Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) was born on 10 Rabi As-Sani 232 AH in Samarra
and martyred on 8 Rabi ul Awwal 260 AH. He was the eleventh Infallible Imam of
Shia Islam.
Asker in Arabic means army. The reason for this name 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 by the order of
the Abbasid caliph! Even then the Imam continued his duties of preaching and
explaining the Glorious Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger
(s.a.w.a.s.). The Imam had written a complete Tafseer on Qur’an apart
from other literary works. Imam’s life was not peaceful even during
house arrest and taken to Baghdad, unnecessarily questioned, and imprisoned
there.
While he was in Baghdad, there was a severe drought. There was no
rainfall for a long 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 event. The caliph requested the
Imam to 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 hand. 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 finished, it started to rain heavily. As
a reward for this, the Imam could return to Samarra but 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 and feeling
of guilt as they had robbed the Ahlul Bayt(a.s.) of their right to lead the
Muslims, subjected the Infallible Imams to imprisonment and kept them away from
the people’s contact.
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 a red purse and gave it to his friend Bashir Ibne Suleyman and
explained how to respectfully 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, an abnormal event 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 I consented, the Prophet Muhammad solemnized the wedding. Afterwards, 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 the women servants and go with the army. I did this and
before long the army guards captured us.” Imam Ali al-Naqi gave her in
the custody of his sister, Hakima Khatoon (s.a.). Afterwards, 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 your neighbors, associate with your kin and fulfill
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 limit when extended it is
extravagance, economy also has a limit and if it is exceeded it is stinginess,
and courage has a limit and if it is exceeded it is recklessness. Death comes
unexpectedly. Whoever sows charitable 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 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 performing night prayers (Tahajjud)
The Imam advised al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid Caliph: “Do not expect
goodwill from one, whom you have offended, or expect 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.
BismillahirRahmanir Rahim (In the name of Allah, the Beneficent,
the Merciful) is closer to the Ism-e-Azam (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 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 of Hujjah since He created Adam, and He
will not deprive it until the Day of Resurrection, of an authority (Hujjat) over
His people. My son, named after the Messenger of Allah, will fill the earth
with justice and fairness after it was filled with injustice and oppression. He
will hide in an occultation, during which time no one shall be saved except the
one whom Allah fixes on the belief in his imamate and supplicating Allah to
hasten his deliverance and reappearance.
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
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