Mentioning al-Muhassan Without Mentioning the Reason for His Death

It is quite obvious that many scholars have included the name of al-Muhassan among the offspring of Ali (A.S.) and Fatima (A.S.) without pointing out to his fate. This does not negate the fact that he was miscarried. As regarding those who did not count him among his sons, their doing so does not mean that they denied his existence because they intended to research only those who lived from among their offspring, peace be upon both of them.

We would like to list some of them here:

1. Al-Fayrooz-Abadi has said, “The name Shabbar is like Baqqam; Shubayr is like Qomayr, and Mushabbir is like Muhaddith: sons of Aaron, peace be upon him. It is said that the Prophet (A.S.) coined after them the names of al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and al-Muhassan.”¹

2. Al-Zubaidi has said, “It is said that the Prophet (A.S.) coined the names of his sons al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and al-Muhassan, after theirs (the sons of Aaron). Thus is written in some narratives.”

Ibn Barri has said, “I have found Ibn Khalawayh explaining these names. He says that Shubar and Shubayr and Muhammar are the sons of Aaron, peace be upon him. In Arabic, they mean Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan respectively.”

3. He went on to say, “According to them did Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, named his sons: (after) Shubar, Shubayr and Mushabbar, meaning Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan.”²

4. Aba `Abdullah Muhammed ibn Ishaq ibn Mandah al-Isbahani, may Allah have mercy on him, has said the following in Kitab al-Ma`rifa: “Ali (A.S.) married Fatima (A.S.) in Medina one year after the Hijra. About a year thereafter, she gave birth by him to al-Hasan (A.S.), then al-Husain (A.S.), then al-Muhassan, then Zainab al-Kurbra, then Umm Kulthum al-Kubra.”³

5. Ibn al-Athar, quoting Ibn `Abbas, has said in one of his discussions, “Fatima (A.S.) was the wife of Ali (A.S.). She gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.), Muhassan and Zainab.”⁴

6. Al-Layth ibn Sa’d is quoted as having said, “Ali (A.S.) married Fatima (A.S.) who gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Zainab and Umm Kulthum.”⁵

7. Al-Thahbi has said, “Ibn `Abd al-Birr has said that he (Ali [a]) married her (Fatima [a]) after the Battle of Uhud. She gave birth by him to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Umm Kulthum and Zainab.”⁶

8. Al-`Asqalani has listed him among the sahab saying, “Al-Muhassan son of Ali (A.S.) ibn Abi Talib ibn `Abd al-Muttalib, of Bani Hashim, a grandson of the Prophet.”⁷ then he cited what Ibn Fathan has written about him.

9. Shams ad-Din, namely Muhammed (A.S.) ibn Tolon, has said, “Ali (A.S.) had the following children: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Umm Kulthum..., etc.”⁸

10. Al-Nawawi has said, “Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, had the following children: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Umm Kulthum al-Kubra and Zainab al-Kubra. All of them were by Fatima.”⁹

11. Al-Diyar Bakri has said, “Al-Layth ibn Sa’d is quoted as saying that Ali (A.S.) married Fatima (A.S.), so she gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Zainab..., etc.”¹⁰

12. Ibn Kathar has said, “... ‘so she gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), so he is called `Abul-Hasan,’ and al-Husain (A.S.), who was martyred in Iraq.’ I said: `And Muhassan...,’ etc.”¹¹

13. Ibn Hassan has said, “Ali (A.S.) ibn Abi Talib had twenty-five children. Among his sons are: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan. He also had Umm Kulthum..., etc.”¹²

14. “Ali’s children by Fatima (A.S.) were three males: Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, and two daughters: Zainab and Umm Kulthum. All of them left offspring with the exception of Muhassan.”¹³

15. He had fourteen males; among them were: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan, all by Fatima (A.S.) daughter of the Messenger of Allah.”¹⁴

16. Al-Layth ibn Sa’d is quoted as having said, “Ali (A.S.) married Fatima (A.S.), so she gave birth by him to Hasan (A.S.), Husain (A.S.), Muhassan, Zainab, Umm Kulthum and Ruqayya.”¹⁵

17. In the book titled Bughyat al-Talib, it is stated that his children, may Allah be pleased with them, were fourteen sons and eighteen daughters according to the consensus of the scholars. There is a difference of opinion regarding the males which some count as twenty and regarding the females which some count as twenty-two. As regarding the males, they are: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and Muhassan...”¹⁶

18. Muhammed ibn al-Shahnah has said, “It was born for Ali (A.S.) of the males fourteen and of the females many. By Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, he had al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), Muhassan and Zainab.”¹⁷

19. Al-Khawarizmi has said, “For Ali (A.S.), she gave birth to al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.), al-Muhassan, Umm Kulthum al-Kubra..., etc.”¹⁸

20. `Omer Aba al-Nasr has said, “Fatima (A.S.) daughter of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) was blessed by her husband, Imam Ali (A.S.) ibn Abi Talib, with five children: al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Huain, al-Muhassan, Zainab al-Kubra and Umm Kulthum al-Kubra.”¹⁹

21. Al-Mazandarani has said, “He gave her these kunyats: mother of al-Hasan (A.S.), mother of al-Husain (A.S.), mother of al-Muhassan, mother of the Imams, and mother of her father..., etc.”²⁰

22. Shaikh `Abbas al-Qummi has said, “... Al-Mas`adi states in Muraj al-Thahab, Ibn Qutaybah in Al-Ma`arif, and Noor ad-Din al-`Abbas Al-Musawi al-Shami in Azhar Bustan al-Naziran have all said that Muhassan is counted among the offspring of the Commaner of the Faithful, peace be upon him.”²¹