In the Name of Allah

Adapted from IRIB

NAME AND PARENTAGE

His name is al-Hasan, Abu Muhammad. Being a resident of 'Asgar a suburb of Samarra', he is titled al-Asgari. His father was Imam 'Ali An-Naqi (A.S.) and his mother was Salil Khatun, an ideal woman in piety, worship, chastity and generosity. He was born in Medina on the tenth of Rabi' al-Akhir, 232 A.H. (December 4, 846 AD).

UPBRINGING AND INSTRUCTION

He lived under the care of his respected father upto the age of 11. When his father had to leave for Samarra' he was to accompany him and thus share the hardships of the journey with the family. At Samarra', he passed his time with his father either in imprisonment or in partial freedom. He had, however, the chance to benefit from his father's teaching and instruction.

IMAMATE

His father died in 254. A.H. (868 AD) when he was twenty-two. Four months before his death, the father declared his son to be his successor and executor of his will, asking his followers to bear witness to the fact. Thus the responsibilities of Imamate were vested upon him which he fulfilled even in the face of great difficulties and hostile environment.

In the early days of his lmamate, Al-Mu'tassam Al-'Abbasi was the caliph. When the latter was deposed, he was succeeded by al-Muhtadi. After his brief reign of only eleven months and one week, al-Mu'tamad came to the throne. During their regimes, Imam Hasan al-Asgari (A.S.) did not enjoy peace at all. Although the Abbaside dynasty was involved in constant complications and disorders, each and every king thought it necessary to keep the Imam (A.S.) imprisoned.

One of the Holy Prophet's traditions ran that the Prophet (S.A.W) would be succeeded by twelve soccessors, the last of whom would be the Mahdi, Qa'im 'Al-Muhammad (A.S.). The 'Abbasides knew well that the true successors of the Prophet (S.A.W) were these very Imams. AI-Hasan (A.S.) being the eleventh, his son would surely be the 12th or the last. They, tried to put an end to his life in such a way, that it would ensure there would be nobody to succeed him. As the simple confinement inflicted on Imam 'Ali an-Naqi (A.S.) was considered inadequate for Imam Hasan al-'Asgari (A.S.), so he was imprisoned, away from his family. No doubt the revolutionary intervals between two regimes gave him brief periods of freedom. Yet as soon as the new king came to the throne, he followed his predecessor's policy and imprisoned the Imam again. The Imam's brief life therefore was mostly spent inside dungeon cells.

CHARACTER AND VIRTUES

Imam Hasan Al-'Asgari (A.S.) was one of that illustrious series of the immaculate infallible each member of whom displayed the moral excellence of human perfection. He was peerless in knowledge, forbearance, forgiveness, generosity, sacrifice and piety. Whenever Al-Mu'tamad asked anybody about his captive Imam Hasan al-'Asgari (A.S.), he was told that the Imam fasted during the day and worshipped during the night, and that his tongue uttered no word but remembrance of his creator. During the brief periods of freedom and stay at home, people approached him hoping to avail from his benevolence, and they went back well rewarded. Once when the 'Abbaside caliph asked Ahmed ibn 'Abd Allah ibn khaqan, his Minister for Charities (awqaf), about the descendants of Imam 'Ali (A.S.), he reported: "I do not know anybody among them who is more distinguished than Hasan al-'Asgari. None can surpass him in dignity, knowledge, piety and abstinence, nor can anybody match him in the point of nobleness majestic grandeur, modesty and honesty".

In the six years of his Imamate several attempts were made on his life. On the 1st of Rabi-ul Awwal 260 A.H. Mo'tamad, the Abbasid ruler arranged for Imam to be poisoned in prison.

The holy shrine of the 11th Imam, Hasan Askari (AS) was located in Samarra/Iraq.