3. The Imamate of Hasan bin ‘Ali
Afterthedeathofhisfather,throughDivinecommandandaccordingto
the will of his father, Hasan became Imam.
At dawn on the night of ‘Ali’s death, Imam Hasan addressed the
peopleinwhichhesaid:“...Therehasdiedtonightamanwhowasthe
first among the early (Muslims) in good actions. Nor did any later
(Muslim)attainhislevelingoodactions.Heusedtofightalongsidethe
Apostle of God, may Allah bless himand his family, andprotect him
withhisownlife.TheApostleofGodusedtosendhimforwardwithhis
standardwhileGabrielsupportedhimonhisrightandMichaelsuppor-
ted him on his left. He would not return until God brought victory
through his hands...
“He has left behind him no gold and silver except seven hundred
dirhamsofhisstipend,withwhichhewasintendingtobuyaservantfor
hisfamily.”Thentearsovercamehimandheweptandthepeoplewept
with him. Then he continued:
“Iamthe(grand)sonoftheonewhobroughtthegoodnews.Iamthe
(grand)son of the warner. I am the (grand)son of the man who, with
God’spermission,summonedthepeopletoGod.Iamthe(grand)sonof
thelightwhichshoneouttotheworld.Iamof theHouse,fromwhom
God has kept away abomination and whom God has purified thor-
oughly. I am of the House for whom God had required love in his
Book... ” Then he sat down.
‘Abdullāhibnal-’Abbāsaroseinfrontofhimandsaid,“People,thisis
thesonofyour Prophet,thetestamentarytrustee (wasi)ofyourImam.
Sopledgeallegiancetohim.”Thepeopleansweredhimsaying:“Noone
ismorelovedbyusnorhasanyonemorerighttosuccession.”Thenthey
rushedforwardtopledgeallegiancetoImam Hasanasthesuccessorof
Amiru’l-mu’minin.Healsooccupiedthe outwardfunctionofcaliphate
foraboutsix months,duringwhichtimeheadministered theaffairsof
the Muslims.
During that time Mu‘āwiyah,a bitter enemy of ‘Alī and his family,
andhadfought foryearswith the ambitionofcapturing the caliphate,
firstonthepretextof avengingthedeathofthethirdcaliphandfinally