On the 21st of the month of Ramadan, in 40 AH (661 AD), the caliph, judge, warrior, ascetic, and sage ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib succumbed to his fatal wounds. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muḥammad, and he is considered the fourth Rashidun caliph by Sunni Muslims and the first Imam by Shia Muslims. While he was leading the dawn prayer in the Great Mosque of Kufa on the 19th of Ramadan, his assassin, Ibn Muljam, took a poisoned dagger to the side of his head, causing his beard to be dyed with his own blood. After two days on his deathbed, ʿAlī passed away in one of the holiest nights of the Muslim calendar.
According to reports, his son Ḥasan b. ʿAlī (d. 670 AD) led the funeral prayer and delivered a tantalizing eulogy. Ḥasan would become the fifth Sunni caliph and the second Shia Imam, but his rule was immediately contested by Muʿāwiya. After a brief struggle, Ḥasan abdicated his caliphal power to Muʿāwiya.
The eulogy, or at least a portion of it, survives through the ḥādīth tradition, and it has different recensions. In one group of recensions, Ḥasan makes a curious claim:
“Tonight, you have killed a man on a night in which the Quran came down, a night in which Jesus the son of Mary was taken up, and a night in which Joshua the son of Nun, the champion of Moses, was killed.”[1]
Significance
The murder of ʿAlī was a climax in the First Fitna. He was the eminent leader of the Muslims and the most senior member of the Prophet’s family. His tenure was fraught with civil unrest, with the Battle of Jamal, the Battle of Ṣiffīn, and the Battle of Nahrawān all occurring during his five-year rule. ʿAlī was assassinated by an apparent Kharijite, Ibn Muljam, who was subsequently executed.
The aforementioned phrase says that ʿAlī died on the day that the Quran was revealed. This would be what Muslims consider to be the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr), the holiest night in the Islamic calendar. Traditionally, Muslims do not know the exact date of the Night of Power, except that it falls sometime in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. There are reports that highlight the significance of certain nights, especially the odd nights, and especially the 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 27th.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Muslims traditionally keep vigil on these nights, praying and performing worshipful acts. Is it possible that Ḥasan flat-out identified the Night of Power, or was he speaking generally about these holy nights? The 21st happens to be one of the two dates that are most prominent in the Shia tradition, alongside the 23rd.
Secondly: comparisons between ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib and Jesus Christ are made throughout the ḥādīth corpus. Both were ascetics, both were simultaneously worshiped and despised, both have a bifurcating role on the Day of Judgment, both were given similar epithets, both were given the role of elucidating the spirit of the law, and both may have an eschatological role. [10] The phrase is also an early Islamic testimony to the idea that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven.
Thirdly: Joshua was the successor of Moses and the one who would take the Israelites into the holy land. In Shia literature, ʿAlī is often compared to Joshua, as both are seen as the successor of their respective prophet.
It is therefore safe to say that this phrase has a more Shia colouring to it, although it is not totally unsalvageable from a Sunni theological perspective. As we shall see below, not all versions of this euology contain this phrase, and so, it was likely either deliberately added or deliberately left out of various recensions.
Sources
The recensions which contain this phrase survive in the Tārīkh of al-Ṭabarī (d. 923 AD), al-Kāfī by al-Kulaynī (d. 941 AD), Maqātil al-Tālibīn by Abu Faraj al-Iṣfahānī (d. 967 AD), al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ by al-Ṭabarānī (d. 971 AD), al-Irshād by al-Mufīd (d. 1022 AD), and the Musnad of Abu Yaʿla (d. 1066 AD). I drew a tree of the oral chains of transmission from Ḥasan to these respective books:
There are also recensions of the eulogy that do not include the aforementioned phrase. They are: the Muṣannaf of Ibn Abī Shayba (d. 849 AD), the Musnad of Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (d. 855 AD), the Sunan of al-Nasā’ī (d. 915 AD), and the Mustadrak ʿala al-Saḥīḥayn of al-Ḥakim al-Nīsapūrī (d. 1014 AD). Here is the tree for those:
Transmission observations
Below are a number of brief observations that can be made by looking at both trees:
- Both trees have Sunni and Shia narrators. The first tree has Sunni and Shia books, while the second tree has only Sunni books. Both trees include descendants of the Prophet. The first tree includes books of ḥādīth and books of history (sīra), while the second tree only includes books of ḥādīth.
- The broken lines in the first tree are cases where there are potential gaps in the transmission.
- The primary narrator in Kulaynī’s report is Muḥammad al-Bāqir (d. 732 AD), the grandnephew of Ḥasan and the fifth Imam in Imāmī Shiism. In Imāmī Shia theology, his word is binding as is. Either way, it is likely that he heard the tradition from his father, ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn (d. 713 AD), the nephew of Ḥasan and the third Shia Imām, as seen in chain in the Musnad of Abu Yaʿla. ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn was only two years old when this eulogy took place, which again, is not a problem for the Imāmī Shia, but someone else may assume that he was either relying on his infant memory or he had heard the story from an older person in his family.
- It is unclear to me if al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb (b. ~746-767 AD) could narrate directly from Abu Ḥamza al-Thūmālī (d. ~767 AD). Sahl b. Zīyād is a known storyteller, but because this ḥādīth is so well corroborated, we know that he did not fabricate anything of it.
- Abu Yaʿla’s version is interesting because it is a Sunni narration that corroborates Kulaynī’s Shia report. It provides a source of transmission for Muḥammad al-Bāqir (his father, ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn), it includes his son Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 765 AD), and it supports Ṭabarī’s report.
- Ṭabarī’s report is the earliest extant evidence for the phrase in question.
- Ṭabarānī’s report comes from the prophetic companion Abu al-Ṭufayl (d. ~719 AD) and the Shia narrator Maʿrūf b. Kharrabūdh (d. ~758-777 AD), both of whom are respected by both the Sunni and Shia traditions.
- The Zaydi (?) Abu Faraj al-Iṣfahānī relies on a partial chain that consists mostly of Alid Hashemites.
- Al-Mufīd reports directly from Abu Mikhnaf (d. ~774 AD), which is a two-and-a-half century gap. It is likely that he was relying on a lost work of Abu Mikhnaf, as the report does not appear in his extant Maqtal al-Ḥusayn. Apparently, Abu Mikhnaf does not have a maqtal for ʿAlī, but he did have one for Ḥasan that is currently lost. I assume that al-Mufīd was relying on this supposed Maqtal al-Ḥasan. However, the main transmitter that Abu Mikhnaf is relying on is the Kufan scholar Abu Iṣḥāq al-Subayʿī (d. 744 AD). As we could see in the second tree, there are four chains going back to Abu Iṣḥāq that do not have the phrase in question. Therefore, al-Mufīd’s version is not corroborated and less likely to be exactly what Abu Mikhnaf heard.
- The version in Mustadrak ʿala al-Saḥīḥayn, found in the second tree, gives us some insight into Abu Faraj al-Iṣfahānī’s version, found in the first tree. First, the one in the Mustadrak provides the primary narrator: ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn. Second, most of the chain is identical. The phrase suddenly appears with Abu Faraj’s most immediate transmitters. However, Abu Faraj’s narration is also potentially older than the one in the Mustadrak, as Abu Faraj dies nearly half a century prior.
- The second tree provides two additional primary narrators that are not in the first tree: Hubayra b. Yarīm (d. ~686 AD) and ʿĀsim b. Ḍamra (d. ~694 AD). We learn that Abu Iṣḥāq al-Subayʿī likely heard the ḥādīth from these two elder narrators, as opposed to hearing it himself, having been a young child at the time.[11] The second tree has more connections in the middle ṭabaqa, with Abu Iṣḥāq being a nexus for it.
- A colleague of mine noted that the second group of recensions, without the aforementioned phrase, seems to be more prominent among actual ḥādīth scholars, while the first group is more prominent in books of history. Books of ḥādīth tend to be more critical than books of history. Finally, the second group was penned in the ninth century AD, while the first was seemingly penned in the tenth.
What do the calendars say?
The veracity of the phrase may be measured by consulting the calendars and seeing if these dates really do match up. If we use the normative Christian timing and calculate 40 days after the Passover of 33 AD, the ascension of Jesus would correspond to the 25th of the month of Ramadan.[12] Perhaps this is too close to be a coincidence. It is, however, a few nights off, which may be attributable to moon sightings or calendar discrepancies; or perhaps Ḥasan was indeed speaking generally. Either way, the author of this phrase could have made the same calculation.
As for the Jewish calendar date for the death of Joshua, it is the 26th of Nissan.[13] According to the Seder Olam, this happened in the Hebrew year 2516.[14] [15] Using the same conversion tool, I found that 26 Nissan 2516 is the 23rd of Jumada II. Therefore, the conversion does not exactly work out. The only reconciliation of these figures that I can think of is: Nissan is the first month of the Jewish calendar, and the month of Ramadan is the premier month of the Islamic calendar. The 25th and 26th are very close and may even be the same, as the Semitic calendar day starts at sunset. Still, this may be a stretch for some.
I have been told that Seder Olam often gets the years of major events wrong. We should also note that both the Jewish calendar and the Arabic calendar have gone through changes throughout history, which makes this process more difficult.
Conclusions
Ḥasan’s eulogy for his departed father is a rich case study in Islamic history and ḥādīth transmission, and it is packed with emotional and theological sentiments. It marked the end of an era and the beginning of Ḥasan’s short-lived leadership over the Muslim world. The preservation of this eulogy, with only a few traceable differences in wording, is a testament to the comprehensiveness of the Islamic tradition. It is also an example of a significant overlap between the Sunni and the Shia tradition over shared figures of reverence and shared transmission authorities.
Future research could analyze each individual chain of transmission. A study of the manuscript tradition of each book is welcome. Calendar differences also ought to be further investigated. Many more observations can be made, and similar studies on other aḥādīth are encouraged.
Recensions of the eulogy of Ḥasan for his departed father
محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، وعلى بن محمد، عن سهل بن زياد جميعا، عن ابن محبوب، عن أبي حمزة، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: لما قبض أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام قام الحسن بن علي عليه السلام في مسجد الكوفة فحمد الله وأثنى عليه وصلى على النبي صلى الله عليه وآله ثم قال: أيها الناس إنه قد قبض في هذ الليلة رجل ما سبقه الاولون ولا يدركه الآخرون، إنه كان لصاحب راية رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، عن يمينه جبرئيل وعن يساره ميكائيل، لا ينثني حتى يفتح الله له والله ما ترك بيضاء ولا حمراء إلا سبعمائة درهم فضلت عن عطائه، أراد أن يشتري بها خادما لاهله. والله لقد قبض في الليلة التي فيها قبض وصي موسى يوشع بن نون والليلة التي عرج فيها بعيسى ابن مريم، والليلة التي نزل فيها القرآن.
Muḥammad b. Yaḥya from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad and ʿAlī b. Muḥammad from Sahl b. Zīyād together from Ibn Maḥbūb from Abī Ḥamza from Abī Jaʿfar (peace be unto him).
He said: When the Commander of the Faithful (peace be unto him) passed away, al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī (peace be unto him) stood in the Mosque of Kufa. He praised and commended God, and he blessed the Prophet (may the blessings of God be upon him and his family).
Then, he said: O people! A man passed away tonight whom none of the former people have surpassed, and none of the latter people will match. Surely, he was the one who held the banner of the Messenger of God (may the blessings of God be upon him and his family). To his right was Gabriel and to his left was Michael. He would not yield until God gave him triumph. By God, he did not leave behind silver nor gold, except for an excess of seven hundred silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant for his family. By God, he passed away on the same night that the deputy of Moses Joshua the son of Nun passed away on, and the same night that Jesus the son of Mary ascended on, and the night that the Quran was sent down on.[16]
وروى أبو مخنف لوط بن يحيى قال: حدثني أشعث بن سوار، عن أبي إسحاق السبيعي وغيره قالوا: خطب الحسن بن علي عليهما السلام صبيحة الليلة التي قبض فيها أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فحمد الله وأثنى عليه، وصلى على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ثم قال: ” لقد قبض في هذه الليلة رجل لم يسبقه الأولون بعمل، ولا يدركه الآخرون بعمل، لقد كان يجاهد مع رسول الله فيقيه بنفسه، وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله يوجهه برايته فيكنفه جبرئيل عن يمينه وميكائيل عن يساره، فلا يرجع حتى يفتح الله على يديه. ولقد توفي عليه السلام في الليلة التي عرج فيها بعيسى بن مريم عليه السلام، وفيها قبض يوشع بن نون وصي موسى، وما خلف صفراء ولا بيضاء إلا سبعمائة درهم فضلت من عطائه، أراد أن يبتاع بها خادما لأهله ” ثم خنقته العبرة فبكى وبكى الناس معه.
Abu Mikhnaf Lūṭ b. Yaḥya reported. He said: Ashʿath b. Sawar narrated to me from Abī Iṣḥāq al-Subayʿī and other than him.
They said: Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī (peace be unto them both) delivered a sermon in the morning after the night that the Commander of the Faithful (peace be unto him) passed away in. He praised and commended God, and he blessed the Messenger of God (may the blessings of God be upon him and his family).
Then, he said: O people! A man passed away tonight whom none of the former people have surpassed in deeds, and none of the latter people will match in deeds. He would fight alongside the Messenger of God and protect him with his life. The Messenger of God (may the blessings of God be upon him and his family) would send him off with his banner, and Gabriel would flank him on his right, and Michael would flank him on his left. He would not return until God triumphed by his hand. He (peace be unto him) passed away on the same night that Jesus the son of Mary (peace be unto him) ascended on and Joshua the son of Nun, the deputy of Moses, passed away on. He did not leave behind gold nor silver, except for an excess of seven hundred silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant for his family.
Then, he was choked with tears. He wept, and he caused the people to weep with him.[17]
حدثني محمد بن محمد الباغندي، ومحمد بن حمدان الصيدلاني، قالا. حدثنا إسماعيل بن محمد العلوي، قال. حدثني عمي علي ابن جعفر بن محمد، عن الحسن بن زيد بن علي بن الحسين بن زيد بن الحسن عن أبيه، دخل حديث بعضهم في حديث بعض والمعنى قريب، قالوا. خطب الحسن بن علي بعد وفاة أمير المؤمنين علي عليه السلام، فقال. لقد قبض في هذه الليلة رجل لم يسبقه الأولون بعمل، ولا يدركه الآخرون بعمل، ولقد كان يجاهد مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فيقيه بنفسه، ولقد كان يوجهه برايته فيكتنفه جبرئيل عن يمينه، وميكائيل عن يساره، فلا يرجع حتى يفتح الله عليه، ولقد توفي في هذه الليلة التي عرج فيها بعيسى بن مريم ولقد توفي فيها يوشع بن نون وصي موسى، وما خلف صفراء ولا بيضاء إلا سبعمائة درهم بقيت من عطائه أراد أن يبتاع بها خادما لأهله ثم خنقته العبرة فبكى وبكى الناس معه.
Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Bāghandī and Muḥammad b. Ḥamdān al-Saydalānī narrated to me. They said: Ismāʿīl b. Muḥammad al-ʿAlawī narrated to us. He said: My uncle ʿAlī b. Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad narrated to me from al-Ḥasan b. Zayd b. ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Zayd b. al-Ḥasan from his father. The ḥādīth of one was mixed with the other, but the meaning is close.
They said: Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī delivered a sermon after the passing of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be unto him). He said: A man passed away tonight whom none of the former people have surpassed in deeds, and none of the latter people will match in deeds. He would fight alongside the Messenger of God (may the blessings of God be upon him and his family) and protect him with his life. He would send him off with his banner, and Gabriel would flank him on his right, and Michael would flank him on his left. He would not return until God gave him triumph. He (peace be unto him) passed away on the same night that Jesus the son of Mary (peace be unto him) ascended on and Joshua the son of Nun, the deputy of Moses, passed away on. He did not leave behind gold nor silver, except for an excess of seven hundred silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant for his family.
Then, he was choked with tears. He wept, and he caused the people to weep with him.[18]
حدثني ابن سنان القزاز، ثنا أبو عاصم، ثنا سكين بن عبد العزيز، أنا حفص بن خالد، حدثني أبي خالد بن جابر قال: سمعت الحسن لما قتل علي قام خطيبا فقال: لقد قتلتم الليلة رجلا في ليلة نزل فيها القرآن، ورفع فيها عيسى ابن مريم، وفيها قتل يوشع بن نون فتى موسى عليهما السلام، والله ما سبقه أحد كان قبله، ولا يدركه أحد يكون بعده، والله إن كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليبعثه في السرية، جبريل عن يمينه وميكائيل عن يساره، والله ما ترك صفراء ولا بيضاء إلا ثمانمائة أو سبعمائة أرصدها لخادم
Ibn Sīnān al-Qazzāz narrated to me from Abu ʿĀsim from Sukayn b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz from Ḥafṣ b. Khālid from Abī Khālid b. Jābir.
He said: I heard al-Ḥasan when ʿAlī was killed. He stood and delivered a sermon, saying: Tonight, you have killed a man on a night in which the Quran came down, a night in which Jesus the son of Mary was taken up, and a night in which Joshua the son of Nun, the champion of Moses (peace be unto them both) was killed. By God, none before him surpassed him and none after him will match him. By God, when the Messenger of God (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) would send him on a raid, he had Gabriel to his right and Michael to his left. By God, he did not leave behind gold nor silver, except for eight hundred or seven hundred, which he had set aside for a servant.[19]
أحمد بن زهير قال : نا أحمد بن يحيى الصوفي قال : نا إسماعيل بن أبان الوراق قال : نا سلام بن أبي عمرة ، عن معروف بن خربوذ ، عن أبي الطفيل قال : خطب الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب ، فحمد الله وأثنى عليه ، وذكر أمير المؤمنين عليا رضي الله عنه خاتم الأوصياء ، ووصي خاتم الأنبياء ، وأمين الصديقين والشهداء . ثم قال : ” يا أيها الناس ، لقد فارقكم رجل ما سبقه الأولون ولا يدركه الآخرون ، لقد كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعطيه الراية ، فيقاتل جبريل عن يمينه ، وميكائيل عن يساره ، فما يرجع حتى يفتح الله عليه ، ولقد قبضه الله في الليلة التي قبض فيها وصي موسى ، وعرج بروحه في الليلة التي عرج فيها بروح عيسى ابن مريم ، وفي الليلة التي أنزل الله عز وجل فيها الفرقان . والله ، ما ترك ذهبا ولا فضة ولا شيئا يصر له ، وما في بيت ماله إلا سبعمائة درهم وخمسين درهما فضلت من عطائه ، أراد أن يشتري بها خادما لأم كلثوم ” ، ثم قال : ” من عرفني فقد عرفني ، ومن لم يعرفني فأنا الحسن بن محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ثم تلا هذه الآية قول يوسف : واتبعت ملة آبائي إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب ، ثم أخذ في كتاب الله فقال : أنا ابن البشير ، وأنا ابن النذير ، وأنا ابن النبي ، وأنا ابن الداعي إلى الله بإذنه ، وأنا ابن السراج المنير ، وأنا ابن الذي أرسل رحمة للعالمين ، وأنا من أهل البيت الذين أذهب الله عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا ، وأنا من أهل البيت الذين افترض الله عز وجل مودتهم وولايتهم ، فقال فيما أنزل الله على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم : قل لا أسألكم عليه أجرا إلا المودة في القربى ” ”
Aḥmad b. Zuhayr said: Aḥmad b. Yaḥya al-Ṣūfī narrated to us. He said: Ismāʿīl b. Abān al-Warrāq narrated to us. He said: Salām b. Abī ʿAmira narrated to us from Maʿrūf b. Kharrabūdh from Abī al-Ṭufayl.
He said: Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib delivered a sermon. He praised God and commended Him, and he mentioned the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī (may God be pleased with him) – the Seal of Deputies, the Deputy of the Seal of Prophets, and the Most Truthful of the Saints and the Martyrs.
Then, he said: O people! A man passed away tonight whom none of the former people have surpassed, and none of the latter people will match. The Messenger of God (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) would give him the banner, and Gabriel would fight alongside his right and Michael alongside his left. He would not return until God gave him triumph. God has caused him to pass away on the same night that the deputy of Moses passed away, and He raised his spirit on the same night that He raised the spirit of Jesus the son of Mary, and on the same night that God sent down the Quran. By God, he neither left behind gold nor silver nor anything belonging to him. He has nothing in his treasury except seven hundred and fifty silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant for Umm Kulthūm.
Then, he said: Those who know me know me. For those who do not know me, I am al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad (may the blessings and peace of God be with him).
Then, he recited this verse, the saying of Joseph, “And I follow the way of my forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (12:38).
Then, he took the Book of God and said: I am the son of the Bringer of Glad Tidings. I am the son of the Warner. I am the son of the Prophet. I am the son of the Caller to God by His permission. I am the son of the Shining Light. I am the son of the one who was sent as a Mercy to the Worlds. I am from the People of the Household whom God cleansed uncleanliness from and purified with a thorough purification. I am from the People of the Household whom God has obligated their love and allegiance.
He said: God revealed to Muḥammad (may the blessings and peace of God be with him), “Say: I do not ask you for a reward from you for this except to love those near in kin.” (42:23)[20]
حدثنا شريك عن أبي إسحاق عن عاصم بن ضمرة قال : خطب الحسن بن علي حين قتل علي فقال : يا أهل الكوفة أو يا أهل العراق لقد كان بين أظهركم رجل قتل الليلة أو أصيب اليوم لم يسبقه الأولون بعلم ولا يدركه الآخرون : كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا بعثه في سرية كان جبريل عن يمينه وميكائيل عن يساره ، فلا يرجع حتى يفتح الله عليه .
Sharīk narrated to us from Abī Iṣḥāq from ʿĀsim b. Ḍamra.
He said: Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib delivered a sermon when ʿAlī was killed. He said: O people of Kufa – or – O people of Iraq! A man in your midst has been killed tonight – or injured today – whom none of the former people have surpassed in knowledge and none of the latter people will match. When the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be with him) sent him out on a raid, Gabriel would be on his right and Michael would be on his left. He would not return until God gave him triumph.[21]
حدثنا عبيد الله بن نمير عن إسماعيل بن أبي خالد عن أبي إسحاق عن هبيرة بن يريم قال : سمعت الحسن بن علي قام خطيبا فخطب الناس فقال : يا أيها الناس ، لقد فارقكم أمس رجل ما سبقه الأولون ولا يدركه الآخرون ، ولقد كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يبعثه المبعث فيعطيه الراية فما يرجع حتى يفتح الله عليه ،جبريل عن يمينه وميكائيل عن شماله ، ما ترك بيضاء ولا صفراء إلا سبعمائة درهم فضلت من عطائه ، أراد أن يشتري بها خادما
ʿUbaydullāh b. Numayr from Ismāʿīl b. Abī Khālid from Abī Iṣḥāq from Hubayra b. Barīm.
He said: I heard al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī delivering a sermon. He addressed the people, saying: O people! Last night, a man departed from you whom none of the former people surpassed and none of the latter people will match. When the Messenger of God (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) would send him out, he would give him the banner. He would not return until God gave him triumph, with Gabriel on his right and Michael on his left. He did not leave behind silver nor gold, except for an excess of seven hundred silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant.[22]
حدثنا وكيع، عن شريك، عن أبي إسحاق، عن هبيرة، خطبنا الحسن بن علي رضي الله عنه، فقال: ” لقد فارقكم رجل بالأمس لم يسبقه الأولون بعلم، ولا يدركه الآخرون، كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، يبعثه بالراية جبريل عن يمينه، وميكائيل عن شماله لا ينصرف حتى يفتح له ”
Wakīʿ narrated to us from Sharīk from Abī Iṣḥāq from Hubayra.
Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī (may God be pleased with him) addressed us, saying: Last night, a man departed from you whom none of the former people have surpassed in knowledge and none of the latter people will match. The Messenger of God (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) with send him out with the banner. Gabriel would be to his right and Michael would be to his left. He would not leave until he was triumphant.[23]
حدثنا أبو محمد الحسن بن محمد بن يحيى ابن أخي طاهر العقيقي الحسني، ثنا إسماعيل بن محمد بن إسحاق بن جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين، حدثني عمي علي بن جعفر بن محمد، حدثني الحسين بن زيد، عن عمر بن علي، عن أبيه علي بن الحسين قال: خطب الحسن بن علي الناس حين قتل علي فحمد الله وأثنى عليه، ثم قال: «لقد قبض في هذه الليلة رجل لا يسبقه الأولون بعمل ولا يدركه الآخرون، وقد كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعطيه رايته فيقاتل وجبريل عن يمينه وميكائيل عن يساره، فما يرجع حتى يفتح الله عليه، وما ترك على أهل الأرض صفراء ولا بيضاء إلا سبع مائة درهم فضلت من عطاياه أراد أن يبتاع بها خادما لأهله» ، ثم قال: ” أيها الناس من عرفني فقد عرفني ومن لم يعرفني فأنا الحسن بن علي، وأنا ابن النبي، وأنا ابن الوصي، وأنا ابن البشير، وأنا ابن النذير، وأنا ابن الداعي إلى الله بإذنه، وأنا ابن السراج المنير، وأنا من أهل البيت الذي كان جبريل ينزل إلينا ويصعد من عندنا، وأنا من أهل البيت الذي أذهب الله عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا، وأنا من أهل البيت الذي افترض الله مودتهم على كل مسلم فقال تبارك وتعالى لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم: {قل لا أسألكم عليه أجرا إلا المودة في القربى ومن يقترف حسنة نزد له فيها حسنا} [الشورى: 23] فاقتراف الحسنة مودتنا أهل البيت
Abu Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥya the nephew of Ṭāhir al-ʿAqīqī al-Ḥasanī narrated to us from Ismāʿīl b. Muḥammad b. Iṣḥāq b. Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn from his uncle ʿAlī b. Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad from al-Ḥusayn b. Zayd from ʿUmar b. ʿAlī from his father ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn.
He said: Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī delivered a sermon to the people when ʿAlī was killed. He praised God and commended Him, then said: A man passed away tonight whom none of the former people have surpassed in deeds, and none of the latter people will match. The Messenger of God (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) would give him the banner, and Gabriel would fight alongside his right and Michael alongside his left. He would not return until God gave him triumph. He did not leave any gold or silver behind for the people of Earth except for an excess of seven hundred silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant for his family.
Then, he said: Those who know me know me. For those who do not know me, I am al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, and I am the son of the Prophet. I am the son of the Deputy. I am the son of the Bringer of Glad Tidings. I am the son of the Warner. I am the son of the Caller to God by His permission. I am the son of the Shining Light. I am from the People of the Household whom Gabriel would descend upon and ascend from. I am from the People of the Household whom God cleansed uncleanliness from and purified with a thorough purification. I am from the People of the Household whom God has obligated their love upon every Muslim. He, glorified and exalted, said to His Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him), “Say: I do not ask you for a reward from you for this except to love those near in kin. He who earns a good deed, We shall increase it in goodness for them.” (42:23) Love for us, the People of the Household, is the good deed.[24]
أخبرنا إسحاق بن إبراهيم قال أخبرنا النضر بن شميل قال حدثنا يونس عن أبي إسحاق عن هبيرة بن يريم قال خرج إلينا الحسن بن علي وعليه عمامة سوداء فقال لقد كان فيكم بالأمس رجل ما سبقه الأولون ولا يدركه الآخرون وإن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لأعطين الراية غدا رجلا يحب الله ورسوله ويحبه الله ورسوله فقاتل جبريل عن يمينه وميكائيل عن يساره ثم لا ترد يعني رايته حتى يفتح الله عليه ما ترك دينارا ولا درهما إلا سبعمائة درهم أخذها من عطائه كان أراد أن يبتاع بها خادما لأهله ذكر قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في علي إن الله جل ثناؤه لا يخزيه أبدا
Iṣḥāq b. Ibrāhīm informed us. He said: al-Naḍr b. Shumayl informed us. He said: Yūnus narrated to us from Abī Iṣḥāq from Hubayra b. Barīm.
He said: Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī came out to us, and he was wearing a black turban. He said: Last night, a man was among you whom none of the former people surpassed and none of the latter people will match. The Messenger of God (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) had said: “Tomorrow, I will give the banner to a man who loves God and His Messenger and who God and His Messenger love.” Gabriel would fight alongside his right and Michael alongside his left. Then, he would not return – meaning, [return] his banner – until God gave him triumph. He did not leave behind gold nor silver, except for an excess of seven hundred silver coins that were gifted to him, with which he intended to purchase a servant for his family.
Then, he mentioned a saying of the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be with him) regarding ʿAlī that God the Majestic would never disgrace him.[25]
[1] G.R. Hawting, The History of al-Tabari, Volume XVII: The First Civil War, pp. 232.
[2] https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2017
[3] https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1385
[4] https://islamweb.com/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&ID=7350&bk_no=73&flag=1
[5] https://sunnah.com/urn/507030
[6] https://sunnah.com/muslim:1168
[7] https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1379
[8] https://sunnah.com/bulugh/5/56
[9] http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8/1125_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%AC-%D9%A4/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%AD%D8%A9_159
[10] Bilal Muhammad, “Glimpses of Christ in ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib”, The Berkeley Institute for Islamic Studies, https://bliis.org/essay/jesus-christ-ali/
[11] http://hadith.islam-db.com/narrators/4067/%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B6%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9
[12] https://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/calendar/?fbclid=IwAR0-fyOLciflUdXucxrv2WMdFw4tfZUfzfoByM9ln8_PWrYM04Xut0Wg5PE
[13] https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/day.asp?hdate=1/26&mode=j
[14] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/129625/jewish/Joshua.htm
[15] https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/J/joshua.html
[16] Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 1, Book 4, Chapter 113, https://www.thaqalayn.net/hadith/1/4/113/8
[17] Al-Mufid, Kitab al-Irshad, translated by I.K.A. Howard, pp. 255. https://www.shia-maktab.info/index.php/en/library/books/english?format=raw&task=download&fid=93
[18] Abu Faraj al-Isfahani, Maqatil al-Talibin, http://islamport.com/w/tkh/Web/351/13.htm
[19] G.R. Hawting, The History of al-Tabari, Volume XVII: The First Civil War, pp. 232.
[20] Tabarani, Mu`jam al-Awsat, http://www.dd-sunnah.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1735988&postcount=52
[21] Ibn Abi Shayba, Al-Musannaf, https://www.islamweb.net/amp/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&flag=1&ID=4724&bk_no=10
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&ID=1626&bk_no=6&flag=1
[24] Al-Hakim, Mustadrak `ala al-Sahihayn, https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&ID=2042&idfrom=4669&idto=4670&bk_no=74
[25] Nasa’i, Sunan al-Kubra, https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&idfrom=8657&idto=8657&bk_no=406&ID=3617
