It is documented in the historical sources that Mu’awiya was instrumental to the martyrdom of the beloved grandson of the Prophet; Imam Hasan (a.s). Besides, he was so pleased and relaxed upon receiving the news of his death. Even if Abu Sulaiman refuses to accept this evidence, one thing is for certain – Mu’awiya’s reaction upon hearing the death of Imam Hasan (as) proves his evil nature (1)
Allamah Zamakshari notes: “Upon receiving news of Imam Hasan’s death, Mu’awiya paid a prostration of thanks” (2).
In al Imama wa al Siyasa: “Upon receiving news of Imam Hasan’s death, Mu’awiya displayed such signs of pleasure that he made a prostration of thanks as did those with him”
Allamah Abu Hanifa Ahmed bin Dawud Dinori records in ‘Akhbar al Tawaal’: “Muawiyah (ra) got the news of Imam Hasan’s (ra) death, Muawiyah was informed about this by the Marwan the ruler of Madina”.
Thus, Mu’awiyah called on Ibn Abbas [ra] who was there in Syria during those days. When he came, Mu’awiyah expressed condolence as well as pleasure over the death of Imam Hasan. Therefore Ibn Abbas [ra] said: “Don’t be happy over the death of Hasan” (3).
Nuzul Al-Abrar: “Upon receiving news of Imam Hasan’s death, Mu’awiya recited Takbeer in a loud voice as did the people of Syria”.
Fakhra bint Qulaya asked “Why are you reciting Takbeer so loudly? Mu’awiya said: “Hasan has died”. Fakhra then said: “You are reciting a Takbeer of joy at the death of the son of Fatima?”. To which Mu’awiyah said: “Not on account of joy, rather comfort and ease has reached my heart”.
Mu’awiya’s denial that he was happy is a pure lie, you only have comfort in your heart when you are happy, and a closed heart is on account of sadness.
Allamah Kamaluddin Muhammad bin Musa Damiri (d. 808 H) in ‘Hayaat al Haywaan’ and Allamah Diyar Bakri al-Maliki in ‘Tareekh Khamees’ recorded this narration:
Ibn Abbas approached Mu’awiyah, and Mu’awiya said: ‘Do you know what happened to your household?’ Ibn Abbas said: ‘I am unaware of any thing, all I know is that you are happy, and I heard that you recited a loud Takbeer’. Mu’awiya said: ‘Hasan has died’ (4).
Allamah Ibn Abd Rabih in his esteemed book ‘Aqd al Fareed’ records the following incident:
ولما بلغ معاويةَ موتُ الحسن بن علي خر ساجداً لله ثم أرسل إلى ابن عباس وكان معه في الشام فعزاه وهو مُستبشر
“Upon receiving news of Imam Hasan’s death, Mu’awiya became happy made a prostration of thanks. He then sent a message to Ibn Abbas and summoned him. When Ibn Abbas came, although Muawiyah advanced his condolence for Imam Hasan but he was happy over the death”. Maqatil al Husayn: “Mu’awiya said: ‘News has reached me of the death of Hasan’, and he displayed signs of happiness”
We read in Tareekh Abul Fida:
ولما بلغ معاوية موت الحسن خر ساجداً.
“When Muawiyah came to know about the death of al-Hasan, he performed a prostration of thanks”.
Ibn Khalakan records:
ولما كتب مروان إلى معاوية بشكاته كتب إليه أن أقبل المطي إلى بخبر الحسن ولما بلغه موته سمع تكبيرا من الحضر فكبر أهل الشام لذلك التكبير فقالت فاختة زوجة معاوية أقر الله عينك يا أمير المؤمنين ما الذي كبرت له ؟ قال مات الحسن
When Marwan wrote a complaint to Muawyia, he mentioned that he has been informed that Hassan had passed away. When Muawiya heard the news, he did Takbir and the people of Khadra area performed Takbir too and so did the people Shaam. Thus Fathkita, Muwayia’s wife said: ‘O commander of believers, may Allah please you, for what you did Takbir?’ He replied: ‘Hassan has died’.
Is this type of love, Allah (swt) commands his faithful to bestow on the Ahl ul-Bayt expressing joy upon their deaths? Those that are happy at the tragedy that befalls the Ahl ul-Bayt (as), adhere to the Sunnah of Mu’awiya.
Mu’awiya’s not considering the death of Imam Hasan (as) as a calamity and the Sunni scholars’ acknowledgement that this demonstrated his hatred towards the family of Ali (a.s).
We read in Sunan Abu Daud: Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib: “Khalid said: Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib and a man of Banu Asad from the people of Qinnisrin went to Mu’awiyah ibn Abu-Sufyan.
Mu’awiyah said to al-Miqdam: Do you know that al-Hasan ibn Ali has died? Al-Miqdam recited the Qur’anic verse “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”
A man asked him: Do you think it a calamity? He replied: Why should I not consider it a calamity when it is a fact that the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) used to take him on his lap, saying: This belongs to me and Husayn belongs to Ali? The man of Banu Asad said: (He was) a live coal which Allah has extinguished.
Al-Miqdam said: Today I shall continue to make you angry and make you hear what you dislike. He then said: Mu’awiyah, if I speak the truth, declare me true, and if I tell a lie, declare me false (5).
Allamah Shams ul Haq Azeem Abadi in his famed commentary on Sunan Abu Dawood commonly known as ‘Awn-ul-Mabood’ revealed the following about “a man” mentioned in the cited tradition of Sunan Abu Dawood. Allamah Shams ul Haq records:
فقال له فلان، وفي بعض النسخ وقع رجل مكان فلان والمراد بفلان هو معاوية بن أبي سفيان رضي الله تعالى عنه والمؤلف لم يصرح باسمه وهذا دأبه في مثل ذلك وقد أخرج أحمد في مسنده من طريق حيوة بن شريح حدثنا بقية حدثنا بحير بن سعد عن خالد بن معدان قال وفد المقدام بن معد يكرب وفيه فقال له معاوية أيراها مصيبة الحديث
( أتعدها ) وفي بعض النسخ أتراها أي أنعد يا أيها المقدام حادثة موت الحسن رضي الله تعالى عنه مصيبة والعجب كل العجب من معاوية فإنه ما عرف قدر أهل البيت حتى قال ما قال فإن موت الحسن بن علي رضي الله عنه من أعظم المصائب وجزى الله المقدام ورضي عنه فإنه ما سكت عن تكلم الحق حتى أظهره وهكذا شأن المؤمن الكامل المخلص
“… And so-and-so said to him. In some texts, the word “Rajul”(a man) occurs in the place of “Fulan”(so-and-so), and what is intended by “Fulan”is Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. The author (i.e. Imam Abu Dawood) did not let it be known, as this was his practise. Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) has reported in his Musnad through Haiwah ibn Shareeh, Baqiyyah, Baheer ibn Sa’d, from Khalid ibn Ma’dan who said: “And Muawiyah asked him whether he thought it was a calamity…”(the rest of the above hadeeth). “…A-Ta’adaha…” (Do you consider this…?)
In some versions, it is “A-Taraaha”(Do you see this…?), that is to consider. This means: Do you regard, oh Miqdam, this event of the death of Al-Hasan as a calamity?’ Astonishment upon astonishment to Muawiya. Surely he never recognized the status of the Ahlul-Bayt, (Muawiya) saying what he said. For surely, the death of Al-Hasan ibn Ali (r.a) is the greatest of tragedies. May Allah reward Miqdam, and may He be pleased with him, for he did not stay silent from speaking the truth, until he proclaimed it. And this is the sign of a genuine and pious believer (6).
Late Salafi scholar, Maulana Waheed uz Zaman Khan HyderAbadi in his commentary of this Hadeeth said:
“Muawiya’s saying about the death of Imam Hasan (r.a) that it was not a calamity was based on biasness against Ali and his progeny. May Allah keep us along with Ahl ul-Bayt on the day of judgement, and may Allah raise us with them. Amin” (7).
Despite this, Nasibies are still blind when it comes to the behaviour of Mu’awiya. Paksitani Hanafi scholar, Allamah Khalil Ahmad Chisti in his book Maula aur Mu’awiya citing Tayseer al Bari Sharh Bukhari states that it was actually Mu’awiya who said “He (Imam Hasan) was a live coal which Allah has extinguished”.
Another Deobandi Hanafi scholar Malik Ghulam ‘Ali in his book “Khiafaat aur Mulukiyat par Aitrazaat ka Tajziya” [Analysis of criticism of the book Khilafat aur Mulukiyat] (8) cites Waheed uz Zaman’s text Tayseer al-Bari in his discussion of this episode that: “Ameer Mu’awiya’s heart was not pure with regards to the Ahl’ul bayt”.
Malik Ghulam Ali also in “Khiafaat aur Mulukiyat par Aitrazaat ka Tajziya”(9) quoting further comments from ‘Awn Maboodh Sharh Sunan Abu Daud’ said as follows:
“Maulana Sham al Haqq Haqqani stated, Mu’awiya failed to recognised the esteemed station that had been afforded to the Ahl’ul bayt, he said such a thing at a time when Imam Hasan had died, this was a major tragedy and Miqdam recited the couplets of truth at that tragic time, he did not remain silent, and this is the sign of a pious mumin.
The comments of the man from the Asad tribe were said so as to please Mu’awiya. He went close to Mu’awiya and said ‘(He was) a live coal which Allah has extinguished’.
Such strong and obnoxious language was said before Mu’awiya (as with Imam Hasan present he felt that some aspects of reign were in danger)”.
We agree with this assertion this was said by this Nasibi to please Mu’awiya. Notice how Mu’awiya at no point reprimands the individual for such a disgraceful comment.
If this is not proof within itself that Mu’awiya supported this view, notice the comment of: Al-Miqdam said: Today I shall continue to make you angry and make you hear what you dislike.
He then proceeds some faults that he noticed in Mu’awiya. The man from Asad’s failure to ask permission BEFORE he slandered Imam Hasan (a.s) in the prsesence of Mu’awiya is clear proof that he was fully aware that such a comment would not offend Mu’awiya.
In this day and age these supporters of Mu’awiya seek to incite hatred against the Shi’a for they disrespect the Sahaba.
We should point out to these Nasibis that their Imam Mu’awiya would disrespect the family of Rasulullah (s) and that insults about Imam Hasan (as) were said in his presence so as to please him.
Hanafi scholar Maulana Sultan Mahmood in his footnote of the Urdu translation of Sunan Abu Daud states (10): “Mu’awiya did not consider Imam Hasan’s martyrdom as a sad matter, this was on account of his animosity towards ‘Ali and his family” (11).
NOTES:
______________________
- We will evidence this from the following esteemed Sunni works:
- Akhbar al Tawaal, page 221, Dhikr Hasan.
- Aqd al Fareed, Volume 1 page 225 Dhikr Hasan.
- al-Imama wa al Siyasia, page 159 Dhikr Hasan.
- Tarikh Khamees, Volume 2 page 294.
- Hayat al Haywaan, Volume 1 page 84 Dhikr Hasan.
- Tadhkiratul Khawaas, page 123 Dhikr Hasan.
- Nuzlul Abrar by Allamah Badkashani al-Harithi, page 85 Dhikr Hasan.
- Muruj al Dhahab, Volume 3 page 8, Wafaat Hasan.
- Habeeb al Syaar, Volume 1 page 19 Dhikr Hasan.
- Maqatil Hasnayn, Volume 1 page 140.
- Tayseer al Bari fee Sharh Sahih Bukhari as per ‘Maula aur Mu’awiya’ page 332.
- Dhurat ul Ma’arif, Volume 4 page 756 Dhikr Yazeed.
- Rabi’ ul Abrar, Volume 4 pages 186 & 209.
- Tareekh Abul Fida.
- Wafayat al-A’ayan, by Ibn Khalakan, Vol 2 page 67.
- Rabi’ ul Abrar, Volume 4 pages 186 & 209.
- Akhbar al Tawaal (Urdu), published by Urdu board Lahore.
- See:
- Hayat al Haywaan, Volume 1 page 84 Dhikr Hasan.
- Tarikh Khamees, Volume 2 page 294.
- Sunan Abu Daud, Book 32, hadith Number 4119.
- Awn al Mabood Sharah Sunan Abu Dawood, Volume 11 page 127.
- Sunan Abu Dawood, Volume 3 page 273 Hadith 731 (Qur’an Mahal, Opp. Molvi Musafir Khana, Karachi).
- page 338.
- page 340.
- Volume 3 page 273.
- Sunan Abu Daud Voul. 3 page 273.
