Narrations of Hassan al Muthanna

Al Mizzi states:

روى عن أبيه الحسن بن علي و عن وعبد الله بن جعفر و عن زوجته وفاطمة بنت الحسين

He narrates from his father Hassan ibn ‘Ali, ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar, and from his wife Fatimah bint Hussain.[1]

Islam awarded woman their rights and status, in both the transmission of narrations and knowledge, such that a husband is not deterred to learn from his wife and narrate from her, as Hassan al Muthanna rahimahu Llah has done.

Al Nasa’i reports one Hadith from him in his al Sunan al Kubra which he relates from ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar concerning the Kalimat al Faraj (incantation for salvation). Abu Bakr ibn Hafs reports from Hassan ibn Hassan:

زوج عبد الله بن جعفر ابنته من الحجاج فقال لها إن نزل بك الموت أو أمر من أمور الدنيا فاستقبليه بأن تقولي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْحَلِيْمُ الْكَرِيْمُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْن قال فأتيت الحجاج فقلتها فقال لقد جئتني وأنا أريد قتلك فأنت اليوم أحب إلي من كذا وكذا

‘Abdullah ibn Jafar married his daughter to Hajjaj and he said to her, “If you ever face death or any other worldly difficulty then face it while reciting:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْحَلِيْمُ الْكَرِيْمُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْن

La Ilaha Illallahu al Halim al Karim Subhanallahi Rabbi al ‘Arsh al Azim al Hamdu lillahi Rabbi al ‘Alamin

As once I went to Hajjaj and recited this, he then said to me, “You came to me while I had the intention to kill you, but today you have become more beloved to be than such and such.”[2]

Al Dhahabi said about him:

وهو قليل الرواية و الفتيا مع صدقه و جلالته

He has very few narrations and fatwas[3] despite his truthfulness and lofty status.[4]

‘Abdur Razzaq al San’ani narrates from him in his al Musannaf[5] that he once saw a person standing at the house wherein is the grave of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, supplicating and sending blessing upon him. Hassan al Muthanna rahimahu Llah said to him:

لا تفعل فان رسول الله قال لا تتخذوا قبري عيدا و لا تجعلوا بيوتكم قبورا و صلوا علي حيث ما كنتم فان صلاتكم تبلغني

Do not do that as the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has said, “Do not make my grave a place of gathering and do not make your houses into graves. Invoke blessings upon me wherever you may be as your blessings reach me.”[6]

This reveals to us the nature in which he would compassionately call towards good and issue rulings substantiated from Shar’i proofs. These are two aspects we are in much need of today. It is obvious that the man was supplicating to Allah and invoking blessings upon the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam [which is not prohibited in the least]; however, Imam Hassan al Muthanna feared the man falling into sin by adopting the grave of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as a place of congregation; hence his admonishment. What then of those who supplicate to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam or seek assistance from others besides Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala? A Muslim should be wary not to divert the absolute sole right of Allah to be submitted to and to be called upon, to another, even if that person be the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Amongst his narrations reported by al Tabarani in al Mujam al Awsat is the narration of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu asking ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu for the hand of Umm Kulthum radiya Llahu ‘anha. ‘Ali replied, “She is still young.” ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu said, “I heard the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saying, ‘Every link and tie will be severed on the Day of Qiyamah except my links and ties.’[7] Thus I would love nothing more than to have a link with the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

Thus this narration is established through him, and it establishes the marital relations between the houses of ‘Ali and ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. It also informs us that ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu was cognisant of the virtue which the Ahlul Bayt possess.

NEXT⇒ A few sayings of Hassan al Muthanna

[1] Tahdhib al Kamal, # 1215.

[2] Al Nasa’i: Al Sunan al Kubra, chapter of Dhikr, 6/165, Dar al Kutub al ‘Ilmiyyah. There is a difference of opinion concerning the narrator Mis’ar ibn Kudam.

[3] Fatwa: Religious edicts. Plural: Fatawa.

[4] Siyar A’lam al Nubala’, 4/483.

[5] Al Musannaf, 3/577 # 6726. The narration is Mursal, it contains a person who he did not identify.

[6] Op. Cit.

[7] Al Tabarani, # 6609. Al Albani declared it Sahih in al Silsilah al Sahihah, # 2036.

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