Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) The Eleventh Imam of the Household of the Prophet Mohammad (S)
He was born in Medina on the eighth of Rabi-ul-Thani, 232 A.H. (December 4, 846 C.E.). When he was born his father said that it was an order from the Prophet (S) that he should be named Hassan. It was well known that the father of the last Imam (AS) would be called Hassan. Childhood
Bahlool once saw the young Imam (AS) crying in the street where all the other children were busy playing with their toys. He asked whether the Imam (AS) was crying because he had no toys to play with. The Imam (AS) replied: "We have not been created to play!" Bahlool asked where he had learnt this, and the Imam (AS) said: "Have you not read the Qoran where it says: 'Do you think we have created you in vain and that you will not be returned to us.'"
When Bahlool heard this he asked Imam (AS) for some advice. The Imam (AS) talked about death, barzakh, and qiyama and cried so much he fainted. When he came to, Bahlool asked him why he was so fearful, as he was not even baligh yet. The Imam (AS) said: "I have watched my mother light a fire; she uses the little twigs to get the big pieces of wood to burn; I fear that on qiyama Allah too will use little ones to light the big ones." Title
The 10th and 11th Imams (AS) were both called Al-Askari because they lived in an area of Samarra called Askariy. Another reason that the 11th Imam (AS) was called Al-Askari is said to be that once Mutawakkil wanted to show the Imam (AS) the strength of his army of 90,000 men and so he asked his men to fill their sacks with sand and pile all the sacks up. He then showed the Imam (AS) this mountain of sacks. The Imam (AS) asked Mutawakkil to look through his (the Imam's
[AS]) two fingers, where he saw an army of armed angels. The Imam (AS) told him that they were at his disposal but he would not use them. (An army is called Al-Askari).
Other sources say he was called Al-Askari because he was placed under the caliph's observation at a point which was the center of the armed forces. Upbringing
He lived under the care of his respected father Imam Hadi (AS) and accompanied him to Samarra, where he passed his time with him either in imprisonment or in partial freedom. However, he had the chance to benefit from his father's teaching and instruction. Imamate
His father was martyred in 254 A.H. (868 C.E.), when he himself was twenty-two. Four months before his death, his father had declared his son to be his successor and executor of his will, asking his followers to bear witness to the fact. Thus the responsibilities of e were vested upon him, which he fulfilled even in the face of great difficulties and a hostile environment. In the early days of his e, Al-Mu'tassam Al-Abbasi was the caliph. When the latter was deposed, he was succeeded by Al-Muhtadi. After his brief reign of only eleven months and one week, Al-Mu'tamad came to the throne. During their regimes, Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) did not enjoy any peace at all. Although the Abbasid dynasty was involved in constant intrigues and disorders, each and every king thought it necessary to keep the Imam (AS) imprisoned. Imprisonment
The Imam (AS) spent most of his brief life inside dungeons. However, his piety charmed all the prisoners.
He was imprisoned because the Abbasid caliphs knew of the justice that was promised to come with the coming of the 12th Imam (AS) and wished to prevent the 11th Imam (AS) from having a son. They had learned that the 12th Imam (AS) would become the leader of the Islamic ummah (community), go into occultation, and then return to establish a single universal government.
He was in prison for several years and, in spite of all his difficulties, problems, and pains, he met the people with a smiling face.
Ahmed Bin Is'haq visited the Imam (AS) in prison and described the prison as a tunnel under the caliph's home where there was no space to stretch one's legs nor room to be able to stand. Ahmed said he cried when he saw the Imam's (AS) condition and that for food the Imam (AS) was only given one glass of water and a piece of dry bread each day. Although the most wicked and evil people were sent to the prison to torture him, they were so enchanted by the piety and prayers of the Imam (AS) that when the chief of the prison rebuked them, saying, "I have learned that you have been dealing fairly with the Imam (AS)." They said, "He is a man who is always busy offering secret prayers to his God and fasting in the daytime and busy in offering prayers at night. Whenever he looks at us, our bodies tremble. How is it that you wish us to harm and torture this man?" Appointment of Deputies
Under all circumstances, the Imams (AS) carried out their duty of guiding the people. Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) was subjected to numerous restrictions, so much so that those who sought to learn the teachings of the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) and their Shia point of view could not reach him. In order to solve this problem, the Imam (AS) appointed deputies learned in jurisprudence who consulted with him whenever they got the opportunity. Uthman ibn Saeid and his son Abu Ja'far Mohammad ibn Uthman were two prominent deputies of the Imam (AS) who later became representatives of the 12th Imam (AS). His Character and Virtue Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) was peerless in knowledge, forbearance, forgiveness, generosity, sacrifice, and piety. Whenever Al-Mu'tamad asked anybody about his captive, Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS), he was told that the Imam (AS) fasted during the day and worshipped during the night, and that his tongue uttered no word but remembrance of his Maker. Once when the Abbasid caliph asked Ahmed ibn Abdullah ibn Khaqan, his minister for charities (awqaf), about the descendents of Imam Ali (AS), he reported: "I do not know anybody among them who is more distinguished than Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS). None can surpass him in dignity, knowledge, piety, and abstinence, nor can anybody match him in the points of nobleness, majestic grandeur, modesty, and honesty." Birth of His Son, the 12th Imam (AS)
Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) was briefly released from prison, and his only son, Imam Mahdi (AS), was born then on Shaban 15, 255 A.H. (July 29, 869 C.E.) Nargis Khatoon was the mother of the 12th Imam (AS).
Imam Mahdi (AS) is the promised one who will upon his advent fill up the world with equity, justice, and fairness.
Imam Mahdi (AS) first went through a minor occultation and is currently in major occultation. Imam Mahdi (AS) will remain hidden until the appointed hour.
Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) was later arrested again. Imam's (AS) Great Wisdom
Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) had a brief span of life, only twenty-eight years, but even in this short period, which was furled by a chain of troubles and tribulations, several high-ranking scholars benefited from his ocean of knowledge. He also stemmed the flood of atheism and disbelief, which ensued from the philosophers of that age, winning conspicuous success over them.
One of those was Is'haq al-Kindi. He was writing a book on what he called "self-contradictions" in the Holy Qoran. When the news reached the Imam (AS), he waited for an opportunity to refute and rebut him. By chance, some of Is'haq's students came to him. The Imam (AS) asked them: "Is there anyone among you who can stop Is'haq from wasting his time in this useless effort fighting the Holy Qoran?" The students said: "Sir, we are his students, how can we object to his teaching?" The Imam (AS) urged that they could at least convey to their teacher what he had to tell them. They replied that they would be ready to cooperate as much as they could in that respect. The Imam (AS) then recited a few verses from the Holy Qoran which the philosopher thought were contradictory of one another. He then explained to them thus: "Your teacher thinks that some of the words in these verses have only one meaning. But according to the Arabic tongue, these words have other meanings too, which, when taken into consideration, indicate no contradiction in the overall meaning. Thus, your teacher is not justified in basing his objections and claim of contradictions on the premises of the 'wrong meaning' he himself selects for such verses." He then put up some examples of such words before them so clearly that the students conceived the whole discussion and the precedents of more than one meaning.
When these students visited Is'haq al-Kindi and after routine talk, reproduced the disputed points, he was surprised. He was a fair-minded scholar and he listened to his students' explanations. Then he said: "What you have argued is above your capacity; tell me truly who has taught you these points?" The students said that it was their own reflection, but when he insisted that they could never have conceived those points, they admitted that it was explained to them by Abu Muhammad Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS). The instructor said: "Yes, this level of knowledge is the heritage of that House and only that House." Then he asked the students to set fire to all such works of his. Method of Instruction of the Imam (AS)
Abul Hassan was one of the descendents of Imam Sadiq (AS) who lived in Qom but was a man of bad character. One day he happened to visit the house of Ahmed bin Is'haq Ashaari, who was the representative and delegate of the Imam (AS) for some work. He asked for permission to see him, which was refused due to his misdeeds. He returned to his home and appeared to be very sad, uncomfortable, and agonized due to the disrespect shown to him. In the same year, Ahmed bin Is'haq Ashaari went to Mecca and on his way back he visited the house of Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS). The Imam (AS) did not welcome or give him permission to meet him. After weeping and expressing grief, when he was permitted, he asked the Imam (AS) why he treated him this way. The Imam (AS) said, "I gave the same treatment which you gave to our cousin." Then the Imam (AS) said, "Although you are one of our Shias and helpers, this was a wrong thing that you did." He said, "Oh son of the Prophet (S), I did that because he was a sinner and I wanted to reprimand and stop him from doing bad deeds." He said, "This was not a correct thing to do. In Islam, they do not do such a thing with those gone astray; rather they are to be guided and led."
When Ahmed returned to Qom, all the notables and dignitaries came to see him. Abul Hassan, the descendent of Imam Sadiq (AS), was also among them. As soon as Ahmed saw him he got up from his seat and showed great respect to him and seated him in his own place. Abul Hassan was surprised at his conduct and asked him to tell him why he was behaving differently toward him. Ahmed explained everything to him. Abul Hassan was so ashamed of himself that when he returned from that congregation to his home, he decided that he would abandon his bad activities and acquire piety. Thus he became one of the pious and pure men. Imam's (AS) Letter to One of His Friends The Imam (AS) used to write letters to his friends and companions. One of the letters was written to Ali bin Babuya Qomi, who was a great Shia. Part of the letter reads:
After the praise, eulogy, and panegyric of God, I recommend to you, who is one of our friends, to be pious, forgive the faults of people, and subdue your anger, and look after your relatives and near ones, and fulfill the needs of the distressed ones, have a clear and exact insight and perception about your religion, get to know your Qoran, and be vigilant about your prayers and worship. Always practice according to my orders and make my Shias practice according to them. Martyrdom
The Imam's (AS) spiritual supremacy and his increasing popularity made him intolerable to the Abbasids. In the six years of his imamate several attempts were made on his life. On the 1st of Rabi al-Awwal, 260 A.H., Al-Mu'tamad arranged for the Imam (AS) to be poisoned in prison and then sent him home. The Imam (AS) was in great pain and difficulty for 8 days. On the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal 260 A.H. (January 1, 874 C.E.) he asked his son to bring him some water and then leave him. He died that day at the age of 28 and was given ghusl and kafan by his son, the 12th Imam (AS), who also offered the funeral prayer. Thereafter, the minor occultation began, followed by the major occultation.
Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) was buried in Samarra by his father's side. His mausoleum, in spite of hostile circumstances, has been a sacred shrine for his admirers ever since. Sayings of Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS)
1. Lead a simple life and avoid spending lavishly and with immoderation.
2. Humility will not be envied by others.
3. It is not polite to express your joyful feelings before a sad person.
4. Avoid disclosing others' secrets and restrain your ambitions. Committing these acts leads you to perdition.
5. One who sows seeds of goodness will reap gladness, and he who sows evil will reap remorse.
6. Generosity has a limit, which when crossed becomes extravagance; caution has a limit, which when crossed becomes cowardice; thriftiness has a limit, which when crossed becomes miserliness; courage has a limit, which when crossed becomes foolhardiness. Let this moral lesson suffice: refrain from doing anything which you would disapprove of if done by someone else.