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IMAM HASAN ASKARI (A.S.)
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
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 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 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, 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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