Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) was born on 10 Rabiul Akhar 232AH
in Samarrah , Iraq
Asker in Arabic means army. The reason for this name being
given to the Imam was that the Abbasid Caliph wanted to impress the Imam with
his military strength and he arranged an army parade. After the parade, the
Imam asked the Caliph to look between his two fingers. The Caliph was impressed
by the army much superior in number to his and he named the Imam as “Askari”
The Imam spent his life from childhood to adulthood in the
house where his father, Imam Ali al-Naqi (a.s.) was to remain house arrest.
Even then the Imam continued his duties of preaching and explaining the Noble
Qur’an and the knowledge of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). The Imam had written a complete
Tafseer on Qur’an. Imam’s life was not at peace even under house arrest. He was
taken to Baghdad , questioned and
put in prison there.
While he was a prisoner in Baghdad ,
there was a severe drought. Rain had not fallen for some time. People were facing
famine. A Christian priest came to rescue. He lifted his hands in prayer and
rain fell. The Caliph was concerned that people may become Christian because of
this. The Imam was consulted. The Imam told them when the priest shows that
miracle, he will remove the doubts. Next time when the priest lifted his hands
for prayers, the Imam told his companions to get the bone the priest had in his
hands. The Imam told them that it was the bone of a Prophet and it was the
effect of the bone that when lifted in prayer, Allah’s mercy rain will fall on
earth. After this the Imam spread his prayer sheet and performed two rakats of
prayers and lifted his bare hands for Dua’a. Before Imam’s prayer was finished,
it started to rain heavily. As a reward for this, the Imam was allowed to go
back to Samarrah under house arrest.
It was the tragedy of Muslim Ummah, that instead of being
respectful to Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and getting benefits from them, the caliphs in
power due to their own inferiority complex subjected the Infallible Imams to
imprisonment.
Allama Majlisi had given a detailed account of Imam Hasan
Askari’s marriage. Imam Ali al-Naqi wrote a letter in ‘Rum’, enclosed it with
220 Dinars in red purse and gave it to his friend Bashir ibne Suleiman and
explained how to escort the grand daughter of the Emperor of Rum. Nargis
Khatoon narrated the story to Bashir: “I am a princess. My mother was the
vice-gerent of Jesus. My grandfather was anxious to marry me to his nephew. On
the day of the proposed marriage, some abnormal events prevented the wedding.
One night, I saw a dream in which Jesus and Prophet Muhammad
greeted each other and the Prophet asked my hand for his grand son Hasan
Askari. When consent was given, the Prophet Muhammad solemnized the wedding.
After some time, I had another vision in that Fatima, the daughter of Prophet
Muhammad and Mariam, the mother of Jesus told me that I cannot marry Hasan
Askari unless I become Muslim. This I accepted and saw Hasan Askari in my
dream.” Bashir asked as to how she became a prisoner, she replied: “Hasan
Askari told me that my father was planning to send an army against the Muslims,
and that I should disguised myself and some of my women servants and go with
the army. I did this and before long some army guards captured us.” Imam Ali
al-Naqi gave her in the custody of her sister Hakima Khatoon. After a few days,
Imam Hasan al-Askari was married to the grand daughter of Emperor of ‘Rum’.
Words of Wisdom:
The Imam said: “Fear Allah, increase prostrations, be kind to neighbors, associate
with your kin and carry out their rights, treat people kindly, mention Allah
excessively and remember death, recite the Qur’an and send peace and blessings
on Prophet because it has ten good deeds, generosity has a certain extent and
if it is exceeded it is extravagance, economy has a certain extent and if it is
exceeded it is stinginess, and courage has a certain extent and if it is
exceeded it is recklessness. Death comes unexpectedly. Whoever sows good shall
harvest happiness and whoever sows evil shall harvest regrets. Worship is not
abundant fasting and praying, but worship is abundant pondering; it is the
continuous thinking of Allah. 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
(back-biting) when he is absent. 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.
Vices have been put in a house and its key is lying. He, who
praises an undeserving one, becomes as an accused person. Staying up makes
sleep more pleasant, and hunger makes food more delicious. Reaching Allah the All-Mighty is a journey
not achieved, except by riding at night.
He said to al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid Caliph: “Do not expect
goodwill 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 hearts are like your heart towards them. From the
disasters that break one’s back is a neighbor who, if sees a good deed conceals
it, and if sees a bad deed, spreads it.
(In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful) is
closer to the Greatest Names of Allah than the iris of the eye to its white. Do
not dispute with others so that you lose your gravity, do not joke so that it
is dared against you. Polytheism in people is more inconspicuous than the
creeping of ants on a black cloth in a dark night.
Once, an-Nasir Lideenillah, the Abbasid caliph, visited the
holy shrines of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and Imam Ali al-Naqi (a.s.) in
Samarrah. His vizier suggested to him that he should visit the tombs of his
fathers of Abbasid kings, and he agreed. When he reached there, he found the
graves dark and miserable where sweepings were accumulated and crows gathered.
The vizier asked the king to take care and pay money to rebuild these graves,
but the Abbasid king said,
‘How far! That is of no use’
The vizier asked, ‘why, O Ameer ul Momineen?’
He said, ‘Did you see the flourishing tombs of the pure Imams?’
The vizier said, ‘Yes’
The king asked, ‘Do you know the secret behind that?’
The vizier answered, ‘No’
An-Nasir Lideenillah said, ‘My fathers associated with
Satan, and these masters associated with Allah, and all that which is for Allah
remains, and all that which is for Satan perishes and disappears.
Addressing one of his
companions, the Imam said: “Allah the All-Mighty did not deprive the earth
since He created Adam, and He will not deprive it until the Day of
Resurrection, of an authority over His people. My son, who is named after the
Messenger of Allah, will fill the earth with justice and fairness after it has
been filled with injustice and oppression. He will hide in an Occultation,
during which time no one shall be saved except one whom Allah fixes on the
belief in his imamate and supplicating Allah to hasten his deliverance.
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