Skip to content Skip to footer

Sheikh Zakzaky speaks on the sufferings of Imam Hasan(AS).

The leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky delivered a lengthy speech on Imam Hasan bn Ali Almujtaba(AS) on Friday the 21 of December 2012 marking the martyrdom anniversary of the 2nd infallible Imam (AS) at Husaniyyah baqiyyatullah Zaria. The programme attended by thousands of people.

The speech by Sheikh Zakzaky covers many aspects of Imam’s life-his childhood, his stay with parents the prophet(AS), his devotion, his patience in the face of difficulties from people,  his help to the needy,  his imamate, his sufferings in the hands of enemies and his martyrdom.

Speaking on his imamate, Sheikh Zakzaky said it lasted for 10 years while his father was Khalifa for 30 years. Despite being the leader of the Muslim Ummah for such years,  many Muslims dont even see him as Khalifah while other considered him as the fifth Khalifah. However, Sheikh Zakzaky paid emphaisis in his lecture on his martyrdom for the fact that the  occasion is to do with his martyrdom commemoration.

Imam Hasan received imamate and all the legacies of holy Prophet(SAWA) from his father Imam Ali(AS)- legacies given to Imam Ali(AS) by the holy Prophet(SAWA). Imam Ali ordered his family members and  followers to follow Imam Hasan(AS).

However, Mu’awiyyah and his followers refused to pay allegiance to Imam Hasan(AS) and to never  follow him even if everyone was to  die. Imam Hasan said he would not allow the shedding of blood of even a single Muslim on the issue of worldly affairs-leadership. Sheikh Zakzaky stressed that losing a position of power  leadership did not remove Hasan from being the Khalifah of the holy Prophet(AS), whether he held the position or not; the matter of imamate is rests with Allah(SW), just like prophethood.

Imam Hasan  viewed the danger of Mu’awiyyah stance of willing to shed bloods, he therefore opted for reconciliation with Mu’awiyyah on conditions set by the Imam(AS) himself to save the lives of Muslims. Some of the conditions set include:

-Prayers will be established.

-Zakat will duely paid

-All insults to Imam Ali(AS) and members of Ahlulbayt(AS) be stopped.

-No more persecutions of the followers of Imam Ali(AS).

-All families of the matrys of battles of Siffin and Jamal should be given 1000 dirhams each.

-Imam Hasan will not address Mu’awiyyah with title of ‘Ameeril Mumineen’

-Imam Hassan shall not participate in his governemt or give verdicts etc.

 

Mu’awiyyah accepted all the conditions set.

Issues sorroundig reconcilation

Some issues were raised regarding Imam Hasan’s reconciliation with Mu’awiyyah. Some people saw this reconscilaiton as a sign of weakness on the part of Imam Hasan others said he wanted peace better than his brother who opted for war! etc. There are so many  misconceptions put forward by some people who don’t understand the wisdom behind the reconciliation while others for hidden motives.

In reality, neither the knowledge given to Imam Hasan by his father nor the his status as Imam were transferred to Mu’awiyyah. These are status that can only be handled by an Imam as they were chosen by Allah.

Even during his time, Imam Hasan was faced with similar questions from his followers, scuh as: “why did you go into reconciliation with Mu’awiyyah- the deviant”. The Imam answered “ M’ I not a proof of Allah upon his creation and Imam after my father’.  This shows that total obedience is what is expected from true followers as the Imam knew best the wisdom behind the reconciliation. Without the reconcilliation not a single life of his followers would be spared by Mu’awiyyah. So, what Imam did is the best being the proof of Allah.

The Imam Lived in a difficult situation.

Imam Hasan(AS) suffered so much in the hand of his enemies as Mu’awiyyah did away will all conditions set during reconciliation. Mu’awiyyah had even connived secretaly with three men from among the followers of Imam Hassan(AS). He held a secret meeting with each of them without each knowing about it. He wanted them to to kill Imam Hasan. Any one of them who kill the holy Imam will be made a governor of a province in addition to a gift of 200,000 dirhams and  he would marry the daughter the Mu’awiayyah- the king.  The people who connived with Mu’awaiyyah are: Ash’ath, Hujur bn Harith and Shabath.

Upon hearing about plot, Imam took measures such as wrapping of metal protection around his body- as used during battles. There was a time when  one of them shoot the Imam with arrow, but the arrow could not penetrate due to metal protection the Imam used to wear on his body. He was also struck with a knife. The Imam nursed the injury at a village on the outskirt of Madina, this gave the oppoturinity to  one of the king’s relative in the village who opined for the hand over of the Imam to Mu’awiyyah for worldly rewards.

Imam Hasan warned them that even if they killed him Mu’awiyyah will not fulfil his promises to them and they would live a difficult life afterwards.

As Mu’awiyyah broke all the conditions set, insults of Imam Ali and persecutions of his followers resurfaced and even institutionised. He killed followers of Imam Ali one after the other and tried to find way to kill Imam Hasan(AS).

He connived with the wife of Imam Hasan, Jahdah bnt Ash’ath, through her father with promise of marrying her to the his son- Yazid bn Mu’awiyyah. Iman was fed a poison mixed with honey by the wife. It was killer poison which kills instatntly ordered from Rum. Still, after being fed with the poison the Imam lived for 40 days. Before his matrydom, Imam Hasan handed over all legacies left to him by father to Imam Husain(AS) and ordered his followers to pay allegiance to Imam Husain(AS).

His Burial.

The burial led by Imam Husain for his brother Imam Hasan became a terrible matter as Marwan connived with one woman to resist any attempt by members of Ahlulbayt to burry Imam Hasan close to his grandfather, the holy Prophet(SAWA). By his wisdom, Imam Husain(AS) avoided any clash by changing his decision of taking the body of Imam Hasan to bid farewell to the Prophet, yet their enemies did not even allow them to go free as they shoot arrows on the body of Imam Hasan(AS). Imam Hasan(AS) was buried at Baqi’ in Madina.

Misconcepton regarding Imam Hasan(AS)

The enemies of Ahlulbayt have fabricated many lies against the holy Imam such as calling him a person who constantly marry and divorced to the extent that Imam Ali warned against giving him daughters in marriage!!. They even said he enjoyed huge pension from Mu’awiyya and had many children. According to them his number of children are 200, some said 100 , others 90 or 20. The figures didn’t stand on good reasoning due big differences.

The reality is that Imam Hasan had 3 wives and had 11, 12 or  13 children according to report. Most of this children were killed in karbala with exception of one- Hasan bn Hasan, who was spared in Karbala by the intervention of hsi maternal relatives. He hadd another child in madina who remained. So, his children were two.

Imam Hasan never gave imamate to Mu’awiyyah. He entered reconciliation to save lives as he had no helpers to fight for his right.

The leader of the Islamic Movement urged Seekers of Truth to find out the true religion of Islam as taught by Ahlulbayt(AS), this is due to the fact that the enemies of Ahlulbayt(AS),since the era of Mu’awaiiay, had promulgated thier brand of Islam which spread to all nooks and corners of the world. To date this brand of Islam has the larger followership.

Ziyara of Imam Hasan(AS) was recited by the leader and a closing prayer.