Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) was
born on 10 Rabiul As-Sani 232AH in Samarra, 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 saw and 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.) remained
house arrest. Even then the Imam continued his duties of preaching and
explaining the Glorious 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 during
house arrest. He was taken to Baghdad, unnecessarily questioned and imprisoned.
While he was in Baghdad,
there was a severe drought. Rain had not fallen for some time. People were
facing famine. A Christian priest came to rescue the people. He prayed and it rained.
The Caliph was concerned that people may become Christian because of this. The
Imam was requested for help. 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 companion 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 falls on earth. After
this the Imam spread his prayer sheet and performed two rakats of prayers and
prayed for rain. Before the Imam’s prayer was finished, it started to rain
heavily. As a reward for this, the Imam was allowed to go back to Samarra but
still was placed under house arrest.
It was the tragedy of Muslim Ummah
that instead of being respectful and thankful to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and
getting benefits from them, the caliphs in power, due to their own inferiority
complexes, 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 ‘Roman’, 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 the reward of ten virtuous 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 deeds shall harvest happiness and whoever
sows evil deeds shall harvest regrets. Worship is not abundant fasting and
praying, but includes deliberating on the Signs of the Magnificent God. 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.
Vices have been put in a
house and its key is telling lies. 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 praying 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 which 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 Great Names of Allah than the iris
of the eye to its white. Polytheism in people is more inconspicuous than the
creeping of ants on a black rock in a dark night.
Once, Muntasar Billah, 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 dirt was accumulated. The
vizier asked the king to take care and pay money to rebuild these graves, but
the Abbasid king asked if he saw the flourishing tombs of the pure Imams? “My fore-
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 imamat and supplicating
Allah to hasten his deliverance.
Sources used:
The Fourteen Luminaries of Islam by Ahmad Bijandi
Principles of Sh’ite Creed by Ayatullah Ibrahim
Amini
Story of the Holy Ka’aba and its People by
S.M.R.Shabbar
Islam, Faith, Practices, and History by Sayyid Muhammad
Rizvi
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