Mu’awiya’s poisoning of Imam Hasan (as) 1

2021-06-22

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Abu Sulaiman rejects such narration’s excuses include the following: “At those days, people were in an affliction, and their desires leading their instincts, each sect attributing bad things to other sects. If a story was told about that, then we ought not to accept it unless just and trustworthy people narrated it”.

Many afflictions occurred during that time but the Ahlul Sunnah happily embrace narration about Abdullah bin Saba so why do they not happily accept this as a fact of history? Should we reject all narrations during that period? A number of the grand Sunni scholars have recorded this (1).

First of all, it should be made clear that there isn’t any doubt that Imam Hasan (as) was poisoned and that too by his wife Ja’da bint al-Ash’ath for which she was rewarded with handsome amount of money. Imam Hakim records in ‘Al-Mustadrak’:(2)

“Qutada bin Du’ama al-Sedusi said that the daughter of al-Ash’ath bin Qais poisoned al-Hassan bin Ali and she was his wife, she received huge amount of money for that.”

Neither Imam Hakim nor Imam Dhahabi advanced any sort of objection to this tradition endorsing the authenticity of the tradition. As for the person who was actually behind the murder of Imam Hassan (as), Imam of Ahlul Sunnah Tabarani in his book Mu’ajam al-Kabeer (3) has recorded a tradition from some of the most authentic narrators of Sunni sect:

عن أبي بكر بن حفص، أن سعدا والحسن بن علي رضي الله تعالى عنهما ماتا في زمن معاوية رضي الله تعالى عنه ، فيرون أنه سمه

“Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Hadarmi narrated from Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Numair from Yahyah bin Abi Bakir from Shu’ba from Abu Bakr ibn Hafs who narrated that Sa’ad and Hasan, son of Ali (may Allah be pleased with both of them) died during the reign of Muawiya, and it is believed that he (Muawiya) poisoned him (Hasan).”

All the narrators of the tradition are Thiqa (authentic), let us present the views of the two biggest Rijal scholars of Ahle Sunnah namely Ibn Hajar Asaqalani and Dahabi.

Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Hadrami:

Al-Dahabi decalred him ‘Thiqah Mutlaqan.(4)
Ibn Hajar stated that people have authenticated him.(5)

Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Numair:

Al-Dahabi said: ‘Thabt’.(6)
Ibn Hajar: ‘Thiqah’.(7)

Yahya bin Abi Bakir:

Al-Dahabi said: ‘Thiqah’.(8)
Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’.(9)

Shu’aba bin al-Hajaj:

Al-Dahabi said: ‘Thabt Huja’.(10)
Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’.(11)

Abi Bakr bin Hafs:

Al-Dahabi said: ‘al-Nisa’i authenticated him.(12)
Ibn Hajar said: ‘Thiqah’.(13)

In Sirrul Awliya by S.M. Mubarak Alawi Karmani (Urdu translation by Ijaz ul Haqq Quddoosi) it is stated: “Imam Hassan (ra)’s wife Ja’da bint Ash’ath Kindi some how managed to poisoned him on the orders of Mu’awiya”.(14)

In Tadkhirat au Khawwas,(15) we read: “Sho’ubi states that Mu’awiya sent a message to Jada bint al-Ash’ath bin al Qays that if you poison Hassan then I shall marry you to Yazeed and in addition to this I shall give 100,000 dirhams. When Hassan was martyred Judh sent a message to Mu’awiya asking that he fulfil his side of the deal. Mu’awiya sent the money but said “I reject that matter of Yazeed since I want him to remain alive, had this matter not occurred then I would have married you to Yazeed”.

Allamah Zamakshari in Rabi’ ul Abrar,(16) notes that: Mu’awiya reached an agreement with Jada bint al-Ash’ath bin al Qays, namely 100,000 dirhams if she poisons Imam Hassan. For two months Hassan bled profusely, and he would state ‘I have been poisoned on several occasion before but on this occasion the poison has attacked my heart’

We read in Fusl ul Muhimma: “Hassan came to Madina where he lived for about ten years. His wife Ja’da bint Ash’ath poisoned him, as Mu’awiya had promised Ja’da 100,000 Dirhams. After being poisoned, Hassan remained alive for forty days”.

Allamah Ibn Abdul Barr in his esteemed work al-Istiab records:

وقال قتادة وأبو بكر بن حفص سم الحسن بن علي سمته امرأته جعدة بنت الأشعث بن قيس الكندي‏.‏وقالت طائفة كان ذلك منها بتدسيس معاوية إليها وما بذل لها من ذلك وكان لها ضرائر والله أعلم‏

Qatada and Abu Bakr bin Hafs stated that Hassan was administered poison, via his wife Ja’da bint Ashath. One group have said that Mu’awiya have sent Ja’da the poison and upon administering this poison, Ja’da was rewarded”.

Anti-Shia scholar Maulana Abdur Rahman Jaami writes (17): “This is commonly known amogn the people that his wife Ja’da administered poison to him upon the orders of Ameer Mu’awiya.”

Tarikh Ibn Asakir:

كان معاوية قد تلطف لبعض خدمه أن يسقيه سما

“Mu’awiya created a mixture via his servants, which was administered to Hassan. Allamah Ismaeel bin Abul Fida in his famed work ‘Tarikh Abul Fida’ records:

وتوفي الحسن من سم سقته زوجته جعدة بنت الأشعث قيل فعلت ذلك بأمر معاوية

“Hassan was killed via poisoning, administered by his wife Ja’da bint Ashath upon the orders of Mu’awiya”

Muruj al Dhahab: His wife Ja’da bint Ashath gave him poison, Mu’awiya gave her this poison stating: ‘If you administer this poison and kill Hassan by mixing it in food, I will reward you with 100,000 Dirhams and marry you to Yazid’. When the Hassan was martyred, Mu’awiya gave her 100,000 Dirhams , but on marrying Yazid, he said: ‘I value the life of Yazid’.

Maqatil al Talibeen: “Muawiya administered poison to him (Hassan) when he wanted to appoint Yazeed, and poisoned Saad bin Abi Waqas and they both died in close days. The one who administered poison to al-Hassan was his wife J’ada bin al-Ash’ath bin Qais, for which she was rewarded with money, paid to her by Mu’awiya”

Continue in the next article: ( Mu’awiya’s poisoning of Imam Hassan (as) 2 )

NOTES:

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1. We will evidence this by relying on the following Sunni works: