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IMAM HASAN'S CHARACTER
The researcher who examines the life of the Holy
Prophet's grandson, Imam Hasan and his brother, Imam
Hussein (a.s.), can't help drawing the conclusion that
they enjoyed a high level of education and spiritual and
ideological upbringing, which no other person had won
next to their grandfather (s.a.w.), mother and father
(a.s.).The imprints of the revelation and Divine care marked
their characters, in all its aspects, ingredients and
angles. They were highly refined and brought up in line
with Islam's teachings by their grandfather, the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), their father, Imam Ali
(a.s.), and their mother Fatimah Al-Zahra' (a.s.),
through excellent examples and direct daily guidance.
Although they lost both their grandfather and mother
at an early age, their upbringing suffered no
interruption. Their father, Imam Ali bin Abi-Talib
(a.s.), the disciple of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.),
and the graduate from the school of Divine revelation,
who was the beacon for the people, was alive, throwing
his shade over them. There is no doubt that Imams Hasan
and Hussein (a.s.) wound up in the stage of Divine
preparation.They were prepared to shoulder the responsibility of the
Divine message, in form and content. The ultimate result
was that both Imams Hasan and Hussein (a.s.) became Islam
personified walking on the earth.As the ingredients of the characters of the two Imams
were the same, they were singular in their behavior,
march, steps and goals, which were Islamic in their
entirety.The nature of our discussion dictates that we present
lively examples from Imam Hasan's (a.s.) spiritual,
scientific, and ethical activities.
1. Spiritual Side:
The excellent preparation which was provided for the
grandson of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), helped his
spiritual entity to sublimate. His closeness to Allah,
and his attachment to Him was a source of awe and
respect.Following are a few narratives which shed light on this
side of his character:Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said:
"Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) was certainly the most
true worshipper, ascetic and merited man among the people
of his time."
Rawdhat al-Wa'ideen (Orchard of the Preachers)
mentions that whenever "Hasan would do his ablution,
he would tremble and his face would turn pale. He was
asked about it, and he replied: 'It is only natural that
one who stands in the presence of the Lord of the Throne
turns ashen, and trembles...'" Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) is also reported to have said:
"Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) had certainly gone to
hajj twenty-five times on foot. He shared his property
with Allah twice...or three times."
Ali bin Jadh'an, and Abu-Na'im report in Hulyat
al-Awaliya' (Ornament of the Saints) and Tabaqat bin Sa'd
(Castes of bin Sa'd) that Imam Hasan had given all his
money to the needy twice, seeking Allah's pleasure, and
had given half his money to the needy three times. He
would even give a single shoe and retain the other, and
give a single sandal and retain the other. When he
approached the door of the mosque, he would say. 'O
Lord! Your guest is at Your gate. O Generous! The
transgressor has come to You. Forgive me my ugly deeds
with Your Generosity. O Generous!'
When he remembered death he wept. When he thought of
the grave he wept. When he thought of the Resurrection
and Day of Judgement he gasped so deeply and painfully
that he fainted because of it.When he recited the Qur'an and came across a verse
addressing the faithful by these words: 'O you who
believe...,' he said: 'Here I am, my Lord, here I
am...'
As for his charity and alms, suffice it to say that he
had given all his money twice and half his money three
times in the way of Allah.(9)
2. Scientific Side:
If a living, receptive mind is rated as the mainstay
of the Islamic character, and if the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.) and the guiding Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) had
ascended to the top peg of the ladder of Islamic
characteristics due to their direct subjugation to the
Divine preparation, Imam Hasan (a.s.), the grandson of
the Prophet (s.a.w.), as well as all of the blessed,
guiding Imams (a.s.) were pioneering activists in the
sphere of thought. They had no match in that.This can be attributed to the nature of their upbringing
and the care they were favored with. All of the rightly
guided Imams either received their education directly
from the Messenger (s.a.w.) or indirectly from the
preceding Imam.
As for the new questions and developments of life, the
sublime, inner entity of the Imam himself, and his
boundless spirituality, qualified him for self-acquired
knowledge. That is why the Muslim orators dubbed the
knowledge of the Imams, from the perspective of the
"present knowledge". An Imam wouldn't need to
be tutored or taught by others in this respect. He
acquired knowledge by means of direct inspiration.Inspiration, as it is known, is something different from
revelation. Any good-natured reader would realize this
fact, through his research into the lives of the Holy
Imams (a.s.). History would never stop hesitently to say
that an Imam found difficulty in any branch of knowledge.
Nor, would it say that he couldn't offer and answer a
question, inquiry or problem, either ideological,
religious, scientific, or in any other field. Following
are a number of reports about Imam Hasan's (a.s.) vast
knowledge.
A. Hasan al-Basri wrote to Imam Hasan (a.s.), asking
him about the Divine decree. The grandson of the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) answered him in these words:
"Mind you, he who does not believe that all
sudden incidents that happen, be they good or bad, are
known earlier by Allah, is an infidel. He who blames sins
on Allah, is unchaste. Allah is not obeyed against His
will. He is not sinned against by force. He does not
leave aside His servants in His Kingdom. He is the Owner
of what He gives to them. He is the Powerful over
whatever He puts at the disposal of them. Nay, He orders
them with no coercion, and prohibits them as a warning.
If they opt to obey Him, none would stand in their way,
and if they choose to sin, He may prevent them from doing
it. But if He does not, He is not to blame, because it is
not He Who forces them to do it, or compels them into
committing it against their will. But He does them a
favor by opening their eyes, teaching, warning, ordering
and prohibiting them. He does not force them to do what
He orders, so as to be like the angels, not does He
pressure them to keep away from what He forbids. Allah's
is certainly the conclusive argument. If Allah willed, He
would have guided you to the right path..."(10)
By these eloquent, concise words the Imam explains one
of the most complicated, and thorny matters of thought.
It was so difficult, that many intellectuals were
perplexed and at a loss because of it. Moreover, it gave
rise to extremely fanatical groups.Imam Hasan (a.s.), however, expressively shows his
profound and pristine knowledge in Islamic sciences. This
discloses Imam Hasan's (a.s.) firm connection with the
fountainhead of the Message and its original concepts.
B. "What is asceticism?" the Imam was
once asked.
"The desire to be pious and abstemious in this
life," he replied.
"What is forbearance?" he was asked.
"Restraining one's anger and controlling
oneself," he answered.
"What is righteousness?" he was
asked.
"Replacing the bad with the good,"
came the answer.
"What is honor?" they asked.
"Being kind to one's relatives and shouldering
people's burdens of sin."
"What is the succour?" he was asked.
"Defending the neighbor, patience in war, and
advance during adversities," he said.
"What is glory?" he was asked.
"Giving while being in debt and forgiving
others their offences."
"What is manliness?"
"Holding onto the faith, keeping one's
self-respect, being merciful, being kind, giving back
people's trusts, and ingrantiating oneself to the
people..."(11)
C. A man from Syria asked Imam Hasan (a.s.):
"What distance is between the right and the
falsehood?"
"Four fingers," the Imam replied. "What
you see with your own eye is the right. You may
hear a lot of falsehoods with your ear."
"What distance is between faith and
certitude?" the Syrian asked.
"Four fingers," Imam Hasan (a.s.)
again answered. "The faith is what we hear, and
certitude is what we see."
"What is the distance between the sky and the
heaven?" asked the Syrian.
"The prayer of the wronged," replied
Imam.
"What is the distance between the east and
west?," asked the Syrian.
"A day's travel of the sun," said the
Imam.(12)
D. Imam Hasan (a.s.) is reported to have said:
"O people! He who is faithful to Allah, taking
His words as a beacon, is guided to that which is most
upright. Allah helps him to attain righteousness and
leads him to goodness. The neighbor of Allah is certainly
secure and protected. His enemy is fearful and in
failure. Be cautious of Allah's wrath by much remembrance
of Him. Fear Allah by piety and draw close to Allah by
obeying Him. He is Near and Answering. Allah, the Blessed
and Most High, says:
"And when My servants ask you concerning Me,
then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the
suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My
call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right
way."
Holy Qur'an (2: 186)
Imam Hasan (a.s.) continued,
"Be obedient to Allah, and have faith in Him.
It is unbecoming of him who grasps the greatness of
Allah, to be haughty. The loftiness of those who know the
greatness of Allah is expressed in their modesty, and
those who know the highness of Allah in humbleness before
Him. The safety of those who know the power of Allah is
expressed in their surrender to Him, undenial after they
have known the truth, and not straying after they have
been guided. You should know for sure that you will not
attain peity until after you have known the nature of
guidance. You will not hold onto the covenant of the Book
until after you have known those who turned their backs
on it. You will not recite it as you should, until after
you have known those who tried to distort it. Having
known that, you can know the innovations and pretentions,
see the lies against Allah and the distortion, and see
how will fall aside those who go astray. Do not be
influenced by the ignorant. Seek the knowledge from its
bearers. They are the light with which one can enlighten
oneself. They are the rightful Imams whom one can follow.
With their existence, knowledge revives and ignorance
fades away. They are those whose knowledge tells you
about the non-existence of ignorance in them, the way of
their reasoning about the soundness of their judgements,
their appearance about their inner self. They do not go
against the right, nor do they differ on it. Allah set a
sunnah for them, and issued His verdict on them. It is a
reminder for those who want to remember. Understand what
I say when you hear it, take care to act in compliance
with it, and do not try to grasp it as if it were
conveyed to you by the word of mouth. It is because the
transmitters of the Book are many, but those who preserve
it are few. Allah is the One Whose support is
sought."(13)
E. One day Imam Hasan (a.s.) was asked about politics.
He said:
"Politics means observing the rights of Allah
and the rights of the living and the rights of the dead.
Rights of Allah are that you should obey His orders, and
avoid what He forbids. Rights of the living are that you
should observe your duty to your brothers, and not tarry
in serving your ummah. You should be faithful to the one
in authority among you as long as he is faithful to his
ummah. You should speak up in his face should he deviate
from the right path. Rights of the dead are that you
should remember their good deeds and overlook their bad
ones. They have a Lord Who shall ask them about whatever
they did."
This is only a mere glimpse of the vast and deep
knowledge and rays from the light of Imam Hasan's (a.s.)
perfect reason which Allah favored him with. We cited
them here as samples of the rich ideological heritage
left by Imam Hasan (a.s.) to the future generations of
the Muslim ummah throughout its long history.(14)
3. Ethical Side:
Covering this aspect of the character of the grandson
of the Prophet (s.a.w.) by no means signifies a
difference among the guiding Imams (a.s.) in this
respect, or in any other ingredient of the ideal Islamic
character. They are equal in this. We will confine
ourselves to presenting some narratives of the Imam's
behavior with the people. We hope that his morals are the
ones which we adopt and follow.
A. His Modesty:
1. It is reported that he once chanced upon some poor
men who put a few crumbs of bread on the ground in front
of them, which they had earlier picked up from the road.
They were eating them. They invited him to eat with them.
He accepted the invitation and said:
"Certainly Allah does not like the
proud."
Having finished eating with them he invited them to
his house. He showered them with money, fed and clothed
them.
2. Imam Hasan (a.s.) reportedly passed by some boys
who were eating. They invited him to share their food
with them. He accepted their invitation, then called them
to his house and generously rewarded them.
3. It is reported that he was sitting in some place.
When the Imam (a.s.) rose to go, a poor man came in. The
Imam (a.s.) greeted him, and spoke kindly to him. "You
have come at the time when I was taking leave,"
he said to the man. "Do you permit me to
go?"
"Yes, O son of the Messenger of Allah,"
replied the man.
We can get an idea of Imam Hasan's (a.s.) smooth
manners and modesty from this narrative.
B. His Kindness to the Wrongdoers:
1. He once found out that an ewe had a broken leg. He
called one of his slaves and asked him: "Who did
it?"
"I," the slave answered.
"Why?"
"So as to disconcert you!" the slave
retorted.
The Imam (a.s.) smiled to him and said: "But I
will make you happy."
He freed him and generously rewarded him.
2. A Syrian, imbued with hatred and spite against the
family of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), by Mu'awiyah
bin Abi-Sufyan, once saw the Imam on horseback. He at
once emitted a series of curses! Imam Hasan (a.s.) did
not put in a word of protest or interruption. When the
man finished, Imam Hasan (a.s.) approached him with a
tender smile. He said to him:
"O old man! I think you are a stranger here.
Maybe you mistook me for someone else? If you propitiate
us, we will satisfy you. If you ask us, we will give you
what you need. If you ask our advice, we will guide you.
If you ask us to give you a ride, we will take you with
us. If you are hungry, we will satisfy you. If you are
naked, we will clothe you. If you are in need, we will
make you rich. If you are a refugee, we will give you
lodgings. If you have a request, we will grant it. If you
join your luggage to ours, and be our guest until the
time of your travel, it will be more useful to you,
because we have a spacious place, a good social position,
and a vast amount of money."
Upon hearing these words, the Syrian broke into tears.
Then he said: "I bear witness that you are the
viceroy of Allah on the earth. Allah knows best whom to
entrust with His message. You and your father were the
most hateful creatures of Allah to me. But now you and
your father are the most beloved from among all the
creatures of Allah to me."Then the Imam took the Syrian to his house as his guest
till the time of his departure. The man had completely
changed his opinion and position toward Ahlul-Bait
(a.s.).
C. His Generosity:
Maybe the most eminent of Imam Hasan's (a.s.)
attributes is his generosity. He believed that money was
only a means to clothe the naked, help the destitute, pay
the debts of the indebted, or satisfy the hungry. Once,
he was asked: "We do not see you disappoint a
beggar. Why?"
He replied:
"I am asking Allah for His favors, and I love
to be near Him. I am ashamed, as I am myself in need of
Allah, to repulse a beggar. Allah got me used to a habit;
to shower me with His bounties, and I get Him used to me
showering His bounties on the people. I fear that should
I stop my habit, He may stop His habit."
Following are examples of his unlimited generosity:
1. An Arab desert-dweller once asked for help. In
response, Imam said: "Give him what is in the
safe." In it there was ten thousand Dirhams.
"Sir," the bedouin said, "won't you
allow me to reveal my need and praise you?"
Imam's reply was something like this:
"We are people whose bounties are flowing. In
them hopes and wishes dwell. Our souls give out before we
are asked in fear of the disgrace of the one who asks.
Should the sea know how much we give who asks us, it will
shrink, after its flooding, in shame."
The grandson of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) bought an
orchard from the ansars (the supporters of the Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.) in Madinah), at the price of 400,000
Dirhams. Then he got word that they lost their wealth. He
gave them the orchard back with no charge.These are only a few insights into Imam Hasan's (a.s.)
generous acts. Such good deeds had the greatest effect in
personifying his high Islamic ethics.(15)Now we are able to form a clear idea of the ingredients
of the character of Imam Hasan (a.s.). It was the top
example of the Muslim character ever witnessed by this
planet after the prophets (a.s.). This was the character
of the Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) generally and all of them shared
the same character and personality.Such practical attitudes which we quoted here are an
expressive refutation to the claims of the enemies of
Islam who allege that Islam is a theoretical system which
cannot be implemented.
