Imam
Hasan Askari (a.s.) was born on 10 Rabi As-Sani 232 AH 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 own 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 peaceful 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 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 falls on earth. After this the Imam spread his prayer carpet and
performed two rak’ats 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 could return
to Samarra but was still 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 and kept them away from the eyes of the people.
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 granddaughter
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 grandson
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 a 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 disguise 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 (s.a.). After a few days, Imam Hasan al-Askari was
married to the granddaughter 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, Muntasir
Billah, the Abbasid caliph, visited the holy shrines of Imam Hasan al-Askari
(a.s.) and Imam Ali al-Naqi (a.s.) in Samarra. 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 imamate and supplicating Allah to hasten his deliverance.
Sources used:
The Fourteen Luminaries of
Islam
by Ahmad Bijandi
Principles of Shiite
Creed
by Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini
Story of the Holy Ka’ba and its People
by S.M.R. Shabbar
Islam, Faith, Practices, and History by
Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
No comments:
Post a Comment