Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), in an era of Abbasid oppression, took up the banner of guiding the ummah, and in order to enlighten society, lifted the veil so that the wilayah of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) might be recognized. Through traditions related from his noble father, Imam Musa al-Kazim (peace be upon him), concerning the event of Ghadir, he explained and defended the wilayah of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), presenting adherence to the path of the Ahl al-Bayt as the sole path to salvation for the Islamic ummah.
Circumstances of His Imamate
On the eighth of Rabi al-Awwal, 260 AH, Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), the eleventh Shia Imam, was martyred in Samarra at the age of twenty-eight and was buried beside his father, Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him). He was poisoned by order of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu’tamid, for the government feared their popularity among the people and the coming appearance of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his noble reappearance). During his Imamate, he sought, through relating hadiths, to establish the importance of the Imamate and wilayah of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), so as to make clear the exalted station of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) in guiding society through the period of Abbasid repression.
The False Pledge at Ghadir
In one tradition, Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him) recounted the events of the day of Ghadir and exposed the hidden schemes of those who, despite outward appearances, intended to seize the right of Imamate from its rightful holder.
Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), narrating from Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (peace be upon him), said:
“When, on the day of Ghadir, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) placed Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) in that well-known station, he addressed the people, saying: ‘O servants of God, state my lineage.’ They said: ‘You are Muhammad, son of Abd al-Muttalib, son of Hashim, son of Abd Manaf.’
Then the Messenger of God said:
‘O people, am I not more worthy of you than you are of yourselves — your master and more entitled to you than you are to yourselves?’ They all said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of God!’
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) turned his face toward the heavens and said three times: ‘O God, bear witness that this servant of Yours has said this, and that they too have said it.’
Then he said:
‘Be aware! Whoever’s master I am, and whoever I am more entitled to than he is to himself, this Ali is his master, and more entitled to him than he is to himself. O God, love whoever loves him, and be the enemy of whoever opposes him; aid whoever aids him, and humiliate whoever humiliates him.’
Afterwards, he said:
‘O Abu Bakr! Rise and pledge allegiance to him as Amir al-Muminin.’ He rose and did so. Then he said: ‘O Umar! Rise and pledge allegiance to him as Amir al-Muminin.’ He rose and pledged his allegiance. After that, he said the same to all of the remaining nine, and then to the leaders of the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and all of them pledged their allegiance.
At that point, Umar ibn al-Khattab rose from among the gathering and said: ‘Congratulations to you, O son of Abu Talib! Today you have become my master and the master of every believing man and woman.’
After that, the people dispersed, while firm and solemn pledges and covenants had been taken from them. But afterward, a group of the rebellious and obstinate among them made a pact with one another, saying: ‘If something should happen to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) — that is, if he should pass from this world — we will take the matter of the caliphate back from Ali and will never allow it to reach him.’
God Almighty was aware of their intention. Yet those same people would come before the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and say: ‘You have placed over us the creature most beloved to God, to yourself, and to us. He has freed us from the oppressors and unjust rulers who might otherwise have gained authority over our affairs.’
But God knew what was in their hearts — that, contrary to these words, they had secretly conspired together and remained resolved in their enmity toward Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), determined to take the caliphate back from its rightful holder.
God informed His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) of their intention, saying: ‘O Muhammad! Some among the people say: We have believed in God — the very God who commanded you to appoint Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) as Imam, ruler, and administrator of the affairs of your ummah — yet in truth they do not believe this; rather, they are scheming together to destroy you and to destroy Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), and have vowed among themselves that if something should happen to you, they will rise in defiance against Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).'” [1]
The Exposure of Their Wicked Intentions
By revealing the inner intentions of the opponents of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) on the day of Ghadir, and through the Seal of the Prophets’ rebuke of these deceivers, God affirms the legitimacy of the Imamate of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).
Imam Hasan al-Askari, narrating from Imam Musa al-Kazim (peace be upon him), said:
“News of their scheming, slander, and ill intentions against Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) reached the Messenger of God, and he summoned them and rebuked them.
But they sought to prove their faith, and one of them said: ‘O Messenger of God! By God, I have never placed such trust in any pledge as I have in this one, and I hope that because of it, God will open for me a gate to the palaces of Paradise and make me among its most exalted residents.’
A second said:
‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of God! Only after this pledge did I become certain of finding my way to Paradise and of being saved from Hellfire, and by God, no reward would please me more than holding fast to this pledge — even if the whole earth and sky were filled with fresh pearls and shining gems for me instead.’
A third said: ‘O Messenger of God! By God, after this pledge, joy replaced fear in my soul, and hope for God’s Paradise filled my heart, and I became certain that even if I bore the sins of everyone on earth, I would be cleansed of them all through this pledge.’ He then swore to the truth of his words and invoked a curse upon anyone who reported otherwise to the Messenger of God. Others, too, spoke in like manner after these three.
God, Mighty and Majestic, in verse 9 of Surat al-Baqarah, says: ‘They seek to deceive God and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves, and they perceive it not.’ Referring to the deceit and trickery characteristic of the hypocrites, He said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family): ‘They seek to deceive God’ — meaning that by swearing to what is contrary to their true beliefs, they intend to deceive the Messenger of God — ‘and those who believe’ — meaning also those over whom Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) is master and leader. Then He said: ‘But they deceive not except themselves’ — meaning their treachery harms none but themselves, for God, Blessed and Exalted, has no need of them or their support, and had it not been for the opportunity that the Truth, Exalted is He, granted them, they would never have had the power for such insolence and defiance. ‘And they perceive it not’ — such was the matter, and God made His Prophet aware of their duplicity, disbelief, and falsehood, and commanded that they be cursed among the ranks of the oppressors and covenant-breakers — a curse that shall never leave them in this world, that shall be uttered by the tongues of God’s chosen servants, and that in the Hereafter shall bring upon them the severest of God’s punishments.” [2]
The Command of Revelation Against Hypocrisy
After the hypocrisy of a group was exposed on the day of Ghadir, the Angel of Revelation descended by God’s command to affirm the successorship of the Seal of the Prophets as ruler of the universe. This event manifests divine power in the matter of wilayah, so that the outcome of hypocrisy and the greatness of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) might be made evident.
Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), narrating from Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (peace be upon him), has related:
“When that rebellious group came to the Messenger of God to offer their excuses, the Prophet, in his magnanimity, accepted what he saw of their outward conduct and left their inner state to God. Then Gabriel descended and said: ‘O Muhammad! God the Most High sends His peace upon you and says: Expel from your presence those wrongdoers who have come to you in connection with Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), seeking pardon for having broken their pledge with him and offering excuses for having laid the groundwork to oppose him, so that a wondrous matter may be made manifest to them, and so that they may know that God has so honored Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) that He has placed the earth and the heavens, the mountains and all His other creations, under his command, and has set him in the very station in which He has set you, and granted him the very rank He has granted you. Let them know that Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), the guardian appointed by God, has no need of them, and that they shall not be freed from the consequence of their conduct toward Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) unless God so wills.
God, in whose hand rests the order of all affairs, and for whom Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) is a diligent servant in this path; God, with whom lies the wisdom of all matters, and upon whose basis Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) is His agent and the one who fulfills His commands.'”
Clarifying the Station of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)
Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him) further related that the Messenger of God explained the relationship between felicity and wretchedness and the acceptance of the wilayah of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) in these terms:
“Then the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) addressed that group, who had come to him regarding Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) to apologize for their scheming against him, and commanded them to go out with him.
The Noble Prophet stood on the slope of a mountain in Medina and said to Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him): ‘O Ali! God Almighty has commanded these people to be your helpers and supporters, to gird themselves in your service, and to strive in obedience to you; so their benefit lies in following you, that they may dwell in the Paradise of God as eternal sovereigns in bliss and comfort, and their loss lies in disobeying you, that they may suffer eternal torment in the Hellfire of God.’
Then the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said to that group:
‘Know that if you obey Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), you shall attain felicity, and if you oppose him, you shall be wretched, and God will make him independent of you through that which you shall soon see.’ Then he said: ‘O Ali! By the right of Muhammad and his pure household, whose master you are after Muhammad, ask God to transform this mountain into whatever you wish.'”
The Universe at the Command of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)
At the Prophet’s request, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) issued the command, and by the power of God, all creation stood in humble submission before him.
“Then Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) gave the command, and the mountain turned entirely to silver. Then the mountains turned toward him and spoke, saying: ‘O Ali! O successor of the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds! God has prepared us for you; if you wish, spend us as you will in your cause, for whenever you summon us, we shall answer you, that through us you may accomplish your purpose and fulfill your will.’ Then they turned entirely to gold and repeated the words of the silver mountains. Then they turned to musk, amber, incense, jewels, and rubies, and said: ‘O Abu al-Hasan! O brother of the Messenger of God! We are at your command; summon us whenever you wish.’
Then the Messenger of God said:
‘O Ali! By the right of Muhammad and his pure household, whose master you are after Muhammad, ask God to transform its trees into men armed to the teeth, and its rocks into lions, leopards, and vipers.’
And Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) made this request of God, whereupon the mountains, plains, and every rise and hollow of the earth became filled with men armed to the teeth, such that ten thousand ordinary men could not stand against a single one of them, and the mountains and plains and those lands were filled with lions, leopards, and vipers, each of which called out:
‘O Ali! O successor of the Messenger of God! God has made us obedient to your command and has commanded us to answer you; whomever you place beneath our power, we shall destroy; summon us whenever you wish, and we shall answer you, and command us as you will, and we shall obey you.
O Ali! O successor of the Messenger of God! Your station before God is so exalted that were you to ask Him, He would turn the entire earth into the shape of a ram for you, or bring the sky down upon the earth, or raise the earth up toward the sky — without doubt, He would do so. Or were you to ask Him to turn the salt water of the seas into sweet water, or mercury, or mustard, or any kind of drink, or into oil, He would surely do so.
Do not grieve over the defiance of these disobedient ones and the insolence of these rebels; consider them as though wiped from the pages of time, as if they had never existed in it — or, when they stand in the arena of the Hereafter, as though they had always been there. O Ali! Know that the One who has granted them respite despite their disbelief and wickedness and their defiance of your command is the very One who granted respite to Pharaoh of the Stakes, and to Nimrod son of Canaan, and to other tyrants who claimed divinity, just as He granted respite to the most defiant of rebels, Satan, the origin of all misguidance. Neither you nor they were created to remain in this transient abode; rather, you have come into this world for a journey to the eternal abode, and you shall pass from one abode to another. Your Lord has no need for anyone to watch over them; rather, He wills that you be honored above them, and that your superiority among them be made manifest. Had your Lord willed, He would have guided them.'”
A Quranic Exegesis on Hypocrisy
Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him) went on to speak of how the opponents of the wilayah of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) grew ever more misguided, and of how they turned away even upon witnessing God’s signs and miracles.
Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him) then said: “Yet witnessing that scene cast a sickness upon their hearts, in addition to the sickness already within them from their envy and malice toward Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).
At that point, God Almighty, in verse 10 of Surat al-Baqarah, says: ‘In their hearts is a disease, so God has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie.’ Referring to the hypocrisy in the hearts of the covenant-breakers, He said to the Seal of the Prophets: ‘”In their hearts is a disease” — meaning in the hearts of those boastful, covenant-breaking rebels, on account of the pledge you took from them regarding Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him); “so God has increased their disease” — in that their hearts grew ever more bewildered because of the signs and miracles you showed them; “and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie” — in what they claimed: that they remained steadfast to their covenant and pledge.'” [3]
References:
1. Tafsir Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), p. 111, Hadith 58
2. Tafsir Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), p. 113, Hadith 59
3. Tafsir Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), p. 114, Hadith 60
