Name:                   HASSAN(AS)
Title:                    AL-MUJTABAH(A.S)
Kunyat:                ABUL MOHAMMAD(A.S)
Born:                    On Tuesday, 15h. Ramadan, 3 AH in Al-Medina, Arabia
GrandFather:       The Holy Prophet Mohammad(pbuh&hf)
Father:                  Imam Ali Ibin Abe Taleb(A.S)
Mother:                The Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra(A.S)
Cause of Death:   Poisioned by his wife, who was tricked by Muawiyah Ibin Abu Suffayan
Date of Death:      On Thursday, 28th. Safar, 50 Ah
Buried:                  Jannat-ul-Baqi Public Cementary, in Al-Medina, Arabia

 

On the fifteenth of the holy month of Ramadhan, in the third year after Hijrah (migration), the Prophetic house announced the birth of the first grandson of the Prophet (s.a.w.). This good Joy news was given to the Chosen Prophet (s.a.w.). A look of covered his noble face and happiness flooded his heart. He hastened to the house of his daughter, the chaste Zahra', to communicate his congratulations and show hisdelight The blessed newborn baby was taken to him, in the arms of Um-Salamah, or in another version, Asma', daughter of Umays. The Prophet (s.a.w.) received him with the whole of his pureexistence. He carried him in his arms. He kissed him and pressed him to his chest.Then he said the call to prayer (adhan) in his right ear anrecited the call to begin the prayer (iqamah) in his left ear. The first voice that embraced the newborn's hearing and entity was, thus, the voice of right.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) turned to Imam Ali (a.s.) and asked him:
"What name did you give my son?"
"I wouldn't precede you in doing it," Imam Ali (a.s.) replied.
"Nor would I precede my Lord," averred the Prophet (s.a.w.).
(3) No sooner did this short dialogue take place between the Messenger(s.a.w.) and his trustee, about the name of the new baby, thanthe Divine, Holy revelation came to the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w.) telling him that Allah, the Glorified, had named the baby, Hasan.
(4)That was the first phase of the Islamic rituals in honoringImam Hasan (a.s.), the noble baby.

On the seventh day of his blessed birth, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) went to the house of Fatimah to do the remaining rituals. He slaughtered a sheep, and gave a thigh to the midwife. He also gave her one dinar in gratitude for the efforts she made for the sake of the baby and his mother, al-Zahra' (a.s.). Then he shaved the infant Imam Hasan's (a.s.) head and gave the worth of the weight of his hair in silver as alms to the poor He dyed his head with al-Khuluq (a kind of perfume).

He forbid his wives to dye the baby's head with blood because that was, as he explained, a practice of the Arabs in Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era). He dispensed with the ceremony of circumcision as Imam Hasan (a.s.) was born circumcised, as were all the prophets of Allah and the Holy Imams from the household of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.). This state was one of the signs of Allah of their special position in this world and with Allah, the Almighty.These rituals, which the Prophet (s.a.w.) performed for ImamHasan (a.s.) became a sunnah which the Muslims adopted to receive their newborn babies.
 

The researcher who examines the life of the Holy Prophet's grandson, Imam Hasan and his brother, Imam Hussein (a.s.), can't help drawing the conclusion that they enjoyed a high level of education and spiritual and ideological upbringing, which no other person had won next to their grandfather (s.a.w.), mother and father (a.s.).

The imprints of the revelation and Divine care marked their characters, in all its aspects, ingredients and angles. They were highly refined and brought up in line with Islam's teachings by their grandfather, the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w.), their father, Imam Ali (a.s.), and their mother Fatimah Al-Zahra' (a.s.), through excellent examples and direct daily guidance.

Although they lost both their grandfather and mother at an early age, their upbringing suffered no interruption. Their father, Imam Ali bin Abi-Talib (a.s.), the disciple of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), and the graduate from the school of Divine revelation, who was the beacon for the people, was alive, throwing his shade over them. There is no doubt that Imams Hasan and Hussein (a.s.) wound up in the stage of Divine preparation.

They were prepared to shoulder the responsibility of the Divinemessage, in form and content. The ultimate result was that both Imams Hasan and Hussein (a.s.) became Islam personified walking on the earth. As the ingredients of the characters of the two Imams were the same, they were singular in their behavior, march, steps and goals, which were Islamic in their entirety.The nature of our discussion dictates that we present lively examples from Imam Hasan's (a.s.) spiritual, scientific, and ethical activities.

The excellent preparation which was provided for the grandson of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), helped his spiritual entity to sublimate. His closeness to Allah, and his attachment to Him was a source of awe and respect. Following are a few narratives which shed light on this side of his character:

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said

"Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) was certainly the most true worshipper,
ascetic and merited man among the people of his time."
Rawdhat al-Wa'ideen (Orchard of the Preachers) mentions
thatwhenever "Hasan would do his ablution, he would tremble
and his face would turn pale. He was asked about it, and
he replied: 'It is only natural that one who stands in the
presence of the Lord of the Throne turns ashen, and trembles...'"
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) is also reported to have said:

"Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) had certainly gone to hajj twenty-five times on foot. He shared his property with Allah twice...or three times."

Ali bin Jadh'an, and Abu-Na'im report in Hulyat al-Awaliya' (Ornament of the Saints) and Tabaqat bin Sa'd (Castes of bin Sa'd) that Imam Hasan had given all his money to the needy twice, seeking Allah's pleasure, and had given half his money to the needy three times. He would even give a single shoe and retain the other, and give a single sandal and retain the other. When he approached the door of the mosque, he would say. 'O Lord! Your guest is at Your gate.O Generous! The transgressor has come to You. Forgive me my ugly deeds with Your Generosity. O Generous!' When he remembered death he wept. When he thought of the grave he wept.

When he thought of the Resurrection and Day of Judgement he gasped so deeply and painfully that he fainted because of it.When he recited the Qur'an and came across a verse addressing the faithful by these words: 'O you who believe...,' he said: 'Here I am, my Lord, here I am...' As for his charity and alms, suffice it to say that he had given all his money twice and half his money three times in the way of Allah.(9)

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 asubject 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. Mybrother, 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 hadjoined 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 A'isha 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, evenif 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.