It has been narrated by Ahmad ibn Ubaydullah ibn Khāqān, who was appointed by the Abbasid caliphs as the administrator of the endowments and alms of Qom, and who eventually became an enemy of and deviated from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), that: “One day, my father, who was the vizier of the caliph, was informed that Ibn al-Reza (i.e., Imam Hasan al-‘Askari, peace be upon him) had fallen ill. My father went to the caliph and quickly returned with five of the caliph’s trusted confidants, one of whom was ‘Nahrīr.’ My father instructed them to constantly watch over the house of Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him) and stay informed about his condition, and also sent a doctor to visit him morning and night. Two days later, my father was informed that the illness of the Imam (peace be upon him) had worsened. He ordered the doctors not to leave the house of the Imam, and summoned the Chief Judge, instructing him to select ten of his trusted individuals and send them to the Imam’s house to stay there (all these measures were taken so that it would not be revealed that the caliph had poisoned the Imam, and to create the appearance that the Imam had died a natural death).
When Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him) passed away, the city of Samarra erupted in wailing and lamentation. The caliph sent a group of people to search his house and inspect every room. He also sent midwives to interrogate his wives to check if any of them might be pregnant. After their investigation, they reported that one of the women might be pregnant. The caliph then instructed Nahrīr the servant to keep watch over her to confirm the truth of the claim.
After that, preparations for the burial of Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him) began. All the markets were closed; the Banu Hashim, the military, my father, and the rest of the people gathered to attend his funeral. My father, along with the other ministers, court scribes, the caliph’s companions, the Banu Hashim, and the Alawites, took part in the funeral preparations. On that day, Samarra was like the desert of the Day of Judgment due to the great lamentations and cries of the people.
Once the washing and shrouding of the Imam were completed, the caliph sent Abu ‘Isa ibn Mutawakkil. When the body was placed on the ground for the prayer, Abu ‘Isa approached, and to clear the caliph of any suspicion, he uncovered the Imam’s face in front of the Alawites, Abbasids, soldiers, scribes, and judges, saying: ‘This is Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Reza, who died a natural death in his bed, and during his illness, doctors, judges, and the caliph’s trusted individuals were present by his side.’
Then he covered the Imam’s face and he was buried in the house where his father had been buried. After that, the caliph intensified his search for Hasan ibn Ali’s (peace be upon him) son, and the scrutiny of his household increased. The woman they suspected of being pregnant was kept under surveillance for some time, but no sign of pregnancy appeared. Thus, Hasan ibn Ali’s (peace be upon him) inheritance was divided between his mother and his brother Ja‘far. His mother claimed that she was his executor, and this was confirmed by the judge. Yet the caliph continued his search for Hasan ibn Ali’s (peace be upon him) son.
Then Ja‘far (who, after the death of Imam al-‘Askari, claimed the leadership and sought to establish himself as the leader of the Shi‘a) came to my father and said: ‘I wish for you to transfer the position of my brother to me (i.e., to have the caliphate recognize me as the Imam of the Shi‘a). In return, I will commit to paying twenty thousand dinars each year.’ My father, upon hearing this, became angry and said: ‘You fool! [For years] the caliphs have executed those who considered your father and brother to be Imams in order to make them abandon this belief, but they have not succeeded. If you hold the position of Imamate among the Shi‘a of your father and brother, you do not need the caliph’s approval or that of anyone else. And if you do not hold this position among them, we cannot elevate you to that rank.’ When Ja‘far said this, my father considered him foolish and weak-minded, and expelled him. He never allowed him to come near him for the rest of his life.
We left Samarra while the caliph was still searching for Hasan ibn Ali’s (peace be upon him) son. He continued searching for him until today (about 20 years after Imam al-‘Askari’s death), but has found no trace of him. The Shi‘a believe that Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him) passed away while leaving behind a son who is his successor in the Imamate.”[1]
(From Al-Irshād, written by Sheikh Mufid, with abbreviations and additions)
Footnote:
[1] Al-Irshād, Volume 2, Page 320