The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari

The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari20%

The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari Author:
Translator: Abdullah al-Shahin
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
Category: Imam al-Askari

The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari
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The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari

The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari

Author:
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
English

His letters

Some letters of the imam disclose an important side of the religious life which was confused at that age. The following are some of his letters to his adherents:

1. To Isaaq an-Naysaburi

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) sent a letter to Isaaq bin Isma’il an-Naysaburi saying in it,

“May Allah protect us by His protection, and take care of you in all your affairs by His favor. I understood your letter, may Allah have mercy on you. We, praise be to Allah and by His blessing, are people of a house who pity our followers and feel delighted for the succession of the favors of Allah on them, and feel happy for every blessing that Allah the Almighty endows them with. O Isaaq, may Allah endow you with all blessings and endows whoever is like you whom Allah has had mercy on and given insight like yours…and may He determine the Paradise for you…

And I say: praise be to Allah as the best praise He has ever been praised with and forever for His mercy on you, His saving you from perishment, and smoothing your way on the obstacle. By Allah, it is insurmountable, impassable, difficult obstacle with great distresses that had been mentioned in the first Books. At the time of the deceased (Imam al-Hadi), peace be on him, and at my time you had done some things that neither I was satisfied with you nor were you right in them.

O Isaaq, know well that whoever comes out of this world blind will be blind in the afterworld and more astray. O Isaaq, it is not the eyes that become blind but the hearts that are in the chests. Allah says about the unjust,(He shall say: My Lord! why hast Thou raised me blind and I was a seeing one indeed? He will say: Even so, Our revelations came to you but you neglected them; and thus you shall be forsaken this day) .[102] Is there a sign greater than the excuse of Allah on His creation, His trustee in His earth, and His witness on His people…after those who had left from his first fathers the prophets and his last fathers the guardians (peace and blessings of Allah be on them all). So where do you go astray and where do you go like beasts? You deviate from the truth and believe in falsehood and disbelieve in the blessings of Allah. Are you from those who believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? So what is the reward of him who does that from you and from other than you? It is but meanness in this life and eternal torment in the afterlife. By Allah, it is the great disgrace! When Allah imposed on you, by His favor and mercy, the obligations, He did not impose them on you because He was in need of you, but out of His mercy on You-there is no god but Him-to distinguish the good from the bad, and to try what there was in your chests, and test what there was in your hearts so that you would compete for the mercy of Allah and that your positions in His paradise would be one better than another. He imposed on you hajj, umrah (minor hajj), prayer, zakat, fasting, and the following of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s). He made to you a door by which you open the doors of the other obligations and as a key to His way. Except for Muhammad (blessings of Allah be on him), and the guardians from his progeny you would be confused like beast knowing nothing of the obligations. Is a town entered except from its gate? When Allah favored you by appointing the guardians after your prophet, He said,(This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion) .[103] He imposed on you rights for His guardians and ordered you to carry them out so that your wives, properties, foods, and drinks would be lawful to you. Allah said,(Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) ,[104] and know well that(whoever is niggardly, is niggardly against his own self; and Allah is Self-sufficient and you are the needy) .[105] There is no god but Allah, and my speech became too long on what was for you and what was required from you.

Except for that Allah wanted to complete his favor on you, you would neither see a line from me nor would you hear a word after the leaving of the deceased (Imam al-Hadi), peace be upon him, while you are in inadvertence to your end, and after my appointing Ibrahim bin Abdah to you, and after my book that Muhammad bin Musa an-Naysaburi had brought to you, and Allah is He whose help is sought in any case. Beware to be unmindful towards Allah so that you shall be from the losers! Away with him he who turns his back to the obedience of Allah and does not accept the advice of His guardians! Allah has ordered you to obey Him, to obey His messenger, and to obey those in authority among you. May Allah mercify your weakness and inadvertence, and make you patient with your affair. What has beguiled man from his Lord?! If mountains understood some of that which was in this book, they would crack and split because of the fear of Allah, and turn back to the obedience of Allah.  Do whatever you like(so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers; and you shall be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did) .[106] Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and His blessings be on Muhammad and all his progeny.”[107]

2. His letter to the people of Qum and Aabeh

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) sent a letter, some parts of which were lost, to his Shia from the people of Qum and Abeh (Aveh) saying to them,

“Allah the Almighty with His generosity and kindness has favored His people with His prophet Muhammad (a.s.) as a bearer of good tidings and a warner, and has made you succeed in accepting His religion, granted you with His guidance, and planted into the hearts of your past ancestors (may He have mercy on them) and your living offspring (may He suffice and make them live long) the love of the pure progeny (of the Prophet). They, who had left, left on the way of righteousness, and the path of truth and success, and they went to the place of successors, got the fruits of what they had sowed, and found the result of what they had done before…

Our intention is still firm, and our selves are satisfied with your good thoughts. The fixed relation between us and you are firm. It is a will that our ancestors and your ancestors had recommended, and a covenant that had been entrusted to our youth and your old men. They are still on their faith, and Allah has gathered us in the close relation, and close kinship. The Alim (peace of Allah be on him) said, ‘A faithful is a brother of a faithful from his father and mother…”[108]

3. His letter to Ali bin al-Husayn

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) sent a letter to the famous jurisprudent Abul Hasan Ali bin al-Husayn bin Musa bin Babwayh al-Qummi, the notable of the Shia and prominent personality in Hadith, jurisprudence, and the rest of the Islamic sciences. Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said in his letter,

“Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds, and the end is for the righteous, the Paradise is for the monotheists, the Hell is for the atheists, and there should be no hostility except against oppressors, and there is no god but Allah the best of creators, and blessing be on the best of His creation Muhammad and his pure progeny.

O my sheikh, trustee, jurisprudent Abul Hasan Ali bin al-Husayn al-Qummi-may Allah be satisfied with you, and make from your progeny good children- I recommend you to fear Allah, offer prayers, and give zakat because no prayer is accepted from one who does not give zakat. I also recommend you to pardon others, suppress anger, continuously associate with kin, comfort brothers and try to carry out their needs at difficulty and ease, be patient, learn religion, be certain of things, undertake the Qur'an, behave with good morals, enjoin the good, and to forbid the wrong. Allah says,(There is no good in most of their secret counsels except (in his) who enjoins charity or goodness or reconciliation between people) .[109] I recommend you to avoid all sins and vices. You are to keep on offering Night Prayer, for the Prophet (a.s) had recommended Ali saying to him, ‘O Ali, you are to keep on the Night Prayer.’ He repeated that three times. Whoever disregards the Night Prayer is not from us. Act according to my recommendation and order my Shia to act due to that. Wait for deliverance, for the Prophet (a.s) said, ‘The best deed of my nation is the waiting for deliverance.’ Our Shia shall be still in sorrow until my son, whom the Prophet (a.s) brought good news about, shall appear. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness after it has been filled with injustice and oppression. O my sheikh, be patient and order all my Shia to be patient;(Surely the earth is Allah's. He gives it as inheritance to whom He will and the end is (best) for the righteous) .[110] Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be on you and on all our Shia, and Allah is sufficient for us; the best Protector is He, the best Patron, and the best Helper.”[111]

4. His letter to one of his followers

One of the Shia wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) telling him about the disagreement between the Shia. The imam replied to him in this letter,

“Allah has addressed reasonable people…people concerning me are in different classes; a discerning one is on the way of deliverance, keeping to the truth, clinging to the branch of the origin without being doubtful or suspicious, and finding no resort other than me. There is another class of people who do not take the truth from its owners; they are like a traveler in the sea. They wave whenever the sea waves, and calm whenever the sea calms. Another class of people are those who have been overcome by Satan. They just resist the people of truth, and fight truth by falsehood out of envy. So let alone whoever goes right or left, because when a shepherd wants to gather his sheep, he gathers them with the least effort. Beware of showoff and panting after authority because they lead to perishment…’[112]  

5. His letter to another one of his followers

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) sent a letter to one of his followers expressing his grief from some rabble of the Shia who had deviated from the right path. He said,

“No one of my fathers had been afflicted like what I have been afflicted with the suspicions of this group…if this matter (imamate) was a matter that you had believed in and kept on it until a certain time and then stopped, then suspicion would have certain case, but if it (imamate) is continuous as long as the affairs of Allah are continuous, then what is the meaning of this suspicion?...’[113]

6. His letter to Abdullah al-Bayhaqi

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) sent the following letter to Abdullah bin Hamdwayh al-Bayhaqi:

“I have sent Ibrahim bin Abdah so that the (other) districts and the people of your district pay my dues on you to him and I made him my trust and agent before my followers there. Let them fear Allah and pay the dues and they have no excuse in not doing that or delaying it. May Allah not distress them for disobeying His guardians and may He have mercy on them and on you through my mercifulness to them, and Allah is Ample-giving, Generous.”[114]

7. His letter about Ibrahim

Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) had appointed Ibrahim bin Abdah as his agent to receive the legal dues and to spend them on religion and on the needy, and given him a letter mentioning in it his reliability and high position. Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was asked whether this letter was written by him or not, and he replied,

“My book that came to Ibrahim bin Abdah on appointing him as my agent to receive my rights from our followers there…yes, it was my book written by my hand to him. I have appointed him to them in their country. It is true and not false. Let him fear Allah as He should be feared, and let them take out my rights and give them to him, for I have permitted him to do with them as required. May Allah give him success and save him from failure.”[115]

8. His letter to his followers

He sent this letter to some of his followers:

“May Allah gift you with asceticism in this life and success as He pleases, assistance for His obedience, protection from disobedience, guidance from deviation, and may He gather for us and for our followers the good of the two abodes (this life and the afterlife).

I was informed of the disagreement of your hearts, and the separation of your desires, and the incitement of Satan until he caused separation among you, disbelief in religion, attempting to destroy what your ancestors had built in the religion of Allah and proved the rights of His guardians. He (Satan) took you to the way of deviation, and away from the path of the truth, and so many of you receded as if you had not read the Book of Allah and not understood any of His commands and prohibitions. I swear that if your fools rely on their delusions and fabricate false traditions, they shall deserve torment, and if you are satisfied with that from them and do not deny it by your hands, tongues, hearts, and intentions, you shall be participants with them in what they have fabricated against Allah, His messenger, and the guardians after him. If it was not so, the people of az-Zabad would not lie in their claim, nor al-Mughirah in their disagreement, nor al-Kaysaniyyah on their man, nor other liars and the deviants who have turned away from us. Indeed, you are worse than them…and most of them were obliged to submit to the command of Allah, except some group that if I want, I shall mention it by the name…Satan has overcome them and made them forget the mention of Allah, and whoever forgets the mention of Allah…Allah will throw him into Fire, and it shall be an evil abode.

My this book is an authority on them, and an authority for your absents on your presents, except one who is informed and carries out his duty. I pray Allah to gather your hearts on guidance, protect you by piety, and make you do what pleases Him, and peace, blessing, and mercy of Allah be on you.’[116]     

9. His letter to one of his adherents

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said in this letter to one of his followers:

“Every predestined thing would come true. Rely on Allah the Almighty and He will suffice you, and trust in Him and He will not disappoint you! You have complained against your brother. Know well that Allah does not help in the rapture of relations, and Allah is over any oppression of every oppressor. Whoever is oppressed surely Allah will help him, and Allah is Strong, Mighty. You have asked me to pray for you. May Allah the Almighty keep you safe, and be your helper and protector. I pray Allah the Generous, Who has made you know His right and the right of His guardians that others than you were ignorant of, not to remove from you any blessing He has endowed you with, He is Patron worthy of all praise.’[117]

10. His letter to one of his Shia adherents

One of the Shia wrote a letter to the imam complaining against an oppressor who oppressed and did him wrong. Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) replied to him:

“We satisfy ourselves with Allah the Almighty this day against every oppressor, wrongdoer, and envier. Woe unto whoever says something that Allah knows its opposite. How terrible is that which he shall meet from the Master of the Day of Judgment! Surely Allah the Almighty is the Helper and Assistant to the oppressed. Trust and rely on Him and He will relieve your distress and save you from the evil of every evildoer. May Allah do that for you and favor us with you, He is powerful over everything. May Allah overcome every oppressor this moment! No one, who wrongs and oppresses, shall be successful. Woe unto whoever is taken by the fingers of the oppressed! Do not be distressed but trust in Allah and rely on Him, and He will bring your deliverance soon.  Surely Allah is with those who are patient and who do good to others.’[118]

Words of light

A good collection of maxims and wonderful words on different social and educational issues were transmitted from Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) and considered from the treasures of the Islamic literature. Here we present to readers some of the imam’s wonderful sayings:

The Preference Of The Ahlul Bayt (A.S)

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said,

“We have ascended the tops of facts by the feet of prophethood and guardianship, and lit the seven ways with the banners of magnanimity. We are lions of battles, sources of generosity. Sword and pen are among us now, and the banner of praise and knowledge later on. Our grandsons are the successors of religion, allies of certainty, lamps of nations, and the keys of generosity. A generous one has put on the garment of choice for loyalty that we have known in him, and the Holy Spirit in the Heavens, and he tasted from our gardens early fruits. Our Shia are the rescued party, and the pure group. They have been as dress and protection for us, and assistance against oppressors…Springs of life will gush out for them after flames of Fire…and all bad years…’

Sheikh al-Majlisi commented on this word by saying, ‘This is absolute wisdom, and an ample blessing that deaf ears can hear and high mountains shake for. Peace and blessings of Allah be on them…’[119]

The imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) had a very high position near Allah Who had endowed them with virtues and knowledge that no one of the human beings other than them had ever been endowed with. Allah had made them the guides to His contentment, and the leaders to His obedience. They all were and are lamps to nations and keys of generosity in this life, and in the afterlife they will be the intercessors and bearers of the banner of Hamd (praise), and Allah has given them the Highest Paradise.

His Recommendation To His Adherents

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) preached and advised his Shia by saying,

“I recommend you to fear Allah, be pious in your religion, strive for Allah, be truthful in speaking, give deposit back to its owner good or bad he is, increase prostration, and to be good to neighbors. By these (principles) Muhammad (a.s.) came with his mission. Associate with your kin, attend their funerals, visit their sick, and carry out their rights, for if anyone of you is pious in his religion, truthful in his speech, he gives deposit back to its owner, and treats people kindly, it shall be said about him: “this is a Shia”, and this shall please me.

Fear Allah, be good and do not be bad! Attract every love to us, and keep any obscenity away from us, because whatever good is said about us we deserve it, and whatever bad is said about us is not in us. We have a right in the Book of Allah, kinship to the messenger of Allah, and purification from Allah that no one other than us claims but a liar. Mention Allah too much and remember death! Recite the Qur'an and send peace and blessings on the Prophet (a.s), because the sending of blessings on the Prophet (a.s) has ten good deeds. Keep in mind what I have recommended you! I pray Allah to protect you (I farewell you), and send peace on you.’[120]

A Valuable Advice

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said,

“Avoid begging people as long as you can tolerate, for every day has a new goodness. Insisting on asking others deprives one of his gravity except when a door may be opened to you for a good entrance. And how near slapping is to a rash one! Jealousy might be a kind of the manners of Allah the Almighty. Lucks have degrees, so do not hasten towards a fruit that it is not ripe yet because it is got at its time! He, Who manages your affairs, is more aware of the time that is good for you. Trust in His experience in your affairs and do not hurry for your needs at the beginning of your time and then your heart may be distressed and despair may overcome you! Know that coyness has a certain extent and if it exceeds, it shall turn to weakness, generosity has a certain extent and if it exceeds, it shall be wasting, economy has a certain extent and if it exceeds, it shall be stinginess, and courage has a certain extent and if it exceeds, it shall be recklessness…’[121]

Preaching

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) often and always advised his companions, reminded them of the afterlife, and warned them against the sedition and deception of the worldly life. Once, he said,

“You are in short lives, and few days, and death comes unexpectedly. Whoever sows good shall harvest happiness, and whoever sows evil shall harvest regret. Every sower shall get what he has sowed. No slow one is preceded by his luck, and no careful one gets what has not been determined for him. Whoever is given good, Allah has given him that, and whoever is saved from an evil Allah has saved him from it.’[122]

Pondering On Allah

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said,

“Worship is not the abundant fasting and praying, but worship is the abundant pondering; it is the continuous thinking of Allah.’[123]

In his traditions, the imam established the bases of the faith in Allah, and the most important one of which was the thinking of Allah, and pondering on His wonderful creation because that would lead man to the absolute faith in Allah, the Great Creator.

Wisdom Of Fasting

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘Allah has imposed fasting so that the wealthy might suffer hunger and be kind to the poor.’[124]

Dispraising The Hypocrites

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘What a bad man he is who has two faces and two tongues! He praises his brother when he is present and eats his flesh (backbites him) when he is absent. He envies him if he is given (becomes in good state), and betrays him if he is afflicted.’[125]  

Pious And Impious

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘The love of the pious to the pious is a virtue for the pious, the hatred of the impious towards the pious is a merit for the pious, and the hatred of the pious towards the impious is disgrace for the impious.’[126]

Wonderful Short Maxims

The following are some of the wonderful maxims transmitted from Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.). He said,

1. “If fate is inevitable, then what for is the supplication (of man to other than Allah)?”

2. “A believer is a blessing for a believer and an authority on an unbeliever.”

3. “The heart of a fool is in his mouth, and the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.”

4. “Anger is the key of every evil.”

5. “A spiteful one is the least comfortable.”

6. “The most pious of people is he who refrains before suspicion. The most worshipping of people is he who keeps on obligations. The most ascetic one is he who refrains from unlawful things. The best mujtahid is he who refrains from sins.”

7. “Let no secure livelihood make you busy away from an obligatory deed!’

8. “He, who exceeds in something, is like one who lacks that thing.”

9. “Whenever a mighty one gives up the truth, he becomes low, and whenever a low one keeps to it, he becomes mighty.”

10. “The friend of an ignorant is always tired.”

11. “There are two qualities that no quality is over them; the faith in Allah and the serving of brothers.”

12. “The daring of a child in childhood before father makes him undutiful in adulthood.”

13. “It is not from politeness to show joy before a distressed person.”

14. “Better than life is that which if you lose, you shall hate life, and worse than death is that which if comes to you, you shall love death.”

15. “Taming an ignorant and preventing a habitual from his habits are as a miracle.”

16. “Humbleness is a blessing that is not envied.”

17. “Do not be generous to someone with what may be heavy to him!”[127]

18. “He, who advises his brother secretly, does him good, and he, who advises him openly, does him wrong.”

19. “How bad from a faithful it is when he has a desire that degrades him.”

20 “It suffices you to be polite that you avoid what you hate in others.”

21. “Beware of every silent, intelligent one!”

22. “If all people of this world are intelligent, the world would be ruined.”

23. “The weakest of enemies in cunning, is he who shows his enmity.”

24. “The best of your brothers is he who forgets your wrong against him, and remembers your kindness to him.”

25. “Good figure is apparent beauty, and good mind is hidden beauty.”

26. “He, who is friendly with Allah, feels aversion towards people.”

27. “He, who does not regard people, does not regard Allah.”

28. “Vices have been put in a house whose key is lying.”

29. “When hearts are active, put into them, and when they detest, farewell them!”

30. “Following after one whom you hope is better than remaining with one whom you do not feel safe from his evil.”

31. “Ignorance is an enemy and discernment is authority, and he, whom patience does not make suffer agonies of anger, shall not feel the ease of heart.”

32. “The gift of a generous one makes you beloved to him, and the gift of a mean one makes you low to him.”

33. “Whoever piety is his habit and virtues are his garments shall win on his enemies by good praise, and shall be fortified against defects by good mention.”

34. “He, who praises an undeserving one, becomes as accused.”

35. “No one knows (the reality of) a blessing except the grateful, and no one is grateful to a blessing except the knowing.”

36. “Staying up makes sleep more pleasant, and hunger makes food more delicious.”

37. “Getting to Allah the Almighty is a travel that is not achieved except by riding the night.”[128]

38. “He, who does not know how to prevent, does not know how to give.”

39. He said to al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph, “Do not expect good will from one whom you have offended, or loyalty from one whom you have betrayed, or sincerity from one whom you have suspected, because the hearts of others towards you are like your heart towards them.”

40. “It is from ignorance to laugh with no reason.”

41. “The speech of Allah has preference to all speech as His preference to His creation, and our speech has preference to the speech of people as our preference to them.”

42. “It is from humbleness to greet everyone you pass by, and to sit in other than the distinctive place in a meeting.”

43. “The worthiest people of (your) love are those who comfort you.”

44. “From the disasters that break one’s back is a neighbor who if sees a good deed, he puts it out and if sees a bad deed, he spreads it.”

45. “(In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful) is closer to the greatest Name of Allah than the iris of the eye to its white.”

46. “Do not dispute with others so that your gravity goes away, and do not joke so that it is dared against you.”

47. “Whoever is satisfied to sit in other than the distinctive place in a meeting, Allah and His angels send blessings on him until he leaves the meeting.”

48. “Polytheism in people is hidden more than the creeping of ants on a black cloth in a dark night.”

49. “Hearts have ideas from fancy, while minds shake and get more knowledge out of experiments, and taking lessons leads to reasonability.”

50. “Predominant fates are not resisted by struggle, and determined livelihoods are not gained by greediness and requesting…submit yourself to fates and know that you shall not get except what has been determined for you.”

With the Holy Qur’an

The infallible imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) paid too much attention to the interpretation (tafsir) of the Holy Qur'an. Each one of them had a school of tafsir, and definitely they were the most aware of the contents of the Qur'an and all its sciences. The master of the pure progeny Imam Ali (a.s.) was, among all the Prophet’s companions, the most aware of the facts and minute details of the qur’an, its muhkam (clear) verses and mutashabih (ambiguous) verses, and he knew when and where each verse was revealed.

As for Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), he was one of the masters of interpreters. A special tafsir known as “tafsir Imam al-Askari” was transmitted from him. Here we mention in brief some holy verses that the imam had interpreted:

1. Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari said, ‘Once, I was with Abu Muhammad (a.s.) and asked him about this saying of Allah:(Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs himself, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah's permission) .[129] He said, ‘It has been revealed about the progeny of Muhammad (a.s.). One, who wrongs himself, is the one who does not acknowledge the imam, and one who takes a middle course is the one who acknowledges the imam, and one who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah’s permission is the imam.’

My eyes shed tears and I thought with myself of what Allah had given to the progeny of Muhammad (a.s.). The imam looked at me and said, ‘How great is that which your self told you about the great importance of the progeny of Muhammad! Thank Allah for He has made you love them! You shall be called with them on the Day of Resurrection when every human being shall be called with his imam. Be delighted Abu Hashim! You are in good.’[130]   

2. Muhammad bin Salih al-Armani asked Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) about this verse(Allah effaces and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the basis of the Book) [131] and he replied, ‘Does Allah efface but what has been established, and does He establish but what has been not existent?...The Almighty is far above all things. He is Aware of all things before their existence, the Creator when there was no creation, the Reckoner.’ Muhammad bin Salih said to the imam, ‘I bear witness that you are the authority of Allah and His guardian, and you are on the true path of Imam Ameerul Mo'minin.’[132]

3. Muhammad bin Salih al-Armani asked Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) about this saying of Allah(Allah's is the command before and after) [133] and the imam said, ‘The command is His before He issues it, and the command is His after He commands as He wills.’ I said to myself, ‘This is the saying of Allah(Surely His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds) .[134] ’ The imam looked at me, smiled, and then said, ‘(His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds) .’[135]

4. Abu Hashim said, ‘I was with Abu Muhammad (a.s.) when ibn Salih al-Armani asked him about this verse,(And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes, we bear witness) .[136] Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘The knowing was proved and they forgot that situation, but they will remember it, and without that no one would know who his creator and provider is.’

I was astonished with myself at the great favors Allah had endowed His guardian (Imam Abu Muhammad) with and the great task He had entrusted him with. Abu Muhammad turned to me and said, ‘O Abu Hashim, the matter is greater and more astonishing than what you have been astonished at. What you think about some people whom whoever acknowledges, acknowledges Allah, and whoever denies, denies Allah? There is no believer that does not believe in them and is not certain in knowing them.’[137]

5. Sufyan bin Muhammad as-Sayfi said, ‘I wrote to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him about the “waleejah: friend or protector” mentioned in this saying of Allah,(and take none for friends and protectors except Allah, His Messenger, and the believers) .[138] I said with myself: ‘Whom does he think the “believers” are here?’

His reply came to me saying, ‘The “waleejah” is that which is set for the “guardian”. Your self talked to you that who were meant by the “believers” in this verse. They are the imams who believe in Allah, and namely we are those “believers”.’

The Tafsir Ascribed To Him

The tafsir called Tafsir al-Askari was ascribed to Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) but suspicions were aroused about it; some proved it was his and some others denied that. Here we should have a stop to ponder on it.

Those Who Depended On This Tafsir

Some of the great ulama of the Twelver Shia depended on this tafsir and believed certainly it was Imam Abu Muhammad’s tafsir. The following are the names of some of those ulama:

1. Shaikh as-Saduq[139]  

2. Shaikh at-Tabarsi[140]

3. Al-Muhaqqiq al-Kurki[141]

4. The Second Martyr[142]

5. Muhammad Taqiy al-Majlisi[143]

6. Ibn Shahrashub[144]

7. Al-Muhaqqiq Agha Buzurgh[145]

These great men did not suspect the ascribing of this tafsir to Imam al-Askari and believed it was really his.

The Sanad[146] Of This Tafsir

The sand of this tafsir was mentioned in the beginning of the book (Tafsir al-Askari) as the following:

Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ja’far bin Daqqaq said, “The two jurisprudent sheikhs Abul Hasan Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ali bin al-Hasan bin Shathan and Abu Muhammad Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Qummi told me from Abul Hasan Muhammad bin al-Qassim al-Astrabadi the interpreter and preacher that Abu Ya’qub Yousuf bin Muhammad bin Ziyad and Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad bin Sayyar, who were from the Twelver Shia, said, ‘Our parents were Twelver Shia. The Zaydites were prevailing in Astrabad. We were under the rule of al-Hasan bin Zayd al-Alawi called as ad-Da’iy ilal-Haqq.[147] He was the imam of the Zaydites. He often listened to them (the Zaydites) and killed people according to their slanders. We feared for ourselves , and so we resorted with our families to Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad the father of al-Qa’im (Imam al-Mahdi) (peace be on him). We asked permission to visit the imam. When he saw us, he said, ‘Welcome to the two comers to us and resorters to our protection. Allah has accepted your efforts, calmed your fear, and relieved you from your enemies. Go (back) and feel safe about yourselves and properties!’ We were astonished at his saying though we did not doubt the truthfulness of his speech. We said, ‘O Imam, what do you order us to do on our way until we get to the country that we had got out of? How shall we enter that country which we had fled from, and the ruler searched for us and his threatening against us was severe?’

He (peace be on him) said, ‘Leave your these two sons with me and I will teach them the knowledge that Allah will honor them with. As for you, do not pay attention to the slanderers nor to the threat of the ruler, because Allah the Almighty will end it with happiness and bring them to your intercession with him whom you had run away from…’

Abu Ya’qub and Abul Hasan said, ‘They (their fathers) obeyed what they were ordered of and left, but they left us there. We often visited him (the imam) and he met us with the kindness of fathers and close relatives. One day, he said to us, ‘If the news of the satisfaction of your fathers and the disgrace of their enemies by Allah comes to you and my promise to them comes true, I shall thank Allah by teaching you the interpretation of the Qur'an and some traditions of Muhammad’s progeny (a.s.) so that Allah will exalt you.’

We became delighted at that and said, ‘O son of the messenger of Allah, then we shall learn all sciences and meanings of the Qur'an.’

 He said, ‘No! (Imam) as-Sadiq taught some of his companions what I want to teach you.’

They became delighted and said, ‘O son of the messenger of Allah, you have had all knowledge of the Qur'an.’

He said, ‘I have had much good, and been granted great virtue, but nevertheless it is less than the least part of the Qur'an’s knowledge. Allah the Almighty says,(Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof to help) ,[148] and (And if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas to help it, (were ink), the words of Allah could not be exhausted) .[149] This is the knowledge and meanings of the Qur'an and the wonders it has. What amount do you think I have taken from all this Qur'an?’

We said, ‘But even this amount that you have taken, Allah has preferred you by it to all those who do not know like your knowledge and do not understand like your understanding.’

We did not leave him until a messenger came to us from our fathers with a letter saying that al-Hasan bin Zayd al-Alawi killed some man and confiscated his properties after the slander of those Zaydites. Then books came to him from different countries and villages written by the Zaydites scolding and blaming him and saying that the killed man was the best one of the Zaydites in the earth and that those some Zaydites informed against him just because of his virtue and wealth. Al-Hasan bin Zayd thanked those people and ordered to cut the noses and ears of those Zaydites, and some of them were mutilated and others ran away. Al-Hasan bin Zayd felt very sorry and he repented, and paid great monies as charity after he gave back the properties of the killed man to his heirs and gave them much more than the specified blood money. He asked them to pardon him and they said to him, ‘As for the blood money, we exempt you from it, but as for the blood, it is not ours but it is the killed man’s blood and Allah is the Judge.’ Al-Hasan bin Zayd vowed for the sake of Allah that he would not interfere with the beliefs of people.

It was mentioned in the letter of our fathers that al-Hasan bin Zayd sent to us one of his trusted men with his book that was sealed with his seal assuring that we would be safe and that our properties would be given back to us, and that he would recompense the harms and losses we had met. We shall go back to our country according to his promise.

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘Allah’s promise is true.’

On the tenth day, a letter came to us from our fathers saying that al-Hasan bin Zayd had carried out all his promises and permitted us to keep to the great-blessed imam whose promise was true. When the imam knew that, he said, ‘This is the time to carry out my promise of teaching you the interpretation of the Qur'an. I have prepared something everyday for you to write down. Keep to me and be careful to the good lucks of happiness Allah has given you.’

The first thing he dictated to us was traditions about the preference of the Qur'an and of its people, and then he dictated to us the tafsir. We wrote down throughout the period of our staying with him. It was seven years, and every day we wrote down as possible as we could…’

Defects

This tafsir was criticized that it had some defects:

First, it was accused that it was weak in its sanad. From the chain of narrators, there was Muhammad bin al-Qassim al-Mufassir al-Astrabadi who was weak. Ibn al-Ghadha’iri said, ‘Muhammad bin al-Qassim al-Mufassir al-Astrabadi was weak and a liar. Abu Ja’far bin Babwayh narrated from him. A tafsir was transmitted from him that he had narrated from two unknown men one called Yousuf bin Muhammad bin Ziyad and the other was Ali bin Muhammad bin Yasar from their father from Abul Hasan the Third (Imam al-Hadi) (a.s.), and the tafsir was written down by Sahl ad-Dibaji from his father.[150]

What was mentioned by al-Ghadha’iri can be refuted in some ways: first, he mentioned that this tafsir was narrated by Yousuf bin Muhammad bin Ziyad and Ali bin Muhammad bin Yasar from their father. This is a mistake because they did not narrate it from their father, but they narrated it without an intermediary from Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.). Second, Ibn al-Ghadha’iry ascribed this tafsir to Abul Hasan the Third (a.s.) whereas it was ascribed to Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.). Third, He said that this tafsir was authored by Sahl ad-Dibaji from his father. This is very odd because Sahl was not mentioned among the chain of narrators of this tafsir. Anyhow, what al-Ghadha’iry mentioned in weakening this man cannot be depended on.

Sayyid al-Khoei said, ‘No one of the past scholars mentioned the reliability of Muhammad bin al-Qassim even Sheikh as-Saduq who mentioned many traditions from him without an intermediary, and also he did not mention that he was weak…The right thing is that this man was unknown whose neither reliability nor weakness were proved,[151] and therefore one cannot depend on his narrations.

In addition, al-Mufassir al-Astrabadi narrated this tafsir from Yousuf bin Muhammad bin Ziyad and Ali bin Muhammad bin Yasar who both were unknown and unreliable in their narrations from Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) as Sayyid al-Khoei says.[152]

Second, this tafsir is weak and full of defects which means that it is not true to ascribe it to Imam al-Askari (a.s.), and whoever looks into it thinks with no doubt that it was falsely ascribed to the imam as Sayyid al-Khoei says.

Third, Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was surrounded by a big number of intelligencers, security forces, and policemen of the Abbasid government that prevented the Shia from associating with him, so how could these two persons frequented to him throughout seven years without being prevented from visiting him?

Fourth, the care of the imam for these two men and his asking their fathers to leave them with him to teach them the knowledge that Allah would honor them with, as mentioned in the beginning of the book, though they were unknown, would be doubted somehow. Would it not be better for the imam to favor the great ulama and jurisprudents of his Shia with this honor?

Anyhow, it is certain that this tafsir was not Imam Abu Muhammad’s but it was fabricated and ascribed to him. In addition to the defects it has, it is not eloquent in many of its chapters, and of course, this does not fit the imam who had been endowed with wisdom and eloquence, and he was the most eloquent man in his time. So how could this tafsir, which had no any feature of eloquence, ascribed to this great imam? Besides that, it has some traditions that have excessiveness as I think, and this was too far from the imam (a.s.).

His Worship

Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) was the best worshipper among all people of his time. He spent the night with praying, prostrating, and reciting the Book. Muhammad ash-Shakiri said, ‘The imam sat in the mihrab and prostrated. I slept and awoke while he was still in prostration.’[40]

His Prayer

In his prayer, he turned with all his heart and feelings towards Allah the Creator of the universe and the Giver of life. He felt or paid attention to nothing of the affairs of this life while he was in prayer. His soul clung to Allah devotedly and totally.

His Qunut[41]

In his prayer, Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) recited this du’a,

“O You, Whose light covers darkness, O You, by Whose holiness rugged mountain passes are lit, O You, to Whom all the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens submit, O You, to Whom every insolent tyrant surrender with obedience, O You the Aware of hidden consciences, You are Merciful to everything and Aware of everything, forgive those who repent and follow Your path, protect them from the torment of Fire, give them soon Your victory that You have promised them of and You do not fail the promise! Devastate the people of evil and take them to the worst abode in the worst punishment and the ugliest retreat.

O Allah, You know the secrets of creatures, and are aware of their consciences. You are in need of nothing except that You carry out what You have promised of. You do not uncover the hidden secrets of Your people. O my Lord, You know what I conceal and what I show of my behaviors, movements, and all my emotions. O my Lord, You see the sufferings of the people of Your obedience and what they meet from Your enemies, and You are generous and not stingy in Your blessings, and the more efforts require more reward. You have ordered Your people of supplication if they turn to You sincerely and this requires the more of Your favors.

These forelocks and necks are submissive to You subserviently acknowledging Your deity, invoking on You with their hearts, and looking forward to Your prompt rewarding, and what You willed took place and what You will shall take place. You are the called upon, the hoped for, and the asked that no taker whatever great he is shall decrease You(r favors), and no asker whatever he insists and invokes shall weary You. Your kingdom shall not come to an end, and Your eternal glory shall remain forever, and nothing in the ages is out of Your will a bit. You are Allah, there is no god but You the Merciful, the Mighty. O Allah, assist us by Your assistance, suffice us with Your protection, and give us what You give those who hold fast by Your rope, who shade themselves under Your shade…’[42]

His Du’a In The Morning

“O You, the greater than every great, Who have no partner and no vizier, O You, the Creator of the sun and the lighting moon, the shelter to the resorting fearful, the Liberator of tied captives, the nourisher of young babies, the setter of broken bones, the Merciful to the old, the light of light, the Manager of affairs, the Resurrector of those in graves, the Healer of chests, the Maker of shadow and hot, the Aware of all in chests, the Revealer of the Book, light, the great Qur'an, and the Book of Psalms, O You, Whom angels glorify in the morning and night, O You, the Permanent and Eternal, the Bringer forth of plants in the early morning and afternoon, the Enlivener of the dead, the Resurrector of decayed bones, the Hearer of sounds, the Everlasting, the Dresser of bones that decay after death! O You, Whom nothing distracts from any other thing, Who do not change from a state to another, Who do not need to move or advance, Whom no affair prevents from any other affair, Who cancel for charity and supplication what has been determined and affirmed in the Heaven of bad judgment, Whom no place can include or encompass, Who put remedy in what You like of things, Who keep alive from serious disease with the least of nourishment, Who remove by the least of remedy the worst of diseases, O You, Who if promise, carry out, if threaten, pardon, O You, Who possess the needs of requesters, Who know what is there inside the consciences of the silent, O You, the Most Magnificent, the Generous in pardoning, O You, Who have a face that does never become old, Who have infinite sovereignty, Who have inextinguishable light, Whose throne is over everything, Whose authority is over the land and the sea, Whose wrath is in the Hell, Whose mercy is in the Paradise, Whose promises are true, Whose favors are uncountable, Whose mercy is wide, O You, the Helper of the callers for help, the Responder to the call of the compelled, O You, Who are in the high view and Your creation is in the low view, O You, the Lord of the mortal souls, the Lord of the worn bodies, the most perceptive of seers, the most hearing of hearers, the promptest of accounters, the wisest of judges, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Giver of gifts, the Releaser of captives, the Lord of glory, the One of piety and forgiveness, O You, Whose limit cannot be perceived, Whose number cannot be counted, Whose aid does not cease, I bear witness, and the witness to me is honor and supply, and from me obedience and submission, and by which I hope deliverance on the day of sigh and regret, that You are Allah; there is no god but You alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is Your slave and messenger, Your blessing be on him and on his progeny, and that he has informed and carried out on behalf of You what was his duty to You, and that You always create, provide with livelihood, give, deny, exalt, humble, enrich, impoverish, disappoint, help, pardon, show mercy, forgive, overlook what You know, do not wrong, straiten, enlarge, omit, fix, initiate, reproduce, enliven and make die; have mercy on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and guide me from You, give me from Your favor, spread on me from Your mercy, and send down to me from Your blessings, for You often have accustomed me to good and favor, given me too much, and uncovered my ugly deeds.

O Allah, have blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and hasten my deliverance, forgive my slips, pity my loneliness, take me to the best of Your worships, gift me with healthiness from my illness, plenty of my supplies, inclusive soundness in my body, insight in my religion, and help me to ask you for forgiveness before death comes and hoping stops, and help me bear death and its distress, grave and its loneliness, the scales and their lightness, the sirat[43] and its slip, the Day of Resurrection and its terror. I ask You for the acceptance of deeds before death, and ask You for strength in my hearing and sight for the doing of the best of that You have taught and made me understand. You are the lofty Lord, and I am the humble slave, and how great difference there is between us! O You, Compassionate, Benefactor, of Glory and Honor, have blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad the good, the pure!”[44]

His Ideals

He was ideal in faith, morals, and psychology. He inherited all the perfections of his fathers who had been created for virtue and honor. We refer here to some of his perfections:

His Knowledge

Historians unanimously mentioned that Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) was the most knowledgeable and the best of the people of his age, not only in the religious affairs and laws but in all fields of knowledge. Bakhtshou’ the Christian physician said to his disciple Batriq about the imam, ‘…and he is the most knowledgeable of all those under the sky in our day.’[45]

If the Abbasid tyrants had given way to the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and not subjected them to strict chase and confinement, they would have filled the world with their knowledge and sciences, and humanity would have got kinds of knowledge and intellectual development that it had never got throughout all ages and times.

The Abbasids perceived that if they did not prevent the people of knowledge and intellect from associating with the infallible imams, they (the imams) would spread powers of knowledge and culture and open new horizons not only in the fields of sciences but also in the political and social fields which would show to people the ignorance of the Abbasids and their being away from the Islamic values. Of course, this would shake their thrones, and therefore they tried their best to separate between the nation and its real leaders.

His Patience

Imam al-Askari (a.s.) was from the most patient people. He always suppressed his anger and treated whoever did him wrong with kindness and forgiveness.

The Abbasid government arrested and put him into prison while he was patient saying nothing. He did not complain to anyone about what he suffered, but he entrusted his case to Allah the Almighty. This was from the signs of his patience.

His Strong Will

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was distinguished by his strong will. The Abbasid rulers tried to involve him into the government body and spared no effort to subject him to their desires, but they failed. The imam (a.s.) insisted on his independency and keeping away from them. The Abbasids considered him as the only representative of the opposition against their policies that were based on subjugation and oppression.

He resisted all the seductions that the Abbasid government offered to bring him into its way. He preferred the obedience of Allah and the satisfaction of his conscience to everything else.

His Generosity

No one was more generous than him among all people of his time. He appointed agents in most of the Muslim countries, and entrusted them to receive the legal dues and spend them on the poor and the deprived, to reconcile between people, and in other ways of the general welfare.

From that which historians mentioned about his generosity was that Muhammad bin Ali bin Ibrahim bin Imam Musa bin Ja’far al-Kadhim said, “We were in utmost need. My father said, ‘Let us go to this man (Imam Abu Muhammad). It is said he is generous.’

I said, ‘Do you know him?’

He said, ‘No, and I have never seen him at all.’

We went to him. On our way, my father said, ‘How much we need that he may order to give us five hundred dirhams; two hundred for clothes, two hundred for flour, and one hundred for spending!’

I said with myself, ‘Would that he order to give me three hundred dirhams; one hundred to buy a donkey, one hundred for spending, and one hundred for clothes so that I can go to the mountain!’

When we stopped at his (Imam Abu Muhammad’s) door, his servant came out and said, ‘Let Ali bin Ibrahim and his son Muhammad come in!’

When we came in and greeted him, he said to my father, ‘O Ali, what made you not visit us all this time?’

My father said, ‘I felt shy to meet you in this case.’

They (Ali and his son) stayed with the imam for some time and then came out. The servant of the imam came, gave Ali bin Ibrahim a pouch of money and said, ‘These are five hundred dirhams; two hundred for clothes, two hundred for flour, and one hundred for spending.’ He gave Muhammad a pouch of three hundred dirhams and said to him, ‘Make one hundred for buying a donkey, one hundred for clothes, and one hundred for spending, and do not go to the mountain but go to Sawra!’ Muhammad went to Sawra and became one of the wealthy Alawids.[46]  

Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari said, ‘Once, I complained to Abu Muhammad the distress of imprisonment and the pains of ties. He wrote to me, ‘You shall offer the Dhuhr (noon) Prayer in your house today.’ I was set free (from prison) at noon and I offered the prayer in my house as the imam said. I was in need and I wanted to ask him for help (but I did not) in the letter I had sent to him. When I arrived in my house, he sent one hundred dinars to me and wrote to me, ‘If you need something, do not feel shy or refrain from asking. Ask and you shall get what you like inshallah.’[47]

Historians mention many stories on his generosity showing his love and kindness to the poor and the deprived.

High Morals

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was nonesuch in his very high morals. He met friends and enemies with his noble character. He inherited this nature from his great grandfather the Prophet (a.s) whose high morals included all people.

His high morals affected his enemies and opponents, and they turned to be his loyal lovers. Historians say that he was imprisoned during the reign of al-Mutawakkil who was the bitterest enemy to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and the progeny of Imam Ali (a.s.). The caliph ordered the imam to be punished too severely, but when he communicated with the imam and saw his high morality and piety, he turned upside down. After that, he did not raise his eyes before the imam as a kind of respect and glorifying. When the imam left him, he praised the imam with the best words.[48]

Infallibility

The Twelver Shia consider infallibility as a condition in their imams. They mean by infallibility that it is impossible for an imam to mistake whether intentionally or unintentionally. Because of this, the opponents of the Shia waged violent attacks against them claiming that there was no difference between the imams and the rest of people in committing sins and disobediences. However, this claim has no any bit of reality. The serious studies on the lives of the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) give us the result that they were infallible and no one of them had ever erred or committed a mistake since birth until the last breath. Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘By Allah, if I am given the seven districts with all that under their skies to disobey Allah in a bran of a grain of barley that I deprive it of a mouth of a locust, I will never do.’ Is this not infallibility?!

The truth in its brightest pictures and aspects appeared in the lives of the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s). Whoever reads their biographies can find a slip neither in their doings nor in their sayings, but he only finds true faith, piety, and high morality. And we do not mean by infallibility except these meanings.

His Imamate

Imamate is the firm base of political and social development in Islam. It is one of the most important pillars on which the civilization, safety, and ease of man, and the equality in opportunities among the members of society are built. It provides the noble life that people can live at ease under its shade. Under imamate, there are no racial or natural differences, but the criterion in Islam is as much as the services man offers to the nation and as much as what takes him closer to Allah.

Imamate is a kindness from Allah and a gift from His mercy. The Shia have believed in the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and considered that as a part of their doctrinal life depending on many reasons such as:

First, the Prophetic traditions in which the Prophet (a.s) made it obligatory on Muslims to follow the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) whom the Prophet (a.s) had made as the equal to the Holy Book. He said, “I leave to you what if you keep to, you shall not go astray after me. One of them is greater than the other; the Book of Allah which is a rope extended from the heaven to the earth, and my household. They shall not separate until they shall come to me at the pond (in Paradise). See how you will obey me through them.”[49]

This tradition shows clearly that imamate would be limited to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and shows that they were infallible because the Prophet (a.s) compared them with the Book of Allah, and of course, every error from them would take them away from the Book whereas the Prophet (a.s) announced that they would not separate from the Qur'an until they would come to him at the pond in Paradise.

 The Prophet (a.s) also said, ‘The example of my household for you is like the example of the Noah’s Ark which whoever rode on was rescued and whoever lagged behind drowned, and the example of my household for you is like the example of the gate of Hittah (repentance) for the Israelites that whoever entered through it would be forgiven.’[50]

Imam Sharafuddeen al-Aamily said when talking about this tradition, ‘You know that the purpose behind comparing them (the Ahlul Bayt) to the “Ark of Noah” is that whoever resorts to them in religion and takes its bases and branches from them shall be safe from the torment of Fire, and whoever turns his back to them is like one who betook himself (on the day of the great flood) to some mountain which might save him from the command of Allah, but he drowned in water and would be in the Hell. The purpose behind comparing them to the “gate of Hittah” is that Allah the Almighty has made that gate as a matter of humbleness to Allah and submission to His commands, and therefore it was a cause for forgiveness. This is the point of comparison. Ibn Hajar said, after he mentioned these traditions and others like them, about the cause of comparing them (the Ahlul Bayt) to the “Ark of Noah” that whoever loved and glorified them out of gratefulness to the blessing of their honor, and followed the guidance of their ulama would be safe from the darkness of disagreements, and whoever lagged behind that would drown in the sea of ungratefulness to blessings and would perish in the wilderness of oppression…until he said, ‘and comparing them to the “gate of Hittah” is that Allah has made the entrance through this gate, which was the Gate of Ariha or Jerusalem, with humbleness and with asking for forgiveness, as a cause for forgiveness, and He has made the love to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) as a cause for this nation to be forgiven…’[51]        

Second, the Shia believed and followed the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) because the represented honor and dignity that there were and there will be no likes to them throughout the history of humanity. No one in the whole Muslim world was like them in their guidance, conducts, devotedness, and adherence to Islam.

The faith of the Shia in the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) was not out of emotion or fancy, but it was due to the reality and situations of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s).

Third, the Shia did not believe in the imamate of the Umayyad and the Abbasid kings because they were naked of moral and humane values. During their reigns, the nation suffered terrible kinds of oppression and cruelty. They extorted the wealth of the nation and spent it on their pleasures and amusement. They encouraged debauchery and corruption among Muslims. Therefore, the Shia and other than the Shia rose in armed revolts against those rulers in order to establish justice among people.

The Traditions On His Imamate

The following are some of the traditions that were transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) concerning the appointing of his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan as the imam after him.

1. Yahya bin Yasar al-Anbari said, ‘Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad (al-Hadi) entrusted his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan with the matter (imamate) four months before his death and made me and some of his mawali (adherents) bear witness to that.’[52]

2. Ali bin Umar an-Nawfali said, “Once, I was with Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) (a.s.) in the yard of his house when his son Muhammad (Abu Ja’far) passed by us. I said to him, ‘May I die for you! Is this our man (the imam) after you?’ He said to me, ‘Your man after me is al-Hasan.”[53]

3. Shahwayh bin Abdullah al-Jallab said, “Abul Hasan wrote a letter to me saying in it: ‘You wanted to ask about the successor after Abu Ja’far and you were worried about that. Do not worry because(Allah will not mislead a people after He has guided them) .[54] Your man (the imam) after me will be my son Muhammad. He has all what you shall need. Allah advances what He wills and delays what He wills;(Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it) .[55] I have written what has a clear proof for one of an awake mind.”[56]

4. Dawud bin al-Qassim said, “I heard Abul Hasan (a.s.) saying, ‘The successor after me will be al-Hasan. How will you deal with the successor after this successor?’ I said, ‘Why? May I die for you!’ He said, ‘You shall not see him and it will be not permissible for you to mention him by his name.’ I said, ‘How shall we mention him then?’ He said, ‘You say: al-Hujjah (the authority) from the progeny of Muhammad (peace be on them).’[57]

5. Abu Bakr al-Fahfaki said, “Abul Hasan (peace be upon him) wrote to me saying, ‘My son Abu Muhammad is the best of the progeny of Muhammad in nature and the most trustworthy in authority. He is the eldest of my children, and he is my successor and to him imamate and our verdicts get. Whatever you asked me about, you can ask him about for he has all that which people need.’[58]

6. As-Saqr bin Dulaf said, “I heard Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali ar-Redha (Imam al-Hadi) saying, ‘The imam after me will be al-Hasan and after al-Hasan will be his son al-Qa’im (Imam al-Mahdi) who will fill the earth with justice and fairness as it has been filled with injustice and oppression.’[59]

7. Abdul Adheem al-Hasani narrated that Imam Ali bin Muhammad al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘The imam after me will be my son al-Hasan, but how will people deal with the successor after him?!’[60]

8. Ali bin Mahziyar said, ‘One day, I said to Abul Hasan, ‘If something happens[61] -God forbid!-then to whom the imamate will be?’ He said, ‘To the eldest of my sons. (He meant al-Hasan).’[62]

9. Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Isfahani said, “Abul Hasan said, ‘Your man after me is the one who will offer the prayer on me (after death).’ We did not know Abu Muhammad before that, and when Abul Hasan (a.s.) died, Abu Muhammad came out and offered the prayer (of the dead) on him.’[63]

These are some traditions narrated by reliable narrators from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) about the appointing of his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan (a.s.) as the next imam besides other traditions transmitted from Imam al-Jawad (a.s.). As-Saqr bin Dulaf said, “I heard Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali ar-Redha (Imam al-Jawad) saying, ‘The imam after me is my son Ali. His command is my command, his saying is my saying, and obedience to him is obedience to me. And the imam after him will be his son al-Hasan.’[64]

There are other traditions that were narrated from the Prophet (a.s) concerning the appointing of the guardians and caliphs after him among whom was Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.). These traditions were mentioned in the famous reference books of Hadith and history.

From The Signs Of His Imamate

Allah had provided the prophets and their guardians with miracles that ordinary people were unable to do in order to be as true proofs on the missions of these prophets and guardians, otherwise they would fail in achieving their missions, and none of people would believe them. Allah had made them know what there was inside the inners of people and what events would take place. Allah had granted that to the infallible imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and one of them was Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). Here we mention some narrations concerning this matter:

1. Al-Hasan an-Naseebi said, ‘It came to my mind that whether the sweat of a junub[65] was pure or not. I went to the house of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan to ask him about that. It was night and so I slept. At dawn, he came out and found me sleeping. He waked me and said, ‘If it is lawful, it is pure, and if it is from unlawful thing, it is not.’[66]  

2. Isma’il bin Muhammad al-Abbasi said, ‘One day, I complained to Abu Muhammad about my neediness and I swore to him that I did not have even one dirham.’ He said to me, ‘Do you swear by Allah falsely while you have buried two hundred dinars? My saying to you does not mean that I do not gift you. O servant, give him what there is with you!’ The servant gave me one hundred dinars. Then he (the imam) said to me, ‘You make the dinars that you have buried unlawful while you are in utmost need to them.’ I searched for the money but I could not find it. I found that one of my children knew about this money, and so he stole them and ran away.’

3. Muhammad bin Hujr complained to the imam at the oppression he received from Abdul Aziz and from Yazid bin Eesa. The imam (a.s.) said to him, ‘As for Abdul Aziz, I have relieved you from him, but as for Yazid, you and he shall have a situation before Allah the Almighty.’ After a few days, Abdul Aziz died, but Yazid killed Muhammad bin Hujr and he shall have a situation (be punished) before Allah (on the Day of Resurrection).’[67]

4. Abu Hashim said, ‘Once, I complained to Abu Muhammad of the distress of imprisonment and the pains of ties. He wrote to me, ‘You shall offer the Dhuhr (noon) Prayer in your house today.’ I was set free (from prison) at noon and I offered the prayer in my house as the imam had said.’[68]

5. Abu Hashim said, ‘I was in need and I wanted to ask Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) but I felt shy to do that. When I arrived in my house, he sent one hundred dinars to me and a letter saying, ‘If you need something, do not feel shy or refrain from asking. Ask and you shall get what you like inshallah.’[69]

6. Abu Hashim said, “I heard Abu Muhammad (a.s.) saying, ‘In the paradise there is a gate called al-Ma’ruf (good deed). No one will come through it except the people of good deeds.’ I thanked Allah with myself and felt delighted for I often satisfied the needs of people. Abu Muhammad looked at me and said, ‘Yes, I knew what you were thinking of. The people of good deeds in this life will be the people of good deeds in the afterlife. May Allah make you from them, O Abu Hashim, and have mercy on you.’”[70]

7. Muhammad bin Hamza ad-Duri said, ‘I wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him to pray Allah for me to make me rich after I had become poor and I feared to be exposed. His reply came to me saying: “Be delighted! Wealth has come to you from Allah the Almighty. Your cousin Yahya bin Hamza died and left for you one hundred thousand dirhams. He had no inheritor except you. The money shall come to you soon. Thank Allah, be economical, and beware of wasting!” The money and the news of the death of my cousin came to me a few days later. My poverty disappeared. I paid the rights of Allah, helped my brothers, and became economical after I had been wasteful.’[71]

8. Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Maymun said, ‘I wrote to my master al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) complaining of poverty, and then I said to myself: has Abu Abdullah (Imam as-Sadiq) (a.s.) not said, ‘Poverty with us (the Ahlul Bayt) is better than wealth with our enemy, and being killed with us is better than living with our enemy.’? The reply to my letter came saying, ‘Allah the Almighty tries our followers, when their sins increase, by poverty, and He may forgive many (of sins). It is as your self said to you: poverty with us is better than wealth with our enemy. We are a shelter for whoever resorts to us a light for whoever seeks light, and preservation for whoever turns to us. Whoever loves us will be with us in the highest position, and whoever deviates from us will be in Fire.’[72]

9. Abu Ja’far al-Hashimi said, ‘I was with some men in prison when Abu Muhammad and his brother Ja’far were brought to prison. We hurried to him. I kissed him on the face, and seated him on a mat that was under me. Ja’far sat near to him. The guard of the prison was Salih bin Waseef. There was a man with us in the prison claiming that he was Alawid. Abu Muhammad turned to us and said, ‘If some one, who is not from you, was not with you, I would tell you when Allah will deliver you…’ Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) beckoned to that man and said, ‘This man is not from you. Beware of him! There is a book in his clothes in which he writes to the ruler all what you say.’ One of the prisoners searched him and found with him a book in which he accused us of great accusations and claimed that we wanted to pierce the prison and escape from it.’[73]

10. Ahmad bin Muhammad said, “I wrote a letter to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) when al-Muhtadi, the Abbasid caliph, began killing the Shia and said to him, ‘O my master, praise be to Allah Who has made him (the caliph) busy away from you for I have heard that he threatened you and said: ‘by Allah, I will dispel them again.’ Abu Muhammad wrote with his handwriting: ‘This makes his life shorter. You count from this day five days and he shall be killed in the sixth day after meeting meanness and disgrace.’ And it was as the imam said.’[74]  

11. Abu Hashim narrated, ‘Once, al-Fahfaki asked Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) about the reason that makes man take two shares while woman takes one share in the inheritance. The imam (a.s.) answered: ‘For neither jihad, nor expenditure, nor guarding (in castles) are required from woman.’ It came to my mind that this question was the same question that ibn Abul Awja’ had asked Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) and Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) answered with the same answer. Imam Abu Muhammad turned towards me and said, ‘Yes, this is the question of ibn Abul Aw’aj and the answer is the same from us. If the meaning of the question is the same, the answer of the last one of us will be like the answer of the first one of us. The first and the last of us are the same in knowledge and imamate, and the messenger of Allah and Ameerul Mo’mineen (the blessings of Allah be on them) have the preference to them.’[75]

12. Abu Hashim narrated, ‘One of the Shia wrote to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him for some supplication. The imam replied, ‘Pray Allah with this du’a: “O You the most Hearing of hearers, the most Perceptive of seers, the best of lookers, the promptest of accounters, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Wisest of judges, have blessing on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad, and increase my livelihood, prolong my old, favor me with Your mercy, make me from those who defend Your religion, and do not replace me by other than me…!” I (Abu Hashim) said with myself: ‘O Allah, make me from Your party and Your group!’ Abu Muhammad turned to me and said, ‘you are in His party and in His group if you have faith in Allah and believe His messenger.’[76]

13. Shahwayh bin Abd Rabbih said, ‘My brother Salih was in prison. I wrote to my master Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him about some things and he answered by writing to me: ‘Your brother Salih shall be set free from prison on the day when my this book shall come to you. You wanted to ask me about him but you had forgotten.’ While I was reading his book, some one came and told me that my brother was set free. I received him and read this book to him.’[77]

14. Abu Hashim narrated, ‘It came to my mind whether the Qur'an was created or not. Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) looked at me and said, ‘O Abu Hashim, Allah is the Creator of everything, and everything other than Him is created.’[78]

15. Abu Hashim said, ‘Once, I went to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) and wanted to ask him for a stone that I wanted to make a ring from to bless myself with it. When I sat with him, I forgot what I had come for. When I said farewell and wanted to leave, he gave me a ring, smiled, and said, ‘You wanted a stone and we gave you a ring, and so you won the stone. May Allah delight you by it!’ I was astonished at that and said, ‘O my master, you are the guardian of Allah and my imam by whose favor and obedience I serve Allah.’ He said to me, ‘May Allah pardon you, Abu Hashim!’[79]

16. Abu Hashim said, “Once, I heard Abu Muhammad saying, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will forgive with forgiveness that cannot be even imagined by people, until polytheists shall say: by Allah, we were not polytheists.’ I remembered with myself a tradition narrated to me by a man from our companions from the people of Mecca that the messenger of Allah (a.s.) recited:(Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, for Allah forgives all sins) ,[80] and some man said, ‘even polytheists.’ I denied that and hid it into my heart. While I was thinking of that with myself, Abu Muhammad turned to me and recited,(Surely Allah does not forgive that anything is associated with Him, and He forgives all save that to whom He pleases) .[81] How bad what that man said was and how bad what he narrated was!’[82]

Historians mentioned many examples on the imam’s knowledge of what people concealed inside themselves, and on his predicting of different events and occurrences. All those were signs on his imamate, for other than the imams had no knowledge about that. Abu Hashim, who was one of the best, reliable scholars, and who was a close companion to Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.) and Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.), narrated most of the traditions that talked about the signs of these two imams (a.s.). He said, ‘Whenever I went to Abul Hasan and Abu Muhammad (peace be upon them), I saw a proof and evidence (on their imamate).’[83]

Impressions about him

The scholars and men of intellect, who were contemporary with Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), glorified him, and acknowledged his virtue and preference to all others for his talents, geniuses, vast knowledge, and piety. Here we quote some words said by some of those men about him:

1. Imam Al-Hadi

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) praised the high position of his son Abu Muhammad (a.s.) by saying, ‘My son Abu Muhammad is the best of the progeny of Muhammad in nature, and the most trustworthy in authority. He is the eldest of my children, and he is my successor and to him imamate and our verdicts get…’[84]

2. Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari

Abu Hashim associated closely with Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) and Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). He loved them too much and composed many poems on praising them. He said in one of his poems:

“He (Allah) gave him all signs of imamate,

like Moses, and the cleaving of the sea, the hand, and the staff.”[85]

3. Bakhtshu’ the physician

He was the most famous physician at the age of Imam al-Askari (a.s.) and he was the special physician of the royal family. One day, the imam needed a physician to phlebotomize him, and so he asked Bakhtshu’ to send him one of his disciples. Bakhtshu’ sent for his disciple Batriq and ordered him to go to treat the imam. He said to him, ‘The son of ar-Redha asked me to send him someone to phlebotomize him. You go to him. He is more knowledgeable than every one under the sky. Beware not to object to him in all what he orders you of…’[86]

4. Ahmad bin Ubaydillah Bin Khaqan

He was one of the famous statesmen and politicians at the time of Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.). He said about the imam,

‘I have neither seen nor known in Surra Man Ra’a a man from the Alawids like al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin ar-Redha, nor have I heard of like his guidance, faith, chastity, nobility, and generosity near his family and near the rulers among all the Hashimites who preferred him to their important and old men, and also near the leaders, viziers, clerks, and all classes of people…’[87]

5. Ubayd bin Khaqan

He was one of the important politicians at that time. He said about Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.),

‘If the caliphate is removed from the Abbasids, no one from the Hashimites will deserve it except this man (he meant al-Hasan bin Ali al-Askari). He deserves it by his virtue, chastity, guidance, gravity, asceticism, worshiping, good morals, and righteousness…’[88]  

Ubayd did not believe in imamate. In fact, he was contrary to that, but the bright reality of Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) made him declare that the imam was the worthiest of the caliphate for the high qualities he had.

6. Sheikh al-Mufid

Sheikh al-Mufid said, ‘The imam after Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad (al-Hadi) was his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali for he had all high qualities and virtues and he was preferred to all people of his age. He deserved imamate and leadership for his incomparable knowledge, asceticism, perfect mind, infallibility, courage, generosity, and the many good deeds that took him close to Allah…’[89]

7. Ibn as-Sabbagh

Ali bin Muhammad al-Maliki known as ibn as-Sabbagh said, ‘The qualities of our sire Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari show that he is a master and a son of a master that no one ever doubts or suspect his imamate. Know that if a good quality was sold, the seller was other than him and he was the buyer…He was the unique of his time with no equal, and he was sole with no like. He was the master of the people of his time and the imam of the people of his age. His sayings were true and his deeds were praiseworthy. If the good people of his time were as a poem, he would be the main verse of that poem, and if they were organized as a necklace, he was the unique, middle pearl. He was the knight of knowledge that was not possible to keep pace with him, and he was the explainer of mysteries that it was not possible to argue with him. He was the uncoverer of facts by his true thinking, and the discloser of minutes by his sharp reason. He was the informed in secrecy of the unseen. He was the highborn, of high soul and high essence…’[90]  

8. Bin Shaharshub as-Sarawi

Abu Ja’far Rasheedudeen Muhammad bin Ali bin Shahrashub as-Sarawi said about the imam, ‘He was al-Hasan bin Ali the guide, the subjugator of difficulties…He was pure, free from any fault, trustee with the unseen. He was the essence of gravity with no blemish, humble with liberal hand, modest, true to his word…of little food, of much smiling, patient, the father of the (awaited) successor…’[91]

9. Ibn Shadqam

Ibn Shadqam, the genealogist, said, ‘Al-Hasan al-Askari was a guiding imam, exalted master, and a pure guardian.’[92]

10. Ibn al-Jawzi

Ibn al-Jawzi said, ‘The highest feature and characteristic that Allah had distinguished him (Imam al-Askari) with, and made unique to him, and as eternal aspect that time would not wear out and tongues would not forget reciting and repeating was that Muhammad al-Mahdi (peace be on him) was his offspring that was created from him, and his son that was ascribed to him…’[93]

11. Ruknuddeen al-Husayni

Ruknuddeen al-Husayni al-Musili said, ‘Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari…his virtues, qualities, and charismata were uncountable…the highest quality that Allah had distinguished him with was that al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) was his son…’[94]  

12. Al-Yafi’iy

Al-Yafi’iy said, ‘Sharif al-Askari Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far as-Sadiq was one of the twelve imams as the Shia believed and he was the father of the awaited imam (peace be on him)…’[95]  

13. Yousuf an-Nabahani

Yousuf bin Isma’eel an-Nabahani said, ‘Al-Hasan al-Askari was one of the imams of our masters the great Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and one of their noble chiefs (may Allah be pleased with them). Ash-Shabrawi mentioned him in his book “al-Ittihaf Bihubil Ashraf” but he abbreviated his biography and mentioned no charisma to him. However, I myself saw a charisma to him. In the year 1296 AH I traveled to Baghdad from Kooy Sanjaq, one of the Kurd villages, where I was a judge there but I left it before I completed the specified period because of the high costs and rainlessness which prevailed in Iraq in that year. I traveled by a kalak which was a means of water transportation. When the kalak reached Samarra’, which was the capital of the Abbasid caliphs, we liked to visit (the shrine of) Imam al-Hasan al-Askari. When I came to his holy tomb, something spiritual happened to me that nothing like it had ever happened to me…it was a charisma to him. Then I recited, as possible as I could, verses from the Qur'an, supplicated Allah with some du’as, and left.’[96]  

14. Al-Arbali

Allama Ali bin Eesa al-Arbali said about the imam, ‘He was the knight of knowledge that was not possible to keep pace with him, and he was the explainer of mysteries that it was not possible to argue with him. He was the uncoverer of facts by his true viewing, the discloser of minutes by his piercing insight, the knower-by the will of Allah-of the secrets of creatures, the informer-by the will of Allah-about the unseen, the told-by Allah-about what had happened and what would happen, the inspired with the unseen matters, the noble in origin and soul and essence, the man of proofs, signs, and miracles…the interpreter of verses, the confirmer of traditions, the heir of the good masters, the son of the imams, and the father of the awaited one. So look at the branch and the origin and think again and be sure that they were more brilliant than the sun, and brighter than the moon. If branches are good, surely the fruit will be good. Their (the imams’) features and traditions are the eyes of history, and the headlines of conducts.

By Allah, I swear that whoever deems Muhammad as grandfather, Ali as father, Fatima as mother, the imams as fathers, and al-Mahdi as son is worthier of reaching the heaven with his highness and honor…How can I count his virtues and news whereas my tongue is short and my eloquence is tired? So my tongue and eloquence come back tired from his high rank, and dwindle because of failure and inability…’[97]

15. Al-Bustani

Al-Bustani said, ‘Al-Hasan al-Khalis bin Ali al-Hadi…they mentioned about him many characteristics that were well-known in the people of this house of the Talibites[98] … perceiving and wisdom appeared in him since his early childhood…’[99]

16. Khayruddeen az-Zarkali

He said, ‘Al-Hasan bin Ali al-Hadi bin Muhammad al-Jawad al-Hashimi: Abu Muhammad the eleventh imam to the Twelver Shia…he was paid homage as the imam after the death of his father. He was like his good ancestors in piety, asceticism, worshipping…’[100]  

17. Al-Abbas bin Nooruddeen

Al-Abbas bin Nooruddeen al-Mekki said, ‘Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari…his lineage is more famous than the moon in the fourteenth night. He and his father are known as al-Askari. As for his virtues, tongues cannot count…’[101]


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