Martyrdom of Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS)

Heartfelt condolences on the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the elder grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Before we present you a special feature on the blessed firstborn son of the peerless couple, the Noblest Lady of all times Hazrat Fatema Zahra and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (AS)

Here is a phrase worth pondering upon in its original Arabic followed by its translation in English:

“La Youm ka Youmak ya Aba Abdillah” It means: No day is like your day O Aba Abdullah.

What you heard were the words of a brother to a brother. This phrase was not expressed in a moment of joy, nor was it the giving of tidings of joy.

Today the 7^th of Safar draws our attention to these famous words, especially since we continue to be in the state of mourning for history’s most bloodcurdling tragedy that took place on the 10^th of Muharram, known universally as the Day of Ashura.

It is the tragedy that occurred in Karbala in Iraq in the year 61 AH (corresponding to 680 AD), when in defence of Islam and humanitarian values, Imam Husain (AS), the Prophet’s younger grandson, preferred being martyred in the most heartrending manner, rather than acknowledge the Godless rule of the libertine Yazid.

Imam Husain (AS), whose “kunya” or agnomen was Aba Abdullah, was hailed along with his elder brother, Imam Hasan (AS), as the “Two Leaders of the Youths of Paradise”, by the Prophet on God’s command.

Perhaps the question might arise: Where was Imam Hasan (AS), when Imam Husain (AS), was martyred in Karbala.

The answer is obvious. He was already martyred a decade earlier in 50 AH in Medina through a fatal dose of poison.

Who killed Imam Hasan (AS) and for what reason?

To any person familiar with the early history of Islam, the answer is crystal clear. The Prophet’s elder grandson was administered poison on the orders of Mu’awiyya, the despicable father of the accursed Yazid.

Mu’awiyya, a late and reluctant convert to Islam at the surrender of Mecca in 8 AH, only two years before the passing away of the Prophet, was along with his father Abu Sufyan, a staunch enemy of Islam, and had claimed to become a Muslim only to save his life.

It is indeed an irony of Islamic history that this same Mu’awiyya, despite his avowed enmity towards Islam and the Prophet, was within a few years of paying lip service to Islam, appointed governor of Syria by the Second Caliph, because of ties of pre-Islamic friendship between the two.

On taking charge of Syria, this charlatan left no stone unturned to weaken the Muslim society from within and distort the teachings of Islam. He refused to step down as governor, when he was formally dismissed from that post by the Prophet’s righteous heir, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).

Mu’awiyya next came out into open rebellion by starting armed warfare against Imam Ali (AS), but when faced with imminent defeat at the Battle of Siffeen, he raised copies of the holy Qur’an on spear points to dupe the Muslims and escape alive.

After the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful in 40 AH, Mu’awiyya resorted to a policy of propaganda, terrorism and bribes against his rightful successor, Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS).

The Prophet’s elder grandson, aware of the flimsy faith of his own army, and realizing the magnitude of the treachery of Mu’awiyya and the dangers of civil war between Muslims at a time when the Christian Byzantine Empire was looking for an opportunity to attack the Islamic realm and seize Bayt al-Moqaddas, entered into a treaty to avert bloodshed and unmask the hypocrisy of his opponent.

Mu’awiyya, who now took charge of the rule of the Islamic state, on condition that he would stop the imprecation of the Commander of the Faithful, respect the tenets of Islam, and return the caliphate to the Prophet’s grandson without nominating any successor on his deathbed, contrived to martyr Imam Hasan (AS).

In 50 AH, the ten-year imamate of the Prophet’s elder grandson came to its sudden end, when Mu’awiyya succeeded in his devilish design of administering a lethal dose of poison, mixed in water. The poison rent asunder the liver of Imam Hasan (AS), and he vomited its pieces with blood as death approached.

The tragic sight, brought tears to the eyes of his younger brother, Imam Husain (AS), who started crying. At this moment, the elder brother foretold to his younger brother:

“It is my destiny that I have been poisoned with trickery that would kill me. However, no day is like your day O Aba Abdillah! On that day thirty thousand hordes from those who claim to be Muslims and part of the ummah of our grandfather will get together to spill your blood and kill you… take your ladies and children as prisoners and to plunder your assets. At that time that God will allow the cursing of the Omayyads, and it will rain blood and ashes from the sky and all creatures, even the wild animals and fishes in the sea will cry for you.”

We therefore mourn Imam Hasan (AS) on this day, as well as on the 28^th of Safar, which according to some narrations was the fateful day of his martyrdom.

At any rate, as said earlier, we are in the state of mourning for the Immortal Martyr of Karbala, and that is the reason we do not celebrate any event during the two months of Muharram and Safar.

The 7^th of Safar also happens to be the birthday of the Prophet’s 7^th Infallible Heir, Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), but we don’t celebrate it out of respect for the martyrdom of his ancestor, Imam Husain (AS), and the tragedy that afflicted the noble ladies and children of his household.

As a matter of fact, history is witness that on the advent of the month of Muharram, smile would vanish from the face of Imam Kazem (AS), although almost a hundred years separated his era from that of the tragedy of Karbala.

On the anniversary of the tragedy of Ashura, the 7^th Imam’s grief would reach its peak. He would be continuously crying and was heard saying: “This is the day on which (Imam) Husain (AS) had been killed.”

As for Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), following his martyrdom, when Imam Husain (AS) and the Bani Hashem took the coffin towards the Prophet’s shrine as a mark of respect before burial in the Baqi Cemetery, the despicable Marwan ibn Hakam, who was then governor of Medina, ordered that arrows be shot at the bier. It is said some seventy arrows were shot at the coffin of the Prophet’s elder grandson, and several of these arrows pierced his lifeless body.

Imam Husain (AS) endured this insolent oppression with patience and laid Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS) to eternal rest in the Baqi Cemetery near to the grave of his grandmother, Fatema bint Assad (SA).

In the subsequent generations, Imam Zain al-Abedin, Imam Mohammad Baqer and Imam Ja’far Sadeq (peace upon them) were laid to rest beside Imam Hasan (AS) and a grand towering mausoleum was built over the blessed tombs, where pilgrims used to pay their respects, recite the holy Qur’an and pray to God Almighty.

Alas in 1925 when the heretical Wahhabi hordes of the desert brigand, Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud seized the Land of Revelation Hijaz by shedding torrents of Muslim blood, these savage hordes desecrated and destroyed the holy shrine of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Here we present you some aphorisms from Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS) to ponder upon:

--A blessing is trial, if gratitude is shown for it, it becomes a blessing, and if you show ingratitude for it then it becomes a wrath.

--One who lacks intelligence has no decorum, and one who lacks determination has no magnanimity, and one who has no modesty has no religion.

--Abstain from the unlawful and you will be a worshipper, and be content with what Allah has predestined for you, you will be sufficient, be benevolent to those who take up proximity in your neighborhood, you will be a Muslim.

--Do not be hasty in punishing (someone at his) sin, and leave (room) between the two (fault and punishment) for apology.

AS/SS