Imam al-Hasan b. Ali al-Mujtaba (a): Difference between revisions

|name = Al-Hasan b. 'Ali al-Mujtaba

|sequential number = 2nd [[imamate|Imam of the Shia]]<!--e.g. 1st Imam of Shi'a-->

|main title = 5th [[Caliph]] of [[Rashidun Caliphs]]

|image = Jannat al-Baqi'.JPG

|caption = [[al-Baqi']], grave of Imam al-Hasan (a)

|kunya = Abu Muhammad

|born = [[Ramadan 15]], [[3]]/[[March 1]], [[625 CE|625]]

|birthplace = [[Medina]]

|beginning of imamate = [[Ramadan 21]], [[40]]/[[January 28]], [[661 CE|661]]

|duration of imamate = 10 years

|reign = 661 – 661 (6 Months)

|contemporary rulers =  

|martyrdom = [[Safar 28]], [[50]]/[[March 27]], [[670 CE|670]]

|place of martyrdom = [[Medina]]

|cause of martyrdom = by poisoning

|burial place = [[Al-Baqi' cemetery]],<br>{{Coord|24|28|1|N|39|36|50.21|E|type:landmark|display=inline}}

|predecessor = [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]]

|successor = [[Al-Husayn b. 'Ali (a)]]

|father = [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]]

|mother = [[Fatima bt. Muhammad (a)]]

|brothers = [[Al-Husayn b. 'Ali (a)|Al-Husayn]], [['Abbas b. 'Ali (a)|'Abbas]], [[Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya|Muhammad]],...

|sisters = [[Lady Zaynab (a)]]

|spouses = Khawla, Umm Bashir, Umm Ishaq, [[Ja'da bt. Ash'ath b. Qays|Ja'da]]

|sons = [[al-Qasim b. al-Hasan|al-Qasim]], Zayd, 'Abd Allah, Talha, [[al-Hasan al-Muthanna|al-Hasan]], ...

|daughters = [[Fatima bt. al-Hasan|Fatima]],...

|descendants = [[Banu l-Hasan]]

|titles = al-Mujtaba <small>(the chosen)</small>,<br>al-Sibt <small>(grandson)</small>,<br>Sayyid Shabab Ahl al-Janna <small>(master of the youth of paradise)</small>,<br>al-Zaki <small>(the pure)</small>,<br>al-Taqi <small>(the pious)</small>,<br>al-Sayyid <small>(the master)</small>

'''Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (a)''' (Arabic: {{ia|الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب}}) (b. [[3]]/[[625 CE|625]] - d. [[50]]/[[670 CE|670]]), son of [[Imam Ali (a)]] and [[Lady Fatima (a)]], is the second [[Imam]] and caliph of the [[Shi'a]]s and became [[caliph]] and Imam at the age of 37. He accepted a [[Peace Treaty of Imam al-Hasan (a)|peace treaty]] with [[Mu'awiya]] in 41/661. His caliphate lasted six months and three days. He went to [[Medina]] after the peace treaty, and stayed there until he was martyred ten years later. He was buried in the [[Jannat al-Baqi']] cemetery.

He accepted the peace treaty with Mu'awiya because of his responsibility of Imamate and preserving the unity of Muslims. His decisions show his solemn and tolerant personality. His caliphate and peace treaty with Mu'awiya were among the most important events in his life and in early Islamic history. It demonstrated an example of unity at that time and as a moral and religious teaching, it greatly regulated Muslims and especially Shi'as throughout their history in their approach towards fundamental concepts like sovereignty, war and peace.

Al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) was the first son of [[Imam Ali (a)]] and [[Lady Fatima (a)]] and the first grandson of [[the Prophet (s)]].<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Irshad'', 1413 AH, vol. 2, p. 5</ref> He was a [[Hashimi]] from the tribe of [[Quraysh]].<ref>Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, ''Al-Istīʿāb fī maʿrifat al-aṣḥāb'', 1412 AH, vol. 1, p. 383.</ref>

{{Family tree Ahl al-Bayt (a)}}

It has been narrated that at the time of his birth, God told [[Gabriel]] to go to [[the Prophet (s)]], greet and congratulate him and say, "Surely, to you, [['Ali]] is the position of [[Aaron]] to [[Moses]]; therefore, name the baby after Aaron's son." Gabriel did so and told the Prophet (s), "God has ordered that you name the baby after Aaron's son." The Prophet (s) asked, "What was the name of Aaron's son?" Gabriel answered, "Shubbar". The Prophet (s) told Gabriel, "But my language is Arabic." And Gabriel said, "Then name him al-Hasan." And so, the Prophet (s) named him al-Hasan.<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, ''al-Amali'', p. 134</ref>

His [[Kunya]] is Abu Muhammad. Al-Mujataba, al-Zaki, al-Taqi, Karim Ahl al-Bayt (lit.: the munificent of [[Ahl al-Bayt]]) are some of his most famous epithets. The Prophet (s) used to call him al-Sayyid.<ref>Al-Irbili, 'Ali b. 'Isa. ''Kashf al-ghumma'', vol. 2, p. 296</ref>

== Wives and Children ==

Historical sources differ with regards to the number of Imam al-Hasan's marriages and divorces, and their information cannot be accepted. In fact, bringing up this issue is often because of sectarian and political divides. Moreover, some researchers and scholars have mentioned indications of errors in the references and content of these narrations and the information given is ambiguous and does not even mention the names of his wives.<ref>See: 'Aqiqi Bakhshayishi, 'Abd al-rahim. ''Chahardah nur-i pak'', vol. 4, p. 523 ff; Da'irat al-ma'arif buzurg Islami. vol. 20, p. 545</ref> The only name which is clear is the name of [[Ja'da]], the daughter of [[Ash'ath b. Qays]], who poisoned Imam al-Hasan (a) and caused his death. Regardless of the ambiguity surrounding the names of his wives, there is a consistency in the names of his children and thus, their mothers can also be identified as such:

* [[Ja'da]], the daughter of al-Ash'ath b. Qays,

* [[Khawla bt. Manzur b. Ziyad al-Firazi|Khawla]], the daughter of Manzur b. Ziyad al-Firazi,

* [[Umm Bashir bt. 'Aqaba b. 'Amr al-Ansari|Umm Bashir]], the daughter of 'Aqaba b. Amr al-Khazraji,

* [[Umm Ishaq bt. Talha b. 'Ubayd Allah|Umm Ishaq]], the daughter of Talha b. 'Ubayd Allah al-Taymi,

* Hafsa, the daughter of 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Bakr

* Hind, the daughter of Suhayl b. 'Amr,

* Nafila or Ramla, who was a concubine.<ref>See: al-Ya'qubi, ''Tarikh al-Ya'qubi'', vol. 2, p. 228; al-Shaykh al-Mufid, ''Al-Irshad'', vol. 2, p. 20; Ibn Sufi, ''Al-Majdi'', p. 19 ff</ref>

Imam al-Hasan (a) had 15 children (eight boys and seven girls),

* [[Zayd b. al-Hasan|Zayd]] and his two sisters, Umm al-Hasan and Umm al-Husayn. Their mother was Umm Bashir daughter of Abu Mas'ud 'Uqba b. Amr,

* [[Al-Hasan al-Muthanna|Al-Hasan]] whose mother was Khawla bt. Manzur,

* 'Amr and his two brothers [[al-Qasim b. al-Hasan|al-Qasim]] and [['Abd Allah b. al-Hasan|'Abd Allah]] whose mother was a concubine,

* 'Abd al-Rahman whose mother was a concubine,

* Al-Husayn, known as al-Athram, his brother Talha and their sister Fatima whose mother was Umm Ishaq, the daughter of Talha b. 'Ubayd Allah al-Taymi,

* Umm 'Abd Allah, Fatima, Umm Salama and Ruqayya who were from different mothers.<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Irshad'', vol. 2, p. 16</ref>

[[Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi|Al-'Allama al-Majlisi]] mentioned Abu Bakr among the children of Imam al-Hasan (a). [[Al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi|Al-Shaykh al-Tabrisi]] mentioned nine sons and seven daughters for Imam al-Hasan (a). Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn Hisham and al-Waqidi listed fifteen sons and eight daughters for Imam (a) and mentioned their names.

According to reports, from among the daughters of Imam (a), Umm al-Husayn married to [['Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr]], [[Fatima bt. al-Imam al-Hasan (a)|Umm 'Abd Allah]] married to [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] and Umm Salama married to 'Amr b. Mundhir b. al-Zubayr.

===Descendants===

Of the sons of Imam al-Hasan (a), four of them, [[al-Hasan al-Muthanna]], [[Zayd b. al-Imam al-Hasan (a)|Zayd]], [['Umar b. al-Imam al-Hasan (a)|'Umar]], and al-Husayn al-Athram could have children. The lineages of al-Husayn al-Athram and 'Umar were lost soon and only the lineage of al-Hasan al-Muthanna and Zayd continued. The children of Imam al-Hasan (a) are called Sadat al-Hasani. They had many social and political movements during history. They made uprisings in the second/eighth and third/ninth centuries and established several governments in different places in Islamic countries, some of which are still in power. In some places, this line of Sadat is known as Ashraf. Tabataba'i, Mudarris, Hakim, Shajariyan, and Gulistana families are branches of Sadat al-Hasani.

== In the Time of the Prophet (s) ==

There is little information about Imam Hasan's (a) childhood and adolescence.<ref>Mahdawi Damghani, ''Hasan b. 'Ali'', p. 34</ref>

Imam al-Hasan (a) spent less than eight years of his life at the time of the Prophet (s).{{enote|He was born in 3/625 (Kulayni, ''Kafi'', Beirut: 1401 AH, vol. 1, p. 461), and the prophet (s) passed away in 11/632 (Ibn Sa'd, ''al-Tabaqat al-Kubra'', 1418 AH, vol. 2, p. 208.)}}

Reports of the great affection of the Prophet (s) to him and his brother Imam al-Husayn (a) are in most Shiite and Sunni sources.

He (a) was also with the Prophet (s) in many events after [[Migration to Medina]], such as the [[event of Mubahala]]. According to [[Ja'far Murtada al-'Amili]], he (a) was present in the [[Pledge of al-Ridwan]] and pledged to the prophet (s). Imam al-Hasan (a) was one of the people addressed by the Prophet (s) in the [[hadith al-Kisa']] and referred to in the [[al-Tathir verse]] in the [[Qur'an]] which are among the important proofs for his [[infallibility]]. He (a) and his brother al-Husayn (a) were present upon the deathbed of the Prophet (s) when he (s) passed away.

In Shia and Sunni sources, there are notable hadiths about the position of al-Hasan (a) in the eyes of the Prophet (s). [[Bura' b. 'Azib]] says, "I saw [[the Prophet (s)]] while al-Hasan was on his shoulders and the Prophet (s) was saying, "O God, I love him! May You love him too!"<ref>Al-Bukhari, ''Sahih al-Bukhari'', vol. 2, p. 432; al-Suyuti, ''Tarikh al-khulafa'', p. 206</ref> In another [[hadith]], it is reported that while the Prophet (s) had placed al-Hasan (a) and [[al-Husayn (a)]] on his lap, he said, "These are sons of my daughter. O God! I love them; so May You love them too! And love those who love them!"<ref>al-Suyuti, ''Tarikh al-khulafa'', p. 207</ref>

Elsewhere, the Prophet (s) has said of Imam al-Hasan (a) and al-Husayn (a) that, "al-Hasan and al-Husayn are two leaders of the youths in [[paradise]].";<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, ''al-Amali'', p.333; al-Suyuti, ''Tarikh al-khulafa'', p. 207</ref> "These two sons of mine are two fragrant flowers in this world"; "al-Hasan and al-Husayn (or these two children of mine) are [[Imam]]s, whether they rise up or sit (make peace)."<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, '' 'Ilal al-shara'i''', vol. 1, p. 211; al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Irshad'', vol. 2, p. 27</ref>; "If intellect could be represented in human form, it would be al-Hasan."<ref>Al-Juwayni, Ibrahim b. Muhammad. ''Fara'id al-simatayn'', vol. 2, p. 68</ref>

== At the Time of the Three Caliphs ==

 

|title = Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba(a):

|quote = "The beginning of reason is nice behavior with people and through reason, one can achieve both this world and hereafter. One who does not have reason, has lost both this world and hereafter."

One day, when Imam al-Hasan (a) was a child, he came to the mosque when [[Abu Bakr]] was giving a lecture on the pulpit. Imam al-Hasan (a) called Abu Bakr angrily and said, "Come down from my father's (a) pulpit!" Abu Bakr answered, "By God, you are right! This is your father's pulpit, not my father's!"<ref>Al-Suyuti, Jalal al-din. Tarikh al-khulafa, p. 80</ref>

Imam al-Hasan (a) and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] did not participate in the battles leading to the conquest of [[Iran]] by Muslims.<ref>'Amili, Sayyid Ja'far. ''Tahlili az zindigi Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba'', p. 170</ref> However, some historical reports have mentioned Imam al-Hasan's (a) participation in some wars.<ref>Danishnama-yi buzurg Islami. vol. 20, p. 534</ref>

When a [[Six-Member Council|council]] was formed to choose the caliph after [['Umar b. al-Khattab|'Umar]], which eventually led to the choosing of [['Uthman]] as the third [[caliph]], 'Umar asked Imam al-Hasan (a) to attend as a witness in that council. This shows his social status as one of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and also his position among the [[Ansar]] (Helpers) and [[Muhajirun]] (the Immigrants).<ref>Ibn Qutayba. ''Al-Imamat wa al-siasat'', vol. 1, p. 30; Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Yusuf. ''Al-Isti'ab'', vol. 1, p. 391; see: Jawhari, Ahmad. ''Al-Saqifa wa fadak''</ref>

When 'Uthman banished [[Abu Dhar]] to [[Rabadha]], he ordered that no one should see him off and or speak to him. 'Uthman ordered [[Marwan b. Hakam]] to banish Abu Dhar from [[Medina]]. Thus, when leaving Medina, no one dared to see Abu Dhar off. However, [[Imam Ali (a)]], his brother, [['Aqil]], Imam al-Hasan (a), [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and [[Ammar b. Yasir]] came to bid Abu Dhar farewell, and see him off.<ref>Al-Mas'udi, 'Ali b. al-Husayn.''Muruj al-dhahab'', vol. 1, p. 698</ref>

It is mentioned in historical sources that when people were rebelling against the third caliph, Imam 'Ali (a) tried to protect 'Uthman from being killed by angry rebels in order to preserve [[Islam]]. As such, he sent his sons to Uthman's house in order to ensure his safety. However, standing against the rebels was so difficult that 'Uthman was eventually killed. All of this being said, it is important to mention that there are many disagreements in the details of the event.<ref>Ibn Qutayba. ''Al-Imamat wa al-siasat'', vol. 1, p. 40; Baladhuri, Ahmad b. Yahya al-.''Ansab al-ashraf'', vol. 2, p. 216-217; Muqaddasi, Mutahhar b. Tahir al-. ''Al-Bad' wa al-tarikh'', vol. 5, p. 206</ref>

== At the Time of Imam 'Ali's (a) Caliphate ==

Imam al-Hasan (a) and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] participated in the battles of [[Jamal]], [[Battle of Siffin|Siffin]] and [[Battle of Nahrawan|Nahrawan]].<ref>Al-Amin, Sayyid Muhsin. ''A'yan al-Shi'a'', vol. 2, p. 370</ref>

=== In the Battle of Jamal ===

{{see also|Battle of Jamal}}

When [[Abu Musa al-Ash'ari]], the governor of [[Kufa]], did not cooperate with [[Imam Ali (a)]]'s delegation in order to stand against those who waged the [[Battle of Jamal]], Imam 'Ali (a) sent [['Ammar b. Yasir]] and Imam al-Hasan (a) with a letter to Kufa. Imam al-Hasan (a) delivered a sermon in the [[Mosque of Kufa]] and managed to convince about 10,000 people to join and stand against the army of [[Nakithun]].<ref>Ja'fariyan, Rasul. ''Hayat Fikri wa Siasi Imaman-i Shi'a'', p. 124</ref>

Also, before the Battle of Jamal, Imam al-Hasan (a) delivered a sermon and Imam 'Ali (a) sent him to lead the right wing of the army.<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Jamal'', p. 327-328</ref> Some say that Imam 'Ali (a) gave a spear to [[Muhammad al-Hanafiyya]] and told him, "Take this spear and kill the Jamal ([[Aisha]]'s camel, which many people had died defending)". Muhammad went and failed in the task due to the volley of arrows. Then, Imam al-Hasan (a) took the spear and killed the camel.<ref>Al-Qurashi, Baqir Sharif. ''Mawsu'at sirat Ahl al-Bayt'', vol. 10, p. 403</ref>

=== In the Battle of Siffin ===

{{see also|Battle of Siffin}}

In the [[Battle of Siffin]], when [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] saw Imam al-Hasan's (a) fight, he ordered him and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] to draw back so that they could stay safe. Imam 'Ali (a) also commanded his army to help in this regard, and said: "Stop my sons from fighting, because I am worried about their lives and I fear that the progeny of [[the Prophet (s)]] may discontinue."<ref>Al-Qurashi, Baqir Sharif. ''Hayat-Imam al-Hasan'', p. 219</ref> During the war, when [[Mu'awiya]] saw Imam al-Hasan's (a) fight, he wanted to bribe him to stop him from fighting. So, he sent 'Ubayd Allah b. 'Umar, the youngest son of the [[second caliph]] to bribe Imam al-Hasan (a) and offer to make him a caliph. 'Ubayd Allah approached Imam al-Hasan (a) and told him, "I want to tell you something." So, Imam al-Hasan (a) stopped fighting and went to him. 'Ubayd Allah told Imam al-Hasan (a) about Mu'awiya's offer, to which Imam al-Hasan (a) told him angrily, "I see you will be killed tomorrow or the day after. [[Satan]] has deceived you and beautified your actions [so that you would come and tell me this] so that the day will come when the women of [[Syria]] will mourn over your body. Soon, God will kill you and your body will be dragged on the ground on your face." 'Ubayd Allah came back to the tents. Upon seeing him, Mu'awiya figured out what al-Hasan's response was and said, "He (Imam al-Hasan (a)) is the son of that father ('Ali (a))"<ref>Al-Qurashi, Baqir Sharif. ''Hayat al-Imam Hasan'', p. 218</ref>

To prevent sedition after the event of the arbitration ([[Hakamiyya]]), Imam 'Ali (a) asked Imam al-Hasan (a) to give a sermon in order to explain the reality of the situation for people and Imam al-Hasan (a) did so.<ref>Al-Qurashi, Baqir Sharif. ''Hayat al-Imam Hasan'', p. 245</ref>

Letter no. 31 of ''[[Nahj al-Balagha]]'' is the famous [[will of Imam 'Ali (a) to Imam al-Hasan (a)]], which was written on the way back from the Battle of Siffin.

== Imamate ==

Imam al-Hasan (a) attained the position of [[Imamate]] on the eve of Friday, [[Ramadan 21|21st of Ramadan]] 40/[[January 28]], 661 when [['Ali (a)]] was martyred by [[Ibn Muljam al-Muradi]]. Thereafter, the Muslims of [[Kufa]] gave allegiance to him. He appointed governors and commanders and [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] was appointed as the governor of Basra.<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Irshad'', p. 350</ref>

 

=== Proofs for Imamate ===

 

[[Imam 'Ali (a)]] told Imam al-Hasan (a) his will and then asked Imam al-Husayn (a), [[Muhammad al-Hanafiyya]], his other children, noblemen of the [[Shi'a]], and his family to bear witness to his will. Then, he entrusted Imam al-Hasan (a) with [[Mushaf of Imam 'Ali|his Quran]] and [[Dhu l-Faqar|his sword]] and told him, "My son! The Noble Prophet (s) ordered me to appoint you as my vicegerent and to entrust you with my Quran and sword in the same way that [[the Prophet (s)]] appointed me as his vicegerent and entrusted me with his Quran and sword and ordered me to tell you that when you see the signs of death in you, you should entrust your brother al-Husayn (a) with these [trusts]."<ref>Al-Kulayni, Muhammad b. Ya'qub. ''Al-Kafi'', vol. 1, p. 297</ref>

 

 

According to Shiite and Sunni sources, after the martyrdom of Amir al-Mu'minin in 40/661, people pledged their allegiance to al-Hasan b. 'Ali (a). According to al-Baladhuri (d. 279/892), after the burial of Imam 'Ali (a), [['Ubayad Allah b. 'Abbas]] went to people and gave the news of the Imam's martyrdom, telling them: "he has left a well-deserved and patient successor. You can pledge your allegiance to him if you would like to." According to ''[[al-Irshad]]'', in the morning of Friday, Ramadan 21, al-Hasan b. 'Ali gave a speech in the mosque, in which he enumerated the virtues and merits of his father, emphasized on his own connection to the Prophet (s), pointed to his own merits, and appealed to verses of the Qur'an concerning the special place of [[Ahl al-Bayt]]. After the speech, [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] stood up and told people: "pledge your allegiance to the son of your Prophet and the successor of your Imam." And people pledged their allegiance to him. According to sources, the number of people who pledged allegiance to him amounted to over 40,000. On al-Tabari's account, [[Qays b. Sa'd al-'Ubada]], a commander of Imam Ali's army, was the first person to pledge allegiance to him.

 

According to Husayn Muhammad Ja'fari in his book, ''[[Tashayyu' dar masir-i tarikh]]'' (Shiism in the course of history), many companions of the Prophet (s) who had resided in [[Kufa]] after the construction of the city or had moved to the city in the period of Imam 'Ali's caliphate pledged their allegiance to Imam al-Hasan (a) or otherwise accepted his caliphate. Ja'fari relies on certain pieces of evidence to show that people of Mecca and Medina also agreed with the caliphate of al-Hasan b. 'Ali, and people of Iraq considered him as the only candidate for the position. According to Ja'fari, people of [[Yemen]] and Fars (Persia) had also implicitly endorsed his caliphate, or at least, they showed no opposition thereto.

 

 

 

 

|title = Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a):

|quote = "Think, because thinking is the life of the heart of a man who sees and is the key to doors of wisdom."

|tstyle = text-align: left;

|source = Musnad al-Imam al-Hasan (a) p:718

|qalign = left

|width = 35%

When informed of [[Imam 'Ali]]'s (a) martyrdom and that people had given [[allegiance]] to Imam al-Hasan (a), [[Mu'awiya]] sent two spies to [[Kufa]] and [[Basra]] in an attempt to incite the people against Imam al-Hasan (a). So, Imam al-Hasan (a) ordered the arrest and punishment of the two. Letters were exchanged between Imam al-Hasan (a) and Mu'awiya and in them, Imam al-Hasan (a) proved his right to the [[caliphate]].<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Irshad'', p. 350</ref>

 

Mu'awiya tried to mobilize his army and sent letters to his governors asking them to support him. He led his army towards [[Iraq]] and left Dahhak b. Qays al-Fihri in the capital as his temporary substitute. It is reported that 60,000 soldiers or more accompanied Mu'awiya.<ref>Al-Qurashi, Baqir Sharif. ''Zindigani Imam al-Hasan'', p. 334-335</ref> When the army of Mu'awiya crossed Manbaj bridge over Euphrates, Imam al-Hasan (a) asked people of Kufa to prepare themselves for jihad and ordered Hujr b. 'Adi to mobilize people.

 

Imam (a) joined the army of Kufa in Sabat of Mada'in and in a sermon, called people to unity and said that reconciliation is better than disunity, rancor and enmity. People understood from his speech that Imam (a) wanted to make peace with Mu'awiya. Thus, some people accused him of disbelief and attacked his tent and many people left him. Also, Mu'awiya sent a letter to 'Ubayd Allah b. 'Abbas, the commander of the army of Iraq and pretended that Imam al-Hasan (a) asked him for peace and mentioned that if 'Ubayd Allah accepted to side with him immediately, he would give him government and great amount of money. So, 'Ubayd Allah who had thought that Imam (a) had asked for peace, sought his personal interests and accepted Mu'awiya's request and joined Mu'awiya at night with two third of his army.

One of the consequences of this event was that some of the chiefs of Iraqi tribes wrote a letter to Mu'awiya and expressed their support for him. After this event, Mu'awiya wanted to bribe Qays b. Sa'd who had become the commander of Iraq's army but failed.

 

 

 

[[Al-Baladhuri]] wrote that, "[[Mu'awiya]] sent a blank contract with his seal at the bottom for Imam al-Hasan (a) to write anything that he wished and thus he wrote, "In this peace treaty, al-Hasan b. 'Ali (a) establishes peace with Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan and leaves the government of the Muslims to him with the following conditions:

 

# He observes the [[Book of God]], the conduct of [[the Prophet (s)]] and the conduct of the righteous [[caliph]]s.

# He appoints no one as the caliph after himself; and after him, the caliph should be elected by a council of Muslims.

 

With the conditions made by Imam al-Hasan (a), the peace treaty was signed in 41/661.<ref>Khalifa b. Khayyat. ''Tarikh'', p. 203</ref> However, even though Mu'awiya signed off on them, he denied all of the conditions in his first sermon in [[Kufa]], where the two armies were supposed to meet. He claimed that Imam al-Hasan (a) was asking for peace and insulted [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]. [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] wanted to respond to his insults, but Imam al-Hasan (a) prohibited him from doing so. Then, Imam al-Hasan (a) delivered a sermon and explained everything with regards to the peace treaty and how Mu'awiya had asked for peace. He responded to the insults to his father in a very eloquent way and noted the honour and legacy that his family held as opposed to Mu'awiya's.<ref>Al-Tabari, Muhammad b. Jarir. ''Tarikh al-rusul wa al-muluk'', p. 124-129; Harrani, Ibn Shu'ba al-. ''Tuhaf al-'uqul'', p. 232 ff; ''Da'irat al-ma'arif buzurg Islami'', vol. 20, p. 538</ref>This made Mu'awiya very angry.<ref>Da'irat al-ma'arif buzurg Islami. vol. 20, p. 538</ref>

 

 

After the peace treaty, Imam al-Hasan (a) went to [[Medina]] and became the scientific, religious, social and political leader there. He took positions against Mu'awiya and his companions in Medina and [[Damascus]] and had debates with them. These have been mentioned and discussed in [[al-Tabrisi]]'s ''[[al-Ihtijaj]]''.<ref>Al-Tabrisi, Ahmad b. 'Ali. ''Al-Ihtijaj'', vol. 2, p. 45-65</ref>

 

After Imam al-Hasan (a) signed the treaty with Mu'awiya to protect the lives of Muslims and avoid any harms to their religion, the most difficult part of his life started. Criticism of people, observing political relations, and losing many of old companions and their martyrdom were among the hardships of this period for Imam (a).

 

Even with the apparent solitude of Imam al-Hasan (a), this period of his life was one of his most influential yet difficult periods of his life; because, on the one hand, he (a) was the Imam of Shia and on the other hand, changes in his relations with Mu'awiya made it difficult for him to sort out the affairs of Shia.

After the peace treaty, Imam (a) gave a sermon and pointed to this issue that Mu'awiya challenged him over his rights and explained the reasons for his peace which was to protect the lives of people and avoid bloodshed. After the treaty, Mu'awiya too gave a sermon at his first presence in Kufa. He broke his promises, saying that Imam (a) had asked for peace and cursed Imam Ali (a). Then, Imam al-Hasan (a) explained about the peace treaty in a sermon and the proposal of Mu'awiya for it and answered to Mu'awiya's disrespect to his father.

Knowing the position of Imam (a), Mu'awiya respected it in appearance; for example, when [[Ziyad b. Abih]] was the governor of Kufa, a companion of Imam (a) was annoyed and Imam (a) wrote to him and prohibited him of any misbehavior. When Ziyad gave a disrespectful answer to Imam (a), Imam (a) sent him a historical answer and also forwarded the issue to Mu'awiya and Mu'awiya accepted the request of Imam (a) and also seriously admonished Ziyad.

Mu'awiya's planning for [[Yazid]] to take the power was among Imam's (a) most important criticisms to Mu'awiya; asking why a thoughtless drunkard should sit on the throne. Of course, there are so many examples of Imam's (a) enjoining to the good and prohibiting the evil against Mu'awiya, that in some cases, he (a) called the caliph to follow the Book [the Qur'an] and tradition of the Prophet (s).

Considering Mu'awiya's disregard toward criticisms of Imam (a) and refusal of his requests, Imam (a) believed that until after Mu'awiya, no retaliatory action was prudent and emphasized on this. When leaving [[Kufa]] for [[Medina]], Imam (a) asked his companions to keep themselves ready for an appropriate time.

When some people of Hawazin tribe wanted to make an uprising under the banner of Saturad b. 'Alfa, Mu'awiya was preparing for the battle and asked Imam (a) to approve his action and considered his presence with himself necessary. But, Imam (a) made a smart move, mentioned a word of Imam Ali (a) on distinguishing those who made mistake from disbelievers and emphasized on it and refused Mu'awiya's request. Thus, he (a) refused to go under the flag of Mu'awiya leaving their relationships unharmed.

It is mentioned in reports that regardless of his apparently justified behavior in public, Mu'awiya had secretly ordered to put Shia under surveillance and curse at Imam Ali (a) on the pulpits. He also appointed a person such as Ziyad as the governor of Kufa to follow this strategy.

When the companions of Imam (a), some of whom were the companions of the Prophet (s), saw the actions of Mu'awiya and Ziyad b. Abih, criticized them and were always harassed by the government. What happened to 'Amr b. Hamiq al-Khuza'i in the last decades of his life was a clear example of such harassments. Because of his criticisms of Mu'awiya, 'Amr was chased up, captured, and martyred in the prison of Kufa.

When Imam al-Hasan (a) was informed about the martyrdom of 'Amr, wrote a letter to Mu'awiya and severely reprimanded him. Another example of breaking promises by Mu'awiya is his behavior toward [[Hujr b. 'Adi]] and his companions who made serious criticisms about him. He ordered to capture them in Kufa and send to Damascus and finally martyred them. [[Rashid al-Hajari]], a pious companion of Imam Ali (a) can be added to this list, who was martyred.

In general, the last part of Imam al-Hasan's (a) life which included some journeys to Hijaz and Damascus, was a difficult period and Imam (a) passed through it using his wisdom and forbearance; and in practice, he (a) prepared the situation for the Imamate of his brother al-Husayn (a).

[[File:Jannat al-Baqi' 1.jpg|thumbnail|250px|The old picture of [[Jannat al-Baqi']] and the tomb of Imam al-Hasan (a) which was demolished by [[Wahhabis]] in 1343/1925]]

According to most of the [[Shi'a]] and [[Sunni]] sources, Imam al-Hasan (a) was martyred by poisoned food.<ref>Al-Isfahani. ''Maqatil al-Talibiyyin'', p.80-81; al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''al-Irshad'', vol.2 p.15</ref>

However, some non-Shi'a sources hold that he died a natural death because of illness.

In the case of the last poisoning that led to his martyrdom, [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] has said that [[Mu'awiya]] sent someone to [[Ju'da]], daughter of [[Ash'ath b. Qays]] (Imam al-Hasan's (a) wife) telling her that, "I will give you 100 thousand dirhams and will make you the wife of my son, [[Yazid]], only if you give poison to al-Hasan (a)." Ju'da poisoned Imam (a) and Mu'awiya gave her the money,<ref>Al-Shaykh al-Mufid. ''Al-Irshad'', vol.2 p.15</ref> but did not make her the wife of Yazid.

The name of Ju'da as the assassin of Hasan b. Ali (a) is also mentioned in Sunni sources.

 

Ibn Sa'd has attributed the martyrdom of Imam (a) to one of Imam's (a) servants.<ref>Ibn Sa'd. ''Tabaqat al-kubra'', vol.6 p.386</ref> Another report says that poisoning Imam (a) was done by [[Hind bt. Suhayl b. 'Amr]], the other wife of Imam (a);<ref>Al-Baladhuri. ''Ansab al-ashraf'', vol.3 p.55</ref>

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* [[Imam Ali (a)]]

* [[Lady Fatima (a)]]

* [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]

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