The Second Imam
Imam Hasan Mujtaba - upon
whom be peace - was the second Imam. He and his brother Imam Husayn were
the two sons of Amir al-mu'minin Ali and Hadrat Fatimah, the daughter of
the Prophet. Many times the Prophet had said, "Hasan and Husayn are my
children." Because of these same words Ali would say to his other
children, "You are my children and Hasan and Husayn are the children of
the Prophet."
Imam Hasan was born in the
year 3 A.H. in Medina and shared in the life of the Prophet for somewhat
over seven years, growing up during that time under his loving care.
After the death of the Prophet which was no more than three, or
according to some, six months earlier than the death of Hadrat Fatimah,
Hasan was placed directly under the care of his noble father. After the
death of his father, through Divine Command and according to the will of
his father, Imam Hasan became Imam; he also occupied the outward
function of caliph for about six months, during which time he
administered the affairs of the Muslims. During that time Mu'awiayh, who
was a bitter enemy of Ali and his family and had fought for years with
the ambition of capturing the caliphate, first on the pretext of
avenging the death of the third caliph and finally with an open claim to
the caliphate, marched his army into Iraq, the seat of Imam Hasan's
caliphate. War ensued during which Mu'awiyah gradually subverted the
generals and commanders of Imam Hasan's army with large sums of money
and deceiving promises until the army rebelled against Imam Hasan.
Finally, the Imam was forced to make peace and to yield the caliphate to
Mu'awiyah, provided it would again return to Imam Hasan after
Mu'awiyah's death and the Imam's household and partisans would be
protected in every way.
In this way Mu'awiyah
captured the Islamic caliphate and entered Iraq. In a public speech he
officially made null and void all the peace conditions and in every way
possible placed the severest pressure upon the members of the Household
of the Prophet and the Shi'ah. During all the ten years of his imamate,
Imam Hasan lived in conditions of extreme hardship and under
persecution, with no security even in his own house. In the year 50 A.H.
he was poisoned and martyred by one of his own household who, as has
been accounted by historians, had been motivated by Mu'awiyah.
In human perfection Imam
Hasan was reminiscent of his father and a perfect example of his noble
grandfather. In fact, as long as the Prophet was alive, he and his
brother were always in the company of the Prophet who even sometimes
would carry them on his shoulders. Both Sunni and Shi'ite sources have
transmitted this saying of the Holy Prophet concerning Hasan and Husayn:
"These two children of mine are Imams whether they stand up or sit down"
(allusion to whether they occupy the external function of caliphate or
not). Also there are many traditions of the Holy Prophet and Ali
concerning the fact that Imam Hasan would gain the function of imamate
after his noble father.
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