Hazrat Imam Hassan:
• Elder son of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Bibi Fatima.
• Born on 1 Ramadan, 3 A.H. in Madina.
• Named “Hassan” by the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He shared in the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) for somewhat over seven years.
• Also known as Shabbar, Hebrew for “handsome”.
• Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali were Hazrat Hassan’s only teachers.
• Hazrat Imam Hassan learnt newly revealed verses by heart as Muhammad (PBUH) recited them to him.
• Hazrat Imam Hassan was 8 years old when Muhammad (PBUH) passed away. His mother also died a few months later. He was thus under the guidance of Hazrat Ali for the remaining years of his boyhood.
• During Hazrat Ali’s Caliphate, Imam Hassan took part in all battles.
• He also held charge of the Bait-ul-Maal.
• On Hazrat Ali’s death, Hazrat Imam Hassan ascended to the office of Caliphate, supported by 40,000 people.
• Besides being Imam, He also occupied the function of Caliph for about six months, during which time he administered the affairs of the Muslims.
• Hazrat Ameer Muawiya was found amassing his forces on the Iraq-Syria border.
• When Hazrat Imam Hassan attempted to rally his Iraqi troops for battle with Ameer Muawiya on the Iraq- Syria border, it became evident they had turned away from him.
• Deserted by most of his supporters, Hazrat Imam Hassan signed a peace treaty with Hazrat Ameer Muawiya to prevent bloodshed of the Muslims in two opposing camps.
• Thus, Hazrat Imam Hassan announced his abdication in the Masjid-e-Nabwi and retired in Madina.
• One of Hazrat Imam Hassan’s wives Joda bint Ash’as’s father had been an enemy of Hazrat Ali’s family. This man had supported Hazrat Ameer Muawiya in the Battle of Siffin and had taken part in the plot to assassinate Hazrat Ali. On the 3rd attempt Joda managed to poison him, and he died within hours.
• Hazrat Imam Hassan was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqih.
• During all the ten years of his Imamat, He lived in condition of extreme hardship and under persecution, with no security even in his own house.
• In human perfection, Hazrat Imam Hasan was a reminiscent of his father and a perfect example of his noble grandfather, The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to say about him and his younger brother Hazrat Imam Hussain:
“These two children of mine are Imams whether they stand up or side down.”
Hazrat Imam Hussain:
• Younger son of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Bibi Fatima.
• Born on 3 Sha’aban, 4 AH.
• Hazrat Bibi Fatima became ill after bearing Hazrat Imam Hussain; the baby was given to Umm-e-Fazal for nursing.
• Hazrat Imam Hussain most resembled the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
• On his deathbed, Hazrat Imam Hassan handed over the charge of Imamat to his brother.
• Hazrat Ameer Muawiyah’s son, Yazid, succeeded to his father in the office of Caliphate in 60 AD, at Damascus.
• Hazrat Imam Hussain did not swear allegiance to Yazid. He then left for Makkah, as he did not want Yazid to cause bloodshed in Madina.
• A deputation of the people of Kufa asked Hazrat Imam Hussain to come to the rescue of the faith.
• Hazrat Imam Hussain sent his cousin, Muslim, to Kufa to assess the situation. This event occurred toward the end of the month of Rajab and the beginning of Sha’ban of 60 A.H.
For nearly four months Hazrat Imam Hussain stayed in Makkah in refuge.
• In Kufa, thousands paid homage to Hazrat Imam Hussain. Only when Muslim had dispatched the letter asking Hazrat Imam Hussain to come over to Kufa, did he (Muslim bin Aqeel) see the treachery.
• As almost all the leaders of Kufa had been bribed, the Governor of Kufa (deputy of Yazid) made the people desert Muslim and ultimately kill him.
• On his way to Kufa, Hazrat Imam Hussain heard the news of Muslim’s assassination.
• At this stage, large numbers of his companions began to desert him.
• However, Hazrat Imam Hussain proceeded towards Kufa as before.
• Yazid’s army surrounded the Imam’s camp at Karbala, near the River Euphrates. Soon all water supplies to the camp of the Imam were cut.
• When the Imam decided to fight the enemy’s army and announced that the ultimate end was near, many people defected. Soon, he was left with only 72 faithful companions.
• By 10 Muharram, all of the Imam’s companions were slain. Giving the charge of Imamat to his sick son, Zain-ul-Abideen, he went back to the battlefield. He was wounded from head to feet. When he died, his head was cut off and taken to Yazid’s court.
• Thus, Hazrat Imam Hussain won an everlasting victory against the forces of evil.
• The male survivors of this tragedy were Hazrat Ali bin Hussain (Hazrat Zain-ul-Abideen, the fourth Imam), his four year old son Muhammad bin Ali who became the fifth Imam and Hasan Musanna, the son of the second Imam.