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Hasan al-Askari (; ) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is regarded as the eleventh of the Twelve Imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Hadi. Hasan Al-Askari was born in Medina in 844 and brought with his father to the garrison town of Samarra in 848, where the Abbasid caliphs held them under close surveillance until their deaths, even though neither were politically active. After the death of al-Hadi in 868, the majority of his following acknowledged his son, al-Askari, as their next Imam. Al-Askari's contact with the Shia population was restricted by the caliphs and instead, he communicated with his followers through a network of representatives. He died in Samarra in 873–874 at the age of about twenty-eight and was buried in the family home next to his father, which later developed into Al-Askari Shrine, a major center for Shia pilgrimage. Shia sources commonly hold the Abbasids responsible for the death of al-Askari and his father. A well-known early Shia commentary of the Quran is attributed to al-Askari.
Al-Askari died without leaving an obvious heir, which created widespread confusion and fragmented the Shia community into several sects, all of which disappeared within a few decades except the Twelver Shia. The Twelvers hold that al-Askari had a son, commonly known as Muhammad al-Mahdi (), who was kept hidden from the public out of the fear of Abbasid persecution. Al-Mahdi succeeded to the imamate after the death of his father and entered a state of occultation. His life is said to be miraculously prolonged until the day he manifests himself again by God's permission to fill the earth with justice. Though in occultation, the Imam still remains responsible in Twelver belief for the spiritual guidance of humankind and the Shia accounts of his occasional encounters with the pious are numerous and popular.
When Hasan was about twenty-two, an agent of his father is said to have providentially bought a Byzantine concubine, named Narjis (Narcissus), who was given to Hasan in marriage, and later bore him his only son. Other sources give her name variously as Sayqal, Sawsan, and Rayhana. The detailed accounts of Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi and Shaykh Tusi describe Narjis as a captured granddaughter of the Byzantine emperor and a pious woman who was told in a dream about her future union with Hasan, though these accounts have been described as hagiographic. Some other accounts describe Narjis as Nubians.
Less than a year into his imamate, Pakatchi writes, the caliph became suspicious of the Imam. Al-Askari's diligent efforts to maintain and reform the Shia financial system and collect funds, which began at the very beginning of his imamate, and his extensive correspondence with the Shias of various regions, and the influence he had even over some government officials such as Abu Ahmad Taheri, could have caused the caliph to worry.
In the second year of Askari's imamate and the last year of Mu'taz's caliphate, i.e. 255 AH, al-Askari was imprisoned by al-Mu'tazz in Baghdad, and he was kept in prison through the short reign of al-Muhtadi, the next caliph.
During the reign of Mu'taz and before his death, some plots to assassinate Askari apparently failed. Shortly after, Mu'taz died, and the short period of Muhtadi's caliphate was marked by conflict between the rulers. Although Muhtadi had Mu'tazilite leanings, this did not prevent the caliph from persecuting Askari, since Salih ibn Wasif, who was the most powerful emir in the court of the previous caliph, still had so much authority that the caliph could not oppose his decisions.
In the last period of the Caliphate of al-Muhtadi, the Caliph adopted a strict policy towards the Shias, intending to drive them away from the important centers of Iraq; the pressure on the Shia prisoners also increased, and it was at this time that a certain emir named Nasr ibn Ahmad al-Zubairi agreed to carry out the Caliph's intention to kill al-Askari, but this decision coincided with the collapse of al-Muhtadi government. Nasr ibn Ahmad al-Zubairi was forced to go to war, according to al-Tabari, in which he was killed on the first of Rajab 256 AH. This event was considered by al-Askari as a sign of God's power. Al-Muhtadi himself was deposed from the Caliphate on the 29th of Rajab following a widespread rebellion, and his death occurred shortly thereafter.
However, in 260, al-Mu'tamid, who had freed Askari at the beginning of his reign, ordered Askari and his brother Ja'far to be arrested and taken to prison. Although after a month the caliph was forced to release them, probably for the sake of state interests, but he did not allow him to return to his home in Samarra, instead sent him to "Dar al-Hasan ibn Sahl" to keep a close eye on him. Shortly afterwards, news of his death was circulated.
Al-Askari is said to have criticized the caliph for restricting the administration of Khums (), the Islamic alms distributed among the descendants of the prophet, who were forbidden from receiving general alms in the prophet's lifetime. In his lifetime, a main source of assistance for the poor in his clan, the Banu Hashim, was the income of agricultural lands in Fadak. Historically, Abu Bakr, the first Rashidun caliph, discontinued the prophet's policies and, in particular, reappropriated Fadak as public property, forcing Banu Hashim to rely on general alms, possibly to undermine their claims to the caliphate and cut their privileges as the prophet's kins. This policy was partially reversed by his successor, Umar, and then by the Umayyad Umar II, though later caliphs again appended Fadak to the state treasury.
Al-Askari was buried in the family home, next to his father, Ali al-Hadi. The house was later expanded to a major shrine by various Shia and Sunni patrons. More recently, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ordered to rebuild the complex in 1868–1869 and the golden dome was added in 1905. The shrine also houses the tomb of his aunt, Hakima Khatun. As an important destination for Shia pilgrimage, the shrine was bombed in February 2006 and badly damaged. Another attack was executed on 13 June 2007, which led to the destruction of the two minarets of the shrine. Authorities in Iraq hold al-Qaeda responsible for this attack.Graham Bowley (13 June 2007), "Minarets on Shia Shrine in Iraq Destroyed in Attack", The New York Times.
Al-Askari therefore communicated with his followers mostly through a network of representatives, notably Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi.
The representatives were responsible for administering Shia affairs and collecting religious funds, although agents such as Ibrahim ibn Hilal Abartai had deviated from the Imam's command, and for this reason, al-Askari had written a letter, disowning him, and cursing him.
The use of these representatives was a step towards establishing the tradition of the abwāb (gates), according to Pakatchi. Other than Uthman ibn Saeed, Aqid, a special servant of the Imam that raised him from childhood, was the bearer of many of his letters to the Shias. And a person with the nickname Gharib Abu al-Adian, who was also the Imam's servant, was responsible for sending some letters. A group that was the forerunner of the Alawites has introduced Ibn Nusayr as his Bab.
Upon entering the period of the Minor Occultation, Uthman ibn Saeed, played the role of the first representative, and special deputy of the tewlve Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi.
Immediately after the death of al-Askari, his main representative (), Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi, claimed to be the Bab () to the hidden al-Mahdi. This was likely not a radical change for the Shia. Indeed, the tenth and eleventh Imams were also effectively in occultation for the majority of the Shia, as both Imams were held nearly isolated and under close surveillance by the Abbasid caliphs in Samarra. Uthman received petitions and made available their responses, sometimes in writing. According to Daftary, these responses were in Uthman's handwriting, whereas Hussain holds that the handwriting and style did not change even after Uthman's death, suggesting that the responses were written by al-Mahdi. This consistency, according to Hussain, partially explains the consensus of his followers on when the Major Occultation began.
Uthman later introduced his son, Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman, as the next representative of al-Mahdi. In turn, he nominated Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti as the next representative. After about seventy years, this period of Minor Occultation () ended with the death of the fourth representative, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri, who is said to have received a letter from al-Mahdi in 329 (941). The letter predicted the death of Abu al-Hasan in six days and announced the beginning of the Major Occultation () which, the letter stated, would continue until God grants permission to al-Mahdi to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny. It has been noted that the number of these agents was not limited to four in early Shia sources, and Momen suggests that the former network of the representatives () likely continued to operate during the Lesser Occultation.
In addition to these, a well-known early Shia commentary of the Quran is attributed to al-Askari, which is believed to be authentic by some Shia authorities, notably, Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid.
Even if the attribution is not correct, Pakatchi believes that al-Askari's fame for interpretative discussions has provided the basis for this attribution. Meanwhile, some critics have doubted the attribution of the entire text to al-Askari, and have accepted the principle that some of the contents of the book may have come from the Imam.
Like the relationship between thinking and worship, in the words of al-Askari, any kind of fulfillment of the right to God is not achievable except through knowledge and understanding; for example, in a saying of al-Askari, it is stated that "no one recognizes a blessing except the one who is grateful, and no one is grateful for a blessing except the one who has knowledge". Recognizing all blessings is something that is considered among the characteristics of the Ahl al-Bayt in the words of al-Askari, and the Imam has also called the believers to knowledge and insight into divine blessings. With the condition of knowledge, according to al-Askari, there is no blessing, no matter how great, that the grateful person cannot express gratitude for.
Other than reason as a path to knowledge, one of the most important ways to knowledge is the verses of the Quran and the Prophetic hadiths, in the words of al-Askari. According to Pakatchi, many of the contents of al-Askari's words are a literal translation of Quranic contents.
In the Hadiths of al-Askari, attention has been paid to the reasons for some divine rulings, including the reason for the creation of man, the reason for naming Fatima, Zahra, the causal relationship between a child's disobedience to parents in childhood and disowned by parents in adulthood, the causal relationship between committing a sin and suffering poverty, and the causal relationship between lying and other sins. On this basis, when it came to jurisprudential issues, the evolutionary and not legislative reasons for the rulings were sought; such as that God made fasting obligatory so that the rich could taste hunger and show kindness to the needy, or that God made obligatory the prayers not because of need but as a mercy to His servants, to separate the impure from the pure, to test the breasts and purify the hearts, and to create competition in attaining divine mercy and competing to occupy higher positions in Paradise.
Regarding the function of fear and hope, al-askari has said: "I do not know what the meaning of a man's fear and hope is until these two do not prevent him from committing the lusts presented to him and do not give him patience to face the calamity that has befallen him".
Along with piety, other terms such as asceticism (Zuhd) and servitude (Ta'abbud) were also mentioned in al-Askari's words, brief definitions of each of them are given; for example, it is stated that the most pious of people is the one who abandons the forbidden; and the most devout person is the one who fulfills his obligations. In al-Askari's hadiths, Sufism is also discussed on occasions, and in a mild and at the same time critical tone, a "fake Sufi" is condemned.
In line with the definition that asceticism had in al-Askari's moral teachings, some sins, foremost of which is lying, are forbidden in his hadiths as the mother of corruption; Sins such as lying and betrayal both disrupt social relations and cause a person's moral decline. Regarding lying, it is stated in a quote from al-Askari that God has placed all evils in a house, and has placed the key to that house in lies. That is why al-Askari, in the general instructions he presents for moral reform, has combined piety in religion and truthfulness in speech. Another sin that al-Askari has strictly prohibited is betrayal of trust, and it is clear from al-Askari's teaching that it does not matter to what extent the giver of the trust is approved by the receiver in terms of religion or character, the principle is that the trust must be returned to the one who is entrusted (An-Nisa 4:58) and no betrayal of trust is acceptable. In his famous will addressed to the Shias, al-Askari instructed them to "fulfill the trust of anyone they have entrusted to them, whether they are good or evil". In the continuation of this will, he equated trustworthiness with piety and Honesty as principles governing the moral conduct of believers.
He also says: "There is no calamity except that God has a blessing in it that encompasses that calamity". And man has an active role in al-Askari's doctrine of Tawakkul. In a saying of al-Askari, it is stated: "No one who is dear abandons the truth except that he is humiliated, and no humiliation is committed to the truth except that he is made dear".
In various sayings of al-Askari, it is emphasized that no greedy person will achieve what is not destined for him; When what is destined is certain to happen, then why should there be humiliation and lamentation? in the same time al-Askari emphasizes that a person's guaranteed sustenance from God should not prevent him from fulfilling his obligations.
However, the culmination of discussions on moderation is seen in a famous hadith of the Imam in which he considered a set of morally commendable qualities in the context of moderation; a hadith that says: "Modesty has a limit, and if it exceeds it, it is weakness; generosity has a limit, and if it exceeds it, it is extravagance; caution has a limit, and if it exceeds it, it is cowardice; thrift has a limit, and if it exceeds it, it is stinginess; and courage has a limit, and if it exceeds it, it is recklessness."
In Askari's words, greeting anyone who passes by and sitting in a gathering without paying attention to the honor of one's position are examples of humility. Also, seeking superiority and leadership over others are considered factors that lead to destruction. Also in al-Askari's words, anger is the key to all evil; resentment deprives one of comfort, and the least comfortable people are those who harbor resentment; the worst person is the hypocrite and backbiter who envies another if he receives a blessing and despises him if a calamity befalls him. What breaks a person's back is a neighbor who, if he sees a good deed, hides it and if he sees a sin, exposes it; And he who does not fear people's honor is far from fearing God.
Likewise, patience is part of wisdom, and he whose patience does not allow him to swallow the drops of anger does not know peace of heart; the best of brothers is the one who forgets his brother's mistakes; and good behavior and good character towards people are among the signs of a true believer.
In the teachings of the Imam, seclusion and isolation are not recommended, and the Shias are even called to extensive interaction with those who oppose them in religion; in a speech, the Imam, while referring to the tradition left by the previous Imams, advises the Shias to pray with them, attend their funerals, visit their sick, and fulfill their rights. In another hadith, the Imam advised the Shias to be good neighbors and to take care of their neighbors' affairs – regardless of their religion.
One should not honor and favor a person with a means or behavior that causes him hardship; it is far from politeness for a person to express happiness in front of someone who is sad; the most deserving of love is the one who has been bored by others; silence is commendable in many situations, the heart of a fool is in his mouth and the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.
It is also from al-Askari who says: "It is enough for a person to discipline himself that he avoids whatever he dislikes in others."
Haider quotes a hadith, attributed to al-Askari, about the specific characteristics that distinguish a Shia from the wider mass of Muslims: "There are five signs of a believer – fifty-one cycles of prayer every, the pilgrimage to Husayn's tomb forty days after the anniversary of his death, the wearing of a ring on the right hand, the placing of the forehead on the earth in prostration, and the audible recitation of the () during."
In the context of intercession (), al-Askari is reported to have said that only a small fraction of God's mercy () has been dispersed among His creation in this world. All of God's mercy will be diffused on the Last Judgment by means of which true Muslims will successfully intercede on behalf of their communities.
Some of Askari's students had asked him questions on various religious issues, including beliefs and jurisprudence, and had compiled a collection of their questions and answers with the Imam in the form of a book, a copy of which does not exist today, but its information can be searched in early Imami indexes. Among these are the al-Masael and tawqiaat of Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Humairi (Najashi, 220), the al-Masael (lit. questions) of Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Zarari (ibid, 347), al-Masael of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Isa Qummi (ibid, 371), and al-Masael of Muhammad ibn Hassan Saffar Qummi (Tusi, al-Fihrist, 144).
Also Day and Night (یوم و لیله), a book by Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, which was a jurisprudential text regarding religious practices day and night, is said to have reached the opinion of Hasan al-Askari and was approved by him.
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