeases me. She is dearer to me than all beings”. (Al-Amaali, Shaykh Al-Mufid (r-a): 13^th Assembly, hadith # 2).  We saw some of the high virtues of Amir ul-Mu’mineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) in both the first and second parts of this discourse so we must always keep in mind that we are talking about the man Whom ALLAH Azz wa Jall had chosen to lead the Islamic Ummah.

As well in order to be sure to keep Imam Ali’s (a-s) rightful position of Khalif completely out of his reach, these same men who betrayed Islam, the Holy Qur’an, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww), his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and ALLAH (swt), did many things to oppress Imam Ali (a-s), his family, his faithful followers and many of the closest companions of the Holy Prophet (saww). When, Uthman the 3^rd Khalif was killed, Imam Ali (a-s) was then backed into a corner to take the position of Khalif. Those who pressed, convinced and first pledged to him their allegiance, to accept this position for which Imam Ali (a-s) at this point had little interest in, were also the first to turn away and betray him. (Note: This is like the hypocrisy we witnessed by those who swore allegiance to Imam Ali (a-s) at Ghadir Khumm, then turned away from him (a-s)).  They even started a war campaign against him under the false pretences of wanting justice done for the murder of the 3^rd Khalif Uthman. This fire was fuelled by Mu’awiya (of the Bani-Umaya who later would become one of the most tyrannical Dynasties in Islamic history) in order to create a disorder, confusion and chaos among the Muslims. Imam Ali (a-s) did all in his power to avoid bloodshed amongst the Muslims, though this turned out to be impossible and the Battle of the Camel was born, a battle for which one side thirsty for blood and revenge decided to forget the teachings of Islam and attack those who only wanted for true justice to be found and done in the name of ALLAH the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Also tyrannical governors were implanted throughout the Islamic states by the 3^rd Khalif Uthman who gave all the high positions of the Islamic Government to his relatives, these relatives, the Bani-Umaya, long time sworn enemies of the Holy Prophet (saww) and Islam. Mu’awiya’s (of the Bani-Umaya, son of Abu Sufyan) only devious plan was to take over the leadership of Islam and destroy it, in order to revenge their lost family members in the battles against Islam and he had a deep desire to quench his thirst for power and position supreme over all Muslims. Jealousy, hate, envy and revenge were the only doctrine Mu’awiya ever truly lived by and believed in.

During this time a fanatical group based on heresies and ignorance called the Kharijites, who were twisted, demented and ignorant men who had truly lost all true contact with Islam and any chance of their human perfection. The Kharijites chose the route of murder and brutality in order to push their corrupted vision of Religion and God. Their ignorance and fanatical driven hate brought to them only hell fire. They pushed Imam Ali (a-s) into war, and he responded to their evil and wicked call.

Reflect on this very small snap shot of the life of the great Imam Ali (a-s) and you will quickly discover without even trying to find it, Imam Ali  (a-s) infallibility comes out shining in every occasion. For only a very special man with a divinely gifted soul could even live through a small part of this man’s extremely adverse life, so just imagine Imam Ali (a-s) lived through it all and not only that but he (a-s) did so with a character of  great chivalry, gallantry, sanctity, holiness, sacredness and purity. Outside of Prophethood never has such a great story ever been told in the History of mankind like that of Imam Ali (a-s). Again I would love to go into deep explanations and details of these and so many other events in these Holy Saints lives but I must stay within the limits of our subject for this particular discourse, perhaps we can take a deeper investigation in a future article Insha’ALLAH.

Imam Ali’s Martyrdom:

Imam Ali (a-s) was born a Martyr, he lived as a living Martyr and naturally he left this transient world in Martyrdom. Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Azdi reported: ‘On that night I was sitting in the great masjid with men who were inhabitants of the town. During that month they used to pray from the beginning of the night to its end. I looked towards the men who were praying near the door and Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s), came out for the dawn prayer. He (a-s) began to call out; “The prayer, the prayer”. I was hardly aware of the call before I saw the flashing of swords and I heard someone saying: “Judgement belongs to ALLAH, Ali, not to you and your companions”. Then I heard Ali (a-s) saying: “don’t let the man escape you!” Then Ali (a-s) was struck by the sword of the cursed Ibn Muljam, and Shabib ibn Bajura came to strike him but he missed him, and his blow fell on the air. The group fled towards the gates of the Masjid and the people rushed to seize them’ (Kitab Al-Irshad: Shaykh al-Mufid (r-a) p. 12-13, English translation)

It is widely reported that when Imam Ali (a-s) was struck by the sword of Ibn Muljam (may ALLAH curse him), Imam Amir-al-Mu’minin Ali (a-s) said: “By the God of the Ka’bah! I’ve succeeded!” (The Martyr: Shaheed Ayatullah Allamah Shaykh Murtada Mutahhari (r-a)).

The Dishonesty and Treachery against Imam Hasan (a-s):

Imam Hasan’s (a-s) bravery, gallantry, high ethical standard, his knowledge, patience, kindness, purity and piety was legendary and above all others of his time. However, after the Martyrdom of his father Imam Ali (a-s), Mu’awiya quickly dispatched spies to Kufa and Basra in order to undermine Imam Hasan’s affaires. Mu’awiya during the Khalifat of Uthman managed to use bribes, power and Influence among many of the rich of that time. He built up a secret empire on the basis of hate, revenge and polytheism. At the time of the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a-s) he had a great number of spies and supporters amongst the followers of the Imams (a-s), so much so that Imam Hasan (a-s) could not put together an army of true followers, even though many people joined him (a-s) to fight Mu’awiya they were also deep down enemies of Islam, the Holy Qur’an and Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). Imam Hasan (a-s) was even violently attacked by men mixed in amongst his (a-s) army.

Shaykh Radi Aal-Yasin narrated: ‘The people pledged allegiance to al-Hasan ibn Ali (a-s). Then he went out with the people till he stopped at al-Mada’in. He (a-s) sent Qays ibn Sa’d to lead his vanguard that was composed of 12000 fighters. (In the meanwhile) Mu’awiya and the Syrians moved till they stopped at Maskan. While al-Hasan (a-s) had been at al-Mada’in, a caller called in the army: “Qays ibn Sa’d has been killed, so desert al-Hasan (a-s)”. So they deserted him (a-s), and plundered his tent to the extent that they plundered even his (a-s) prayer mat from under him’. (Sulh al-Hasan (a-s): by: Shaykh Radi Aal-Yasin).

Shaykh al-Mufid (r-a) reports:  ‘When Imam Hasan (a-s) was passing through the narrow pass of Sābāt, a man of Banu asad named: al-Jarrah ibn Sinan caught hold of the reins of the mule of Imam Hasan (a-s), he had an axe in his. He shouted: “Allahu akbar! You have become a polytheist, Hasan, just like your father became a polytheist before.” Then he stabbed Imam Hasan in the thigh. It penetrated right through to the bone.’(Kitab Al-Irshad: Shaykh al-Mufid (r-a) p. 283-284, English translation)

Imam Hasan (a-s) in fear of a all out civil war between all the different groups and a blood bath struggle for material power and position only, since those who had the true cause of Islam in their hearts were an extremely small number. He (a-s) bound himself in a peace treaty with Mu’awiya. One of the most important points in this agreement was that Mu’awiya would not leave the Khalifat to his accursed son Yazid, that the Khalifat should at that point returned to the true leaders: “those in authority from amongst you”. (Holy Qur’an 4 Surah An-Nisa 59) the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). (Either Imam Hasan (a-s) or his brother Imam Hussayn (a-s))

Imam Hasan’s (a-s) Martyrdom:

‘Ju’da bint al-Ash’ath ibn Qays. (Imam Hasan’s (a-s) wife) was encouraged by Mu’awiya to poison her husband the Holy Imam. Mu’awiya sent her 100000 dirhams and promised her marriage to Yazid (may ALLAH (swt) curse him), the son of Mu’awiya’. (Outline of the biographies of the leaders of Islam: Shaykh Ja’afar Subhani, Aqiih al-Farid; vol. 4 p. 251, Al-Imamat wa al-Siasat; vol. 1 p. 174 and Muruj al-Dhahab; vol.3 p.105)

‘Ibn Sireen, a servant of Hasan Ibn Ali (a-s) is reported to have said: “I was with Imam Hasan and Imam Hussayn (a-s) in the house. Imam Hasan (a-s) came out of the bathroom and said”: “I have been poisoned many times but this time the poison was very strong. When I examined with a stick a fleshy thing, which had come out, I discovered that it was a piece of my liver”.

Imam Hussayn (a-s) said: “Who poisoned you?”

Imam Hasan (a-s) replied: “Do you want to kill that person? May the wrath of ALLAH (swt) be upon him or her if it is the person, whom I suspect? If not, I do not want an innocent person to be implicated and punished”. (Muqatil ul-Talibeen: Abu Faraj Ishahani. (r-a) 284 A.H. to 356 A.H.)

This is the end of Part 3 please read Part 4 for continuation and conclusion of this discourse.

Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump.