The Great Newborn Child
The birth of the newborn boy, Abu Muhammad, the descendant of prophethood and the remainder of imamate, made the world shine and made Yathrib (Medina) and Samarra’ bloom. This great newborn baby was the continuity of the life of his infallible fathers who lit the intellectual life in the world of Islam. Delight and joy filled the hearts of the Prophetic family for they knew that he would be the imam after his father as Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) had told them.
Some historians said he was born in Medina,
and some others said in Samarra’.
Historians also gave different dates for his birth. It was said that he was born in Rabee’ al-Awwal
230AH,
or 231,
or 232,
or 233.
Ceremonies Of Birth
After the birth of this blessed son, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) recited the azan in his right ear, and the eqama in his left ear. This was the first hymn that this blessed newborn baby met life with; “Allah is great, there is no god but Allah”.
On the seventh day after birth, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) cut the hair of his newborn child and gave silver or gold as much as the weight of his son’s hair to the poor as charity.
His Name And Surname
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) named his blessed newborn child as al-Hasan like the name of his great uncle, the master of the youth of Paradise. He surnamed him as Abu Muhammad,
and Muhammad was the name of the awaited Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.), the great reformer and savior of humanity and the sought hope of the deprived and the disabled in the earth.
His Epithets
His epithets expressed his high and noble qualities. He was called:
1. Al-Khalis (the pure)
2. Al-Hadi (the guide)
3. Al-Askari (military);
he was called so because of the country (Samarra’) he lived in which was a military camp.
4. Az-Zakiy (pure, chaste, righteous)
5. Al-Khass (peculiar),
that Allah had distinguished him with virtues and with the responding to his supplications
6. As-Samit (silent),
that he was silent and he spoke just wisdom, knowledge, and the mention of Allah
7. As-Siraj (lamp),
that he was as a lamp lighting the way and guiding the deviant to righteousness
8. At-Taqiy (pious)
His Mien
Ahmad bin Ubaydillah bin Khaqan said about Imam al-Askari (a.s.), ‘He was brown with big eyes, fine stature, beautiful face, and good body. He had gravity and solemnity.
And it was said he was between brown and white.’
His Upbringing
Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) grew up in the house of guidance and the center of imamate and general authority of Muslims…that noble house which Allah had kept uncleanness away from its people and purified them thoroughly.
Ash-Shabrawi says about this exalted house, ‘What an honorable house it is and what a glorious lineage it is! It is the house of pride and exaltation. They are all equal in the noble root, in the good inners, and in glory like the teeth of a comb. How an exalted house it is! It has competed with the heaven in its highness and nobility, and has gone higher than the polestars in rank and position. It has all qualities of perfection that it is not excepted by “other than” or “except”. These Imams have been ordered in glory like the order of pearls, and harmonized in honor that the first of them equals the next. Many were those who strove to degrade this house but Allah exalted and still exalts it, and many were those who spared no effort to separate the unity of this house but Allah gathered and gathers it. How many rights of this house were lost but Allah does not ignore or lose…’
Educational studies say that house has great influence on the forming of man’s behaviors and the building of his personality. The good or bad scenes he sees inside the house are pressed inside him and shall adhere to him throughout his life. In the light of this fact, Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) got the highest scenes of the purest education. He grew up in a house that Allah had purified and exalted…that house that raised the Word of Allah high in the earth and offered dear sacrifices for the sake of Islam.
Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) grew up in the house of the Qur'an and the heart of Islam. His father Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) fed him with guidance and ideals to be the continuity of the mission of Islam.
God-Fearing
The distinct aspect in the childhood of Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) was the fear of Allah. He was God-fearing since his early years. Historians mentioned that one day some man passed by Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) and saw him cry while he was with his fellow children. The man thought that this child cried for the toys in the children’s hands and that he could not participate in their playing. The man told the child that he would buy him what he might play with. The child said,
‘No! We have not been created for play.’
The man was astonished and said, ‘Then, what for we have been created?’
The child said, ‘For knowledge and worship.’
The man asked the child, ‘Where have you got this from?’
The child said, ‘From this saying of Allah(What! Did you then think that We had created you in vain)
.’
The man was astonished and confused. He said to the child, ‘What has happened to you while you are guiltless little child?’
The child said, ‘Be away from me! I have seen my mother set fire to big pieces of firewood but fire is not lit except with small pieces, and I fear that I shall be from the small pieces of the firewood of the Hell.’
The faith in Allah was a part and an element of Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.). He did not fear but Allah and this remained in him until the last moment of his life.
With His Father
Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) spent a part of his life with his father Imam al-Hadi (a.s.). He did not part with him even in his travels. He saw in his father a true picture of the morals of his grandfather the messenger of Allah (a.s.) who had been preferred to all prophets, and saw in him the spirits of his fathers the infallible imams (a.s.). On the other hand, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) saw in his son the natural continuity of the great imamate and general authority of the Prophet (a.s) and therefore he cared much for him. He praised him saying,
“My son Abu Muhammad is the best of the progeny of Muhammad (blessing be on him and on his progeny) 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.”
Of course, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was far above flattering or submission to emotions. He did not praise his son and announce his virtue unless he saw in him all noble aspects and high qualities. And it was so, because Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) had all virtues and nobilities.
Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) kept to his father Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) and saw what he suffered from the Abbasid kings especially al-Mutawakkil who spared no effort in oppressing Imam al-Hadi (a.s.). This tyrant was excessive in harming the Imam. He house-arrested him in Samarra’ and surrounded his house with policemen and detectives to watch him, and to prevent the ulama, jurisprudents, and the rest of the Shia from associating with him. Al-Mutawakkil also oppressed Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) in his living affairs, and ordered his men to search the house of the imam from time to time and take him to al-Mutawakkil in whatever state he was. It was al-Mutawakkil himself who had prevented officially the visiting to the holy shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a.s.), and ordered the shrine to be destroyed. All those terrible events took place before the eyes of Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) while he was yet in the early years of his youth. His heart was filled with pains and sorrows during the period he lived with his father.
The Death Of His Brother
Muhammad Abu Ja’far, the brother of Imam al-Askari (a.s.), was a wonderful example of the infallible imams and a true picture of their thoughts and principles. He was too intelligent, with high morals and very wide knowledge until many of the Shia thought that he would be the imam after his father Imam al-Hadi (a.s.).
Al-Aarif al-Kilani said about Abu Ja’far, ‘I accompanied Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali since he was young. I saw no one purer, graver, or more honorable than him. Abul Hasan al-Askari (Imam al-Hadi) left him in Hijaz while he was a child and then he came to him a young. He kept to his brother Abu Muhammad (a.s.)
who educated him and fed him with his knowledge, wisdom, and morals.’
Abu Ja’far became seriously ill that might be because of poison inserted for him by the Abbasids. He remained some days suffering intolerable pains while his brother Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.), who loved him too much, was with him all the time. However, after no long, Abu Ja’far left to the better world, but Imam Abu Muhammad’s heart was broken and he was very sorrowful and distressed for the loss of his dear brother.
With His Brother Al-Husayn
Al-Husayn bin Ali al-Hadi was a pure man of wide knowledge and high morals. He was always with his brother Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and they were called “as-Sibtayn”
like their two grandfathers Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (a.s.). They were famous of this surname at that time. Abu Hashim said, ‘One day, I rode on my sumpter and said: ‘(Glory be to Him Who made this subservient to us and we were not able to do it)
.
One of as-Sibtayn heard me say that and said to me, ‘You have not been ordered of this, but you have been ordered to remember the blessing of your Lord on you when you ride on it (on the sumpter).’
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Author: Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi
