Commentary On Kumayl Supplication

www.alhassanain.org/english

Commentary On Kumayl Supplication

Author(s): Allama Husayn Ansariyan

Translator(s): Hamideh Elahinia

Publisher(s): Ansariyan Publications - Qum

www.alhassanain.org/english

Notice:

This version is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errors are not corrected.

Table of Contents

Publisher’s Foreword 10

Author’s Preface 11

Note from Translator 12

Du’a’ (supplication) in a Glance 13

Du’a’ in the Holy Qur’an 13

Du’a’ in Traditions 14

The Value of Du’a’ in a Congregation 15

Despair; the state of the disbeliever 16

Conditions of Du’a’ 17

Thursday Night 17

Notes 19

Kumayl Ibn Ziyad Nakha’i 21

Notes 21

Du’a’ Kumayl 22

Notes 22

Commentary of: “Bismillah, ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim” 23

Connotations of Bismillahi 24

Notes 26

Commentary of: “Allahumma Inni Asaluka bi rahmatika allati wa si’at kulla shay” 28

The Living World 29

Human; the Noblest Inhabitant of the World 31

Different Stages in the Creation of Man 31

The first Stage: Soil 31

The Second Stage: Water 31

The Third Stage: Alaq 32

The fourth Stage: Creation from a Despised Fluid 32

The Fifth Stage: Amshaj (the Zygote) 32

The Sixth Stage: the Shaping of the Fetus 33

The Seventh Stage: Placing the fetus in Three Veils 33

The Eighth Stage: Breathing Spirit 33

The Ninth Stage: Birth 34

A Manifestation of Allah’s Mercy 34

The Respiratory System 35

The Skin 35

The Defensive System of the Body 36

The Remarkable Uses of the Plants 36

The Role of Animals and Insects in the Living World 37

Allah’s Guidance; a Valuable Blessing 38

Allah’s Mercy 39

Traditions about Allah’s Mercy 40

Stories of Allah’s Mercy 40

Jesus Christ and the sinner 41

The Sinful Youth 41

Granted Wish 41

Meeting the Generous Allah 42

Repentance After Repentance 42

Prayer of a Lost is Answered 43

Change from the Unlucky Book to the Lucky Book 43

Notes 44

Commentary of: “Wa biquwwatika’llati qaharta biha kulla shay” 45

Commentary of: “Wa khadha’a laha kulla shay..” 46

Note 47

Commentary of: “Wa bi jabarutika’llati ghalabta biha kulla shay” 48

Allah’s Compensation of the insufficiencies 48

Compensation of sun’s exhausted energy 48

Compensation of Caspian Sea Tide 48

Allah’s Compensation of Fruit Seeds Shortage 49

Notes 50

Commentary of: “Wa bi ‘izzatika’llati la yaqawm laha shay” 51

Knowing the Actor by His Act 51

Creation of Various Worlds 51

Hanging Lanterns in the Heaven and the Solar System 52

Suns, the Countless Stars 52

Notes 53

Commentary of: “Wa bi Sultanika’alladhi ‘ala kulla shay” 55

Commentary of: “Wa bi wajhika’lbaqia ba’da fana’i kully shay” 56

Commentary of: “Wa bia’smaa’ika’llati malat Arkana kully shay” 57

Commentary of: وَبِعِلْمِكَ الَّذِى أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيٍْء 59

The Meaning of Light in Qur’anic Verses and Traditions 59

Notes 60

Commentary of: يَّا نُورُ يَا قُدُّوسُ يَآ أَوَّلَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَيَآ آخِرَ الآخِرِينَ 61

Commentary of: اللَّهُمَ اغْفِرْ لِىَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِى تَهتِكُ الْعِصَمَ 62

The Story of Gratefulness for the Hospitality of a Generous 62

Inauspicious Consequences of Committing Sins 63

Sins Tearing off Reverence 65

Drinking Intoxicants 65

Gambling 66

Useless Acts for Amusing People 66

Reference to People's Deficiencies 67

Accompanying the Alleged Sinners 67

The Sins Bringing Down the Adversities 69

Rebellion (baghy) 69

Violating People’s Rights 69

Mocking Allah’s Servants 70

Breaking Promises 70

Obvious Wrongdoing 71

Modesty of a Believing Lady 72

Scattering Lies 73

Judging in contrast to Allah’s Rules 75

Not Paying Zakat 75

Shortening the Measures 76

Sins Altering Blessings 76

Oppressing People 77

Losing the Good Habits 77

Abandoning good deeds 77

Ungratefulness 77

Abandoning Gratefulness 77

Factors that Hinder the Acceptance of Supplications 78

Bad Intention 78

Hidden Vices 79

Mistrust 79

Hatred 80

Self-Admiration 81

Hypocrisy 81

Arrogance 82

Negligence 83

Stinginess 84

Greed 86

Cupidity 87

Jealousy 87

Loving Allah’s Enemies 88

Hypocrisy with Brotherhood-in-faith 88

Doubtfulness about Acceptance of Supplications 89

Postponing the Prayers 89

Leaving Alms-giving 89

A Wonderful Story about Charity 90

Speaking Rudely 90

Sins Causing Tribulations 91

Inattention to the pleading of an afflicted 91

Avoiding Helping the Oppressed 92

Abandoning Enjoining to Good and Forbidding Evil 93

The Ruins of Remoteness 95

Remembrance 95

The Meanings of ‘Remembrance’ 95

Hearty Attention to the Almighty 96

The Holy Qur’an 96

The Prophet and His Household 97

The Meaning of Intercession 99

The Conditions for Intercession 100

The intercessors of the World and Hereafter 100

The Intercession of Belief 100

The Intercession of Good deeds 101

The Intercession of Repentance 101

The Intercession of Qur’an 101

The Nearness Position 103

Wonders of Favorite Servants 105

1. Hajj Sayyid ‘Ali Qazi 105

2. Mirza Tahir Tonekaboni 105

3. Jabir Ja’fi 105

The Gratitude Position 106

The Wonderful Account of a Grateful Servant 107

The Remembrance Position 108

Four Requests from the Almighty 109

Forbearance 109

Mercy 111

Satisfaction 113

Modesty 117

Modesty in Qur’an 117

Modesty in Traditions 117

The Modesty of the Messenger of Allah 118

The Modesty of Imam ‘Ali 118

The Modesty of Prophet Solomon 119

Allah; the True Owner 119

Allah’s Rewards for the Servant’s Deeds 122

Paradise 124

Allah’s Mercy 125

Allah’s Forgiveness 126

The Forgiver of Sins 129

The Concealer of Wicked Acts 130

Transferor of Wicked Acts to Good Acts 131

The Cost of Paradise 133

Tasbih 135

Wronging Oneself 136

Audacity in Ignorance 137

Confessing to sins 137

Confession of the Young Sinner 138

Regretful Sinner's End 138

Notes 141

The Meaning of ‘bala' (tribulation)’ 147

1. Sins 147

An Important Question-Answer 147

A Dialogue with Uways al-Qarani 147

2. Remoteness from Allah’s Closeness 148

3. Ignorance 148

Bad State 149

Inadequacy of Acts 150

The Restrictive Fetters 150

High Hopes 151

A Strange Account 153

Descriptions of the Soul 157

Amir al-Mu’minin’s Viewpoint about Reforming the Soul 158

The Description of my Dilly-Dallying 159

The Reason for the Obstruction of Supplications 159

Secret-Keeping 160

An Astonishing Story on Forgiveness 161

Dissipation 162

Ignorance 162

Passion 163

The Unlucky Prince 163

Forgetfulness 164

The Sinner and Allah’s Forgiveness 165

The Servant of ‘Abdullah al-Mubarak 166

The Tale of the Mother and the Child 168

The Healing Regard 168

The Amazing Story of Hatam al-Asamm 169

The Influential Regard 170

Duties 172

Allah’s Arguments against Man 173

The Mystical Prayer 174

Josef and Zulaykha 175

Prophet Jonah’s People 175

The Presence of the Beloved 176

The Wonderful Tale of Harun’s Death 177

The Exact Estimation 177

Oneness 178

The Divinity Manifestation 182

Moses and Korah 184

The Youth and His Mother 184

Right of Hospitality 185

Right of the Guest on His Host 185

Comprehensive Worship 186

Having Good idea about Allah 187

Tribulation of this world and that of the Hereafter 188

Purgatory and Hereafter Punishments 189

Complain to the Friend 191

Lamenting and Weeping 192

Friends’ Remoteness 194

Greed for the Noble Servants’ Position 194

Hope for Forgiveness 195

Harun and Buhlul 196

Salman and the Fearful Young Man 197

The Believer Woman 197

An Interesting Advice 198

Allah’s Bounty and mercy 198

Solomon and the Peasant 199

An Important Tradition 199

Imam Sadiq (as) and the Terrified Caravan 200

The Wonder of Allah’s favorites 201

The Kind Embrace 202

Abraham’s Impatience of Sins 202

A Strange Truth 203

Allah’s Mercy on the Youth in David’s Age 203

Features of the Freed Captive 204

The Believing Servant 204

The Fate of Witness of Josef’s Innocence 204

The Two Illustrious Angels and Body Limbs 205

Allah’s Exalted Name 207

Accepted Deeds 208

Request for Strength 211

Conditions for Allah’s Special Blessings 211

Association and the Companion 211

Unlawful food 212

Moral Vices 212

Gluttony 213

Excessive Sleep 213

Worshipping Allah 214

Serving Allah’s servants 215

Certainty 216

Khajah Nizham al-Mulk and the Pious Man 218

Ahmad Khadhrawayh and the Thief 218

The Tongue 219

Forgiveness of the Prostitute Woman 220

Guarantee of Acceptance of Prayer 221

Prayer of the Entangled 221

Prayer of the Black Slave 222

Prayer of Imam al-Sajjad’s Slave 222

Imam al-Husayn’s Prayer 223

Nightly Prayer of the Prisoner 224

Rain of Mercy 225

Hope of Mercy 225

Divine Truth and Minute Points 226

Notes 227

Complete text of Du’a’ Kumayl in Arabic with Trasliteration and English Translation 233

Publisher’s Foreword

Supplication (du’a') is man’s dialogue with his Lord and the connecting rope between the creature and his Creator. Intellectual scholars consider du’a’ to be practical compliance with monotheism. This can be particularly evidenced through the Prophets and the Ahl al-Bayt (as) who have given considerable importance to du’a’. The Supplication of Kumayl (or Du’a’ Kumayl) establishes itself as one of the most significant supplications and is regarded as a resource of Divine salvation, since it interweaves paramount mystical contents. Thus, it has been referred to as the ‘source of all supplications’.

According to reliable narratives, Du’a’ Kumayl’s origin is divine; it was the words of al-Khadhir spoken by our master and the commander of the believers, Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib (as). Owing to this fact, Du’a’ Kumayl has occupied a salient rank in the view of the Household of the Prophet (SAWW) who have shown it considerable importance.

In view of that, the Du’a’ Kumayl is looked at as a reflective school that contains significant spiritual and humanitarian issues of man’s everyday activities. The well-versed professor, Shaykh Husayn Ansariyan, has undertaken the mission of annotating and commenting on this magnificent supplication, and he has actually excelled in this field since he has interpreted it using reliable Muslim references in addition to including a thoughtful attachment to this noble supplication.

His one and only aim has been to increase awareness of the words and significances of this supplication in the conscience and perception of man. As a result, the commentaries of this scholar have been based upon fundamentals derived from the Holy Qur'an, reliable narrations, and mystical knowledge.

Based on the commentator’s spiritual and sentimental connection with this noble supplication, his commentaries are full of knowledge, perception, and enlightened insight.

Presenting this wonderful book to the dear readers, the Ansariyan Publications hopes that the seekers of knowledge and Islamic education will find it to be a window of detecting the features of this noble supplication.

Ansariyan Publications

Holy Qum - Iran

Author’s Preface

At age eleven, I would attend a religious session during holy nights of Ramadhan, along with my father. In that session, the late Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Lali Zari, who was a reverend scholar, would enlighten people with an eloquent speech. He would also recite the holy supplication of Kumayl in the darkness of Thursday nights, with eyes filled with tears, heart pierced and a tone so divine. No one attended that session except those who were greatly impressed by the supplication of Kumayl combined with the effective tenor of the late Ayatollah.

Like other aspirants, I, too, was attracted to this great supplication through his warm tone; a supplication which has come from the heart of the Commander of the Believers in order to purify people’s souls and urge the sinners for repentance.

I managed to memorize this supplication three days after I had heard it for the first time. And then, I recited it on Thursday nights for my family members or friends.

Sometime after my coming to Qom Seminary for studying theology, I began preaching, by Allah’s Mercy. I felt it necessary to recite Kumayl supplication in my Thursday night sessions which after some time got very popular throughout Iran as well as abroad and people attended them eagerly. Some people obtained spiritual benefits from the sessions too. On the auspicious night of Imam ‘Ali’s (as) birthday, Hujjat Al-Islam Rahimian prompted me to write a commentary on the supplication, so that people could engage in it more profoundly and take part in the Kumayl sessions with more insight.

I finally managed to write a commentary on the holy Kumayl supplication and now it is up to the readers to benefit from it.

Finally I should appreciate the assistance of my friends in the research section of Dar Al-‘Irfan Publications, who have edited and prepared the work for being published.

Husayn Ansariyan

Note from Translator

All Praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Who destined me to translate this sacred du’a’ into English. Kumayl’s Supplication is one of the most glorious Islamic du’a’s which is resorted to, by the believers, for the forgiveness of sins, increase in sustenance, and protection against enemies. It contains numerous rich meanings and heavenly themes that requires to be explained in order to be understood thoroughly.

I sincerely dedicate this miniscule attempt of introducing Islamic teachings throughout the world to the holy presence of Prophet Muhammad (S), peace be upon him and his pure progeny, who endured numerous hardships for the growth of Islam.

The challenges of translating texts in general and the demanding translation of Islamic works in particular are quite obvious. It requires a deep native-like knowledge of the English language combined with a moderate understanding of Islamic themes. I hope my effort in trying to convey the message has not been in vain. Thus, I greatly need the sincere comments from the readers, both natives and non-natives of English, on the quality of the work.

It will be very kind of you to send me messages either to Ansariyan Publication’s mailing address or my own email address at haminia@gmail.com.

Hamideh Elahinia

The Second Imam: Hasan ibne Ali (AS)

Name Hasan

Title al-Mujtaba

Epithet Abu Muhammad

Father Ali ibne Abi Talib (as)

Mother Fatima binte Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (pbuh)

Date of Birth: Ramadhan 15, 3 AH (March 1, 625 AD)

Place of Birth: Madinah

Progeny: From Umm Bashir binte Abu Masud al-Khazraji:

One son: Zaid

Two daughters: Umm al-Hasan, Umm al-Husain

From; Khawla binte Fazari:

One son: Hasan al-Muthanna

From: Umm Is-haq binte Talha bin UbaidAllah al-Taimi

Two sons: al-Husain, Talha

One daughter: Fatima

He had many other children from other wives

Date of Death: Safar 28, 50 AH (March 6, 670 AD)

He lived to an age of 45 years

Place of Death: Madinah

Place of Burial: Jannatul Baqi

LIFE OF HASAN (as) DURING

THE TIMES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD

The Holy Prophet was very happy when he heard the news of the birth of his grandson. He came to the house of Ali and his beloved daughter Fatima and named the child Hasan. He had the good fortune to be loved and nurtured personally by the Messenger of Islam for seven years before his death. He often carried his grand child on his shoulders.

As a youth, he witnessed the conflict between kufr (paganism, polytheism) and Islam. He saw his father, Imam Ali being victorious and playing the key role in many important battles with the non-believers. This was also the glorious time of Islam with the inception of the Muslim community in Madinah under the Holy Prophet himself, and the rapid expansion of the message of Islam throughout the Arabian peninsula.

Hasan was one of the five members of the Ahle Bait. It was in 9 AH when the Prophet of Islam took him along as one of the five who went out to face the challenge of the grand cardinals of Najran on the occasion of Mubahala, and witnessed the triumph of the Truth over Falsehood.

LIFE OF HASAN DURING THE TIMES OF IMAM ALI

As a growing youth, Hasan saw the active role of his father, Imam Ali, in the battlefield defending Islam, as a preacher to a vast congregation of believers on the occasion of Haj, and as a missionary of Islam to Yemen. After the death of his grandfather, the Prophet, he saw his father having retreated to a passive role in the matters of the state during the period of the first three caliphs. However, whenever he saw it necessary, Imam Ali never refrained from giving his opinion to the caliph of the time on matters of the practice of faith. He had also seen that the caliphs, in turn, respected Imam Ali for his overall knowledge, and consulted him on many occasions as the need arose.

When the third caliph was murdered by a mob of agitated demonstrators in his palace in Mad'mah, and Imam Ali was elected to lead the Muslim nation, Imam Hasan took active part in assisting his father in many ways. He went to Kufa and successfully raised the first army of believers against the dissenting Muslims. He participated actively in the battlefields of Basra, Siffeen and Nahrawan alongside his father, and demonstrated his skills as a soldier and as a leader.

Before he died, Imam Ali appointed Hasan to lead the nation of believers and to be their Imam after him. The people also chose him to be their Caliph.

THE LIFE OF IMAM HASAN AS A CALIPH

Imam Hasan assumed the responsibility of the Caliphate after the martyrdom of his father, and the people of Kufa gave him the pledge of fealty. He addressed a large congregation of believers in the mosque and reminded them of the stand his father had taken in upholding the Truth, and that he would not change his course of conduct in any other way. He also reminded them of the deceitful way in which they were deprived of their victory over Muawiyah, the defiant governor of Syria. He strongly urged them to search their hearts if they wished to achieve a stable and pious way of life under his rule.

Muawiyah continued his unrelenting efforts to weaken the position of Imam Hasan from the seat of Caliphate. The hnam wrote him a letter inviting him for peace, and to join him in furthering the cause of a unified Islamic State. This called for Muawiyah to accept Imam Hasan as the legitimate successor of the Caliphate. Muawiyah had previously declined this in a similar communication from Imam Ali, and had carried arms against him.

Imam Hasan called up his forces from his pledged supporters. However, the army he could gather consisted of people with disparate motives. Although there were some true believers in the army, many others had joined in for the sake of war spoils and with divided loyalties. Thus, even some Kharjites had joined the army, not for the love of the Imam but, in the event of victory, for their own design of eliminating Muawiyah from the Caliphate. There were others who had come, not because they believed in fighting for the cause of the Truth but because their tribal leaders had urged them to do so.

However, just before the impending war, Muawiyah was able to break the strength of the Imams army by paying off some and diverting others away from h4n, and spread the manors that the Imam had agreed to stop the war to save bloodshed of Muslims on either side. These rumors had their desired effect. The Kharjis saw a failure of their own goal through the forces of the Imam, so they turned against him. He received a bad slash on his thigh, and was quickly taken away by his supporters for care and tending. His army dispersed to escape a general massacre by Muawiyah's forces.

The leaders of several tribes wrote to Muawiyah for his clemency towards them in exchange for surrendering Imam Hasan to him. Muawiyah sent all these letter to the Imam and offered him safe passage to Madinah under all the conditions he chose for himself. To this end, he sent Imam Hasan a blank page with his stamps in the bottom of the page. Then Muawiyah wrote, "In this page, whose bottom I have stamped, stipulate whatever you want, for that will be for you."

The Imam, in his desire to avoid bloodshed and to uphold the unity of the Muslim Ummah, saw the advantage in accepting Muawiyah's offer. He was well aware of the ploy of Muawiyah during the days of his father, and he had seen his tactics during the Battle of Siffeen. He had seen Muawiyah's devious means during his confrontation with him, and had seen the rift and loss of life of the Muslims on both sides. The apparent truce was a safe way out from the bitter confrontation. The Imam accepted peace in order to preserve the integrity of Islam. He wrote on the page provided by Muawiyah all the conditions that suited him, his family and towards his role as the Imam of believers. It is unfortunate that this page is not valuable to us. However, the conditions laid down by the Imam have been mentioned in several authoritative works of history and biography.

THE PEACE TREATY

"Handing over authority to Muawiyah provided that he should act according to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Apostle, and the Sira (the conduct of life) of the righteous Caliphs."

"The authority should be for al-Hasan after him (Muawiyah).If an accident happened to him (al-Hasan), the authority should be for his brother al-Husain. Muawiyah has no right to entrust anybody (else) to it."

"He (Muawlyah) should abandon cursing the Commander of the faithful (Ali) as well as the practice of using personal prayer (Qunut) against him (al-Hasan) in Salat (the prescribed ritual prayers), and that he should not mention the name of All except in good manner." 4 "He (Muawiyah) should keep excluded what is 'in the treasury of Kufa, that is five million (dirhwns). So, handing over the authority does not include it (the sum of this money). Muawiyah should send al-Hasan one million dirham per year, he should prefer banu Hashirn in giving and gifts to banu Abd ash-Shams, and should divide one million (dirham) among the sons of those who were killed helping the Commander of the faithful (Ali) in the Battle of the Camel and the Battle of Siffin and should spend that from the taxes of Dar Abjard."

5. "The people should be safe wherever they are in the earth of Allah; in Sham (Syria), Iraq, Hijaz, Yemen, etc. He should give security to the black and the red alike. He (Muawiyah) should bear their slips, should not follow some of them for the bygone, nor should he punish the Iraqis foe hostility."

"The companions of Ali should be given security wherever they are; that he (Muawiyah) should not expose them to any evil; that they should be given security over their lives, their properties and women and children; and that he should give them their rights.

"He (Muawiyah) should not seek a calamity secretly or openly for alHasan or his brother al-Husain, nor for anyone from the progeny of Ahle Bait of the'Apostle of Allah, nor should he frighten them in any country or territories."

Many historians have related that the text of this Peace Treaty was conveyed to Muawiyah who read this in his court, and made a covenant with Allah to fulfil the conditions stipulated by Imam Hasan. It was not long after this event that Muawiyah went back from his part of the covenant with Allah and put the Peace Treaty aside. He took pleasure in demeaning the Imam just as he had been doing to his father. The Imam decided to leave Kufa and return to Madinah.

Marwan bin al-Hakam, who was the personal secretary to the third caliph, and had fought against Imam Ali during the Battle of Camel, was now the governor of Madinah under Muawiyah. He took personal pleasure in discharging Muawiyah's wishes to slur the reputation of the Imam and his father. Needless to say that the Imam's life in Madinah after the treaty of peace was not peaceful at all. In addition to the relentless taunts and abuse slung at him by Muawiyah, the Imam had to endure the anger of his supporters for having relinquished the Caliphate to the life long enemy of himself and that of his father before him. They had failed to appreciate that Imam Hasan had given up his right in the larger interests of Islam, and to avoid further bloodshed of the Muslims. The Imam continued to deal with the abuse with patience and forbearance, and continued to uphold the Truth.

THE MARTYRDOM OF IMAM HASAN

Muawiyah was successful in deceitfully gaining the absolute power he had aspired for. He was not interested in the functions of preaching piety or theology. He was interested in expanding his sphere of influence in the territories already conquered by the Muslims, and was actively engaged in further conquests to the north and north west of Syria. In utter violation of the terms of the Treaty with the Imam, Muawiyah decided to name his son Yazid to succeed him after his death. He knew that Yazid lacked all qualifications to be a caliph for the Muslims and to represent the Holy Prophet of Islam. He also knew that the Imam, being a true representative of the Prophet, would oppose the nomination of his son. Consequently, he decided to eliminate the opposition.

Muawiyah solicited the services of Marwa'n bin Hakam, a son-in-law of the third Caliph, who was the governor of Madinah at that time. With a promise for a reward, Marwan approached one of the wives of the Imam, Ju'da binte al-Ash'ath bin Qais to poison the Imam. He was successful, and the Imam died as a result of this plot.

Before he died Imam Hasan, in accordance with the Will of Allah, named his brother, Husain to be the next Imam. He expressed his wish to his brother to bury his body near to the grave of his grandfather, the Prophet of Islam. This caused an armed opposition by the governor of Madinah. Under a shower of arrows, the jenazh (funeral procession) of Imam Hasan had to withdraw and be diverted to Jannatul-Baqi', the general graveyard of Madinah, where he was buried.

REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF IMAM HASAN

Imam Hasan lived a life of piety mirroring the teachings of the Quran and the Sunna of the Prophet. The ten years he spent in Madinah under the oppressive rule of Muawiyah and his appointed governors, only revealed his tolerance and forbearance towards the abuse. Some followers felt that the Imam should have retaliated against Muawiyah when he ignored the terms and conditions of the Treaty, oppressed them slung verbal abuses at them. But the Imam only pointed to the conduct of his father before him, who had endured similar circumstances without armed retaliation. He told his followers that he did not retaliate against the oppressor because the abuses that were being thrown at him were against his person and not against Islam.

THE TABLE OF IMAM HASAN

From the time of the assassination of the third caliph and the events surrounding Imam Ali's rule, the Ahle Bait had again come into focus. Many dignitaries and new Muslims from far off places sought audience with the Imam in Madinah. They came to learn interpretations of the Quran, the teachings of Islam, and expounded the seera (the conduct of personal life) of the Prophet of Islam.

Imam Hasan adopted a unique method of teaching and preaching Islam. Even during the life of Imam Ali, the Table of Hasan was well known. Now with the increased visibility, the number of attendants had increased many folds. To accommodate them, he used to lay an extensive table for all his guests. While at the table, and with ample food in front of them the people sat down in peace and relative comfort to eat and listen. Thus, they were able to benefit from his teachings, and he was able to answer their questions.