During the time of the eleventh Imam, various sets of notions had started to enter the Islamic society; some of which distorted teachings and brought false ideas and threatened the society. Although Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH) was under strong pressure and scrutiny, similar to his fathers, he never neglected this threat and reacted to different ideological groups and imported thoughts including the Sufis, the Qollat, the Mofawwizah, Waghefieh, the Dichotomists, etc1. Whenever a person or some group was caught into these problems, he first started his encounter with explanation and guidance without any position-taking. However, whenever it became evident that a distorted thought has turned into an evident or concealed activism he would start to confront it with public position-taking and ruining the plans of those behind them.
One of the Imam Askari’s (PBUH) confrontations took place with the Mofawwizah. They believed that Allah (SWT), after the creation of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) has delegated everything to him, and that it is the Prophet (PBUH&HP) that has created the world and all within. And some have maintained that Allah (SWT) has delegated all these tasks to Ali bin Abitaleb (PBUH). This false notion was potentially very devastating to Islamic beliefs with disastrous consequences, one of them being the phenomenon of exaggeration about the Prophet and the infallibles (PBUT); that their status were raised to the level of the Divine. After the spread of this idea, it was confronted by the Imams (PBUT) and the adherents to this notion were introduced as being worse than the Jews and Christians, for they had maintained something worse than what either the Jews or the Christians had maintained. Imam Askari (PBUH), as well, prevented the Muslims from following these ideas, and in many instances he treated the simpleminded and the deceived people generously so that they return to the right path.
For example, it has been narrated by Idris bin Ziad that: “I was among the people who used to exaggerate about them (the Household). One day I went to Samerra with the intention of visiting Abu Mohammad al-Askari (PBUH); when I entered the city, due to my severe tiredness, I felt on the steps of a bath and took a rest. I then went to a short sleep before I was awakened by the tapping of the stick of Imam Askari (PBUH) and found that it is him. I stood up quickly and started to kiss his knees and feet while he was on the horse. The first thing that he told me was this: O Idris, They are in fact the servants of God; they don’t accelerate him in speech and do what he has ordered.”2 Here Imam meant that the idea of exaggeration regarding us, the Ahl ol-Beit, is false and we don’t have any determination except what God allows, for we look for the order and will of God and obey his orders. Idris, who understood what Imam Askari (PBUH) meant, answered: My master, this suffices for me, for I had come to inquire about the same issue.3
(Selection taken from Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH) How much do we know him, by Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Hadi Husseini Milaani)
The Roshd Website congratulates all Muslims, especially you dear friend, upon 8th of Rabee al-Thani, the auspicious birthday anniversary of the heir of the Prophets and the leader of the faithful, Imam Hasan Al-Askari (PBUH).
Footnotes:
1. The Sufism was a man created sect and a divergence in religion as an excuse to run away from practices. The Qollat, were those who exaggerated on the status of Prophet’s progeny and those associated with them. The Mofawwizah were those who said Allah has delegated all matters to his creation and they operate independently. The Waghefieh were those who presumed that the Seventh Imam, Imam Kazem (PBUH) is still alive. The Dichotomists where those who claimed that universe is run by two Gods, one the good and one evil.
2. The Holy Quran 21:26-27
3. ManaQib Aal AbiTalib, vol. 4, pg. 428 – Bihar al-Anwaar, vol. 50, pg. 283