the Imam made against his opponent. History is greatly different in respect of them. The historian’s statements are disordered about them. The following are some of their statements:
1. A historian has mentioned that Imam al-Hasan sent two messengers to Mu’awiya. The messengers were Amr bin Salama al-Hamadani and Muhammad bin al-Ash‘ath al-Kindi to be sure of Mu’awiya’s situation and to know what he had. So Mu’awiya gave them the letter that reads as follows: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a letter to al-Hasan bin Ali, from Mu’awiya bin Abi Sufyan. Surely I have made peace with you for that you shall have the authority after me. To you belong Allah’s promise, His covenant, His protection, and the protection of His Apostle, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family, and the severest of what Allah took against any of His creatures from among the promises and covenants. I will seek against you neither a calamity nor a detested thing. I should give you a million dirhams from the public treasury every year. You shall have the land tax of Basra and Dar Abjard. You send to them your governors and to do with them asyou like. Abdullah bin ‘Umar, Amr bin Salama al-Kindi, Abdurrahman bin Samra, and Ibn al-Ash‘ath bore witness as to that. It was written in the month of Rabee‘ al-Aakhar, in the year 41 A. H.”
The document indicates that Mu’awiya has given al-Hasan three things:
1. He appointed him as his hire apparent.
2. The Imam shall have a million dirhams from the public treasury every year.
3. He gave him two districts. The Imam had to send his governors to them and to do with them whatever he wished.
Imam al-Hasan kept Mu’awiya’s letter. So he sent to him a man from the Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The man’s name was Abdullah bin al-Harth bin Nawfal. His mother was Mu’awiya’s sister. The Imam said to him: “Go to your uncle and say to him: ‘If you gave security to the people, I would pledge allegiance to you.”
When Abdullah reached Mu’awiya, he told him about Imam al-Hasan’s task, which was seeking the general security to all the people. Mu’awiya responded to him. He stamped a parchment at the bottom. He gave the parchment to him and said: “Let al-Hasan write on it whatever he wishes.” So Abdullah returned carrying this absolute authorization to the Imam. So the Imam (a.s) wrote what he wanted from among the stipulations. We will mention the text of what he wrote when we deal with some of the narrations, for it does not differ from them. Dr. Taha Husayn has depended on this narration.[1]
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[1] Al-Fitnatu al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 200.