Al-Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn Abu Talib, may Allah be please with him, was the last of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs. He  was born in the middle of Sha'ban 3 AH. He resembled the Prophet  who named him Al-Hasan, and nobody had this name during the Age of Ignorance. 'Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubayr  is reported to have said, " Al-Hasan resembled the Prophet  very much who loved him dearly." Imam Al-Bukhari  reports from Abu Bakr  "The Prophet   was once sitting on the pulpit with Al-Hasan beside him. He  would sometimes look towards the audience and at times at Al-Hasan and said: 'This son of mine is the chief of the people and will make peace between two factions of the Muslims'." The Prophet   was once going somewhere with Al-Hasan on his shoulder. A man came across and remarked addressing Al-Hasan, "What a good mount you have." At this the Prophet    replied "Even the rider is very good."

 

Praiseworthy Traits:

Al-Hasan was very polite and generous and commanded great respect. He had a great dislike for political disorder and bloodshed. He performed Hajj twenty-five times on foot although he had his camel with him. 'Umayr Ibn Is-haaq says, "Al-Hasan alone is the person whom I love to hear speaking. I never heard him using foul language."

'Ali Ibn Zayd relates, "Al-Hasan gave away as charity in the way of Allah all his goods and chattels twice and gave half three times." Someone mentioned before Al-Hasan that Abu Dharr used to say, "I hold dear poverty more than opulence and sickness more than health." Thereupon he remarked, "May Allah show him mercy. As for me, I leave myself totally in the Hand of Allah without desiring anything; He will do what He likes; I dare not interfere in His Decrees."

Mentionable Events during the Caliphate of Al-Hasan

When 'Ali  was asked on the eve of his death whether Bay'ah (oath of allegiance) may be taken at the hands of Al-Hasan, he said in plain words, "At present I am involved in my own personal affairs so you do this with whomever you like." They took it to be his indication in favor of Al-Hasan and he was, therefore, chosen for the post. Qays Ibn Sa'd Ibn 'Ubadah  was the first to take Bay'ah followed by others. At the time of taking Bay'ah, Al-Hasan kept asking the people to admit: "Act according to what I say; fight with whom I fight and make peace with whom I enter into peace."

When Mu'awiyah  came to know of the martyrdom of 'Ali  he adopted the appellation of Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen (Chief of the believers). Although he had obtained from the Syrians Bay'ah for his caliphate following the decision of the arbitrators, he had it renewed. When Qays Ibn Sa'd was taking Bay'ah at the hand of Al-Hasan, he uttered, "I take Bay'ah at your hand to follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and on waging Jihad." Thereupon Al-Hasan said, "jihad and fighting form an integral part of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah  they need not, therefore, be mentioned separately." Al-Hasan's expression gave rise to speculation among the people of Koofah that he was disinclined to fight.

Mu'awiyah, on the other hand, set out towards Koofah at the head of sixty thousand men and sent a message to Al-Hasan, "Peace is better than war, and it is proper for you to accept me as Caliph and take Bay'ah at my hand." When he understood that Mu'awiyah had taken Koofah in mind, he left Koofah at the head of forty thousand troops and sent Qays Ibn Sa'd as vanguard with twelve thousand fighters. When he reached Mada'in, someone spread the rumor that Qays Ibn Sa'd was killed. Al-Hasan halted there for a day to give rest to the animals. He assembled his people and addressed them after praising Allah the Almighty: "People! You have taken Bay'ah at my hand that you will obey me in war and peace. I say, by my oath to Allah the Exalted, that I harbor enmity against none, from the East to the West there is none whom I hate or detest, I am one who prefers unity, consensus, love and security to disunity, discord and enmity."

Verdict of Disbelief against Al-Hasan

Having heard this speech, the Khawarij (a deviant sect) and the hypocrites spread the rumor in the camp that Al-Hasan wanted to enter into peace with Mu'awiyah, and they issued a verdict of blasphemy against him.

The verdict stirred the military camp. Opinion was divided between his being a believer or a disbeliever. Very soon the faction charging him with blasphemy dominated the scene and started making their opponents victims of excesses of all kinds.

Many of them once entered the camp and surrounded Al-Hasan on all sides calling him a disbeliever. They pulled his garments so violently that they were torn into pieces. They also took away the mantle from his shoulder and plundered the camp. Following this, Al-Hasan hurried to the Rabee'ah and Hamadan clans on horseback and called on them for help as they were his supporters. They helped him without delay and removed the detractors from the camp.

He left for Madaa'in afterwards. Al-Jarrah Ibn Qabisah, a man from the Khawarij, struck him with his spear and injured his thigh. He was brought into the white palace of Mada'in where he stayed and recovered his health. Qays Ibn Sa'd sent as the vanguard at the head of twelve thousand troops, was surrounded by Mu'awiyah at Anbar. He then sent 'Abdullah Ibn 'Aamir to Al-Hasan on a peace mission at the head of the vanguard. After the trouble in his camp, Al-Hasan had sent 'Abdullah Ibn Al-Harith Ibn Nawfal to Mu'awiyah for peace talk.

On being informed that 'Abdullah Ibn 'Aamir had reached a little distance from Mada'in at the head of a detachment, Al-Hasan came out of Al-Mada'in with his army. When 'Abdullah Ibn 'Aamir noticed troops coming from the opposite direction, he drew near and called out to the people of Iraq aloud and said, "I have not come here for the sake of fighting. I am leading the vanguard of Mu'awiyah who is halting at Anbar with a big army. You convey my salutation to Al-Hasan and tell him that 'Abdullah requests you by Allah to stop fighting and save the people from death and destruction."

When Al-Hasan heard this, he came back to Al-Mada'in and sent his message to 'Abdullah that he was ready to make peace with Mu'awiyah and quit his office of the caliphate in his favor on condition that he would stick to the Book (Quran) and the Sunnah and hold back from getting in the way of his opponents by setting aside past activities and grant safety of life and property to his (Al-Hasan's) supporters.

'Abdullah Ibn 'Aamir rushed to Mu'awiyah with these conditions and told him that Al-Hasan was ready to quit his post on certain conditions. On being asked about the conditions, he said to Mu'awiyah, "The first condition is that the caliphate will be restored to him on your death. Secondly, an annual amount of five hundred thousand from the public treasury will be paid to him while you are alive. Thirdly, he will collect the tribute from Ahwaz and the Persian territories."

These three rather hard conditions were the making of 'Abdullah's own mind. Following these he placed before Mu'aawiyah the conditions, which were actually put forward by Al-Hasan. Mu'awiyah very eagerly agreed to all and more than that. He is reported to have said, "Al-Hasan's intention appears fair and he seems to bring peace between two factions of the Muslims." With this remark Mu'awiyah put down his signature on a blank piece of paper and asked 'Abdullah Ibn 'Aamir to take that to Al-Hasan to write down all his conditions to be fulfilled by me.

When Al-Husayn and 'Abdullah Ibn Ja'far  came to know of this development, they approached Al-Hasan and tried to hold him back from the implementation of his plan. But Al-Hasan  declined their advice. He had watched the activities of the people of Iraq and Koofah from the time of 'Ali . He was conscious of Mu'awiyah's abilities in running the administration of his territories and skill in statecraft. Therefore, he remained firm in his determination to accept the peace offer.

 

When Al-Hasan  saw the signed and stamped paper brought by 'Abdullah Ibn 'Aamir from Mu'awiyah   he objected to the condition that the caliphate would be restored to him after the demise of Mu'aawiyah. He said, "I strongly dislike the condition of my being chosen Caliph after Mu'aawiyah; if I had a longing for the caliphate, why should I quit it now." Following this he sent for the scribe and asked him to write the peace document in the following words:

"This peace document is being written between Al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali Ibn Abu Talib and Mu'aawiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan  . Both of them agree on the following:

The office of the caliphate is handed over to Mu'awiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan. The Muslims will be at liberty to elect a Caliph of their own choice after Mu'awiyah. The Muslims as a whole will remain safe from the hands and tongue of Mu'awiyah and he will treat all with grace. He will not stand in the way of Ali's relatives, and the supporter's of 'Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn Ibn 'Ali will not suffer at his hands. Both these brothers and their relatives will be free to go anywhere and settle at any place. Mu'awiyah and his governors will not have the right to force them to carry out their orders by treating them as their subjects. Mu'awiyah is bound to keep sending the tribute from Ahwaz to Al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali, and the entire existing possessions of the public treasury of Koofah will be within the rights of Al-Hasan Ibn Ali and he will be free to spend it at will. Mu'awiyah should prefer Banu Hashim in giving gifts and rewards."

Some important people signed the document like 'Abdullah Ibn Al-Harith Ibn Nawfal and 'Amr Ibn Abu Salamah and others as witness and surety. When the document was placed before Mu'awiyah, he expressed his utmost joy over it. In the wake of this peace treaty, Mu'awiyah  raised his siege and left Qays Ibn Sa'd  free. Mu'awiyah then reached the Grand Mosque of Koofah and took Bay'ah from Al-Hasan and the people of Koofah. But Sa'd Ibn Qais remained absent from the mosque. Mu'awiyah  also sent him a piece of signed and stamped paper asking him to put down his own conditions for conducting Bay'ah, which would be totally accepted. He demanded security of his life and those of his supporters without asking for anything else. Mu'awiyah conceded to it at once. Thereupon he and his comrades came and gave Bay'ah.

Al-Husayn refused to give Bay'ah. When Mu'awiyah pressed for it, Al-Hasan told him not to insist, for his pride was dearer to him than giving Bay'ah. Mu'awiyah kept silent. But Al-Husayn gave Bay'ah later. 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas was present on that occasion. He advised Mu'awiyah  to request Al-Hasan to deliver his address before the audience. Mu'awiyah liked the advice and in response to his request Al-Hasan said addressing the people: "O Muslims! To me mischief is highly detestable. I made peace with Mu'awiyah to save the Ummah of my grandfather from tribulations and disorder and accepted him as commander and Caliph. Had the command and caliphate been his right, he has got it; if it was mine, I bestowed it on him."

Prophecy of the Prophet 

Following the process of establishing this peace treaty through all the stages, one can marvel at the accuracy of the prophecy of the Prophet about Al-Hasan: "This son of mine is a chief and Allah the Almighty will reconcile between two groups of the Muslims through him." When Al-Hasan descended from the pulpit, Mu'awiyah got up and said "Abu Muhammad! You have shown such a boldness and bravery the like of which nobody has seen so far."

This peace treaty was signed in 41 AH, only six months after the martyrdom of 'Ali . After the finalization of peace, Mu'awiyah  left Koofah for Damascus. He showed high regard for Al-Hasan while he remained alive and kept sending him the amount agreed upon.

 

Mu'awiyah had now risen as the unchallenged leader and Caliph of Islam. Even Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas  who had relieved himself of all the affairs of life and was passing his days grazing his camels and goats and worshiping Allah in a state of seclusion, had also given Bay'ah at the hand of Mu'awiyah. In short, none was there to hold himself back from giving Bai'ah sooner or later. A few days after the peace treaty was signed, Al-Hasan left Koofah and proceeded to Al-Madeenah along with his relatives. The people of Koofah escorted him for some distance. He settled in Al-Madeenah.

Concocted Story of poisoning

Al-Hasan died in 50 or 51 AH. It is said that his wife Ju'dah Bint Al-Ash'ath poisoned him. However, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn could not detect the culprit, so how can she be blamed for this event? On the eve of his death, Al-Hasan called Al-Husayn and said, "The caliphate reached 'Ali after the Prophet and swords were drawn but the issue remained unsettled. I have now come to know it very well that Prophethood and caliphate cannot remain combined in our family. I am afraid the ignorant of Koofah will try to take you out of this city but you should foil their attempt. I had once requested 'Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, to allow me to be buried near the Prophet . She had then agreed. Maybe, she will refuse permission now. However, approach her for this purpose but without insistence." Following this advice Al-Husayn contacted 'Aa'ishah immediately after the demise of Al-Hasan and sought permission for his brother's burial and she gave her consent. Al-Hasan was then laid to rest beside his mother, Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her. Nine sons and six daughters survived him.

A Glance at Al-Hasan's Caliphate

Some historians are reluctant to accept the six-month caliphate of Al-Hasan as a part of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate on the plea of its being short-lived and incomplete. However, this viewpoint appears to be untenable. Should this argument be considered as acceptable, 'Ali's caliphate will also have to be erased from the hierarchy of the Righteous Caliphs, which is not justified. The shortness of his tenure is also not a valid reason. If the caliphate of Al-Hasan is carefully taken into consideration, it is an important part of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate. Even though the caliphate of Al-Hasan  is devoid of victories and cries of battles, it performed such a remarkable and magnificent service to the world of Islam and its unity that a caliphate spreading over scores of years and with a hundred victories could not have been accomplished. In respect of the marvelous role played by him in bringing unity to the two warring groups of the Muslim Ummah, his caliphate is unforgettable.

He put an end to the enmity of a decade in a stroke. He destroyed the conspiracies and mischief of the hypocrites and Jews in the garb of Muslims that developed through a decade and had grown strong and formidable. In this way he paved the way for future victories and the swords of the Muslim Ummah turned once again towards the enemies of Islam. He certainly surpassed the bravery of a great warrior with many victories when giving Bay'ah at the hand of Mu'awiyah, he said: "Had the command and caliphate been his right, he has got it; if it was mine, I bestowed it on him."

This remarkable event will serve to the Last Day as a guiding light for the Muslim Ummah to keep to the right path. This glittering example stands to this day as a lighthouse in the wild and fathomless dark ocean. Al-Hasan  had under his command forty thousand fighters. They might have been unsteady, ignorant and impertinent, but all of them had taken the oath of fighting against Mu'awiyah to the last drop of their blood. In such a situation it was a must for a young man of 37, an experienced general and the son of a brave father to fight against his father's rival. Al-Hasan  knew it well that he, being the darling of the Prophet  would be able in a short period, to turn the tide of the Companions and the world of Islam in his favor.