Martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad & Imam Hasan

Final Resting Place of Blessed and Holy Prophet in Medina 

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

Imamis all over the world today recalled the martyrdom of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad and Imam Hasan with cries of ‘Hai Rasul-e-Khuda, Hai Imam-e-Hasan’. (Alas! Messenger of the God, Alas! Imam Hasan).In Indian sub-continent, processions were taken out in various cities and ‘Nauhas’ were recited amidst heavy breast-beating. Women too didn’t lag behind in remembering the holy Prophet and his beloved grandson. They too hosted majalis and performed Matam in their homes. The extreme grief exhibited by them is not without reason.

Holy Prophet was indeed the finest embodiment of modesty and champion of the downtrodden. His house was simple and built of clay bricks, palm leaves and trunks. He ate mostly barley bread like poor people but socialized with his companions. Prophet talked and listened to them and even displayed sense of humor. He used to visit them when they fell ill and accepted invitation for meals gladly irrespective of whether the host was poor, slave or affluent. Holy Prophet was a perfect man in every sense. He was a paragon of virtue and Almighty blessed his personality with fine qualities such as modesty, truthfulness, kindness, patience, loyalty, honesty, courage, bravery, generosity, magnanimity and wisdom.

Through supreme examples of kindness and generosity, he formed a strong and coherent society and spread love and affection among the believers. He revealed most comprehensive set of laws for the entire human race - a constitution capable of catering to the needs of all generations till doomsday. He fell ill two months after his return to Madina after performing his farewell pilgrimage at Mecca. Although weak and down with fever, he made his way to Mosque to lead the prayers on Safar 28^th .He also delivered a brief speech and returning home. It proved his last public appearance as the inauspicious day later marked the end of Prophet Hood. Imamis has believed since then that Hazrat Muhammad was martyred. They accuse two of his wives of having administered poison to him at the behest of his two influential companions. Imamis put forward their belief with the help of authenticated traditions and narratives.Non-Imamis however reject both poison theory and the date of his death. They too endorse their contention with certain traditions. 

But both the sects unanimously that Prophet was second to none in Allah's creation, beginning from Adam till eternity. He had the noblest manners, courage and bravery. He successfully accomplished his mission against the heaviest odds, endured pain and injuries, won the stone-hearted infidels of ignorant Arabia and showed mercy on them as well. Furthermore, he was also  a family man. He was a loving husband, an affectionate father and a doting grandfather. Prophet loved his daughter Bibi Fatima and his grandsons Imam Hasan and Hussain dearly. He also had great affection for his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Ali who performed his last rites. Presence of not even a dozen persons at the funeral of the Prophet of Islam gives weight age to martyrdom theory and so far non-Imami scholars have been evasive to the question as to where were  most of his companions when his holy body was being laid to rest.

While non-Imamis always try to keep Prophet’s departure from this world under the cover of mystery, there is no doubt about the martyrdom of his grandson Imam Hasan. He bore not only striking resemblance to his grandfather but attained martyrdom in somewhat similar circumstances on 28^th Safar. He was poisoned to death by one of his wives and denied burial beside the grave of Prophet. Despite his exalted status Imam Hasan was very generous and kind to people like his grandfather. One day some poor persons were sitting to the ground and eating bread. Upon seeing Imam, they invited him to join them. Imam dismounted his camel and began eating with them. Then, he invited them and gave them food and clothes.

Holy Grave of Imam Hasan at Baqi Cemetery-Medina 

After Imam Ali’s death, he became Caliph of the believers. He abdicated his caliphate after seven months and twenty days to avoid bloodshed. He made a Peace Treaty with Muwaiya who was bent upon causing bloodshed by challenging the authority of Imam Hasan as a Caliph. He came back to Medina where his house became as a sacred sanctuary for people to visit. His growing popularity caused much concern to the ruling Caliph who got him martyred to leave the mantle of saving Islam from falsehood on the shoulder of imam Hussain at Karbala. (The article has been posted to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Muhammad and Imam Hasan today i.e. 28th Safar as per Imami belief. References available on request.Photo Courtesy Google Images)