By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

“O You, Whose light covers darkness; O You, by Whose holiness rugged mountain passes are lit; O You, to Whom all the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens submit’ O You, to Whom every insolent tyrant surrenders with obedience; O You the Aware of hidden consciences, You are Merciful to everything and Aware of everything, forgive those who repent and follow Your path, protect them from the torment of Fire, grant them soon Your victory that You have promised them and You do not fail the promise!...”
These phrases are part of a lengthy “Qonout” or the supplication that believers recite in the second “Rak’ah” of a ritual prayer after recitation of “Surah al-Hamd” and another “Surah” by raising their palms upwards towards heaven.
The choice of words of this supplication show the hallmark of Divine authority, for the one who expressed them was not an ordinary person.
It is clear that these are the words of the person who was free of any blemish and whose knowledge was God-given. Indeed, these phrases continue to be beams of light and guidance for us despite the passing of over a millennium.
Today, the 8th of the month of Rabi al-Akher happens to be the birthday of this illustrious person who was none other than the 11th Infallible Heir of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
He was Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) and was born in Medina in 232 AH (846 AD) to Imam Ali an-Naqi al-Hadi (AS).
As for his mother, she was a lady, who although born in a distant land amongst people that neither spoke flawless Arabic nor were white-skinned, was the noblest Daughter of Eve of her days. She was named “Saleel” by her virtuous parents in Africa. Circumstances had forced her to find refuge in Medina in the Household of the blessed Ahl al-Bayt, where the Prophet’s 9th Infallible Heir, Imam Muhammad at-Taqi al-Jawad (AS), on seeing the little girl remarked that “Saleel” means a person who is clean from all impurities. Then addressing her he gave her tidings of her bright future, saying:
“O’ Saleel! Soon you will be granted the Proof of God on earth who will make justice prevail all over the world after it was rife with tyranny and oppression.”
Saleel grew up amongst the members of the Immaculate Ahl al-Bayt, and soon, in addition to learning to speak flawless Arabic, she acquired both esoteric and exoteric knowledge, to the extent that she became known as Hadeesa. Known for her wisdom and impeccable virtue, she also acquired the epithet Sowsan, which means a radiant flower.
Divine Providence chose her to be the spouse of the Prophet’s 10th Infallible Heir, Imam Hadi (AS). Soon she gave birth to Imam Hasan Askari (AS), and through him, as foretold by Imam Jawad (AS), she was destined to become the grandmother of the Awaited Saviour of mankind, Imam Mahdi who will appear in the end times after a lengthy occultation, to rid Planet Earth of all vestiges of oppression and corruption by establishing the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice.
The 11th Imam grew up under the loving care of his father and elder brother, Muhammad, to whom he was deeply attached. Alas, Muhammad was to pass away in the prime of youth in Iraq, and was laid to rest in the town now known as Balad, between Samarra and Baghdad, where his sprawling shrine is situated.
Imam Hadi (AS) had other sons as well, such as Husain and Ja’far, but the most virtuous of them all was indeed Hasan (AS), who would become famous as Zaki or the Pious, and acquired the epithet of al-Askari, after being forced to move to the Iraqi city of Samarra that was Mu’askar or Military Camp of the Abbasid regime.
In 252 AH at the age of 22, the mantle of Divinely-decreed leadership came to rest on his young shoulders, when the 10th Imam was poisoned by the Abbasid caliph, Mu’taz, and achieved martyrdom.
There is another version of the reason he acquired the epithet al-Askari. It is said that when the arrogant Abbasid caliph tried to browbeat the 11th Imam by assembling an army and parading them in full military gear, the Prophet’s venerable descendent smiled and asked him to lift his head towards the skies. To the horror of the Abbasid caliph, an army of angels was arrayed, extending from the earth towards the skies, and the Imam told him that these were his forces.
The 6-year period of imamate of Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) saw the reigns of three of the Abbasid caliphs, Mu’taz, Muhtadi, and Mu’tamed. Although these were mere puppets of the Turkic slave guards that installed them as caliphs and then mercilessly beat, deposed and murdered them, these tyrannical Abbasid rulers had an inherent animosity towards the righteous successors of the Prophet. They were especially afraid of the prophesied birth of the 12th and Last Infallible Heir of the Prophet, who would rise as Qa’em al-Mahdi (AS) to removed tyranny and corruption from the earth and establish the global government of peace and justice. For this reason, the Abbasid usurpers left no stone unturned to torment the 11th Imam, imprisoning him or keeping him under house arrest.
Nonetheless, despite the adverse circumstances, Imam Askari (AS) spared no efforts in fulfilling his mission to enlighten minds and souls, through his lofty characteristics, through his expounding of the Ayahs of the holy Qur’an, through his scientific discourses, and through his prayers and supplications to God Almighty.
Bakhtshou, the famous Christian physician, who was a contemporary once said to his disciple Batriq about the Eleventh Imam: “He is the most knowledgeable of all those under the sky in our day.”
The 11th Imam’s guidance saved Yaqoub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, the Philosopher of the Arabs, form slipping into the bowels of hell when his fallible mind had raised doubts over certain Ayahs of the holy Qur’an. Through one of his disciples the Imam conveyed the message to al-Kindi and opened his supposedly philosophical mind to points that had eluded him. Al-Kindi asked his student who has told him such lofty points, and on being informed that it was Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS), the philosopher realized his mistake and was thus dissuaded from writing a blasphemous work on the holy Qur’an.
Al-Kindi, acknowledged the wisdom of the 11th Imam’s words that what had come to his philosophical mind was not necessarily correct since there are other vistas of knowledge well outside the scope of fallible brains. Thus, it is clear that without a Divine guide in society, even the most knowledgeable persons are at risk of falling into error, let alone those who masqueraded as caliphs and usurped the political rights of the Ahl al-Bayt through treachery, deceit, spurious committees, forced wills in their favour, and by resorting to the sword.
There is part of an exegesis of the holy Qur’an that is attributed to Imam Askari (AS). It is an explanation of Divine Ayahs to a group of youngsters that had visited him in Samarra from distant Khorasan. In addition, the 11th Imam’s knowledge of the Heavenly Scripture is also evident in the books that were written by his disciples. All these factors confirm his prime position as the Divinely-designated Leader of the ummah.
Here is part of a letter that the 11th Imam wrote to a person elucidating to him the finer points of faith, which remain food for thought till this day: “I recommend you to fear Allah, be pious in your religion, strive in the way of Allah, be truthful in speaking, give deposits back to their owners, whether he be good or evil, increase prostrations, and be good to neighbors. Through these (principles) Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) preached his mission. Associate with your kin, attend their funerals, visit their sick, and carry out their rights, for if anyone of you is pious in his religion, truthful in his speech, he gives deposit back to its owner, and treats people kindly, then it shall be said about him: This is indeed a Shi’a (or true believer)...
“We have a right in the Book of Allah, kinship to the Messenger of Allah, and purification from Allah that no one other than us could be the Imam. Mention Allah excessively and remember death! Recite the Qur’an and send peace and blessings on the Prophet, because the sending of blessings on the Prophet has ten good deeds.”