The Historical Circumstances Led to the Conciliation
The era of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) and his conciliation with Mu‘āwīya–the so-called peace treaty–was a fateful and unique event over the process of the Islamic movement in the early Islamic period. We have not seen a counterpart to this incident. Here, I give a brief explanation of this sentence and then I will address the main topic.
At first, the revolution of Islam–representing the Islamic thought and the trust entitled Islam which Allah the Exalted has sent to the world–was a movement and established in the framework of a striving movement and a huge revolutionary awakening. Once the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) declared this thought in Mecca, the enemies of monotheistic and Islamic thought united their ranks to stand against it and prevent it from advancing. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) resorted to organize this movement through mobilizing believing forces and led an extremely acumen, strong and progressive striving in Mecca which lasted thirteen years. This was the first era.
After thirteen years, this thought turned to a government and a political system–through the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) teachings, slogans, regulations as well as the sacrifice which had been made and all other factors–and change to the political system and the lifestyle of a nation, and that was when the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) emigrated to Medina, made it his base and established the Islamic government there. And so, Islam changed from a movement to a government. This was the second era.
This process lasted over ten years of the life of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and the period that followed the era of the four Caliphs, and then to the time of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) and his caliphate, which lasted nearly six months, during which Islam emerged in the form of a government. Everything had a social order, i.e. there was a government, a military, and political, cultural and judicial affairs and the regulation of economic relations of the people–certainly Islam had the susceptibility to expand. Had it proceeded, it would have pervaded the entire globe. In other words, Islam has proved such ability.
In the time of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.), the opposing movement grew to the extent that it appeared as one of the obstacles. Of course, this opposing movement did not–naturally–emerge in the era of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.), but it had been shaped during the years leading up to it. If one is willing to talk a little beyond the ideological aspects and just focus on historical evidences, perhaps he can claim that this movement did not appear to exist even in the Islamic period; rather, it was a continuation of what the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) experienced during his movement in Mecca, i.e. the first era. When the reigns of Caliphate at the time of Uthmān’s Caliphate (which belonged to the Umayyads) fell into the hands of this family, Abū Sufyān–who had become blind at that time–sitting among his people, asked, “Who are the attendees?” He heard so and so and so. When he reassured all of the attendees were of his people and there was no stranger among them, he addressed them, saying, “Snatch it as young boys grab a ball.”, That means they should pass the caliphate like a ball to one another and do not let it get away from them. This incident is reported in both Sunni and Shi‘ite chronicles. These are not ideological issues and we do not address them from an ideological point of view, nor am I in favor of discussing this matter from such a point of view except from a historical perspective.
Of course, at that time, Abū Sufyān was a Muslim, yet his conversion to Islam was after the conquest of Mecca, or when it was about to be conquered. He did not convert to Islam when it was weak and alienated; rather he reverted to Islam after it reached the peak of its power and strength. Truly, the opposing movement reached the peak of its power at the time of Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) and incarnated in form of Mu‘āwīya b. Abī Sufyān and stood against Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.). This very person [i.e. Mu‘āwīya] established the opposing movement, hampered the Islamic government–i.e. Islam in form of government, contrived problems and turned into a hindrance to the advancement of that movement of Islamic government.
We have stated repeatedly with respect to the conciliation of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) as it is also specified in the books that anyone (even the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.)) in the same position of Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) and in such circumstances would have done what Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) did. It would never be right to say that one aspect of what Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) did is questionable. No, what the Imam (P.B.U.H.) did was in conformity with a logical inference and inviolable.
Who was the most revolutionary among all the Messenger of Allah’s household (P.B.U.T.)? Who had surpassed all of them in leading a martyrdom–centered life? And who was the most zealous of them in maintaining religion and facing the enemy? He was Ḥusayn b. ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.). This honorable Imam (P.B.U.H.) participated in Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) conciliation. Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) was not the only one to conciliate with Mu‘āwīya; rather both Imam Ḥasan and Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.T.) did it. However, Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) preceded Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.). In other words, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was among the defenders and protectors of Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) conciliation. When one of the closed companions–of those ardent hotheads–in a private meeting started to complain to Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) about the conciliation, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) confronted him, “and Ḥusayn disparaged Ḥujr and he remained silent.”,
There is no one to say, “If Imam Ḥusayn was in Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) position, this conciliation would not have taken place.” No, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was along with Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) when this conciliation with Mu‘āwīya occurred. And undoubtedly, if Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) had not been there and Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was totally alone in such conditions, this would still have been done and the conciliation would have been taking place.
The Need for a Peace Treaty and Conciliation (The Most Glorious and Victorious Conciliation of the History)
The conciliation had its own factors. Certainly, it was inevitable and could not be avoided. On those days, the idea of the martyrdom was not feasible. In this regard, the late Sheikh Rāḍī Āl–i Yāsīn (May Allah bless his soul) in his book entitled “The Peace Treaty of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.)”–which I translated in 1969 C.E., and was printed–demonstrates that it was not expedient for the Imam (P.B.U.H.) to be martyred on such a time. Not every killing is considered martyrdom and only being killed under certain circumstances means martyrdom. Those circumstances did not exist in that time and if Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) was killed, he would not have been considered as a martyr. It was obvious on such circumstances if any one rose to make a pragmatic change and was killed, it would have been more likely he had committed suicide rather than being martyred.
We talked about different dimensions of the conciliation but the case is that after the conciliation of Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) [with Mu‘āwīya], the matters were handled so intelligently and acumen that Islam and the Islamic movement did not switch to what had been created in the name of the [Islamic] caliphate–but in the sense of monarchy. This was what Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) did. This honorable Imam (P.B.U.H.) did such a thing that the authentic Islamic movement–which was started from Mecca, consolidated as the Islamic government and lasted until the Caliphate of the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) and his own era–moved in another way–not in form of a government rather in the form of a new movement. This is the third era of Islam. Once again, Islam became a movement. The authentic Islam, the anti-oppressive Islam, the uncompromising Islam, the Islam which was away from alterations, distortions, passions and desires and refused to turn into a plaything and remained as a movement. This means that the Islamic revolutionary thought, which had reached the amount of power and governance, had once again turned into a revolutionary Islamic ideology in the era of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.). Of course, the situation of this era was more complicated than the time of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) because those who shouted slogans were seemingly religious but covertly evil. This is the problem faced by the Imams of Guidance (P.B.U.T.). I have concluded through the whole narrations and the general life of the Imams (P.B.U.T.) that these honorable personages (P.B.U.T.)–since the peace treaty of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) until the Imamate of the Imam of Time (P.B.U.H.)–were in the process of renewal of this movement and its establishment in form of an ‘Alawite Islamic government. There are narrations in this regard. Perhaps, some may not notice this issue and see this from another perspective, but I think the Imams (P.B.U.T.) sought to turn this movement into a government and an authentic Islamic movement; and bring the same Islamic trend, which was away from contaminating and mingling with desires and passions, to power. However, this was a difficult job.
The Golden Aim of the Conciliation
The most important thing that the Islamic nation needed during the second era of movement–i.e. the caliphates of the Sufyanids, Marwanids, and ‘Abbasids–was to know the assets and originality of the authentic and Qur’anic Islam, find and recognize them among various scattered speeches so as not to make mistakes. It is not in vain that religions have so much emphasized on prudence and forethought. There is no wonder that the Holy Qur’an urges the reflection, prudence and contemplation of human beings on the most important religious subject–which means monotheism. However, monotheism is not limited to our saying that there is one God and not two. This is only one side of monotheism. In fact, monotheism is a sprawling sea in which the friends of Allah are immersed. Monotheism is like a vast ravine yet in such a vast arena, believers, Muslims and monotheists are asked to walk with contemplation, prudence and reflection. In fact, both reason and contemplation have the potential to move the human beings forward. Of course, in multiple stages, reason is fed with Divine revelation, knowledge and the inspiration from the teachings of the friends of Allah. Nevertheless, what moves forward is reason and without it, there is no progression.
What the Islamic nation needed over the centuries–when a certain group ruled in the name of the caliphate, that is until the seventh century during the period of the ‘Abbasid caliphate; yet, after the collapse of the ‘Abbasid caliphate, there were still governments here and there ruling on behalf of the Islamic caliphate such as the Mamluks in Egypt, the Ottoman Empire and etc.–was to use reason to assimilate whether the view of Islam, the Qur’an and certain narrations about the guardians are consistent with the reality or not. This is very important. …During the caliphates of the Marwanids, Sufyanids and ‘Abbasids, the Islamic values became devoid of their real contents in the way that in a little time nothing remained of them but the name and the content turned into the content of ignorance and evil.
The government that sought to make people wise, devoted, believer, free, virtuous, humble before Allah and arrogant in face of the arrogant [which the best exemplar was the same Islamic management system in the era of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)] turned into a regime which by a variety of deceptions made people the slaves of the whims and caprices of world and left them smarmy, corrupted and empty-handed. Unfortunately, the situation was so over the era of the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid caliphates.
The historians and chroniclers had written down so many things [about Mu‘āwīya] that if we want to address them here, it will take a long time. This started at the time of Mu‘āwīya. They made Mu‘āwīya famous. In other terms, the historians and chroniclers wrote that he was a patient and tolerant man letting his opponents to say whatsoever they liked at his presence. Perhaps, this was true for a short time in the beginning of his caliphate. However, they had rarely described about his personality. Many of these historians and chroniclers did not indicate the way Mu‘āwīya induced the individuals, the heads, the personalities and the figures to disavow what they believed and had faith in and to confront the truth. Many did not write down such things. These are, of course, recorded in history, and certainly there were people who had written what we know at the present.
Those who were subject to these regimes were accustomed to not to say or do anything against the caliph’s desire. What a community! What a man! And where are those Islamic and Divine will in the people to reform and remove evils and to establish a Divine society? Would such a thing be possible?!
Al-Jāḥiz or Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī narrated that once Mu‘āwīya went on a pilgrimage to Mecca on horse. One of the figures of the day was at his side. Mu‘āwīya engaged in talking with him. A number of men were also following them. Mu‘āwīya was proudly extolling on pre-Islamic glories and conferring honor upon his father, Abū Sufyān. A group of children were playing in the road with stones. In the meantime, a stone hit the forehead of the man accompanying Mu‘āwīya and the blood copiously flowed down but he did not say a word and did not interrupt Mu‘āwīya’s discourse. He took patience while blood was dripping on his face and beard. While talking, Mu‘āwīya turned to the man and saw the blood covered his face. Thus, Mu‘āwīya said to him, “The blood is pouring from your forehead.” The man replied, “Blood?! The blood is pouring from my forehead?! Where and when (this happened)?” He pretended he was so fascinated with Mu‘āwīya’s sayings that he did not feel the stone hit his forehead and wounded it and did not find the blood flew down his forehead. Mu‘āwīya said, “You are a wonder, the stone hit your forehead and you did not feel it!” The man replied, “No, I did not feel it.” Then he touched his forehead and added, “How strange, it is bleeding!?” Then he swore to Mu‘āwīya and his sanctities: Until you have not told me, the sweetness of your words did not let me feel the flow of blood!” Mu‘āwīya asked him, “How much is your share of the Treasury House?” The man answered, for example, “Such and such amount.” Mu‘āwīya said, “They have wronged you greatly; it must be increased exponentially three-fold!” This culture was prevalent in Mu‘āwīya’s regime.
In that period, those who flattered the leaders and caliphs held the reigns of things. The affairs were not divided based on goodness and efficiency. Generally, the Arabs give deep interest in the origin and the lineage: From which family he was descended? Who were his forefathers? Truly, they were not even adhered to the origin and the lineage… At the time of ‘Abdul Mālik and some of his sons, someone named Yūsuf b. ‘Umar al-Thaqafī was installed as the ruler of Iraq for a long period. He was the governor and magistrate of Iraq for many years. He was such a jealous and unblessed person that many stories were narrated of. He was a small and short man. Whenever he gave a piece of cloth to a tailor to sew for him, he asked the tailor, “Does this piece of cloth fit me?” The tailor would look at the cloth and if, for example, he would say this piece of cloth was appropriate and maybe there would be more than what was needed for him, he would have taken back the cloth from the tailor and commanded to punish him! The tailors realized the case. For this reason, whenever he took the cloth to a tailor and asked him whether it fits him or not, he would respond, “No, it seems that it is not enough and we need a lot of effort in order to make it fit your [large] body.” Despite knowing the tailor was lying to him, he was pleased with what he said. He was such a fool! He is the man who killed Zayd b. ‘Alī in Kūfa. Such a person dominated over the lives, property and honor of the people for many years. He had neither a good origin or lineage nor knowledge or capability; rather only because he was closed to the center of power, he was appointed to this position. This is the evil result. This is one of the greatest scourges befalling a [political] system.
The Great Fruits of the Conciliation
This trend continued in this vein. Along this trend, the authentic Islamic and Qur’anic trend, which there was no appeasement with the ruling regime–that was incompatible with Islamic values–from its side, continued and its prominent touchstones were the Imams of Guidance (P.B.U.T.) and many of the Muslims who were loyal to them. Thanks to the presence of Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.), this valuable trend of Islamic movement preserved Islam. Without conciliation of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.), the valuable revolutionary Islam would not have remained and would have ceased to exist because eventually Mu‘āwīya would have prevailed. The situation was not in such a way that Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) could achieve a victory. All things have been going in the opposite direction of the predominance of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.). Indeed, the dominance was going in favor of Mu‘āwīya as the publicity was in his side. Mu‘āwīya’s personality in the Islamic world was not something they could remove the mask and show the real face.
Had it not been for the conciliation of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.), they would have perished the entire Prophet’s household (P.B.U.T.) and no one would have survived to preserve the valuable authentic Islamic system. Everything would have been diminished. The name of Islam would have been eradicated and as a result, it would have not reached the movement of ‘Āshūrā. If Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) insisted to continue the war against Mu‘āwīya, the war would have ended to the martyrdom of the Prophet’s household (P.B.U.T.). Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) would have been killed. The prominent companions, such as Ḥujr b. ‘Adī, would also have been killed. Everyone would have been killed and there would have remained no one to benefit from the opportunities and preserve Islam in its valuable system, and this is a great debt being owed to Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) for preserving Islam.
Of course, conciliation was imposed and finally it happened. And it must be said that the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was unwilling to it. And indeed, those conditions which the Imam (P.B.U.H.) made shook the foundation of Mu‘āwīya’s rule. This conciliation and the conditions of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) were all Divine schemes. “Then they plotted and Allah also devised.”, This means that if Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) had fought and been killed in the war–and there was a great possibility that he might have been murdered at the hands of his companions whom the spies of Mu‘āwīya had bought off–Mu‘āwīya would have claimed that he did not kill him rather his companions did so. Perhaps, he might have held mourning ceremonies too, and later, he would have wiped out all the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.). In other words, nothing would have remained on behalf of Shi‘ism let alone a group that appeared in Kūfa after twenty years and invited Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.). Nothing would have been left of it. For this reason, Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) preserved Shi‘ism, this means that he preserved the foundation until the government could be returned back to the Prophet’s household (P.B.U.T.) after twenty or twenty-five years.
The Objections to the Conciliation
After Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) conciliation with Mu‘āwīya, some of the ignorant and the uninformed reproached the Imam (P.B.U.H.) in different ways. Sometimes they called him, “the means of humiliating the believers”, and claimed that the Imam (P.B.U.H.) had humiliated all those ardent believers standing against Mu‘āwīya and made them succumb to Mu‘āwīya. In some cases, they used more respectful and polite phrases, but the content was the same. In face of these objections and reproaches, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) addressed them by this sentence (which might be more prominent among the Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) sayings), “You do not know–maybe it is a trial for you and an enjoyment for a while.”, This Qur’anic statement means that the conciliation perhaps was a trial for them and a finite enjoyment for Mu‘āwīya. This clearly demonstrates that the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was waiting for the future, and the future could only be that the unjust government, which was not acceptable in Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) eyes, should step aside and the desired [just] government should come to power. For this, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was saying to them: You are not familiar with the philosophy of this matter. What do you know? Perhaps there might be an interest in this matter.
At the beginning of the conciliation, two Shi‘ite prominent elders–Musayyab b. Najaba and Sulaymān b. Ṣurad–and a group of Muslims came to Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.). They said, “We have many forces from Khurāsān, Iraq, etc. and we put them under your command, and we are ready to pursue Mu‘āwīya to the Levant”. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) took them in private and talked few words with them. After they came out, they got quiet and left their forces. They did not even give a clear answer to their companions. Ṭāhā Ḥusayn claims that this meeting may in fact have laid the foundation stone for the Shi‘ite strivings. In other terms, he wants to say that Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) met and consulted with them and it was at this meeting that they formed the great Shi‘ite organization.
This is evident in the life of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) and his words even though the ground was not ready for such uprising at that time because people were simply the dupes (of unscrupulous Mu‘āwīya) and the enemy’s financial capabilities and propaganda were many. The enemies used the methods which Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) could not use it, such as bestowing large amounts of money, and gathering all the corrupted, and wicked people around. Indeed, Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.) was adhered to Islamic values whereas Mu‘āwīya was not.
It is narrated from Imam Ṣādiq (P.B.U.H.) saying, “[Allah has fixed] a time for this matter in (the year) seventy.”, It was one of the Divine predeterminations that after thirty years after the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) and ten years after the martyrdom of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) the government would return back to the Prophet’s household (P.B.U.T.). But when this would be achieved? (It would be achieved) whenever people prepare the ground by their will and determination. Allah the Almighty has no favorites! The people did not fulfill the responsibility which was put on their shoulders. Imam Ḥasan and Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.T.) completed what was their responsibility, but the personalities–as ‘Abdullāh b. Ja‘far and ‘Abdullāh b. ‘Abbās and others–did not fulfill their responsibilities. Even those who went later to Karbalā and fought along with Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) did not do what they should have done at the time of Muslim (ibn ‘Aqīl). They fell short of their responsibilities otherwise what happened to Muslim would have not happened. They should have finished the matter but they did not. This failure in fulfilling responsibilities led to the incident of Karbalā.
Then the Imam (P.B.U.H.) adds, “So when Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was killed, the wrath of Allah intensified upon the people of the earth, therefore He delayed it to (the year) one hundred and forty.”,
It was delayed for seven hundred years. These are the years the ‘Abbasids came to power… It is evident that Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) conciliation became the ground for this great work. Otherwise, the Imams (P.B.U.T.) would have not left the case. Is the issue of Wilāya and government a simple case?! It has been the basis and pivot of religion. But in the end, that was what happened.
The Conciliation and the Modification
of the Course of Caliphate
Much has been said about this conciliation but what I want to say is to deal with the issue of Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) conciliation from a new perspective because this issue marks an extremely sensitive historic passage making this incident more important than any political issue throughout the history of Islam. The history of Islam is full of different events. Those happened at the era of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and after his demise, at the era of the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.), at the era of the Imams (P.B.U.T.), at the era of the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid caliphs. The history of Islam is full of important incidents but there are a few events similar to Imam Ḥasan’s (P.B.U.H.) conciliation in terms of having a decisive impact on the entire Islamic history. Perhaps, there are one or more incidents in the history of Islam that have been persistent in the Islamic movement, the entire history of Islam and over the centuries. This incident is very interesting in this respect.
In summary, this incident is the turning point of changing the Islamic caliphate to the monarchy. This sentence is very meaningful if we ponder on. caliphate is one type of government and monarchy is another. The differentiation between these two is not limited to one, two or five ways. The path of monarchy and the path of caliphate are completely separated and distinguished by the management and the ruling of the state and Islamic community. In this incident, the great train of Islamic history and Islamic life changed its track as it happens when you look at the trains changing tracks. At a critical point, a switchman switches the rails leading the train to change the track from a loop line to the main line. The train which was heading toward North changes the track to the South. Of course, this change does not happen in a single moment, but retrospect, when one looks back, he finds that it has happened. I look at this incident from this perspective.