Shi'ism and Its Types During the Early Centuries

Supplement 4

Al-Hasan and al-Husayn are two Imams, whether they are active rulers or not. [^100]

The said tradition is a clear evidence that there was a designation in favour of the Imamate of these two brothers. In this regard, there are also historical reports that corroborate the Shii viewpoint concerning the Imamate of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba ('a)

Nasr ibn Muzahim reports that during the time of Imam Ali himself Awar al-Shanni said addressing the Imam, May God increase you in guidance and felicity. You have seen with the light of God, and given preference to some men and set back other men. It is for you to command, and for us to obey You are an Imam, and if you die, after you the Imamate will lie with these two (i.e. al-Hasan and al-Husayn). Then he said to Imam Ali (a), "Listen to some verses that I have sung:

O Abu al-Hasan, you are the resplendent midday sun, And these two (sons of yours) are like moons in times of crisis.

You and these two, until the last breath, are like our hearing and sight.

You are men of a high station, Whose heights are beyond the aspirations of men.

People inform us concerning your merit, Yet, your merit today is so great as to lie beyond reporting." [^101]

Mundhir ibn Jarad is also reported as having said to the Imam in Siffin, If your die, these two, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, will be our imams after you. [^102]

Thus it becomes clear that since the day of Imam Ali ( a) his companions considered the Imamate as belonging to al-Hasan and al-Husayn after him. We know that after the martyrdom of Imam Hasan, the Shi'is of Kufah sent a message extending their support to Imam Husayn. Abd Allah ibn Abbas also summoned the people to pledge allegiance to Imam Hasan, declaring, "He is the son of your Apostle and the wasi of your Imam.

Pledge your allegiance to him." [^103] Imam Hasan, too, in a letter to Mu'awiyah wrote, "When my father was about to die, he entrusted this affair (amr) to me." [^104] Haytham ibn Adi has narrated from many of his teachers (mashayikh) that they said that Hasan ibn Ali was the wasi of his father. [^105] Abu al-Aswad Du'ah too, who was in Kufah at the time when allegiance was being sworn to Imam Hasan (a), said, "He has acquired the wisayah and Imamah from his father." [^106] The people are also reported as having said to the Imam, "You are the successor and wasi of your father and we shall obey you." [^107] In any case, on the whole it may be conceded that Imam Ali introduced his eldest son as someone whose succession was favoured by him. [^108] One Friday when the Imam was unwell, he ordered Imam Hasan to lead the prayers. [^109].

Aside from the fact that the Shiis of Kufah were drawn to Imam Hasan on the basis of their religious sentiments, one must take note of the peculiar Shi'i notions of Ahl al-Bayt and the station of Imamate at this stage. As reported by all the relevant sources, Imam Hasan stated in his first sermon:

Anyone who knows me, knows me. And if anyone does not know me, let him know that I am Hasan, son of the Messenger of Allah. I am the son of the bringer of good tidings and the warner. I am the son of him who invited the people to God with His command. I am the son of the shining lamp. I belong to a household from which God has kept of all uncleanliness and filth and He has purified them with a thorough purifiction-they are the ones loving whom has been made obligatory by God in His Book, where He says, "and anyone who does good We shall increase in his goodness"(42:23). Hence the good work' is loving us, the People of the Household. [^110]

Mas'udi reports part of one of the sermons of Imam Hasan in his history. In it the Imam is reported as declaring:

We are the felicitous party of God. We are the kindred of the Messenger of God (s). We are the people of the pure Household, the pure ones, and one of the two precious. thugs (thaqalayn) that the Messenger of God left behind amongst you, the other being the. Book of God, into which falsehood cannot enter . . . . So obey us, for obedience to us, as those in authority (uli al-amr),

is obligatory, for it is appended to the obedience to God and obedience to the Messenger of God, as the Book of God declares, "If you dispute concerning anything, then rifer it to Allah and His Messenger and those in authority amongst you (4:59). When there comes to them a matter, be it of security or fear, they broadcast it; if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task is to investigate would have known the matter. (4:83). [^111]

Hilal ibn Yasaf say, "I was present at the sermon of Imam Hasan ibn Ali when he said, "O people of Kufah, fear God regarding us. We are your leaders and your guests. We are a household concerning whom God has said, Verily, God wills to keep uncleanliness away from you O people of the house and to purify you with a thorough purification.' " [^112] It seems that it was after this sermon that Imam Hasan was wounded in an assassination attempt at Sabat.

Similar was the situation during the time of Imam Husayn ('a); that is, a part of the Shi'is were creedal Shi'is, while others consisted of those who preferred the Alids over other groups and were strongly opposed to those who followed the Utlunanid faction.

It may be said that those who embraced martyrdom with Imam Husayn ('a) at Karbala' were Shi'is who considered the Imamate to be the sole right of Imam 'Ali and his sons. The Imam himself, in several instances, summoned the. people to "restore the right to those who were most worthy of it" and to assist him, as the Umayyads had usurped the right that belonged to him. [^113] In one case, he declared, O people I am the son of the Messenger of Allah and we have a greater right to govern your affairs than those who claim that which is not their right. [^114]

In another place, lie declared:

I have a greater right (to the caliphate) than anyone else by virtue of my relationship with the Messenger of Allah. [^115] Besides the Imam himself, his companions expressed such a belief on various occasions. Muslim ibn Ziyad declared, "By God, Muawiyah is not a rightful caliph, but he has prevailed over the Messenger's successor with his cunning and usurped the caliphate." [^116] Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al Yazani, one of the companions of Imam Husayn at Karbala', declared:

I am son of Abd Allah, from the house of Yazan, My creed is the creed of Husayn and Hasan. [^117] Similarly, Hajjaj ibn Masraq said addressing imam Husayn:

Thereafter your magnanimous father, 'Ali, He it is whom we know to be the wasi. [^118] Hilal ibn Nafi Bajali declared in a verse:

I am a youth belonging to Ranu Tamim and a Bajali, My creed is the same as that of Husayn and Ali. [^119] Uthman ibn Abi ibn Abi Talib also delcared in these verses:

Indeed, I am Uthman, possessor of several honours:

My master is Ali, man of sublime feats, I am son of the Prophet's cousin, And brother of Husayn, the chosen one among the elect, The chief of the great ones and the humble, After the Messenger and his wasi and helper. [^120]

Nafi ibn Hilal would say, I am a Jamali and I am on the creed of 'Ali.

In response to him someone from the opposite camp called out:

I am on the creed of Uthman. [^121]