The
Pledge Of Allegiance
The religion of
Islam is what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family,
propagated. For he (the Prophet): "Does not speak out of desire. It is
naught but revelation that is revealed." So the Prophet had the right to
nominate the Muslim successor for the succession. That is because the
succession is the high responsible authority for the lawful. Therefore
al-Hasan b. 'Ali was the legitimate successor whether the people pledged
allegiance to him or not.
The Apostle of
Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, mentioned al-Hasan within the
chain of the names of the twelve imams. The Prophet said many traditions
concerning al-Hasan and his brother al-Husayn. The Sunni scholars have
reported these traditions. [1] All the
Shi'ite scholars have agreed on the report of these traditions. In other
words the two parties (Sunna and Shi'a) have agreed on these traditions.
Among these traditions are: "You (al-Hasan and al Husayn) are two Imams.
Your mother has the intercession. [2] "This
(i.e., al-Husayn) is an Imam, the son of an Imam, the brother of an
Imam, and the father of the nine Imams. [3]
When Imam 'Ali got
ill, he ordered his son (al-Hasan) to lead the people in prayer. When
Imam 'Ali was about to die, he entrusted al-Hasan and said: "My son, you
are the trustee of authority and of blood." Imam 'Ali made al-Husayn,
Muhammad (b. al-Hanafiya), all his sons, the chiefs of his Shi'a
(followers), and the members of his House bear witness for his bequest.
Imam 'Ali gave al-Hasan the Book and the weapon, then he said to him:
"My son, the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, has
ordered me to entrust you and to give you my books and my weapon as the
Apostle of Allah entrusted me and gave me his books and his weapons.
Also he (the Prophet) has ordered me to order you that when death comes
to you, give them (the books and the weapon) to your brother al-Husayn."
Then Imam 'Ali turned to al-Husayn and said: "The Apostle of Allah has
ordered you to give them to this son of you."
[4] Then he took the hand of 'Ali b. al-Husayn and said: "The
Apostle of Allah has ordered you to give them to your son Muhammad. Send
him the greetings of the Apostle of Allah and my (greetings).
[5]
All tradition books
have mentioned this tradition through authentic reliable chains of
narrations on the authority of the members of the House (Ahl alBayt),
peace be on them. This tradition of 'Ali was appropriate for the
expected conditions. The Imami Shi'a use this method to prove the
Imamate. The Sunni scholars have reported successive Prophetic
traditions through their methods. Also non- Sunni scholars have clearly
reported the same traditions through their methods. They (the
traditions) have limited the Imamate to twelve Imams who were all from
Quraysh. [6] Also they some times mention
their names Imam by Imam to the last one of them, who is the awaited
Mahdi (the rightly guided one), with whom Allah will fill the earth with
justice when it is full of oppression and injustice.
Moreover, there are
personal texts which the imams said to nominate each other.
Then the supremacy
of each imam in knowledge, acts, miracles, and outstanding merits
underlines both kinds of the above- mentioned traditions.
As for the pledge of
allegiance of people, it is not a condition in the imamate of the Imam.
In other words, people should pledge allegiance to those whom the
Prophetic traditions have underlined. The Imamis regard pledging
allegiance to other than the Imam as a correct act. It (pledging
allegiance) is not accepted from anyone but at the time of compulsion.
The conditions
prevented the community from pledging allegiance to the nominated Imams
but two of them, who were 'Ali and al-Hasan peace be on them.
After al-Hasan, the
formal succession started. Such kind of succession was usurped through
weapons or money. Namely, such kind of succession occurred as al-Ghazali
said: "The people assumed the succession without any merit."
[7]
It was better for
the Muslims or the Muslim historians in particular to regard the end of
al-Hasan's succession as the beginning of the time of the kingdom. So
they would be able to know that time clearly through its aspects, its
policies, and its non-Islamic deeds. If they (the Muslims and the Muslim
historians) had done that, they would have maintained the ideal, Islamic
beliefs which that ideal succession followed. For they followed the
example of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. Also they
(they Muslims and the Muslim historians) would have protected Islam from
those kings who imposed their succession on Muslims. Unfortunately, the
Muslim historians have called those kings successors while they (the
kings) were not worthy of this title. For this reason, the mentioned
historians have wronged Islam though they wanted to do good for it.
I (the author)
wonder: was it appropriate for the successor, who had to be like the
Prophet in his words and acts, to perform the Friday prayer on Wednesday
or to perform it again in the morning? Was it appropriate for him to do
Islamically forbidden acts? In other words, was it appropriate for him
to sell gold for that which is more than it in weight, to attribute the
corrupt persons to the family of the Prophet, to murder the believing
people, and to supply the unbelievers with money to wage war against his
Muslim brothers, and the like? So why had the historians not called such
persons kings instead of calling them successor? Just imagine those
persons who succeeded Mu'awiya. Did they not belong to the tree which
Allah has cursed in the Qur'an? Just imagine Yazid, Abd al-Malik, al-Walid,
and the like!
All these acts
should urge Muslims to support Islam. They should not attribute to the
Islamic authority but to those ideal Imams who followed the example of
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.
As we have said that
al-Hasan was the most similar person to the Apostle of Allah, may Allah
bless him and his family, in form, manner, and nobility.
[8] He had the visage of prophets and the
glory of kings. He is the lord of the youth of Paradise in the
hereafter. The lord in the hereafter must be a lord in this world. His
grandfather the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family,
surnamed him the absolute lord.
We have known that
al-Hasan was the noblest person in ancestry. He was the best of men in
father, mother, uncle, aunt, grandmother, and grandfather, as Malik b. 'Ajlan
described him during the meeting of Mu'awiya.[9]
As al-Hasan had
these noble traits and a textual nomination, then why didn't the people
pledge Allegiance to him? Why didn't they let him assume the high
religious position (i.e., the succession)? If it is difficult for us to
understand the Imamate and the succession through these excellent
abilities and outstanding merits, then which quality can renext them all
and help us understand the Imamate or the succession?
Al-Hasan, peace be
on him, carne out to meet the people. He was indifferent to their
attitude towards him. Thus he stood on the pulpit of his father peace be
on him to praise him. He said: "There has died to night a man who was
the first among the early (Muslims) in (good) actions. Nor did any later
(Muslims) attain his level in (good) actions. He used to fight alongside
the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, and protect
him with his own life. The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his
family, used to send him forward with his standard while Gabriel
supported him on his right and Michael supported him on his left. He
would not return until Allah brought victory through his hands. He,
peace be on him, has died on this night on which Jesus, son of Mary, was
taken up (to Heaven), on which Joshua, son of Nun, the testamentary
trustee (wasr) of Moses, peace be on him, died. He has left behind him
no gold and silver except seven hundred dirhams of his stipend ( 'ata),
with which he was intending to buy a servant for his family."
[10]
This praise of
al-Husayn is unique. Also his style is oratorical. We have never read
such kind of style. For al-Hasan, as you see, has not mentioned the
known qualities of the great late Imam. People used to hear these
qualities during such attitudes when great men are praised. People used
to praise great men to show their noble qualities such as knowledge,
patience, eloquence, bravery, generosity, lineage, nobility,
faithfulness, refusal, and the like. Among the great men was 'Ali, who
astonished the praisers. Therefore why did al-Hasan, peace be on him,
refrain from following the known method in praising the great ones? I
(the author) wonder: Did the strong shock resulting from his father's
death prevent him from that? In other words, al-Hasan was an eloquent
orator. He was the son of the most eloquent person in oration. Therefore
why did he not mention his father's known qualities? Did he
intentionally use this style? So al-Hasan was the most eloquent orator
in using appropriate words for such an occasion. Besides he was the
longest of them in oration though his words were short.
Yes, al-Hasan
praised his father in the manner which no one had used before him in
history. He mentioned certain qualities to praise his father. The
qualities were not appropriate for anyone in history except 'Ali.
Namely, no one of great men has such qualities. Therefore they are Alid
traits.
Al-Hasan mentioned
the Divine qualities of his father. He wanted to indicate that there was
no one like his father throughout history.
Imam 'Ali was a man.
However, the early people were not like him, nor were the later ones. He
was a human being. However, he was between Gabriel and Michael. His
spirit was taken up (to Heaven) on the night on which Jesus was taken up
(to Heaven), on which Moses died, and on which the Qur'an came down to
the earth. He spent all stages of his life with a close angel, a sent
prophet, and a sent down Book. He was with the Apostle of Allah. He was
ready to sacrifice his life for him. So the noble qualities in this
world are not important in comparison with the Divine ones. For this
reason, al-Hasan did not mention the noble traits in this world when he
praised his father.
Now, you may agree
with me on this unique style which al-Hasan used to praise his father,
peace be on them. Namely, he used the most eloquent praise and the most
appropriate style for the late Imam at that time.
This is one of al-Hasan's
oratorical attitudes that indicate his close relation to his father and
his grandfather, may Allah bless them and their families. Al-Hasan, the
Successor, peace be on him, delivered many sermons after his father's
death. For the people pledged allegiance to him. Moreover, he faced many
critical situations.
'Ubayd Allah b. 'Abbas
b. 'Abd al-Muttalib, al-Hasan's cousin, stood by the pulpit in al-Masjid
al-Jami' that was full of people. He was waiting for the people to stop
weeping after al-Hasan's praise for his father, peace be on them.
Then 'Ubayd Allah
said the following words with his sounding inherited voice that boomed
in the earth as it boomed in the sky. From the first day, he propagated
the message of the sky in the earth: "This is your Imam. He is the
grandson of your Prophet and trustee of authority of your Imam. So
pledge allegiance to him. 'With him Allah guides those who will follow
His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter
darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path.'"
Many people
remembered the tradition of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him
and his family, till the day when Imam 'Ali died. The tradition was
concerning the succession of al-Hasan after his father. So the people
said: "How dear is he (al-Hasan) with us! How obligatory is his right on
us! What appropriate is he for the succession!" Then they rushed
willingly to pledge allegiance to him.
That (the pledge of
allegiance) was on the twenty- first of the month of Ramadan, on the day
when his father (peace be on him) died, in the year 40 A.H.
[11]
In this manner, Kufa
was the first to pledge allegiance to al-Hasan, peace be on him. Then
Basrah and al-Mada'in pledged allegiance to him. Then all Iraqis pledged
allegiance to him. Then Hijaz (Saudi Arabia) and the Yemen, headed by
the great leader Jariya b. Qaddama, pledged allegiance to him. Then
Persia (Iran) pledged allegiance to him with the help of its leader
Ziyad b. 'Ubayd. Moreover, the great figures of the Emigrants (muhajrin)
and of the Supporters (Ansar) pledged allegiance to him. Generally
speaking, no one refused to pledge allegiance to al-Hasan, peace be on
him, but Mu'awiya and his followers. So Mu'awiya led his followers to
the way of misguidance. Besides other persons adopted a neutral
attitude, so they were called al-quad (the neutral).
The religious
succession was achieved according to its general phenomenon through the
free pledge of allegiance. This was the second pledge of allegiance in
the history of the family of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his
family. So al-Hasan's Imamate came to the Muslims through the holy way
in which Prophethood came to them half a century before. So al-Hasan's
Imamate had a close relation to the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless
him and his family. For it is regarded as continuation for the Prophetic
mission through which the people were guided. In other words, the new
Successor (i.e., al-Hasan) was ideal materially and spiritually.
According to these
outstanding merits, al-Hasan, peace be on him, was the most appropriate
person for the succession as the poet said:
He obtained the
succession because it was predetermined for him.
As Musa (Moses) came
to his Lord due to predetermination.
After the people had
pledged allegiance to Imam al-Hasan, peace be on him, he started his new
time through his historical, eloquent speech. Through this speech he
mentioned the outstanding merits of the members of the House (Ahl
al-Bayt) and their clear right to authority. Then he told the people
about the expected dangers from which Islam would suffer. The following
is some of his eloquent speech: "We are the victorious party of Allah.
We are the close family of the Apostle of Allah. We are the good, pure
members of his House. We are one of the two valuable things (al-thaqalayn)
which the Apostle of Allah left behind him in his community. The other
is the Book of Allah, in which there are details for everything. 'False
shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it.' So reliance is
on us in explaining it. We do not depend on doubts in explaining it.
Rather we are certain of its facts. Therefore obey us, for our obedience
is obligatory. It is as obligatory as the obedience to the Apostle of
Allah. Allah, the Great and Almighty said: 'O you who believe! Obey
Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from you; then if you
quarrel about any thing, refer it to Allah and the Apostle.' Then He
said: '.And if they had referred it to the Prophet and to those in
authority among them, those among them who can search out the knowledge
of it would have known it.'"
In the end of his
speech, al-Hasan, peace be on him said: "I warn you not to listen to the
temptation of the Satan, for he is a clear enemy for you. Therefore you
will be like his followers to whom he said: 'No one of the people can
overcome you this day, and surely I am your protector; but when the two
parties came in sight of each other he turned upon his heels, and said:
Surely I am clear of you, surely I see what you do not see.' So 'On the
day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, its faith shall not
profit a soul that did not believe before, or earn good through its
faith.'"
[12]
Then al-Hasan, peace
be on him, got off his pulpit to regulate the governors, to appoint the
commanders, and to take care of the affairs.
[13]
Accepting the
Succession
Some pedantic
critics thought that al-Hasan, peace be on him, was hasty when he
accepted the succession at that time when the people pledged allegiance
to him. For that time was about to result in hardships.
To understand
whether al-Hasan, peace be on him, was hasty or not according to this
criticism, we must explain the reason why al Hasan, peace be on him,
accepted the succession:
1. As it was a
religious duty on the people to pledge allegiance to the nominated Imam,
it was incumbent on the Imam, who had supporters, to accept the
succession from the people.
Al-Hasan, peace be
on him, had many supporters. For the people all over the Muslim
countries gathered together to pledge allegiance to him. So he had no
right to fail to accept the obligatory succession. For the situation was
appropriate.
2. This criticism
concerning the succession of al-Hasan, peace be on him, has resulted
from a pure worldly viewpoint. Thus the researcher must take the
religious viewpoint into account. For there is a great difference
between the religious viewpoint and the worldly one. From here, this
matter subject is victory, not loss, as we will explain it in its proper
next. Although the pledge of allegiance to al-Hasan, peace be on him,
resulted in hardships, the hardships were for the sake of Islam. Then
who was better than al-Hasan, peace be on him, in bearing the hardships
for Islam?
3. Al-Hasan had a
high social rank among the Muslim leaders, noble lineage, and plentiful
knowledge. Thus he was unable to abandon the people even if he wanted
that intentionally, nor did the people abandon him even if he wanted to
abandon them. Moreover, many violent events occurred successively in the
Muslim society. Such events urged him to take on an attitude to enforce
the right and to forbid the wrong, as his brother al-Husayn, peace be on
him, did at his time.
If al-Hasan, peace
be on him, had abandoned the people and turned away from their pledge of
allegiance to him, and if the people had abandoned him and refrained
from pledging allegiance to him, the oppressive rulers would have not
left him. For they thought that he was a fearful ghost. That is because
his high social rank, his noble ancestry, and his plentiful knowledge
spread righteousness among the people. Meanwhile the people were
indignant with that situation. Thus they opposed the rulers, and
propagated the religion of Allah. At that time, the people did not find
anyone better than the beloved grandson of the Apostle of Allah to refer
to in their religious affairs. Apart from this, delegations came to
al-Hasan, peace be on him, and told him that they were ready to oppose
the Umayyad rulers to bring back the usurped right. This underlines the
clear wrath that prevailed the Muslim society, then.
[14] Of course, the authority of the
oppressors was shaky as long as this prominent figure (i.e., al-Hasan)
was among the people who referred to him in their religious affairs.
We must always
remember that al-Hasan, peace be on him, was given poison to drink. Why
did they (the Umayyad rulers) kill him while he made peace with them and
left all this world for them? Does this not mean that they were afraid
of him? For he would shake their authority and prevent the hearts of the
people from inclining towards them. Besides, does this not indicate that
the people refused to consult anyone concerning their religious affairs
except him?
All these events
occurred after the Peace Treaty. Still some groups of his followers and
other than they have criticized him for his peaceful attitude with
Mu'awiya.
I (the author)
wonder: how would the Muslims have treated al Hasan, peace be on him, if
he had refused the succession from the beginning? That is because they
were longing very much for his succession. Accordingly, was it possible
for al-Hasan, peace be on him, to be the ray of hope and shelter for the
indignant and the opposers? Was it possible for his careful eyes to
sleep and leave their world?
So which mind
accepts that al-Hasan, peace be on him, was hasty when he accepted the
succession?
The succession, in
its origin, was the position of his father. So he (al-Hasan) and his
brother (al-Husayn) inherited it. That is what Imam Musa b. Ja'far,
peace be on them, said.
As for the
disturbances which these critics have mentioned, they were created by
the opposers in Kufa. In the meantime, no one of those disturbances
harmed al-Hasan, peace be on him, as long as the people supported him.
It is worth mentioning that every caliph or leader has opposers.
So accepting the
succession was the most feasible idea in all circumstances. Rather, it
was incumbent on al-Hasan, peace be on him, to accept the succession to
maintain the public interest and to enforce the right.
[1]
Al-Qunduzi, Yanabi' al-Mawadda, vo1.2, p. 440. Ibn al-Khashshab, Ta'rikh.
Ibn al-Sabbagh, al-Fusul al-Muhimma. Al-Hafiz al-Kunji, al-Bayan. As'ad
b. Ibrahim b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali al-Hanbali, al-Arba'iniya. Hafiz al-Bukhari
(Khaja Barsa), Fasl al-Khitab.
[2]
Al-Shibrawi al-Shafi'i, al-Ithaf bi Hub al-Ashraf (Egypt), p.129. Al
Safuri al-Shafi'i, vol. 2, p. 148.
[3]
Ibn Taymiya, al-Minhaj, vol. 4, p. 210.
[4]
Al-Mas'udi, Hamish b. al-Athir, vol. 6, 61.
[5]
'Usul al-Kafi, p. 151. Kashf al-Ghumma, p.159.
[6]
In his book called 'al-Sahih, vol.2, p. 119, Chapter: People were the
Followers of Quraysh, Muslim has reported on the authority of Jabir b.
Samra, who said: "I (i.e., Jabir) heard the Apostle of Allah, may Allah
bless him and his family, saying: 'The religion will last till the hour
(i.e., the Day of Judgment) starts, and there will be twelve Imams over
them (people), who are all from Quraysh.'" A similar tradition has been
reported by: al-Bukhari, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hamidi, and the like.
[7]
Farid Wajdi, Da'irat al-Ma'arif, vo1.3, p. 231.
[8]
Al-Mufid, al-Irshad, p. 167. Al-Ya'qubi, al-Ta'rikh, vol. 1, p.201.
[9]
One day Mu'awiya said to the noble people from Quraysh and others: "Tell
me about the best person in father, mother, uncle, aunt, grandmother,
and grandfather." So Malik b. 'Ajlan stood up, pointed to al Hasan, and
said: "There he is! His father was 'Ali b. Abu Talib. His mother was
Fatima, the daughter of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and
his family. His uncle was Ja'far al-Tayyar (the one who flies in the
gardens). His aunt was Umm Hani' the daughter of Abu Talib. His uncle
was al-Qasim the son of the Apostle of Allah. His aunt was Zaynab the
daughter of the Apostle of Allah. His grandfather was Allah's Apostle.
And His grandmother was Khadija bint (the daughter of) Khuwaylid." (al-Bayhaqi,
vol. l, p.62).
[10]
Al-Ya'qubi, Ta'rikh, vol. 2, p.190. Ibn al-Athir, vol. 2, p. 190.
Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.
[11]
Ibn Abu al-Hadid, vol. 4, p. 11. Other than b. Abu al-Hadid, has mention
'Abd Allah in stead of his brother 'Ubayd Allah.
In Chapter
'Leadership and War,' we will mention that 'Abd Allah was not in Kufa
when the people pledged allegiance to al-Hasan, peace be on him.
[12]
Hisham b. Hasan has reported this sermon. He said: "It (the sermon) is
some of his (i.e., al-Hasan's) sermons after the pledge of allegiance to
him. See Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 10, p. 99. Also see al-Mas'udi
[13]
Most historians have reported this text.
[14]
Al-Imama wa al-Siyasa
Sulh al-Hasan
By: Shaykh Radi Yasin
P. 31 - 41 |