Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The State Of Affairs : Ali Was Offered

People and the state of affairs Ali had been offered to rule, can not be depicted in this brief work. Readers interested to know about the details of the historic chaos, confusion and turmoil and the unrest that prevailed when Ali was forced to undertake the KALIFATE, may refer to TABARI or the other detailed works on the History of the Muslims after the departure of the holy Prophet. The following quotation from the famous and the popular work the 'Spirit of Islam' by Justice AMIR ALI will suffice to give a rough idea of the situation:

"Under OTHMAN there was complete reversal of the policy and the administration, Merit and faithful services were wholly disregarded. All offices of trust and emolument were seized by the OMAYYIDS. The governorships of the provinces were bestowed on men who proved themselves most inimical to Islam, and the treasury was emptied in their favor". (IS. AA.).

People had mostly been naturalized in corruption and accustomed to bribing bargains. Some of the opportunists were laboring under some false expectations. The corrupt ones thinking Ali to have been disappointed all the while until the Third KALIF, for not getting the chance to rule, and now having got it, expected Ali also to canvas support and the unearned and illegal popularity at a higher scale to maintain his position by the same favoritism and bribes.

To rule a wicked people, strictly by the Word of God with the strict maintenance of the scale of justice, is quoting unpopularity and troubles. Thus Ali had always to face intrigues and revolts against his godly rule with his uncompromising love of truth, pure void of any kind of nepotism or favoritism which were unknown to him, and to every one of the AHLUL-BAIT. Justice AMIR ALI remarks:

"Had Ali been allowed to reign in peace, his virtues, his firmness and his ascendancy of character would have perpetuated the old republic and its simple manners". (IS. AA.).

In fact, if Ali had been allowed to have his own ways in the rule and administration of the affairs of the state and of the people, even after the chaos and the confusion which ruled the state when he received the reigns of the rule after the Third KALIF, the world would have enjoyed the godly kingdom on earth. There would not have been any trouble at all if the OMAYYIDS the declared enemies of Islam and the holy Prophet, had not been given the opportunity to rule over the destiny of the Muslims. The trouble started with MU'AVIAH and was perpetuated by him in the start of the OMAYYID dynasty of the assassins of the holy ones of the AHLUL-BAIT, who also murdered their own kith and kin, and were the debauchees and the drunkards who had broken the records of all kinds of licentiousness.

The first revolt against the KALIFATE of Ali unanimously set up by the people as a whole was MU'AVIAH. The Muslim world very well knows as to who MU'AVIAH was and of what caliber he was. He was the son of ABU SOFYAN the Arch-enemy of Islam, who was the causative factor behind every battle that was forced on the holy Prophet. MU'AVIAH, had gathered strength sufficient to establish his independence in Syria. Thus Ali had to meet MU'AVIAH in a battle at SIFFIN. The treachery and the deceit with which ended this battle, is there in the history.

After MU'AVIAH, Ali was force to meet the army under the command of AYSHA in the battle at BASRA, called the Battle of the Camel (JAMAL). After the battle of JAMAL, Ali had to meet the forces of the hypocrites at NAHRAVAN, in which Ali had prophesied that only none will be killed on his side and only nine will escape death, on the other side and it happened exactly so.

The godly rule of the Muslim empire, by Ali, the Vicegerent of God, was not allowed to continue beyond 40 A.H., (i.e., for about four years).

THE UNIQUE POSITION OF ALI

Ali's departure from this world was actually the departure of the holy Prophet, for both of them, were the personification or the manifestations of one and the same Divine Light. "I and Ali are of one and the same Divine Light". (SM).

The holy Prophet Muhammad had come to conclude the apostleship and Ali was sent to inaugurate the Imamate, i.e., the serial of the divinely commissioned Guides, the Imams, himself being the First of them. Though the apostleship had concluded with the holy Prophet, the guidance from God for mankind is an ever continuous process of the divine grace which has to remain until the end of the world. God had never allowed any gap to be in the continuity of his guidance. Prophets were sent in all parts of the world, one after another; where one Prophet was called back, another one in his place was sent as a prophet or a vicegerent or the WASI of the retiring one.

"We abrogate not a sign or cause it to be bypassed but We bring one better than it or one like it; knowest thou not that God over all things is powerful" [2:106]. The wordings of the above verse of the holy QUR'AN needs a careful study. It clearly says that when one sign of God is removed, another better than it or the like of it is brought in its place. An apostle was sent in the place of the apostle retiring from this world and each succeeding one, came with a superior message and with a higher status:

"And these apostles, We have exalted some of them over the others. Of them are some unto whom God hath spoken and some He hath raised in degrees…" [2:253].

The Last one God's apostles, under the principle laid down in the above verse, must naturally be the one with the superior-most message and with the highest degree in status among the community of the apostles of God. And when the holy Prophet Muhammad the Superior-most and the Best of God's creation, has already come, the one that would be brought under verse (2:106) could not be the better than the Best for the term is meaningless and hence, he would be the equal to his predecessor the holy Prophet, and the verse (2:106) has the provision for it, in its words from the people, Ali the one equal to him in his purity (33:33) and excellence, as of one and the same divine light and the 'NAFSE' or the self or the soul of the holy Prophet shown at 'MOBAHALA' under the command of the verse (5:67), as the 'MAULA', i.e., the Master or the Lord or the Commander or the Ruler or the Governor in the place of the holy Prophet, as was the holy Prophet himself.

What is said above is the truth and it is quite a different thing altogether if any one accepts it or not and truth can never be wiped out even if the human world as a whole jointly endeavors to do it, for it is challenge of the Lord that His Light, the Truth, none shall put out: "They desire to put out the Light of God with their mouths, but God perfected His Light, though the disbelievers may be averse to it" [61:8].

COMPARING ALI TO OTHERS

Before thinking of comparing Ali to any one besides the holy Prophet, one should first get himself informed of the unique position of Ali and the glorious height of his position in divinity identical with the holy Prophet, as depicted by the holy QUR'AN the Word of God and as open declaration by the holy Prophet, about him.

In what sense can any one be compared to the one who was of one and the same Light with the holy Prophet? How could the Brother of the holy Prophet be equal to any one else? What comparison could any one have with the one who was the Head of the Body of Muhammad, who was the Soul to the Body of the Apostle of God, who was of the same blood and flesh of the holy Prophet? "LAHMOKA LAHMI, DAMOKA DAMI".

How could any one be compared to the 'ASADULLAH' i.e., Lion of God who stood fast with the cause of God, along with the holy Prophet on the trying occasions when every one even the closest companions had taken to their heels and disappeared for days together. Ali was declared the Gate of the City of Knowledge. How could the Treasurer of knowledge be compared to the ignorant ones: "Are those who know and who know not, alike…" [39:9].

The holy Prophet had told Ali: "O Ali thou seest what I see and thou hearth what I hear…". How could the one who had the divine sight and insight, as had the holy Prophet, be compared to any one who owns not this gift of the Lord. "Are the blind and the seeing alike? Or, are darkness and light equal?" [13:16]. How could Ali, who, though wrongly, was doubted by some people (the 'NUSAIRIES') to be God Himself, be compare to any one of those whose bonfide about the sincerity of their faith itself is questionable.

To go into the details of the exclusive distinctions of Ali in his excellence which was doubtlessly divine and certainly incomparable with any other mortal save the holy Prophet, will need a separate volume of its own. In short it could be said that to attempt to compare Ali to any one else besides the holy Prophet, will be nothing short of the bankruptcy of the intellect or the betrayal of one's ignorance of the position of this holy one in the human race. The same is the position of Lady FATEMA in her personal excellence, and the divinity of her soul cannot be compared to any other Lady in the world.

Hussain Intercedes For Shimr

It is reported that once, in KUFA, SHIMR was convicted and imprisoned during the rule of Ali. Through the window of the prison, SHIMR saw HUSSAIN passing by, and cried aloud:

"O son of the Apostle of God; I intercede on my behalf to thy Father Ali and get me free from this prison". HUSSAIN went straight to his Father Ali and appealed for mercy for SHIMR:

Ali asked: "Dost thou know, HUSSAIN, that this is SHIMR, he would be the murderer of thine and the Torturer of thy family at KARBALA?". HUSSAIN said: "Father! I am the Son of the Apostle of God who is the mercy unto the worlds and thy Son who is Commander of the faithful and the Reliever of the distressed ones and the Son of FATEMA the Lady of Paradise and the Liberator of the sinners -SHIMR has appealed for mercy through me- Father! I will act as I should, and let SHIMR act as he liketh".

Thus SHIMR was granted mercy and the same SHIMR was the one who severed the head of HUSSAIN in KARBALA and raised it on his lance, and tortured his family and children.

HASSAN RECIEVES THE IMAMAT

When FATEMA had left this world suffering the treachery of the followers of her father, and Ali had shed the blood of his head, in prayer in the niche of the Mosque of KUFA and had departed from this world, HASSAN and HUSSAIN were left alone amidst an atmosphere totally hostile and murderous to the AHLUL-BAIT.

After Ali, HASSAN his eldest son became the Second Imam and along with the Imamate, he received also the KALIFATE or the Rule of the Muslim Empire. But MU'AVIAH the son of ABU SOFYAN the Governor of Syria, appointed by OMAR and strengthened by OTHMAN, had by this time been adding strength to his strength and has firmly established himself as an independent monarch at Damascus, making the place a powerful stronghold to execute his rebellious plans against the central authority, and had assumed for himself the sole indefinable paramount power of a despot.

THE AHLUL BAIT AND THE TEMPORAL POWER

There is the famous saying of Ali which gives out the actual attitude of the holy ones of the AHLUL BAIT towards this world and its enjoyments: "AD-DONYA JEEFATON WA TOLLABOHA KILAB".

"The world is a corpse and its seekers are dogs". Neither the holy Prophet, nor Ali any one of the other holy Imams were ever inclined towards the least enjoyment of this world. They were the rays of one and the same Divine Light destined to enlighten the world during their own respective times, in their respectively assigned ways to guide humanity on the right path to raise itself from the abyss of the material degradation to the glorious heights of the heavenly bliss. None of these holy ones ever thought of any secular power or any worldly kingdom. The God's given kingdom to them, was ever with every one of them. Their throne was the hearts of the believers and they had come to exercise the godly authority over the sincere believers in God. They had nothing to do with any enjoyment on earth. The one and the only object of their life-mission on earth, was service to the Lord in total submission to Him towards the fulfillment of His will.

HASSAN as an Imam received the reins of the godly kingdom of the faith and only as a convention had received the KALIFATE after his father. As Ali, his father, HASSAN had accepted to be a KALIF only in the interest of the people and his being the KALIF was an honor to the KALIFATE and not any additional distinction or honor to his holy self. The real 'KHILAFAT' or the Vicegerency of God, succeeding the holy Prophet, was now with HASSAN and what else could be greater and grander than, the godly office which he now held.

THE AGE OF POLITICAL INTRIGUES AND MURDEROUS PLOTS

With the OMAYYID KALIFATE, started the age of political intrigues tore has made known to us, of what loins MU'AVIAH had come into this world. His father ABU SOFYAN had made a mark and earned a special distinction in the enmity against Islam and the holy Prophet, and MU'AVIAH'S mother HIND was the woman who tore open the corpse of HAMZA and taking out the other internal parts of the corpse, she put them on, around her neck. The factor of heredity both from his father and mother, had its full play in the issue of ABU SOFAYN and HIND, and MU'AVIAH now after the departure of Ali from this world, had become an open enemy of the AHLUL BAIT.

We are not here to go into the dirty details of the political history of the age, and all the intrigues and the crafty moves of the ruling authorities, employed to strengthen their hold of the state and the people. Only a few events directly connected with the miseries of the AHLUL BAIT, are referred to , to indicate the treachery of the people against the House of the Apostle of God and the attitude of the holy Ones during the calamitous age, towards the guidance of the people at the cost of their own lives.

HASSAN was the eldest son of Ali and FATEMA, and the First grandson of the holy Prophet. The Muslims World in Medina had seen HASSAN and HUSSAIN on the shoulders of the Apostle of God on the morn of the festival day, and in the lap of the holy Prophet on the occasion of the historic 'MOBAHALA', had declared 'HASSAN and HUSSAIN are the Chiefs of the youth of Paradise and these were the two for whom had been sent festive robes from heaven. In-spite of all that the holy Prophet had declared about these two holy souls, the world had turned totally hostile to them, and was bent on putting and end to their godly lives on earth.

Not only did MU'AVIAH aim at owning the paramount power of the KALIFATE or the rule of the Muslim empire as a whole, exclusively for himself, but wanted also to have his way cleared off the holy ones of AHLUL BAIT to perpetuate the kingdom in his family, passing the throne of the KALIFATE to his son YAZEED, for which he employed several kinds of crafty means and men. MU'AVIAH now being openly hostile to the House of the Apostle of God, hired mercenaries to cause mischief in the different parts of the empire. The intelligentsia among subjects including the jurists had been purchased by the sate, hence the question of winning over the general masses was not a problem. Corruption began to rule the destiny of man.

People opposing the corruption were plundered and mercilessly massacred. There was no safety or security of life or property particularly of those who were loyal to the House of the holy Prophet, who called themselves the SHIAS or the devotees of the AHLUL BAIT. Preachers were ordered to curse Ali openly in their sermons from the pulpits. The mischievous move from MU'AVIAH became more and more intolerable. The people employed to create mischief, acted as devils in human frames. There was regular bloodshed caused by the agents employed for the purpose.

The holy Imam HASSAN knew full well that all the troubles were for the seat of the KALIFATE which he then most reluctantly occupied. The public which had begged his father AMEERUL MOMINEEN ALI to accept the KALIFATE and rule the state, by the crafty campaign of MU'AVIAH had tuned disloyal, deceitful, hostile and treacherous.

HASSAN the holy Imam, the Vicegerent of God on earth, the Successor to the holy Prophet, whose first concern was the peace and safety of the people, did not need any contested throne to exercise his divine rights. Ultimately in the interest of the welfare of the people, the safety of the public life and property, and the security of the chastity of the gentle womanhood HASSAN relinquished the KALIFATE to MU'AVIAH under a written and a signed treaty with the following terms:

1- MU'AVIAH should rule over the state strictly according to the Word of God the holy QUR'AN as depicted by the traditions of the holy Prophet.

2- The people should be allowed to enjoy perfect peace and security of life and property.

3- The persecution of the SHIAS, i.e., the devotees of Ali, should at once be stopped and they should no more be harassed.

4- MU'AVIAH should not in any way interfere with HASSAN and HUSSAIN or any one of the AHLUL BAIT.

5- The cursing of Ali on the pulpits, be at once stopped.

6- All prisoners, particularly the SHIAS of Ali, the devotees of the House of the holy Prophet who had been unlawfully put into prisons and mercilessly torture therein should at once be released.

7- MU'AVIAH should not appoint any heir to the throne of the KALIFATE but leave it to the decision of the Muslim public.

HASSAN MARTYRED

When the above terms of the treaty agreed to and signed by MU'AVIAH, HASSAN relinquished the rule of the state to MU'AVIAH and retired into complete seclusion, having no concern whatsoever with politics or any affairs of the state and yet he was not left to live in peace even to spend his life in devotion to God and guiding the people to a godly life on earth. MU'AVIAH'S main object was to make the way for his son YAZEED to succeed him to the throne of his monarchical KALIFATE and hence he was devising plans to see that HASSAN is once for all done with by putting an end to his life. Justice AMIR ALI in his famous work the Spirit of Islam, quotes OSBORN in depicting the personality of MU'AVIAH:

"Astute, unscrupulous and pitiless, says Osborn the first KALIF of the OMAYYIDS (MU'AVIAH) shrank from no crime necessary to secure his position. Murder was his accustomed mode of removing a formidable opponent. The grandson of the Prophet he caused to be poisoned. MALEK ASHTAR, the heroic lieutenant of Ali, was destroyed in the like way. To secure the succession of YAZEED. MU'AVIAH hesitated not to break the word he had pledged".

Though the holy Imam had retired into complete seclusion and did not at all interfere in any maters of the people in general, totally unconcerned with the matters of the state, the OMAYYID enmity would now allow him to live even in seclusion. Several attempts on the godly life of the holy Imam was made through poison and somehow the attempts did not prove successful. Ultimately, MU'AVIAH succeeded in hiring a wicked woman who was a wife of HASSAN, tempting her with the promise to get her remarried to his son YAZEED the heir to the throne and with rich presents in cash, to poison HASSAN fatally.

HASSAN'S ADVICE TO HUSSAIN

The poison was administered through the drinking water and it was so strong that no sooner did HASSAN drink the water, than he began vomiting blood and the bits of his liver and knowing the ultimate result of the drink he had, HASSNA called his brother HUSSAIN and advised him saying: "Brother HUSSAIN! I am going. Be thou patient in the will of the Lord being done. Let my body be interred beside my Grandfather lay beside my Mother in the BAQI".

It is said that the departing holy Imam even prophesied as to who will object to his burial beside his Grandfather.

HASSAN'S BODY SHOT AT

As the funeral proceeded towards the grave of the holy Prophet, some OMAYYIDS mounted on horses obstructed and AYSHA appeared, mounting a mule, shouting that the grave of the holy Prophet was in her house and she would not allow the grandson of KHADIJA to be buried beside the holy Prophet. With the shouts from AYSHA a shower of arrows fell on the coffin. HUSSAIN in the fulfillment of the last wish of his departed brother, turned the procession of the funeral towards 'BAQI' and when the body was taken out of the coffin to be laid to rest in the grave, HUSSAIN finding some of the arrows which were showered at coffin, had struck holy body of his martyred brother, cried addressing the body saying:

"I am ashamed of thee O' Brother, that HUSSAIN is alive and seest thy body wounded and cannot do anything". Oakley, the well-known historian Scholar in his famous work the Histroty of Saracents, reports: "MU'AVIAH, therefore, being desirous of leaving the KILAFATE to his son YAZEED, and thinking that he could not bring his design about, so long as HASSAN was alive, determined to get rid of him! 'And at last AYSAH said it was her house and she would not allow him (HASSAN) to be buried there".

THE FATE OF THE DEVOTEES OF THE HOUSE OF THE HOLY PROPHET

MU'AVIAH did not, in the least honor the treaty he had signed. The SHIAS or the faithful devotees of the House of the holy Prophet were vigorously persecuted and mercilessly put to death. Those who professed faith and loyalty to the House of the holy Prophet, particularly to ALIM or any one found reciting any traditions of the holy Prophet in the praise of Ali, were caught and mercilessly killed. MEESAM-E-TAMMAR, for refusing to curse Ali, met a brutal death; he limbs were severed, and his body was put on the trunk of a tree; nailed to it, and when found still praising Ali, his tongue was cut off. When the man came to cut his tongue, MEESAM himself offered his tongue extending it out of his mouth saying that the prophecy about his meeting the calamity and the end of it, had been given to him by Ali, and he was glad that the prophecy of AMEERUL MOMINEEN was being fulfilled. HIJAR-EL-KINDI met a similar fate for his faithfulness to Ali. The fate of poor Muhammad, son of ABU BAKR, for after his murder, his body was packed into the belly of an ass killed for the purpose and the corpse of the poor animal with the body of MUHAMMAD IBNE ABU BAKR in its belly was thrown into a flaming fire prepared for the purpose.

The reign of MU'AVIAH, particularly after the Martyrdom of HUSSAN, had become the age of plunder, pillage, pitiless killing and heartless murders and inhuman or ruthless persecution of the true Muslims and particularly those who were attached to House of the holy Prophet, were mercilessly butchered, and thousands of families migrated to various places outside the jurisdiction of the OMAYYAD rule.

Not only was the praise of Ali and the AHLUL BAIT, totally banned but a the same time a free and uncontrolled manufacture of counterfeit traditions were in full seeing praising the enemies of the House of the holy Prophet.

THE FATE OF THE FAITH

Under the OMMAYYAD desire of establishing an independent OMAYYAD dynasty with the paramount power over the Muslim empire, not only the deceitful intriguers and crafty agents were hired but also the Muslim jurists were purchased to adulterate the doctrines of the faith in favor of the ruling authority and its supporters.

Thus the Islam-Original was left only with the AHLUL BAIT with whom the holy Prophet had left the holy QUR'AN and according to his saying if any one wanted the faith Islam, in its Original form and the holy QUR'AN with its true interpretation, could have only from his AHLUL BAIT about the attachment of his holy House, the holy Prophet had said: "The likeness of my AHLUL BAIT is that of the Ark of Noah. Whosoever got into it, got saved and whosoever turned away from it, got drowned and lost".

It is the same Islam-Original which is called SHIISM, distinguished from the Islam-general corrupted at the hands of the OMAYYIAD fortune hunters. SHIISM is nothing but the Original Islam as preached by the holy Prophet and preserved by his AHLUL BAIT without any unwarranted additions to it or subtractions from it, and nothing else besides the pure, strict and the original QUR'ANIC faith.

HASSAN'S SERVICES AND SUFFERINGS

HASSAN the Second holy Imam was the Fourth of the Martyrs among the holy ones of the House of the holy Prophet, who are popularly called by the Muslim World as the 'PANJETANE-PAK' or the holy Five. (MUHAMMAD, ALI, FATEMA, HASSAN and HUSSAIN). The sufferings of this holy Imam, were of special intensity and the calamitous and the murderous situation he had to face, was peculiar in its gravity and the patience and the fortitude the holy one, displayed was divinely superb and exemplary.

Immediately as the OMAYYIDS gained the paramount power over the Muslim empire, their first effort was to endeavor as much as they could, to find fault with some aspect or the other of the practical lives of the holy members of the AHLUL BAIT and when they could not all succeed in their wicked venture, they hired corrupt scholars of the age, to fabricate traditions in favor of their enemies.

THE TRUTH UNDERLYING THE SEX DIFFERENCE IN THE CREATION

The native endowment of the sex urge in the animated species of the creation, is itself, eloquently evident that the object of the ALWISE Creator of the universe, is to maintain the wheel of procreation going, in the fulfillment of His Omnipotent will to effect the continuation of life on earth for an ever progressive development up to a term unknown to man. The physical world is classified in four commonly realms viz., the Mineral, the Vegetable, the Animal, and the Human. Of these four general classes of the physical existence on earth, excepting the granite of the minerals, every other specie expands itself, either through development in itself or by procreation. The botanist scholars will vouch that sex is not restricted only to the animal and the human realms but it is also found in the vegetable world. Even among the minerals there are species which expand themselves through the process of crystallization.

The sex urge is a native endowment in every living specie, more apparently evident in the animal and the human kinds. The love of multiplication, is enacted through the sex urge as a divinely devised course for the continuity and the development of the specie on earth. The lack of this urge in any individual is a want, not commendable but deplorable. A fruitless tree is first selected for fuel, a barren animal is first chosen for slaughter and an impotent man is not counted among the males for any manly service, and a issueless man or woman always prayerfully longs for an issue.

The commend-ability among the human beings regarding the use of this native endowment is not as to how less it is used or how much it is neglected but how best and how healthily and to what maximum it has been utilized in the fulfillment of the will of the Almerciful Donor of the great gift. The beauty lies not in the total or a partial suppression of this urge but in the maximum desirable use of it, avoiding successfully the misuse of the gift.

If this divine gift is used just for the timely sensual enjoyment, it is a sin and a crime and if the same is used for the healthy procreation of healthy souls to serve the will of the Lord, i.e., for the development and the progress of human life on earth, is a reward-able virtue. The apostles of God, like Solomon, the saints and the sages in the various parts of the earth, had several wives at a time, not for the lust of any sexual enjoyment but to supply the souls desired by the Lord for the continuation and the expansion of humanity on earth. The holy Prophet Jesus, for want of a male partner in the parental process of his advent into this world, might not have been given this urge, for the main purpose of his creation was only to manifest the omnipotent creative power of the Originator of the universe to prove that He is not subject to the laws of nature which are known to man but the same laws being subservient to His Omnipotent will. Our Christian brethren exploit the want of this native endowment in Jesus, to prove his godhead or his being the son of God.

The lack or the absence of this urge, is a want and weakness and a want or a weakness is a defect, and none with any want a defect can ever be imagined to be God Who is the Omnipotent Perfection Absolute, and impotency is a defect in nature and hence unnatural, and anything unnatural or defective, can not be godliness or a commendable virtue.

When God had given the urge for the continuity of His creative will, to restrain the use of it, or to neglect it, or suppress it altogether, can never be righteousness. It will be ingratitude to reject the gift of the Lord and it will be rebellion to act against His object in His vesting the native endowments in the individual. If any one gifted with sight destroys his eyes or spends his life without his using sight, it will be sheer foolishness and not a virtue.

Thus polygamy desired by God if correctly used, will not be a sin but a commendable virtue and monogamy if undesirably restricted defying the will of the Lord, or if Celibacy is unnecessarily imposed, it will he no virtue but a self-imposed deprivation, prone to sinful resorts of unhealthy and criminal outlets for the native urge.

It is some modern adulterous people, to cheat the innocent women, their legal wives, that pretend to be monogamous and condemn polygamy, while in practice, without the knowledge of their wives, that are ultra-polygamous in their private lives, not minding even if their wives also become polyandrous behind them. Whereas the god-fearing righteous ones, who keeping their wives happy and honored, are polygamous only as God has permitted and even that, only when necessary and otherwise remain contentedly monogamous.

It was one of the wicked moves of MU'AVIAH that a talk was set afloat among the public that HASSAN had a large number of wives, frequently marrying the women and divorcing them, and had scores of children. This is such a falsehood that the enemy could easily fabricate but none of them could ever substantiate the allegation through any historic records. This was one of the OMAYYED moves to cast prejudice in the minds of the public against the holy Imam and to divert the attention of the people away from him, and the holy ones of the House of the holy Prophet.

The modern day writers quote the narrations about this allegation about HASSAN from the Great SHIA tradition MULLAH BAQUIR MAJLISI and the others. Before resorting the quote anything on the authority of the great learned MULLAH, one should know that the great MULLAH had never said that whatever he has quoted is a gospel truth. The collection of the traditions, he has made, is a store of food for the thought of those busy in the scrutiny of the traditions of the holy Prophet, and it is up to the seekers of the knowledge of the AHADEES (tradition), to pick out the genuine ones from the collection and from the false ones to know the turn of the minds which effected the counterfeit sayings. It is a fact universally acknowledged by all scholars that the great work of the collection of the traditions by MULLAH BAQUIR-E- MAJLISI named 'BIHAR UL-ANWAR' or the Oceans of Lights, contain in its tradition:

SAHEEH - Correct GHALAT - wrong or false

M'OTABAR - reliable GHAIRA M'OTABAR - unreliable

MUSTANAD - certified GHAIRA MUSTANAND - uncertified

MUSALSAL - continuously related GHAIRA MUSALSAL - not

Continuously related The narration about the number of wives is nothing but a false allegation against the holy Imam to make him unpopular for none of the reports, gives the names of all the wives and the names of all his children. The stories are mere folklore fabricated and purposefully made current to level a calumny against the holy Imam.

If the holy Imam HASSAN had in fact married such a large number of wives, it is also said at the same time that he divorced also a large number. HASSAN being the Vicegerent of God on earth would never have been unjust to have married unnecessarily and to have divorced any women unreasonably. It clearly indicated that as he is reported to resemble his Grandfather the holy Prophet, in having unfaithful wives as had the Apostle of God, whom he had to discard for about a month until the revelation of the SURA-E-TAHREEM (SURA No. 66). The fact that HASSAN was poisoned by none else other than one of his wives hired by MU'AVIAH, proves the kind of women, some of his wives were.

THE SULHI-HUDAIBIAH REPEATED

The historic SULH (or Truce) was concluded at HUDAIBIAH by the holy Prophet, who having gone to Mecca had to return content with the Treaty. People taking it to be a defeat of the purpose of the holy Prophet, doubted even in the bonafide of his claim to the apostleship saying: "Never did I doubt the apostleship of the holy Prophet as I did at HUDAIBIAH".

But the Treaty of HUDAIBIAH later proved to be one of the greatest stratagems which only a divine, like the holy Prophet could have struck, and it proved to be of invaluable worth and value to the establishment and the progress of Islam and without which Islam could not have proceeded further. The same thing happened with HASSAN. People doubted the wisdom in the Truce or the Treaty he had entered into with MU'AVIAH. The Treaty of HASSAN with MU'AVIAH proved of the same value and worth as did the SULHE HUDAIBIAH concluded, by his Grandfather the holy Prophet. Without the SULH or the Truce which HASSAN concluded, the SHIAS of Ali, the devotees of the AHLUL BAIT, the advocates of the Original Islam would been totally wiped out and there could have been no opportunity for the holy Imam and his devotees to preserve the Original Faith and to carry it further, upon this day, which today is identified with the caption of 'SHIA'ISM'. Besides there would not have been the least peace and security in the land for life and the property of the gentle public, and the gentle womanhood would have suffered the worst at the hands of the devilish forces let loose to gain the paramount power of the KALIFATE.

It must be remembered that the aim or the object of the lives of the men of God, particularly the apostles, is not to own any temporal power in earth. Their first and the foremost concern is to guide man on the right path of thought and action, and to do the best possible to establish peace in earth and maintain it. Men of God had been on the earth to act as demanded by the circumstances:

ZUL-QARNAIN:

Was sent to conquer some mischief - mongering and blood -shedding nations

JOB:

To manifest divine patience and submission to the divine will.

DAVID:

To show the standard of justice

SOLOMON:

To own power and dominion as a godly monarch

ZACHARIAH & JOHN:

As the sincere supplicants to the Lord

MOSES:

The National Leader of the Israelites to lead them out of the clutches of Pharaoh and put them on the path of godliness

JESUS:

To re-establish the Mosaic Law and manifest passive resistance to aggression

MUHAMMAD (THE LAST APOSTLE):

To consolidate the religious Truth and give the Final Code for faith and its practice.

ALI (THE FIRST IMAM):

To help the Last Apostle of God in establishing Islam and to dissipate the highest knowledge of the QUR'ANIC Philosophy and the Divine Truth

HASSAN (THE 2nd IMAM):

To preserve the faith by Ideal patience

HUSSAIN (THE 3rd IMAM):

To re-establish Islam with his matchless sacrifice the 'ZIBHE AZEEM'.

A LIAR HAS NO MEMORY

It is a well-known fact that liars cannot remember their own lies. The fabulous stories about the number of the wives HASSAN had married and divorced, prove the truth in the proverb that Liars have no memory. The reports about the number of the wives of HASSAN are so funny and fabulous that even a schoolboy will laugh at the self-contradictory stories, and the ridiculous number reported. One says that HASSAN had married fifteen wives, the other says no, Seventy-five, another one says hundred and seventy, the fourth one says they were two hundred and fifty and the sixth one says three hundred. Any one will only be puzzled and none would ever believe such cock and bull stories. It is quite evident that those who were bribed with a greater sum gave a greater number and those who were given less money gave the lesser number.

HAD WOMANHOOD GONE MAD

It is not difficult but impossible to believe that womanhood as a whole, in KUFA had gone mad to rush to HASSAN continuously in-spite of knowing the fate of the hundreds of the divorced ones of their own sex. Or was it that history repeated the state of affairs with the holy Prophet after the departure of Lady KHADIJA, when though he had crossed the age of fifty, girls of even the tender age of nine and eleven were offered to him and ladies who were far advanced in age coveted to be the wives of the holy Prophet had become the Fourth KALIF and people knew that HASSAN would succeed his father as the Fifth KALIF, was it that women in order to be the wife i.e., the queens of the ruler of the Muslims Empire, coveted to gain the royal positions. In fact all the allegations are merely the vicious fabrications of the corrupt ingenuity employed for the wicked purpose to blackmail the holy Imam.

THE FALSE ALLEGATION AGAINST HASSAN AS WELL AS ALI

The fabrication has gone to the extent of saying that HASSAN had married so many and divorced so many women that Ali preached in the Bazaars of KUFA advising women not to marry hi son HASSNA, for he is the greatest divorcer of the women, and not content with the Bazaar preaching's of his against his own son, Ali even went to the extent of preaching openly from the pulpit the same thing. It must be remembered that Ali was openly cursed from the pulpits and any one who refused to curse Ali was put to death. The heartless treatment meted out to MEESAM has already been given above, and this story of Ali's preaching against his son, HASSAN'S conduct, is only in continuation of the same propaganda against Ali, for an intelligent reasoning mind will say that the preaching of Ali against HASSAN is not in fact so much against HASSAN as it is against Ali himself, for knowing the moral defect in HASSAN and himself making it known to the public his own knowledge of it, Ali handed over the charge of the Imamate to HASSAN.

It is for the readers now to think how far and in what all ways the propaganda against the holy ones of the House of the holy Prophet was carried on and how patiently the holy ones suffered all the calamities against the divine purity of their godly selves. None in the Muslim World as a whole, can deny the fact that HASSAN is one of the holy AHLUL BAIT who have been purified by God (33:33). He is one of those holy Five of the historic mysterious event of the KISA (or the Mantle) whose perfect purity was employed on occasion of the historic MUBAHALA the Spiritual contest with the Christian disbelievers of NAJRAN.

In-spite of all the efforts to do the worst possible to blackmail these holy ones, every attempt failed and only proved like throwing dust to cover the sun, or spitting on the sun which brings back the spit on the face of the spitter himself. Though the people had turned hostile to these holy ones, but the stamp of their personal divinity on the hearts of the people could not be removed. And when HASSAN was martyred, even the worst of his enemies shed tears and were struck with sorrow. But M'UAVIAH on getting the news of HASSAN'S passing away, was jubilant.

HASSNA THE THIRD 'MUHAMMAD'

If the following is in fact the Word of God: "Muhammad is but an apostle" [3:144]. And if the following Word of God bears any truth in it:

"He (the holy Prophet), speaketh not of his own inclination but a revelation revealed (unto him)" [53:3-4]. The holy Prophet's word as well as action, his conduct and character, his love and hatred, his life personal and private as well as social and public, must necessarily and essentially be apostolic and divine, and his word must be the revealed will of the Lord given expression through the words uttered by him.

Similarly, if it is true that the holy Prophet had said that the First, the Middle, the Last and Every one of his 'AHLUL BAIT' was Muhammad, undoubtedly HASSAN was the Third Muhammad and HUSSAIN was the Fourth and son on until the Last of the holy Imams of the holy House. It is certainly true that God has created a wonderful House, of His own chosen ones of the family of Abraham WITH Personalities of amazing purity of body and soul for the guidance of mankind on earth and certainly such perfected ones of His Own, must have been the First and the Foremost of His Creative Will, i.e., the Objects of His creation, in the Arc of Descent and the Last in the Arc of Ascent as the Greatest Luminaries of His Creative Art:

"verily the First House appointed for the guidance of men is the one at 'BAKKA' (Mecca) blessed and a guidance for the world" [3:96]. The next verse identifies the houses of the members of the above House:

"(There are) the houses in which God has permitted to be exalted and His name glorified. Therein do (they) glorify Him in mornings and evenings, the men whom neither merchandise or selling diverts them from the remembrance of God" [24:36-37]. It is about the members of His Own appointed House that God has announced:

".. God only willeth to keep away un-cleanliness from you O' people of the House and to Purify you a (thorough) purification" [33:33]. And certainly none else but only Ali, as belonging to those mentioned in verse 24:37, could keep himself undisturbed in his supplication to the Lord while the JARRAH, i.e., the surgeon cut open his foot and took out the point of the arrow stuck into it. similarly did HASSAN and HUSSAIN remain undisturbed in their godliness while facing the worst persecution and the wholesale murder of their dear ones and their faithful devotees. The holy Prophet had told to Ali:

"Thou hearest whatever I hear and thou seest whatever I see". HASSAN proved his being of the same quality of the caliber of his father and possessed the same divine excellence, for it is reported that HASSAN used to hear what was revealed to his Grandfather the holy Prophet, by the Messenger Angel, and used to come to his mother, the Lady of Light, and would smile and relate it to her father the holy Prophet who would embrace HASSAN and kiss him and say: "He is of me and I am of him". This was HASSAN the Second Imam and the Brother of HUSSAIN.

HASSAN'S PATIENCE: THE REASON FOR IT

If is asked why did not HASSAN handle the sword as did HUSSAIN and why did not HUSSAIN exercise patience as did his elder brother HASSNA? The answer is: That MU'AVIAH though a rebel against the established KALIFATE which was only a temporal power, and to own it, he had played havoc, and though religion was continuously undergoing corruption and adulteration, but the ruling authority had not stopped to the deliberate YAZIDIAN infidelity and the open disbelief in the bonafide of the holy Prophet and the truthfulness of Islam. Be it known that neither the holy Prophet nor the godly AHLUL BAIT had come into the world to wield their swords for any territorial ambition or to own any temporal power by force. The sword and the strength God had given to these the holy ones, was for use in the cause of God, on the occasions divinely destined for the purpose, which they knew beforehand.

As HUSSAIN re-established Islam rescuing it when it was on the verge of being annihilated for ever, HASSAN maintained it, in an equally effective way, from getting wiped out, by avoiding the true and the faithful devotees of the faith the SHIAS being totally wiped out to existence and the faith getting extinct with them. If HASSAN had not pulled on with his ideal godly patience he would have witnessed the end of Islam with his own eyes through the wholesale slaughter of the faithful devotees and the advocates of the faith through whose existence the Islam-Original could be maintained and spread in the world, though it was done under the most hostile and the murderous persecutions.

According to the situations, did act the two holy Imams, HASSAN and HUSSAIN. HASSAN should not have used the sword and HUSSAIN could not remain patient, both the holy ones acted as they did, in the interest, of the Religion of God and godliness on earth.

Ali, the ASADULLAH, the Lion of God, the Ever Triumphant Matchless Hero of Islam, who had no match for his godly strength, prowess and bravery, when occasion demanded it to save Islam, allowed himself to be tied in ropes and dragged by the cowards of the people, HASSNA followed the footsteps of his father to do the same. If any occasion had only demanded it, HASSAN would certainly have risen equal to the occasion as did his father during the time of the holy Prophet.

The holy Prophet being the Apostle of God the greatest godly advocate of Peace on earth who had come to establish peace in the true meaning of the word, had to use the sword when it was unavoidable to save the Religion of God from being wiped out by the disbelievers. HUSSAIN followed the footsteps of his Grandfather in this regard as in any other, to re-establish the same faith when infidelity intended to destroy it for ever and when the Muslim World was being misled and taken far astray from the right path, with the open declaration of the disbelief in the apostleship of the holy Prophet and the holy QUR'AN being the revealed Word of God.

Both the holy Imams, HASSAN and HUSSAIN, had acted duly according to their respective divine assignments. Before doubting in the divine wisdom in HASSNA'S patience and his treaty with MU'AVIAH, one should remember that the people doubted even in the bonafide of the holy Prophet when he concluded the SULHE HUDAIBIAH (the Treaty of HUDAIBIAH). The godly ones only know the will of the Lord they executed and man always criticized it.

HUSSAIN TAKES CHARGE OF THE IMAMATE

Before breathing his last, HASSAN handed the charge of the Imamate to his brother HUSSAIN. HUSSAIN was now the Third Imam, the Vicegerent of God on earth, in the place of the holy Prophet Muhammad. The world was now without the Apostle of God. FATEMA the holy Lady of Light had been martyred. Ali and HASSAN had also left the world. HUSSAIN was left alone in an atmosphere totally hostile, for MU'AVIAH had successfully purchased the public support to execute his plan of placing YAZID on the throne of the KALIFATE, to perpetuate the rule of the Muslim Empire in his family and thus to start the OMAYYID dynasty of the KALIFS. All possible efforts to bring the people and keep them under the complete control of the throne, were employed. Corruption and godlessness ruled the destiny of the people.

As Ali had done during the reigns of the first three KALIFS, and HASSAN after MU'AVIAH usurping the paramount power, HUSSAIN also following the footsteps of his father and brother, had retired into seclusion in Medina. HUSSAIN'S main concern was supplication to the Lord and acting as the heavenly torch of the Divine Light of guidance towards God and godliness.

HUSSAIN was now the godly commissioned guardian of the holy QUR'AN, its teachings and its correct practice. He was the Vicegerent of the Lord holding the Kingdom of God on earth. It is surely ridiculous even to imagine HUSSAIN'S ever thinking of, or aspiring for, any temporal power or authority, when he already held the Imamate divinely assigned to the House of the holy Prophet and as such was God's Deputy on earth, he had nothing to do with the politics of the state or the political affairs of the people.

HUSSAIN had already been informed of every detail of the divine assignment to him and he knew every step of the march of his life up to its end. The holy Prophet had already informed HUSSAIN of all that was in store for him to meet, and when and where each event will take place. It was only with the knowledge of the lot to befall HUSSAIN, his father Ali had desired to have a son like ABBAS. It was only in view of the great task of re-establishing Islam by HUSSAIN with the great sacrifice, i.e., the 'ZIBHE AZEEM', the holy Prophet had said: "HUSSAIN is of me and I am of HUSSAIN". Now waiting for the hour to fulfill his covenant with the Lord to save His Religion Islam and to secure His Final Word to man, the holy QUR'AN, for ever

HUSSAIN passed a quite life of supplication, discharging the duties of the Imam in the place of his Grandfather the holy Prophet.