Imam Hassan al-Askari AS: Ibnu Ridha Abu Mohammad AS

Dr. Mohammdraza Dungersi in his majlis at Al-Husaini Madressa on the occasion of the shahadah of the Eleventh Imam AS narrated the testimony of an enemy of the Imam AS. This testimony came from the person who by his own admission hated the House of Banu Hashim to which The Prophet SAWW belonged. Yet, he could not but show his admiration for Imam Al-Askari AS who displayed traits that won the admiration and respect of this inveterate enemy of Banu Hashim. This reminds us of the Arabic saying :
”Walfadhlu ma shahidat bihil a’adaa” (Superiority of a person is what the enemy testifies to). Our Aimmah AS had deadly enemies, yet none of them could ever find a single blemish in the character or behavior, knowledge or disposition of any Imam AS because these Aimmah AS were the real heirs of The Prophet SAWW whom The Qur’an described as the best exemplar. Even Mu’awiyah who ordered cursing of Imam Ali ibni Abi Talib AS in sermons on Fridays and Eid days could not help but weep when someone described the qualities of Imam Ali AS in his presence. Willynilly, this inveterate enemy of Imam Ali AS would exclaim: “ By God! Such was Ali!”

The inimical Ahmad s/o Ubaidullah Khakan, whose father was the Prime Minister of Abbasid Caliph, was the tax-collector in the city of Qum. He proclaimed his animosity to Banu Hashim, but made an exception of Imam Al-Askari AS. When asked why so, he said that Imam Al-Askari AS possessed four traits that endeared him to his enemies. These traits were the Imam AS’ impeccable manners, gentleness, self-restraint and nobility of character. How did this enemy find out about the Imam AS’ noble qualities?

Ahmad relates an incident about his father with Imam Al-Askari AS. The inimical Prime Minister once heard his servant announce that Abu Muhammad (the patronymic of Imam Al-Askari AS) had come to see him in the court. The Prime Minister rose in reverence and seated the Imam AS on the musalla (prayer-mat) on which he would sit and bark out orders to kill the Shi’a of the Imam AS. After a while The Prince, the son of the Caliph, was announced, but the Prime Minister did not immediately leave the Imam AS to go and receive the prince; rather, after a few minutes, he went out instructing the courtiers to deal respectfully with the Imam AS and hide him from the view of the prince. When the latter had left, the Vizier went back to the Imam AS and talked to him respectfully. Ahmad asked his father why he had treated the Imam AS with so much reverence and gentleness. The Vizier replied that the Imam AS was the best person he had ever seen because of the eight traits he demonstrated. 1. The merits of the Imam AS were common knowledge. 2. General goodness. 3. Self-restraint- patience in adversity and calamities. 4. Modesty despite the knowledge he was endowed with. 5. Self-denial yet abundant generosity. 6. Devotion to Allah SWT 7. Epitome of high morality and8. Righteousness.

The son, of course, wanted to check out these qualities for himself and see if he could find any shortcomings in the Imam AS. So, he surveyed a cross-section of the people who had come into contact with the Imam AS in different situations. The Imam AS spent the major part of his life (26 out of 28 years) in and out of the Abbasid prison. So, he was known to jailers, judges, military commanders, secretaries, ulamaa and bazaris. None had a single negative word to say against the Imam AS. Ahmad tried to seek anyone from the Imam AS’ family to relate any blemish but to no avail. There was no shortcoming to find in this son opf The Prophet SAWW. Ajailer who had been assigned to torture and harass the Imam AS was so impressed by the Imam AS’ character and nobility that he refused to carry on the job of a jailer of the Imam AS. Once when the Imam AS had a platter of fruit in front of him, he offered the jailer a fruit. The jailer did not eat the fruit. When asked by the Imam AS the reason for not eating it, he said he would share that fruit with his family, whereupon the Imam AS gave him the whole platter. This is the way of Banu Hashim who would go hungry themselves but would not be able to see anyone else go hungry. The Prophet SAWW would endure hunger for three days in row in sympathy with the poorest of the people in his lifetime. The true heirs of The Prophet SAWW would do the same and Imam Ali AS, Imam Hassan AS, Imam Husein AS would personally deliver food to the needy, the sick, the widows, the orphans and the indigent.

This is the Imam AS who rescued The Religion of The Prophet SAWW from going under when a serious challenge was posed by a Christian priest or when The Qur’an was questioned by an atheist philosopher. The Caliph who wore the ill-fitting mantle of The Prophet SAWW was oblivious of the threat to Islam. When he realized that with the threat to Islam his own throne was at stake also, he summoned the Imam ASfrom jail and appealed to “The Son of The Prophet SAWW to rescue your grandfather’s religion”.

We have learned the five signs of a real believer from Imam Al-Askari AS and received the effective Du’a Tawassul from him. Among his wise sayings are:

uThe worst servants of Allah are those who are two-faced and two-tongued; they praise their present friends and backbite the absent; they envy them for obtaining graces and disappoint them when they suffer a misfortune.

uDo not dispute (with others) lest you lose splendor and do not joke (with everyone) lest you become disrespected.

u"Bismillahir Rahman ir-Rahim - in the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful-" is as near to the Great Name (of Allah) as the iris is to the white of the eye.

uTo greet everyone you pass by and to sit in a place other than that reserved for people of higher status are signs of modesty.

uOffering lots of prayers and fasting is not real worship; worship ispondering a lot over the affairs of Allah.

uThe heart of the foolish is in his mouth and the mouth of the wise is in his heart.