What the Foremost Tabi`an Have Said

Others admitted the implication of this narrative, taking it for granted in their books and works. Here, we would like to cite what we can of their statements which all admit the existence of al-Muhassan but claim that he died young. We would like to point out that the claim that he died yung does not necessarily obligate them to admit that he died during the lifetime of the Prophet (A.S.). Rather, it contradicts what others have said that he died in a miscarriage.

Such texts are the following:

1. Al-Tabari and Ibn al-Athar have said, “... It has been mentioned that she conceived by him another son called Muhassan and that he died young.”¹

2. Yanus has said that he heard Ibn Ishaq saying, “Fatima (A.S.) gave birth by Ali (A.S.) to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young.”²

3. Ibn Ishaq has said, “Fatima (A.S.) gave birth by Ali (A.S.) to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan who died young.”³

4. Husam ad-Din Hamad ibn Ahmed al-Mahalli has said, “Al-Hasan and al-Husain, peace and blessings of Allah ⁴be upon them, and al-Muhassan who died young.”⁵

5. Al-Qastalani has said, “She gave birth to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young.”⁶

6. Ibn Hazm, of Andalusia, has said, “Ali (A.S.) ibn Abi Talib married Fatima (A.S.), so she gave birth to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and al-Muhassan. Al-Muhassan died young.”⁷ He also said, “These all, with the exception of al-Muhassan, left offspring. Al-Muhassan left no offspring. Al-Muhassan died very young at the time of his birth.”⁸

7. Al-Badkhashani al-Harithi has said, “As regarding her sons, she gave birth to three males: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. As regarding al-Hasan (A.S.) and al-Husain (A.S.), their discussion will follow. As regarding al-Muhassan, he died as a suckling infant.”⁹

8. Al-Muhibb al-Tabari has said, “Al-Hasan (A.S.) and al-Husain (A.S.) we have dealt with in detail in Manaqib Thawi al-Qurba, and they left behind them offspring. As for Muhassan, he died young. Their mother is Fatima.”¹⁰

9. Al-Muhibb al-Tabari has also said, “Others (other than al-Layth ibn Sa’d) have said that she gave birth to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young. She also gave birth to Umm Kulthum.”¹¹

10. Ibn al-Murtada has said the following about Fatima (A.S.): “She gave birth to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan who died young.”¹² He also said, “His sons by Fatima (A.S.) are: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, then Muhammed ibn al-Hanafiyya.”¹³

11. Al-Manawi has said, “Al-Layth has said that she gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, who died young, and Umm Kulthum.”¹⁴

It seems that the phrase “died young” is added by al-Manawi since others have quoted what al-Layth has said without mentioning this phrase.

12. Ibn Findaq, while listing the children of the Commander of the Faithfuly by Fatima (A.S.), has said: “Al-Hasan (A.S.) son of Ali (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) son of Ali (A.S.), al-Muhassan son of Ali (A.S.), who died young.”¹⁵

13. Al-Barri al-Talmasani has said, “Fatima (A.S.) gave birth by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan who died young.”¹⁶

14. Ibn al-Athar has counted him among the sahaba. Said he, “Muhassan son of Ali (A.S.) son of Aba Talib son of `Abd al-Muttalib al-Qarashi al-Hashimi. His mother is Fatima (A.S.) daughter of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.).” Then he mentions how the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) chose a name for him, adding, “Al-Muhassan died young. This is transmitted by Aba Masa.”¹⁷

15. Al-`Asqalani has said the following about al-Muhassan: “Ibn Fathan corrected what Ibn `Abd al-Birr has said about him, saying, `I think he died young.’”¹⁸ We do not know why he did not say that he thought he died in a miscarriage.

16. Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi has said, “Muhassan ibn Ali (A.S.) ibn Abi Talib: We do not know anything about him except in a tradition narrated by Hani ibn Hani from Ali (A.S.).” Then he mention the story of how al-Muhassan was originally named Harb then the Prophet (A.S.) changed his name adding, “It seems that he died as a young child.”¹⁹

He also said, “She gave birth by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Umm Kulthum and Zainab. It is said that she gave birth to a third son whom the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) named Muhassan saying, `I named them after the sons of Aaron: Shaba, Shubayr and Mushabbar.’”²⁰

17. She gave birth by Ali, may Allah be pleased with both of them, to our master al-Hasan (A.S.), our master al-Husain (A.S.), our Lady Zainab and our master Muhassan who died young.”²¹

18. Ibn al-Jawzi has said, “... Ibn Ishaq added the name of Muhassan to the list of the children of Fatima (A.S.) by Ali (A.S.) saying that (Muhassan) died young.”²²

19. Al-Sakhawi has said, “For the fourth (daughter of the Prophet [a], namely al-Zahra’ [a]), by Ali (A.S.), and who did not marry anyone else, are: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Umm Kulthum and Zainab. Muhassan died young.”²³

20. Al-`amiri has said, “A Chapter dealing with her children and the date of their birth; they are: Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Umm Kulthum and Zainab,” till he comes to say, “He (A.S.) named the sons of Fatima (A.S.), i.e. Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, after the sons of Aaron son of `Imran (Amram). Muhassan died young.”²⁴

21. Al-Shiblinji has said, “As regarding her sons, may Allah be pleased with her, they are: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan who died young.”²⁵

22. “Others (other than al-Layth ibn Sa’d) have said that she gave birth to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young.”²⁶

23. Ibn Kathar has said, “The first wife Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, married was Fatima (A.S.) daughter of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.). He married her after the Battle of Badr, so she gave birth by him to al-Hasan (A.S.) and al-Husain (A.S.) and, it is said, also Muhassan who died young.”²⁷

24. `Imad ad-Din Isma`al Abul-Fida’ has said, “Born to him by her al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, who died young, and Zainab..., etc.”²⁸

25. Al-Dalabi has quoted Ahmed ibn `Abd al-Jabbar quoting Yanus ibn Bakar saying, “I have heard Ibn Ishaq saying that Fatima (A.S.), daughter of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.), gave birth by Ali (A.S.) to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young. She also gave birth to Umm Kulthum and Zainab.”²⁹

26. Ibn Qutaybah has said, “She gave birth by Ali (A.S.) to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan and Umm Kulthum,”³⁰ adding, “As for Muhassan son of Ali (A.S.), he died young.”³¹

27. Al-Nuwayri has said, “It has been said that she gave birth to a son named Muhassan who died young.”³²

In another place, he said, “She, may Allah be pleased with her, gave birth to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young.”⁷ He also said, “All the male children of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, were fiften. They are: al-Hasan (A.S.) and al-Husain (A.S.), and Muhassan about whom there is a controversy...”³³

28. Sibt ibn al-Jawzi has said, “Ibn Ishaq has added the name of Muhassan, who died young, to the list of Fatima’s children by Ali.”³⁴

29. Al-Qastalani has said, “She gave birth by Ali (A.S.) to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan who died young.”³⁵

30. Sibt ibn al-Jawzi has said, “This testifies to what al-Zubayr ibn Bakar has said, that is, that Fatima (A.S.) conceived by Ali (A.S.) with another son whose name is Muhassan and who died young.”³⁶

31. Al-Qandazi has said, “She gave birth to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. Muhassan died young.”³⁷

32. Ibn Sayyid an-Nas has said, “So she gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, who died young, Umm Kulthum and Zainab (A.S.) etc.”³⁸

33. Khawand Ameer has said, “Ibn Ishaq and al-Layth ibn Sa`d, may Allah be pleaed with them, have both narrated saying that Fatima (A.S.) had two other children. Their names are: Muhassan and Ruqayya. They both died young.”³⁹

34. Al-Ya`qabi has said, “He (Ali []) had fourteen sons: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, who died young...”⁴⁰

35. Al-Maqdisi has said, “As regarding Muhassan son of Ali (A.S.), he died young.”⁴¹