Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn abi Talib

Who was al-Hassan ibn Ali?

This blog is going to discuss the life story of al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn abi Talib, the prince of the believers and  the prophet’s grandson. His mother was Fatima al-Zahraa, the prophet’s daughter. He was the fifth rightly guided Khalifa. Ibn Ali had an important effect on the historical events of Islam. The Holy Quran studies and Islamic studies assure us that Al-Hassan enjoyed good manners, knowledge and favor. He managed to reconcile two clashing Muslim groups and stop Muslims’ bloodshed. Ibn Ali -belonged to a virtuous family tree which affected his character. It led him to do the great works he did.  He descended from Bani Hashim on both sides. Therefore, he was intelligent with a balanced character.

The father of al-Hassan ibn Ali:

His  father, grew up in the prophet’s house with prophet Mohammad and his first wife, Khadijah. Ali was the prophet’s cousin who embraced Islam as a child. Ali learnt a lot from the prophet. He endangered himself to redeem prophet Mohammad during the migration to Madina. Later, he migrated and took part in all the prophet’s battles, except for the Tabuk Battle , when the prophet appointed him mayor of al-Madina. Ali wept because prophet Mohammad kept him with women and children. He wanted to fight in the cause of Allah. The prophet said Ali was to him like Haroun was to Mousa.

The mother of al-Hassan ibn Ali:

His mother was lady Fatima al-Zahraa, the beloved daughter of prophet Mohammad. Fatima’s mother was lady Khadijah bint Khuailid. al-Zahra was born in Makkah while the Quraish were rebuilding al-Kabah. Prophet Mohammad was thirty-five years old. Therefore, Fatima enjoyed the full care, love and affection of her virtuous parents. When prophet Mohammad received the first revelation and became a prophet, Fatima became one of the first and early believers in Islam.The elite of Makkah used to harm and give prophet Mohammad hard times. Therefore, Fatima used to follow her father, defending her father. Her love for her father was matchless.

The engagement of Ali and Fatima:

After the battle of Badr which was mentioned in the Holy Quran, it happened that Ali went to prophet Mohammad. Ali wanted to tell the prophet something. However, Ali was too shy to speak. Prophet Mohammad asked Ali what the matter was. The prophet added that Ali might have wanted to marry Fatima. Ali answered in affirmative. Prophet Mohammad asked Ali to give Fatima the shield as a dowry. Prophet Mohammed met Fatima and told her about Ali’s proposal. She blushed and was silent. Prophet Mohammad understood that Fatima consented to the proposal. Finally, Fatima said in shyness, “I agree to what prophet Mohammad agrees to.”

The birth of al-Hassan ibn Ali:

Fatima got pregnant . Umul-Fadl took care of her. Umul-Fadl wanted to help Fatima as much as she could. Once Umul-Fadl had a dream. She dreamt that she saw a piece of the prophet’s body in her house. When Umul-Fadl told prophet Mohammad about her dream, he said that fatima would give birth to a baby boy and that Umul-Fadl would suckle that baby. They all rejoiced at this good news and waited for Fatima to give birth. When Fatima did, prophet Mohammad arrived and received the baby. He said the Adhan in the baby’s right ear and the Iqama in the left one.

Ali dreams for his son:

Islamic studies teach us that Ali had great expectations for his newborn son. Ali imagined his son as a brave knight fighting for the cause of Allah. Therefore, Ali wanted to give the baby the name of Harb which means a war in Arabic. Prophet Mohammad disagreed and gave the baby the name of Hassan. Prophet Mohammad slaughtered two rams in celebration of his birth. He gave the midwife a quarter of the ram as a gift. He rubbed the baby’s head with musk, instead of blood which was one of the Arab’s traditions before islam. Umul-Fadl suckled the baby. Once, she gave him to prophet Mohammad who held him.

Al-Hassan with his grandfather:

Abu Huraira once said that whenever he saw him, he would weep. Once prophet Mohammad got out of his house while Abu Huraira was in the mosque. The prophet took Abu Huraira’s hand and leaned on him till they reached the market of Bani Qainuqa. When the prophet returned to the mosque. The prophet asked them to get him his grandson, al-Hassan. Al-Hassan sat in the prophet’s lap. He  began to trifle with the prophet’s beard and put his mouth on the prophet’s. Prophet Mohammad said, “Oh Allahumma, I love him and please, oh Allah love those who love him.” many times.

The prophet prays, al-Hassan mounts on his back:

Abu Bakrah said that while they were praying, al-Hassan would come and mount on the back of prophet Mohammad. Prophet Mohammad would gently move lest the boy should fall off. The companions asked about it. Prophet Mohammad said, “ He is my basil in this worldly life. My son is a master and may he reconcile two clashing groups of Muslims one day.” Once, prophet Mohammad was carrying ahim  on his shoulders. A man said, “What a good mount!”  Prophet Mohammad said, “No, you should have said, “What a good rider!” He  and al-Husain were called the prophet’s two sons. They were proud of this. 

Aal al-Bait, the prophet’s household:

We learn from the Islamic studies that both he and al-Husain called the prophet as their dad. When he  called his father, Ali, he would say father of al-Husain. When al-Husain called his father Ali, he would say father of al-Hassan. When the prophet died, they called Ali as their father. Though he and al-Husian were fairly young, they heard the prophet’s hadith. he said “I put a date in my mouth, prophet Mohammad took it off my mouth. When prophet Mohammad gave a sermon, He and al-Husain would walk among the worshipers. They would stumble. Prophet Mohammad would climb down the minber and make them sit beside him.

The eminence of al-Hassan for the Sahaba:

Al-Hassan had a special prominence for the Sahaba, the prophet’s companions. This was mainly because prophet Mohammad loved him. Physically, he looked much like prophet Mohammad. Therefore, the prophet’s companions used to look at him. When they did, they would weep, remembering prophet Mohammad. Ali said that al-Hassan looked like prophet Mohammad, especially the upper part of his body. Once, Khalifa Abu Bakr was walking when Ali passed him accompanied by him  who was playing with some kids. Abu Bakr carried al-Hassan on his shoulders. Abu Bakr swore that he resembled prophet Mohammad more than  Ali who would laugh a lot.

Al-Hassan and Khalifa Omar ibn al-Khattab:

Omar ibn al-Khattab allocated for al-Hassan the same amount of money as he did for the war veterans of Badr. Omar included with the participants of Badr only four men. They were: he, al-Hussain, Abu Dharr, and Salman al-Farisi. He allocated for each of them five thousand dirhams. Omar said to his relatives that they wouldn’t have enjoyed power but for prophet Mohammad. They wouldn’t have hoped for the good of the day after but for Mohammad. Prophet Mohammad was the honor of Omar, his relatives and all the Arabs. Consequently, the prophet’s close relatives should be honored like him.

Al-Hassan and Uthman ibn Affan:

When Uthman ibn Affan assumed power, he was over twenty five. He had trained to be a warrior and an archer. He was ready to participate in fighting and Jihad in the cause of Allah. When Abdullah ibn Abi Seraj asked for military support when he was fighting in North Africa, Uthman sent Abdullah ibn al-Zubair leading an army in which there was ibn Ali. al-Hassan kept fighting in the army till they returned to al-Madina victoriously. Likewise, he was in the army who conquered Tabaristan. When matters got worse, some people from Egypt and Iraq rebelled against Uthman and killed him

Al-Hassan and Khalifa Ali ibn Abi Talib:

Islamic studies teach us that Ali took over in a time of turmoil and unrest. Ali had to fight a lot of wars. he supported his father. However, Abdulrahman ibn Muljim killed khalifa Ali. He struck him with a poisoned sword. Ali died instantly. There was a political vacuum. Muslims wanted him to be their Khalifa. Abdullah ibn Abbas nominated him  for the post. He had all the necessary qualifications to be the suitable Khalifa. Al-Hassan gave a speech mourning his father.  Ibn Ali reminded the people of himself. The people present pledged obedience and loyalty to him. Hence, Ibn Ali became the Khalifa of the Muslims.

Al-Hassan abdicates to Muawiyah:

Out of his free will, al-Hassan quit the rule to Muawiyah. This was to stop the bloodshed of Muslims. Al-Hassan had excellent qualities. He was ethically marvelous. Al-Hassan was absolutely pious, fearing Allah. He quit out of fear of Allah only. Once, he wept because of his piety. A man exclaimed that he shouldn’t have feared Allah. Al-Hassan said that being the grandson of the prophet wouldn’t benefit him on the Doom’s Day. Also, he didn’t guarantee the prophet’s intercession. Al-Hassan piously used to pray all night long. He used to help the needy and do a lot of charity.

The death of al-Hassan ibn Ali:

Al-Hassan got seriously ill. He knew the reason. However, he didn’t speak. Once, his brother al-Husain visited him. al-Hassan was suffering painfully. Al-Husain asked him what was wrong. Al-Hassan said he had drunk poison three times. The last time was the strongest. Al-Husain asked who it was. Al-Hassan asked why al-Husain asked. Al-Husain said he wanted to kill the doer. Al-Hassan said that Allah is more powerful and could avenge him. If it was not the doer, al-Hassan didn’t want to kill an innocent person for him. The news of al-Hassan’s death spread in al-Madina.The death was in the year forty H.

Preparing al-Hassan for burial:

Al-Hassan was sixty- four when he died. Al-Husain, Mohammad and al-Abbas sons of Ali ritually washed al-Hassan’s dead body. Saeed ibn al-Aas led the funeral prayer. He was Muawyah’s deputy and the governor of al-Madina. Al-Husain said that if it weren’t a sunnah, he wouldn’t have accepted that Saeed would lead the funeral prayer. Al-Husain tried to carry out the will of his brother al-Hassan and bury him next to prophet Mohammad. However, Marwan ibn al-Hakam refused it. Therefore, al-Hassan was buried in al-Baqee’, next to his mother Fatima al-Zahraa. A lot of Muslims, including al-Husain mourned al-Hassan a lot.