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Imam Hassan (a.s.)
By: Um Ali (jlainqatar)

Direct Link: http://www.almujtaba...s/4/000516.html

His birth

Hassan (a.s.) bin Ali (a.s.)‘al Mujtaba’ was born on the 15th of Ramadhan, 3 AH into an auspicious household. His mother was Fatima (a.s.), daughter of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) Mohammed (p.b.u.h.) (p.b.u.h.), mistress of the ladies of paradise. His father was the first male muslim after the Prophet, the leader of the believers, the vicegerent of the Prophet, Ali (a.s.)ibn Abi Taleb (a.s.). It’s no surprise that a child born into such a blessed family would turn out to be an infallible imam, a proof of Allah and leader of the muslim ummah.

Sayeda Fatima (a.s.) delivered her firstborn, healthy baby boy at age 12. The midwives wrapped him in a yellow cloth, and presented him to his grandfather, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) of Islam (p.b.u.h.) who read the adhan in his right ear and the iqama in his left. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was displeased, and removed the yellow cloth, replacing it with a white one. At the time, nobody knew the reason for this, but modern experiments in psychology have shown that the color yellow makes newborns anxious and nervous, while white makes them feel calm and secure. Fatima (a.s.) and Ali (a.s.)asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to name the child. The angel Gabriel revealed to the Prophet, that he should name him Shubbar, after the progeny of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) Aaron, since Imam Ali (a.s.) held the same position to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) as Aaron to Moses, except there would be no Prophet (p.b.u.h.) after him. However, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) replied to Gabriel that his tongue was Arabic, (he was an Arabic speaker). Gabriel then told him to call him Al Hassan (a.s.), by the order of Allah, lord of the worlds.

It has been narrated that to show his joy, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) handed out sweets to visitors who came to congratulate him on the birth of his first grandson, Hassan (a.s.). Some of the present followers of ahlul bayt continue this tradition. On the night of the 15th of Ramadhan, households make candies and nuts available to the children who happily go door to door, collecting their sweets in sacks. This occasion is otherwise known as Garga’oon.

His childhood

Hassan (a.s.) spent the first 7 years of his life thriving on the knowledge and upbringing of his grandfather, mother and father. His life was simple, but filled with love and compassion. He was the light of his mother’s eyes, and the fruit of her soul. He enjoyed a special relationship of his grandfather as well. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to embrace and kiss Hassan (a.s.) and his younger brother Hussein (a.s.). He carried them on his shoulders and let them ride on his back while he was in prostration. Once Abu Bakr saw the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) carrying his grandsons on his back and exclaimed to them: “what an excellent ride you have!” And the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) replied: “and what excellent riders they are!” He called them two sweet basils, and the leaders of the youths of paradise. Hassan (a.s.) was an infallible member of the holy household mentioned in the ayah Tat’heer (33.33) Verily, Allah intends to remove all impurity from you, oh family of the house of the prophet, and purify you a thorough purification. This is confirmed by Hadith e Kisa or the Tradition of the Cloak. Once the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was feeling ill, so he asked Fatima (a.s.) to give him a Yemani cloak to lie under. Hassan (a.s.) entered and smelled the sweet scent of his grandfather. His mother informed him that he was lying under the cloak. Hassan (a.s.) approached the cloak and asked his grandfather for permission to enter with him. It was granted to him, and subsequently as well to Hussein (a.s.), Ali (a.s.)and Fatima (a.s.). These are the five members of the ahlul bayt, the remaining nine came from the descendants of Hussein (a.s.).

Due to their extraordinary upbringing, Hassan (a.s.) and Hussein (a.s.) were wise from an early age and their manners were exemplary. Once they saw an old man performing ablutions incorrectly. They didn’t want to embarrass him or be impolite, so they started arguing between themselves who did ablutions the best. They asked the man to watch them and judge. When they both performed the ablutions the same way, the man realized his mistake. He happily informed them that they were right and had corrected his mistake in a polite way. Another famous incident was when Hassan (a.s.) and Hussein (a.s.) were ill. Ali (a.s.), Fatima (a.s.), their servant Fizza and the two children observed fast for 3 days. They had only a little bread to break their fast with. Each day right before sunset, a needy person would appear: first a poor man, then a destitute ophan, and finally a freed slave. In their generosity, they never refused anyone, and gave away their food each time and went hungry, breaking their fast with water. Soon after this the children returned to good health. It was this event that led to the verses 5-7 of Surah Insan being revealed.

إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِن كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا
عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا عِبَادُ اللَّهِ يُفَجِّرُونَهَا تَفْجِيرًا
يُوفُونَ بِالنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا كَانَ شَرُّهُ مُسْتَطِيرًا

Surely the righteous shall drink of a cup the admixture of which is camphor.
A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.
They fulfill vows and fear a day the evil of which shall be spreading far and wide.

The blissful childhood that they had while the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and their parents were alive was foreshadowed by an ominous cloud. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) held knowledge of the unseen given to him by Allah through Gabriel. His prophecies of the future of Hassan (a.s.) and his brother Hussein (a.s.) were heartbreaking, and he was often seen crying or distressed over their demise, as his ummah would kill his grandsons. He often used to kiss Hassan (a.s.) on his lips and Hussein (a.s.) on his neck, since the former would die by drinking poison and the latter by sword. He declared them two imams, whether they sat down or stood up, which was a prophecy in itself: Imam Hassan’s (a.s.) Peace Treaty with Muawiya (la) bin Abu Sufyan (la) and Imam Hussein’s (a.s.) martyrdom at the hands of Yazid. (la)

2 great losses

As the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) lay ill on his deathbed, Fatima (a.s.) carried Hassan (a.s.) and Hussein (a.s.) to him and asked him for their inheritance. Most people leave wealth or property as inheritance, however, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) left Hassan (a.s.) and Hussein (a.s.) with noble qualities. He bequeathed Hassan (a.s.) his form and nobility and Hussein (a.s.) his generosity and bravery.

Upon the death of the Holy Prophet, life changed drastically for these two young heroes. Hassan (a.s.) was 7 years old and Hussein (a.s.) was 6. Their father’s rights as the successor of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) were usurped by some greedy companions at Saqifa while the Prophet’s family buried him. His mother’s inheritance, an orchard called Fadak, was confiscated by the same scoundrels. His mother bitterly mourned her father, so much that Ali (a.s.) built her a house nearby the cemetery called the house of grief. She spent her days there, waiting to be the next to join the Prophet, as he had whispered in her ear right before he died. Hassan (a.s.) was present to see his pregnant mother crushed between the door and wall of her own home for her refusing to give obeisance to Abu Bakr, the first caliph. Fatima (a.s.) miscarried a son, Mohsin. She was fatally wounded, broken and died shortly after of her wounds. On the day of her death, she got out of bed and bathed her sons, for they would soon be without their mother. She advised her husband to marry her cousin, who would care for her orphan children as her own, and offer companionship to him. She died angry with those who usurped the caliphate, took her inheritance and injured and attacked her. She was buried in secret during the night.

Life with his father

Imam Ali (a.s.) married a virtuous woman: Fatima AlKalabi, or Um Al Banin. She was from a pious family known for strength and bravery. Before accepting Ali’s proposal, she first went to his home and asked permission from Hassan (a.s.) and Hussein (a.s.). They agreed. She helped raise Imam Ali’s orphan sons and had 4 of her own who were later martyred at Karbala defending Imam Hussein (a.s.).

Imam Hassan (a.s.) lived though the rule of Abu Bakr, Omar and Uthman, the first 3 caliphs. During these years, Hassan (a.s.) received tutelage from his father, the gate to the city of knowledge. He was grown when his father became the 4th caliph. On the 19th of Ramadhan, Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam struck his father while praying in the mosque, fatally injuring him. Before dying 2 days later, he passed the imamate on to his oldest son.

His rule

After burying his father, Hassan (a.s.) proceeded to the mosque and addressed the grieving ummah. He said:

“There has died tonight a man who was the first among the early Muslims in good actions. Nor did any later Muslims attain his level. He used to fight alongside the Prophet, and protect him with his own life. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to send him with his standard while Gabriel supported him on his right and Micheal on his left. He would not return until Allah brought victory through his hands. He has died on this night on which Jesus, son of Mary, was taken up to Heaven, on which Joshua, son of Nuh, the testamentary trustee of Moses, died. He has left behind him no gold and silver except 700 dirhams of his stipend, with which he was intending to buy a servant for his family. “

The people wept as he continued:

“I am the grandson of the one who brought the good news. I am the grandson of the warner. I am the grandson of the man who, with Allah’s permission summoned the people to Allah. I am the grandson of the light which shone out to the world. I am of the House, from whom Allah has sent away abomination and whom He has purified thoroughly. I am of the House for whom He has required love in his book when He said:

Say: I do not ask you for any reward except love for my kin. Whoever earns good, will increase good for himself. The good is love for us, the ahlul bayt. (42.23)


Imam Hassan (a.s.) accepted the caliphate and ruled justly for 6 months. People rushed forward to pledge allegiance to him as a successor. When asked about politics the imam said:

“Politics means observing the rights of Allah and the rights of the living and the rights of the dead. Rights of Allah are that you should obey His orders, and avoid what He forbids. Rights of the living are that you should observe your duty to your brothers, and not tarry in serving your ummah. You should be faithful to the one in authority among you as long as he is faithful to his ummah. You should speak up in his face should he deviate from the right path. Rights of the dead are that you should remember their good deeds and overlook their bad ones. They have a Lord who shall ask them about whatever they did.”

However, Muawiya (la) bin Abu Sufiyan, the governor of Syria had other ideas. He was an irreligious person who was consumed with the greed for power at any costs. He wore a guise, the thobe of religion, and had an army of false scholars around him. He would stop at nothing to overpower Imam Hassan (a.s.). Having control of great wealth, he sent spies and spread rumors amongst Hassan’s (a.s.) followers and troops. He threatened and murdered using fear as a tactic, and bought off some high ranking officers, including one of Imam Hassan’s (a.s.) own cousins. Imam Hassan (a.s.) readied for war and rose twice against him. He was stabbed in his thigh by a poisoned sword, and due to lack of supporters he was forced to change his strategy. Muawiya (la) himself initiated the correspondence and offered to make a truce. Imam Hassan (a.s.) agreed, in order to prove the irreprehensible, evil intentions of Muawiya (la), and to expose him. He inherited the divine caliphate from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his father, and would never agree to call Muawiya (la) the spiritual leader of the people. He did agree to the following conditions:

1. The caliphate will be returned to Imam Hassan (a.s.) (or his successor) after the death of Muawiya (la).

2. Muwaiya must not appoint Yazid as his successor.

3. Muawiya (la) must not harass or persecute the shia.

4. Muawiya (la) must ensure the safety and security of the shia and guard their wealth and possessions.

5. The common practice of cursing of Imam Ali (a.s.)and the shia would be put to a stop.

Imam Ali (a.s.) justifies patience being the wisest decision when nobody would assist him in his mission. And the same applies to Imam Hassan’s (a.s.) case.

Upon agreeing to the contract, Imam Hassan (a.s.) returned to Medina. He lived under duress during the 10 years of Muawiya (la)’s rule, and patiently stayed near his home. He taught the true religion of his grandfather and when he spoke in public, his audience flooded the streets. However, he lived in fear and under duress from the spies of Muawiya (la) and the enemies of Islam.

After signing the Peace Treaty, some people were brazen enough to try to find fault with Imam Hassan (a.s.). He replied to them: “Am I not the Hujjat of the Almighty, being his remembrance upon his creatures? Did not the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) of Islam (p.b.u.h.) say: “Hassan (a.s.) and Hussina are two Imams, whether they are standing or sitting?” If I had not agreed to this, all of the shia would have been annihilated.”

With this reply, Imam Hassan (a.s.) reached his objective: the discernment of truth over falsehood. Muawiya (la) confirmed this. Shortly afterwards, he would not only breech the conditions of the contract, but publicly announce: “By God, I have not fought against you to make you pray, nor to fast, nor to make the pilgrimage, nor to pay zakat. I fought you so that I might have power over you and God has given that to me when you were reluctant to obey Him. Indeed I have been requested by Hassan (a.s.) to give him things and I have given things to him. All of them are now trampled under my foot and from now on, I will not fulfill any of them.”

When Muawiya (la) gloated over what he had taken from Imam Ali (a.s.) and his son, Imam Hassaan replied:

“O you who mention Ali, I am Al Hassan (a.s.), and Ali (a.s.)was my father. You are Muawiya (la) and our father was Sakhr (Abu Sufyan). My mother was Fatima (a.s.) and your mother was Hind. My grand father was the apostle of Allah and your grandfather was Harb. My grandmother was Khadija and your grandmother ws Futayla. May Allah curse him who tries to reduce our reputation and to diminish our nobility, who does evil against our antiquiy and yet who has been ahead of us in disbelief and hypocrisy.
Rumors and a prophecy:

Even after the Peace Treaty, the enemies of islam continued spread rumors. They accused Imam Hassan (a.s.) of disbelief to incite the Khawarij against him. In addition to rumors to divide and deceive the troops, they tried to discredit the Imam’s infallible nature and impeccable morals. They claimed Imam Hassan (a.s.) was often marrying, that he had between 300 and 500 wives. Common sense tells us that if he had married that often, he surely would have had several hundred sons. If so, where were these sons on Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, when Imam Hussein (a.s.) was martyred? Wouldn’t hundreds have showed up to defend their uncle instead of only Qassim, Abdullah, Hassan AlMuthanna and Amir?

Like his grandfather, he had some knowledge of the unseen, and knew that his wife would poison him. However, out of justice, he would not divorce her or turn her out for a crime that she had not yet committed. Had he turned her out, there would have been reason for criticism of his outstanding character.

His morals and generosity

The Holy Imam devoted himself to prayers in such abundance, that he bore scars of prostration on his limbs. He spent most of the nights in absorption and humiliation, shedding tears and trembling. He went on the pilgrimage 25 times on foot. He had worldly possessions and wealth at his disposal, but used it to improve the condition of the poor, as he was charitable in nature. One day a man came to him and said that poverty and bad luck were torturing him and asked Imam Hassan (a.s.) to save him from this cruel enemy. The imam gave him 5,000 dinars to start a business and relieve himself of debt, poverty and reourcelessness. Hassan (a.s.) once set a servant free when she offered him a bouquet of flowers. He kept company with poor and beggars, never making them feel inferior to him. He was patient and had control over his emotions. Once a man from Syria saw Imam Hassan (a.s.) riding his horse and started abusing him. Imam Hassan (a.s.) greeted him cheerfully and asked for forgiveness, offered him transportation, food, clothes, and to grant his rights and protect him. Feeling ashamed, the man cried upon realizing that he was Allah’s heir on earth. He admitted formerly resenting the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his family, but now seeing Imam Hassan’s (a.s.) true nature, repented and professed their love and obedience.

His demise

In order to break the condition of the Peace Treaty and hand the caliphate over to Yazid, Muawiya (la) instigated Imam Hassan’s (a.s.) wife, Joadah bin Ashath to poison him in return for 100,000 dinars and the promise to marry her to Yazid. She carried out the vile act, but was not married to Yazid, but to a man from the family of Talha. She had sons with him and when an argument arose between them and the clans of Quraish, they were taunted as ‘the sons of a woman who poisons her husband’. Imam Hassan (a.s.) had been poisoned before, but lived through it. This poison however was fatal, and so strong, that he spit up pieces of his liver into a basin. The infallible imam, son of Fatima (a.s.) and Ali, grandson of the Prophet, mercy to the worlds, was now going to depart from the world. He declared his brother Hussein (a.s.) his successor and confirmed his belief, welcoming his death as the will of Allah, to whom be belong and to whom we return. He knew that that the followers of the companions who usurped the caliphate and robbed his father and mother of their rights would object to him being buried by the Prophet. He willed his brother Hussein (a.s.) to wash him and shroud his body and take him to visit his grandfather’s grave. His wishes were carried out and his suspicion was correct. No sooner did they arrive with his body near the Prophet’s grave, did Aisha, wife of the Prophet, daughter of Abu Bakr, arrive on her mule along with many from the tribe of Bani Ommaya to protest his burial next to the Prophet. The visitation was made and he was laid to rest in Baqi Cemetary, near his grandmother, Fatima (a.s.) bint Assad on 7th of Safar, 50 AH.

Edited by www.almujtaba.com, 01 April 2006 - 09:54 AM.

[www.almujtaba.com]

Salam Alaikum
Moving Up

[Zain]

Sayeda Fatima delivered her firstborn, healthy baby boy at age 12. .

She was only 12 when Imam Hasan was born?! That means she consumated her marriage at age 11?!

Also, how old was Imam Ali at that time?

Edited by Zain, 29 March 2004 - 02:32 AM.

[jlainqatar]

Selam alaycom,

Zain, if she died at 19 when Imam Hassan was 7, then it's simple mathematics.

What does Imam Ali's age have to do with it?

Back then, it was common to marry very young since their lifespans were shorter and many died due to disease or illness. As for being baligh or mature, Sayeda Fatima was tahira and didn't have a menstrual period. After her mother's death she took care of her father and was given the nickname: Um Abiha or the mother of her father. Do you think that the Prophet would marry his daugther off against her will or if she wasn't mature enough?

Peace,
Um Ali

[Zain]

Selam alaycom,

Zain, if she died at 19 when Imam Hassan was 7, then it's simple mathematics.

What does Imam Ali's age have to do with it?

Back then, it was common to marry very young since their lifespans were shorter and many died due to disease or illness. As for being baligh or mature, Sayeda Fatima was tahira and didn't have a menstrual period. After her mother's death she took care of her father and was given the nickname: Um Abiha or the mother of her father. Do you think that the Prophet would marry his daugther off against her will or if she wasn't mature enough?

Peace,
Um Ali

I think she was 18 when she died. That would make her 11 years old when Imam Hasan was born and 10 years old when she consumated the marriage.
http://www.shia.org/BibiFatima.html

What is the youngest age a women can have a child? (Medically speaking)

Also, why did she not have a menstrual period?

Edited by Zain, 29 March 2004 - 02:53 AM.

[Peer]

Also, why did she not have a menstrual period?

She was "Batool."

[Batool]

form my understanding Bibi Fatema s.a asked Hazrat Mohammed pbuh to pray to Allah that she does not have menstruations because she never wanted to experience a time in her life in which she needed to refrain from namaaz and other obligatory worship which becomes necessary to skip whilst a women is on her periods.

Her short life and her young age upon marriage should never be frowned upon but seen as a remarkable testament to her worthy character to achieve so much, to reach such a high level of piety, above ALL women and to be in the Panjtan Paak, to be the greatest example of womankind, greatest example of daughter, wife , mother, Mominah that there ever was in such a short time.

To have married so young and not only prove to be capable of achieving a succesful marriage but to actually have the best marriage that there ever was, to become the best wife and mother that there has been is a mark of Our Bibi's excellence, please don't question her age upon marriage and dwell on how old she was to have consumated, it does not fit our Bibi Paak to question these things when we only have to look at her character and acheivments to realise that she was remarkable!!

Syeda

[jlainqatar]

Selam alaycom,

She could have gotten married at 12 and had the baby 9 months later, also at 12.

Batool means virgin or chaste. She didn't have menstruation, nor did she have nifas after childbirth she immediately became clean.

I am not sure about youngest child, you might want to look in the Guiness Book of World Records.

My mother in law had her first child at 14. My best friend's mother in law had her first child at 11 or 12.

Peace,
Um Ali

[wilayah]

AL-BATOOL

Allah, the Exalted, created His creatures and implemented in them certain laws and habits. He also subjected these creatures to laws and habits. For instance, a law that rules fire is incendiary; while plants require certain spans of time and specific environments to grow and produce; likewise, animals require specific conditions that vary according to their sizes, types and colors, to grow.

Generally speaking, humans are subjected to assigned universal laws and physiological, psychological and spiritual peculiarities; yet, certain people who have been chosen by Allah and on account of His far-reaching wisdom, have been excluded from these laws. In other words, Allah subjected special laws to the chosen ones. Fire, for example, turns everything in its way to ashes; yet Allah said to it:

"O fire! Be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Ibrahim."

When Yunis was "cast forth on the naked shore in a state of sickness," after the whale swallowed him, Allah caused a "spreading plant" to grow quickly and cover Yunis's sick body.

Procreation, too, cannot take place without impregnation and the implementation of sperm in the woman's womb, wherein the sperm is made into a clot that grows to be a fetus covered with bones that becomes an unborn child. This process takes at least six to nine months; but his natural process that Allah implemented in mankind was invalidated in the case of Maryam Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã who gave birth to Isa Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã without any of these steps. It has been said that she carried him six to nine hours in her womb before giving birth to him under a palm tree in a secluded location.

Likewise, all miracles, which occurred through other prophets, took place in environments that did not conform to natural laws. The examples of such events are tremendous. The Holy Quran narrated many stories about prophets' and Imams' challenges to the laws of nature. Among these stories are Adam's descension from Paradise to Earth, the gushing forth of the fountains of earth in the story of Noah, Sara's pregnancy with Ishaq at an old age, the turning of Musa's stick into a snake, healing the blind and the lepers and raising of the dead by Isa, and Ascension into the Heavens by Allah's last Apostle (S)

Now that the above is understood, the following conclusion can be derived:

Women's monthly menstruation, which starts at maturity and continues until the fifties or sixties, is nothing but the discharge of spoiled blood and tissues which were to hold the fetus had it been conceived.

Allah, the Almighty, says:

"They ask thee concerning women's menstruation. Say: They are a discomfort and a pollution."

This indicates that the discharged blood is a harmful substance, which would harm women if it stayed in their bodies. It is even noticeable that women's psychological and physiological states, including their facial appearance and everyday conduct change at this time of the month. By this, we conclude that the bleeding which results from monthly menstruation differs from the normal kind of bleeding, which any human being-including women-might suffer.

It is unquestionable that monthly menstruation causes women to feel nervous, shy and dejected despite the fact that this occurrence is an involuntary natural course. Yet women suffer this course, which is unmentionable to anyone especially to men. For this reason, women are not obligated to perform prayers or fast during menstruation. They are also forbidden from staying in Mosques or to enter the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. In addition, reciting the chapters of Qalam, Najm, Alif Lam Mim Tanzil, and Ha Mim as Sajdah are not to be read during women's monthly periods.

These laws, which have just been mentioned, are also valid during confinement in childbed.

Nevertheless, Allah, The Exalted, relieved Fatima Zahra Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã from such pollution, as He removed from her all abomination and purified her a total purification. This fact is authenticated by various traditions among which are the following:

1. Qanduzi reported in Yanabi' al-Mawaddah p.260. that the Prophet (S) said: "She was safeguarded from menstruation and childbed (bleeding)."

2. Muhammad Salih al-Kashfi al-Hanafi reported in Al-Manaqib that the Prophet (S) said: "Fatima was called Al-Batoul because she was safeguarded and relieved from that which women encounter every month (menstruation)."

3. A1-Amr-Tasri narrates in Arjah al-Matalib that the Prophet (S) was asked about the meaning of Batoul-someone said to him: "Messenger of Allah, we have heard you say that Maryam is Batoul and Fatima, too, is Batoul!!"

The Prophet replied: "Batoul is she who never see blood, meaning that she never discharges menstrual blood; because menstruation is resented if it occurs in Prophet's daughters."

The above-mentioned narration was authenticated by Al-Hakim.

4. A1-Hafez Abu Bakr Ash-Shafe'i narrates in Tarikh Baghdad v.13, p.331, on the account of Ibn Abbass that the Prophet said: "My daughter is a human huri, she never menstruates, nor does she encounter any menses."

Nisaee also narrates this tradition.

5. Ibn Asaker mentioned in At-Tarikh al-Kabir v.1, p.391, on the account of Anas Ibn Malik that Umme Salim said:
"Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) has never menstruated nor discharged childbed blood."

6. Al-Hafez al-Suyuti said:
'Among Fatima's particularities is that she did not menstruate, and when she gave birth to a child, she would immediately become purified from childbed confinement so as not to miss her prayers."

7. Rafae mentioned in At-Tadween that Umme Salama said:
"Fatima never discharged blood during her childbed confinement; nor does she menstruate."

8. Tabari narrates in Dhakhaer al-Uqbi that Asma Bint Umais said:
"When Fatima gave birth to Al-Hassan, she did not bleed; she also does not bleed during periods of menstruation. (When I informed the Prophet of this) he said: `Do you not know that my daughter is pure and chaste; she does not discharge blood as a result of childbirth or menstruation."'

Safari narrates this tradition in Nuzhat al-Majalis p.227.

9. It was mentioned in v.10 of Al-Bihar that Abu Basir quoted Imam Sadiq Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã as saying:
'Allah, the Exalted, forbade Ali Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã from marrying women while Fatima was still alive."
Abu Basir exclaimed: "Why was that?"

The Imam replied: "Because she was pure and does not menstruate."

SOURCE - FATIMA THE GRACIOUS

[www.almujtaba.com]

Salam Alaikum
Moving up...

[Ali_Hashmi]

Nice set of work. May Allah ÓÈÍÇäå æÊÚÇáì reward you accordingly. Perhaps you could write one regarding each of the Imams . I think it would be highly beneficial specificically for the yonugsters here.

Wasalaam wr wb

Edited by Ali_Hashmi, 26 March 2005 - 03:51 AM.

[johny-5]

Recent ulama do not agree about her age being 18 at death. It was used as an example for her being just as precious to Ali as Aisha was to the Prophet. Neither were the age which is commonly known at marriage.

[begnning]

Thankx for sharing............................

[www.almujtaba.com]

Recent ulama do not agree about her age being 18 at death. It was used as an example for her being just as precious to Ali as Aisha was to the Prophet. Neither were the age which is commonly known at marriage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Salam Alaikum
Would you mind giving the name of those recent ulama who disagree with this historical event?

Thank you
Hassan Tabatabai

[baqar]

I think she was 18 when she died.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Sunni view is that she died at the age of 28.

[Zain]

The Sunni view is that she died at the age of 28.

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If sources used by shias and sunnis are compared, shias have more detailed references regarding Bibi Fatima (both quantity and quality), especially considering that shias view Bibi Fatima as an infallible. Sunni view is invalid according to shias.

Bibi Fatimah most probably was the age of 11 when she consumated the marriage.

Edited by Zain, 17 April 2005 - 01:07 AM.

[anzargilani]

The Twelve Imams (Part I)

This article is in reference to the question that: Where did the twelve Imams come from and why should the number of Imams be twelve and twelve only?
As a matter of fact, the answer is right inside the Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim. There are numerous Sunni collections of traditions which all recorded the following authentic tradition from the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Here, for the sake of brevity, I only quote from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.
In Sahih al-Bukhari (Arabic-English version), the tradition is as follows:
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 9.329
Narrated Jabir Ibn Samura:
I heard the Prophet saying, "There will be twelve commanders (Amir)." He then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, the Prophet added, "All of them will be from Quraish."

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In Musnad Ahmad, the tradition is as follows:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "There shall be twelve Caliphs
for this community, all of them from Quraish."




Reference: Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v5, p106
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In Sahih Muslim, the traditions are as follows:
Narrated Jabir Ibn Samura:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The matter (life) will not end, until it is passed by twelve Caliphs." He then whispered a sentence. I asked my father what the Prophet said. He said, the Prophet added: "All of them will be from Quraish."



Sunni references:
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v3, p1452, Tradition #5
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV (titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3, p1009, Tradition #4477
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Again from Sahih Muslim:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The affairs of people will continue to be conducted (well) as long as they are governed by the twelve men."



Sunni references:
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v3, p1453, Tradition #6
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV (titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3, p1010, Tradition #4478
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Also:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Islam will continue to be triumphant until there have been twelve Caliphs."




Sunni references:
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v3, p1453, Tradition #7
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV (titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3, p1010, Tradition #4480
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Again:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The Islamic religion will continue until the Hour (day of resurrection), having twelve Caliphs for you, all of them will be from Quraish."

Sunni references:
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, v3, p1453, Tradition #10
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV (titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3, p1010, Tradition #4483
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More Sunni references of similar traditions:
- Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v4, p501
- Sunan Abu Dawud, v2, p421 (three traditions).
- Others such as al-Tiyalasi, Ibn al-Athir, etc.
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Also in another wording, the Messenger of Allah uses the word "Imam" instead of "Caliph". It is widely narrated that:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The Imams are from Quraish"
Sunni references:
- al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v3, p149
- Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
- Sahih al-Nisa'i, from Anas Ibn Malik
- Sunan, by al-Baihaqi
- al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, by Ibn Hajar al-Haithami, Ch. 11, section 2, p287
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Obviously, the above traditions are not fit to the first four Caliphs all together, as they were less than twelve.
And they can not be applied to the Umayad Caliphs, because
Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã they were more than twelve;
( all of them were tyrants and unjust (except Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz);
© they were not from the Hashimites and the Holy Prophet had said in another tradition that: "All of them will be from the Bani Hashim..."
Also they cannot be applied to the Abbasid Caliphs, because:
Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã they were more than twelve;
( they persecuted the descendants of the Prophet every where which means they did not comply with the Quranic verse: "I don't ask you any wage except to love my family." (42:23).
My recollection about the unfortunate history of Caliphate indicates that, even from the Sunni point of view, there was no good Caliph left after the first 4 Caliphs (It would be 5 if we include Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz. Some Sunnis are very generous and they add Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Mahdi to the list as well.)
To fill out the twelve set, some even included the well-known tyrants to the list such as Yazid Ibn Mu'awiya, Marwan Ibn al-Hakam, Abdul-Malik Marwan, and Husham Ibn Abdul-Malik. The reason is clear and as I stated previously, it is due to the lack of decent and sincere rulers in the History of Islam.
I would like to remind you that "Caliph" means successor/deputy. The successor of the Prophet (or the preceding Caliph) should come immediately after the demise of the Prophet (or the preceding Caliph). If there is any gap between the successors, the word "successor" does not make any sense. So successors should come right after the other without any gap. Also as the Prophet (PBUH&HF) suggested in the above traditions, those twelve Caliphs will cover till the day of resurrection.
As you may know, the Followers of the Members of the House of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) refer to these 12 Caliphs as of their 12 Imams starting with Imam Ali and ending with Imam Mahdi the leader of our time. There are Caliphs because Allah made them Caliphs (They are vice-regents of Allah on the earth). With the passage of time and through historical events, we know that by the above traditions the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) meant the twelve Imams from his Ahlul-Bait who are the descendants of the Prophet since we have no other 12 pure candidates in the history of Islam upon whose righteousness all Muslims agree. It is interesting to know that even the enemies of Shi'a have NOT been able to find any fault in the virtues of the twelve Imams of Shi'a. Moreover these twelve Imams came one after another without any gap.
It is now clear that the only way to interpret the previously mentioned traditions which are narrated by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal is to accept that it refers to the Twelve Imams from the Prophet's Ahlul-Bait, because they were, in their times, the most knowledgeable, the most illustrious, the most god-fearing, the most pious, the best in personal virtues, and the most honored before Allah; and their knowledge was derived from their ancestor (the Prophet) through their fathers. These are the Ahlul-Bait whose sinlessness, flawlessness, and purity is confirmed by the holy Quran (the last sentence of verse 33:33).
Also the above mentioned traditions of the Prophet which are considered to be authentic by the Sunnis, proves beyond doubt that the concept of "Twelve Imams" can NOT be a Twelver Shi'ites concoction! It is amazing that despite the acknowledgment of al-Bukhari and Muslim and other prominent Sunni scholars about the twelve Imams, the Sunnis always stop at the four Caliphs! More interestingly, there are Sunni reports in which the Messenger of Allah named these twelve members of his Ahlul-Bait one by one starting with Imam Ali and ending with Imam al-Mahdi . (see Yanabi' al-Mawadda, by al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi).
Now after reviewing all these straightforward authentic traditions which ALL Muslims unanimously agree upon, I would like to ask, based on the Sunni point of view who are those twelve Caliphs after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF)? Please support your assertion by references from Quran and or the six Sunni collections of traditions, and also justify their deeds in the course of history. Remember that the instructions of these twelve successors of the Prophet should be obeyed. As such, if you don't know your twelve leaders, how do you want to obey them? Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:
He who dies while he does not know the Imam of his age, is like the one who died during days of Jahiliyya (the era before Islam).

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Few Facts About the Twelve Imams of Ahlul-Bait
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The First Imam: The Commander of Believers, Abul-Hasan, ALI al-Murtadha, son of Abu Talib, was born on the 13th of Rajab, 10 years before the declaration of the Prophethood (600 A. D.), INSIDE KA'BAH. He became Imam, on the demise of the Prophet on the 28th of Safar 11/632, and was fatally wounded by the poisoned sword of Ibn Muljam while engaged in prayers at the Mosque of Kufa (Iraq), and expired two days later on the 21st of Ramadhan 40/661, and was buried at al-Najaf (Iraq).
The Second Imam: Abu Muhammad, AL-HASAN al-Mujtaba, son of Ali, was born on the 15th of Ramadhan 3/625 in Medina; martyred of poison on the 7th or 28th Safar 50/670 in Medina by the order of Mu'awiya.
The Third Imam: Abu Abdillah, AL-HUSAIN, The Chief of Martyrs (Sayyid al-Shuhadaa), son of Ali, was born on the 3rd of Sha'ban 4/626 in Medina; was martyred with his sons (except one), relatives and companions, on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) 61/680 in Karbala (Iraq) by order of Yazid (LA). He and his elder brother, al-Hasan, were sons of Fatima, the daughter of the holy Prophet.
The Fourth Imam: Abu Muhammad, ALI Zain al-Abidin, son of al-Husain, was born on the 5th of Sha'ban 38/659; martyred of poison on the 25th of Muharram 94/712 or 95/713 in Medina by the order of Husham Ibn Abdul-Malik.
The Fifth Imam: Abu Ja'far, MUHAMMAD al-Baqir, son of Ali, was born on the 1st of Rajab 57/677 in Medina; martyred of poison by Ibrahim on the 7th Dhul-Hajja 114/733 in Medina.
The Sixth Imam: Abu Abdillah, JA'FAR al-Sadiq, son of Muhammad, was born on the 17th of Rabi'ul-Awwal 83/702 in Medina; martyred there of poison on the 25th of Shawwal 148/765 by the order of al-Mansur.
The Seventh Imam: Abul-Hasan al-Awwal, MUSA al-Kadhim, son of Ja'far, was born in al-Abwa (7 miles from Medina) on the 7th Safar 129/746; martyred of poison on the 25th of Rajab 183/799 in the prison of Harun al-Rashid in Baghdad and was buried at al-Kadhimiyya, near Baghdad (Iraq).
The Eighth Imam: Abul-Hasan al-Thani, ALI al-Ridha, son of Musa, was born in Medina on the 11th Dhul-Qa'da 148/765; martyred of poison on the 17th of Safar 203/818 in Mash'had (Khurasan, Iran) by the order of Ma'mun.
The Ninth Imam: Abu Ja'far al-Thani, MUHAMMAD al-Taqi al-Jawad, son of Ali, was born on the 10th of Rajab 195/811 in Medina; martyred of poison by the order of Mu'tasim in Baghdad on the 30th Dhul-Qa'da 220/835; was buried near his grandfather at al-Kadhimiyya.
The Tenth Imam: Abul-Hasan al-Thalith, ALI al-Naqi al-Hadi, son of Muhammad, was born on the 5th of Rajab 212/827 in Medina; martyred of poison in Samirra (Iraq) on 3rd of Rajab 254/868 by the order of Mutawakkil.
The Eleventh Imam: Abu Muhammad, AL-HASAN al-Askari, son of Ali, was born on the 8th of Rabi al-Thani 232/846 in Medina; martyred of poison by Mu'tamid in Samirra (Iraq) on the 8th of Rabi'ul-Awwal 260/874.
The Twelfth Imam: Abul-Qasim, MUHAMMAD al-Mahdi, son of al-Hasan, was born on the 15th of Sha'ban 255/869 in Samirra (Iraq). He is our present and alive Imam. He went into Lesser Occultation in 260/874 which continued until 329/844. Then the greater occultation began which still continues. He will reappear when Allah allows him to establish the kingdom of Allah on earth and to fill the world with justice and equality as it would be full of injustice and tyranny. He is al-Qa'im (the one who shall stand to establish the rule of Allah); al-Hujja (the proof of Allah over His creatures); Sahib al-Zaman (the master of our time); and Sahib al-Amr (the one who is supported by divine authority).
Abdul Muttalib
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Abdullah Abu Talib
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Muhammad (al-Mustafa) |
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Fatima (al-Zahra) Ali (al-Murtadha)
|______________________|
__________|___________
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al-Hasan (al-Mujtaba) al-Husain (Sayyid al-Shuhadaa)
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Ali (Zain al-Abidin)
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Muhammad (al-Baqir)
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Ja'far (al-Sadiq)
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Musa (al-Kadhim)
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Ali (al-Ridha)
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Muhammad (al-Taqi)
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Ali (al-Naqi)
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al-Hasan (al-Askari)
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Muhammad (al-Mahdi)



The Twelve Imams (Part II)


There is an interesting tradition in Sahih al-Bukhari as well as Sahih Muslim, in which the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said the following:
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 9.422

Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri:

The Prophet said, "You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a mastigure (lizard), you would follow them." We said, "O Allah's Apostle! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said, "Whom else?"
As the above tradition in Sahih al-Bukhari confirms, the Prophet stated that the history of the Children of Israel will be repeated for Muslims. In fact, Quran has mentioned the stories of the Children of Israel to give us a way to understand the true history of Islam itself. There are many striking similarities in this regard written in Quran including the similarities of the leaders and the similarities of the people. I just mention few of them here. Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, said:
"Surely Allah aforetime took a covenant from the Children of Israel and We appointed twelve leaders among them" (Quran 5:12)


Who are those twelve leaders among the Children of Muhammad (PBUH&HF)?
Allah, Exalted, also said:
"And when Moses prayed for water for his (thirsty) people; We said: 'Strike the rock with your staff.' Then from there surged forth twelve springs so that each group knew its own place to drink." (Quran 2:60).

Who are those twelve springs (streams) of knowledge who quench the thirst of Muslims to the end of the world so that each generation is utilized with one of them? He, Exalted He is, also said:
"We divided them into twelve nations. We directed Moses by revelation when his (thirsty) people asked him for water: 'Strike the rock with your staff;' out of it there gushed forth twelve springs so that each group knew its own place for water. We gave them the shade of clouds and sent down to them manna and quails (saying): 'Eat of the good things We have provided for you,' (but they rebelled.) To Us they did no harm but they harmed their own souls." (Quran 7:160).
Verily those who did not follow those twelve leaders, harmed non but themselves. The above verse suggests that the nation of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) in the span of history (after his demise till the day of judgment) are divided into 12 intervals of time which coincides with one Imam who is assigned as leader for them. In the next verse Allah said:
"And when it was said unto them: 'Dwell in this Town and eat therein as you wish, and say Repentance, and enter the Gate (of the city) in a posture of humility, in order that We forgive you your sins and increase (the portion of) those who do good.'" (Quran 7:161)
Or:
"And when We said: 'Enter this Town and eat of the plenty therein as you wish; but enter the Gate (of the City) with humility in posture and in words so that We forgive you your sins and increase (the portion of) those who do good.'" (Quran 2:58).
The Gate in the above verses has a striking similarity with one of the attributes of Imam Ali mentioned by our Prophet (PBUH&HF) that is: "The Gate of the City of Knowledge."
The Messenger of Allah said: "I am the City of Knowledge, and Ali is its Gate. So whoever intends to enter the City and the Wisdom, he should enter from its Gate."
Sunni references:
- Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, pp 201,637
- Al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v3, pp 126-127,226
- Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p635, Tradition #1081
and many more...
Furthermore the following Prophetic tradition gives the utmost similarity with the above two verses:
The Messenger of Allah said: "My Ahlul-Bait are like the Gate of Repentance of the Children of Israel; whoever entered therein was forgiven."
Sunni References:
- Majma' al-Zawa'id, by al-Haithami, v9, p168.
- al-Awsat, by al-Tabarani, Tradition #18
- Arba'in, by al-Nabahani, p216
- A fairly similar tradition reported by al-Darqunti and by Ibn Hajar al-Haithami in al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, Ch. 9, section 2, p193, in which the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Ali is the Gate of Repentance, whoever entered therein was a believer and whoever went out was an unbeliever."
Also Allah ÓÈÍÇäå æÊÚÇáì stated in Quran:
Lo! The number of the months with Allah is twelve which is Allah's ordinance when He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred. That is the firm religion. So wrong not your souls in them. (Quran 9:36)
In connection with the above verse of Quran, it would be nice to look at the following tradition in Sahih al-Bukhari:
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 5.688
Narrated Abu Bakra:
The Prophet said, "Time has taken its original shape which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is of twelve months, four of which are sacred... Surely, you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Do not become infidels after me, cutting the throats of one another. It is incumbent on those who are present to convey this message (of mine) to those who are absent. May be that some of those to whom it will be conveyed will understand it better than those who have actually heard it." He (i.e. Prophet) then added twice, "No doubt! Haven't I conveyed (Allah's Message) to you?"
Now one may ask that what was in the above message that could not be understood by the companions who were listening to the speech of the Prophet during his last pilgrimage in Mecca? (For timing see also Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 2.798). The Message of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) had twofold meaning. The obvious meaning is that the number of months are twelve and four months, namely Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hajja, Muharram, and Rajab are sacred months. In fact, these months were believed to be sacred even before Islam. So there was nothing in this message that the audience could not comprehend.
Moreover, the fact the above mentioned sacred months of the year were accepted by the Jews and Christians, makes it clear that these months can not be "the firm religion" as mentioned in the verse. So one should look for a more delicate meaning.
The other meaning (as interpreted by Ahlul-Bait) is that the Prophet in his last pilgrimage (less than three month before his demise) wanted to convey that he will be followed by twelve Imams and people should not wrong their souls by disobeying them in their leadership periods. Among these twelve Imams, four have a sacred name, i.e., "Ali", which is derived from the name of Allah. In fact, four Imams of Ahlul-Bait (peace be upon them all) have been named "Ali".
In the Sira of Ibn Hisham, there is an extra sentence of the Messenger of Allah which is, in fact, the verse of Quran. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:
"'Postponement of a sacred month is only an excess of disbelief whereby those who disbelieve are misled; they allow it one year and forbid it another year that they may make up the number of months which God has hallowed so that they permit what God has forbidden (Quran 9:37), and forbid what God has allowed. Time has completed its cycle and is as it was on the day that God created the heavens and the earth. The number of months with God is twelve. Four of them are sacred."
Sunni references:
- Sira, by Ibn Hisham at the end of Chapter of "Farewell Pilgrimage", p968
- The Life of Muhammad (English translation of Sira Ibn Hisham), Translated into English by A. Guillaume, 1955 Edition, London, p651
Postponement of the sacred month is delay in accepting their leadership and as the messenger of Allah said, those who disbelieve in their leadership will be misled. They permit what God has forbidden, and forbid what God has allowed. They try to make up the twelve Imams by that which Allah has not honored.
The fact that some sects departed from the main body of the Shi'a in the history was because they only accepted first few Imams and rejected the rest. It is interesting to know that he who acknowledged all four "Ali" among the Imams, he has acknowledged all the twelve Imams, since there did not remain any sect believing in these four Imams and rejecting others. In a tradition on the authority of Jabir , Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth Imam of Ahlul-Bait, interprets the above verse which is as follows:
Jabir said: I asked Imam Muhammad al-Baqir about the meaning of the verse: "Verily the number of the months … (9:36)." He breathed long (out of sorrow) and said: "O Jabir, The 'year' is my grandfather, the messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF), and his family are its 'months' who are the twelve Imams, and are … (naming the Imams one by one). They are the Proofs of Allah on His creation, and Trusties of His revelations and His knowledge. And Those of 'four sacred who are the firm religion' are those four who have the same name, and are Ali, the Commander of Faithful , and my father Ali Ibn al-Husain , and later Ali Ibn Musa , and Ali Ibn Muhammad . Thus acknowledging these four is 'the firm religion, so wrong not your souls in them' and believe in all of them to be guided."
Shi'i reference: Kitab al-Ghaiba, by Shaikh Tusi.
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Side Comments
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A Sunni brother mentioned that there is a tradition which states "The Caliphate will last 30 years after me then there will be kings." These 30 years covered the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali Ibn Abi Talib, as well as the 6 month rule of al-Hasan Ibn Ali. After these 30 years, the leadership went to Mu'awiya. As for the 5th Caliph through the 11th Allah knows best, and the 12th will be al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar.
The above alleged tradition seems to be very odd, because Caliph means successor/deputy. The successor of the Prophet (or the preceding Caliph) should come right after the demise of the Prophet (or the preceding Caliph) without any gap so that the word "successor" or "deputy" make any sense. Also as narrated in Sahih Muslim, The Prophet (PBUH&HF) suggested those twelve Caliphs cover till the day of resurrection. See Quran 13:7 in which Allah states that Prophet Muhammad is a warner, and for every community (generation) there exists a Guide (Imam). Who was the Guide after the fifth Caliph? Who is the Guide today? Who is the Ulul-Amr whose obedience is as much obligatory as the Prophet? Who is the one spared by Allah (Baqiyyatullah) about whom Allah said:
That who is spared by Allah (on the earth) is better for you if you are believers. (Quran 11:86)
The above verse is another proof for the fact that there exists one individual at each era whom Allah has spared on the earth to maintain the cause of faith and he is the Imam of that age. Thus the position of God-assigned leadership is never vacated so long as the earth carries even one human being. (Please see the article titled: "Necessity of the Existence of Imam al-Mahdi " for more detailed discussion of this subject).
Moreover, You still did not answer who the rest of those twelve Imams are? You claimed that Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, al-Hasan are the first five Caliphs, but you did not mention the rest. There is no doubt that the Caliph should be known to his followers, otherwise an imaginary Caliph can not be followed while the Prophet had asked us to closely follow them. If you don't know your leaders, how can you obey them? It is very important to know that the saying of whom should be followed (Which Caliph or Imam) since Allah unequivocally ordered us in Quran to follow them as Ulul-Amr, and moreover, the Prophet ordered us to follow them as one of the two weighty things. Obeying them is the only way of salvation as the Prophet testified (Please see the article titled: "Quran and Ahlul-Bait").
Now tell me my brother, what happened that after 30 years the kings were going to come? Do you agree that misconduct of some people like Mu'awiya caused such scandal for the Muslim nation? What went wrong? You claim that these people were the best generation. Then how could they allow themselves to convert the caliphate into a hereditary monarchy? It is quite probable that the very same kings fabricated the tradition of "Thirty Years" in order to dissuade people from the issue of twelve Imams and to justify their usurping the rule.
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Another Sunni brother commented that out of the twelve Shi'a Imams, only Imam Ali and his son Imam al-Hasan physically governed, and as such, how do the Shi'a assert that the Prophet was referring to these individuals when he mentioned the twelve Caliphs?
The answer is: Allah by His Grace, has assigned Prophets and their successors to warn us and to guide us to the Right Path. It is upon our decision whether we use our wisdom and accept their instructions or not. We are not compelled to follow a divinely appointed Imam, though we will be held responsible for that. It is our choice to go right or wrong.
Leadership has two parts. The first part is the leader. We believe that since Allah knows who is the best for such position, He assigns the leader for mankind, as indicated in Quran (see Quran 2:124, 21:73, 32:24, etc.). The appointment of Imam may be known through the declaration of the Prophet or the preceding Imam.
In order that the leadership manifests itself in rulership, there is a second part necessary, that is the followers. There should be some followers for that leader to lead them and eventually be able establish his government.
Allah has completed His bounty upon us by assigning leadership. It is upon us to do the other part, that is to follow the leadership of the Prophet and his Ahlul-Bait. If we do so, the leader will come automatically into power in this worldly life. However, if we disobey them, the leader seemingly has no power in appearance and he will remain as the spiritual leader for his few loyal followers (Imam al-Muttaqin/ leader of god-fearing people).
Muslims can not deny that prophets (some of whom were Imams of their time as well) were assigned by God. Now, if we study their lives, some of which have been explained in Quran, we see that the majority of them were oppressed in their communities. Let us look at the life of Prophet John (Yahya). He was a prophet assigned by Allah, and people were supposed to obey him, but they did not support him. Instead, they slaughtered him and chopped his head off. Now, one may ask: Was not he an Imam? Did Allah fail to support his Prophet? The answer is that Allah has given people some free will to either accept or reject the leadership He assigns. In the case of Prophet John, people rejected him, and obviously they will go to Hell for their disobedience. The same goes for the Prophet Abraham who was also Imam. Quran states:
"And when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain commands and he fulfilled them. Then He said: Lo! I appoint you an Imam for mankind." (Quran 2:124).
People were supposed to follow such divinely appointed who was assigned by Allah, but they stood against him. They even went as much as throwing him into fire. Thus the above verse clearly shows that the Imam who is assigned by Allah may not physically govern in appearance.
Therefore leadership has two parts. Allah does His part out of His Grace. It is our choice if we fulfill the other part by adhering to such leader in order to attain the prosperity of this world and of the hereafter. In the case of our Imams, though they were the best qualified people for leadership and though they were assigned by Allah and His Prophet, the majority of people disobeyed them. This is not surprising since the history of mankind repeats itself.
As such, Imam Ali was Imam during the time of the first three rulers after the demise of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), and what these rulers could take from him was the rulership and not the position of Imamat. In other words, a divinely appointed Imam is the most the qualified individual to be the ruler, but concept of Imamat has much more than just rulership. Imam is the Guide for the God-fearing people, and possesses the full knowledge of Quran and the Sunna of the Prophet, and is the protected place of refuge for the disagreements in the matter of religion.
A remark, however, is that the case for Imam al-Mahdi would be different. He is the one who will ENFORCE his rule with the help of Allah when Allah let him appear. That is why he has been given the title of al-Qa'im (the one who shall stand).
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A Sunni brother replied that according to Quran Abraham said: And make me for the God fearing an Imam. Imam == you translate it as leader, but with political connotation; however, it is clear here that the meaning is leader in the sense of first. You make it seem as if he is seeking to campaign for the position of Namrud or govern Iraq, or something like that when the message of Abraham was to lay out the road for the people to know Allah and worship him which is the main thing prophets were sent for.
My response was: As to whether the Prophet Abraham was supposed to be merely a spiritual Imam for the believers or an Imam who rules on the earth, my argument was clear, and apparently this brother did not comprehend it. I mentioned that a divinely appointed Imam such as Abraham, is an Imam whether people follow him or not. If (say the majority of) people follow him, he will automatically come into power, and if they disobey him, he will still possess his spiritual leadership for his few faithful followers (the God fearing people).
Brother, do you claim that Allah ordered only Muttaqin (the God fearing people) to follow Abraham, and other people were not ordered to follow him?! Every body at that time was supposed to obey Abraham, and those who did not are doomed to Hell. Also the verse 2:124 of Quran clearly sates Allah assigned him Imam for "mankind", not a specific group.
Moreover, your above comment that the prophets did not have any political agenda is not correct. By the above statement you are unintentionally opposing Prophet Muhammad who campaigned against the unbelievers of the Arabian Peninsula like Abu Sufyan, and made the first Islamic government. It is true that all the prophets were sent to educate people and make them mindful of Allah. But this can not be FULLY achieved without any political power. Also I NEVER mentioned that governing the state is the first goal of a divinely appointed leader. Rather, I said that such leader is the most qualified person for such position. People should realize this fact and submit to his command, and if they do that he will be automatically on the head of community without a need for "agenda".
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A Sunni brother mentioned that even some individuals who disliked Shi'a very much such as Ibn Kathir in his book "al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya" has mentioned that al-Husain is considered to be one of the twelve Caliphs.
About this, I would like to comment that if these Sunnis really believe that Imam al-Husain was one of the Caliphs, then they have already acknowledged what the Shi'a say! That is, the position of deputy/successor of the Prophet is not identified with the one who gains the control of power, otherwise Imam al-Husain who did not physically govern, could not have been counted among the twelve Caliphs.
Also I agree that Ibn Kathir along with Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya hated the Shi'a, and most probably they learnt their hatred from their teacher Ibn Taimiyya. None of these personalities are admired by the Sunnis even though the Wahhabis have filled the libraries with the books of these individuals.
End of Part 2 of 2

[Fatimaa]

Its was great reading all the articles Jazakallah Bro & Sis.

May Allah(swt) curse the oppressors of Ahlulbayt (Ameen).
Wassalam.

[al-syedia]

awsome

[www.almujtaba.com]

Salam Alaikum

Great that you enjoyed it.