al-Hasan al-Basree, the leader of the disciples of the Companions of the Prophet was, in fact, the son of Yasar the slave of Zayd Ibn Thabet Al Ansari. His mother Ummul Hasan was a slave woman of Ummu Salamah, the wife of the Prophet peace be upon him. So he was born in the house of the Prophet, and his father's master was one of the famous scribes who recorded Divine revelation for the unlettered Prophet.
Yasar, father of al-Hasan was a slave captured in Meesan between Basra and Waset in Iraq. He lived in Madinah where he was liberated from slavery. Then he got maried two years before the end of Uthmân's caliphate. al-Hasan was brought up in Wadi Al Qura. Another report says that Ummul Hasan was captured and taken prisoner of war when she was pregnant. She gave birth to al-Hasan in Madinah. What is sure, however, is that al-Hasan was the son of two ex-slaves. Muhammad Ibn Sallam says that Ummu Salama used to send Ummul Hasan to do anything for her. al-Hasan used to cry in his mother's absence; so Ummu Salama would breast-feed him for some time. She would also bring him out to the Companions of the Prophet while he was still young. They would pray for him. Once Umar Ibn Al Khattab said: O God! Make him well-versed in religion and make people love him. al-Hasan al-Basree was as his name implies, the greatest scholar of Basra city. He met Uthmân, Talha and a number of other senior Companions of the Prophet peace be upon him. Abu Hilal says: I heard al-Hasan say: Moses the Prophet of God, used to cover his private parts whenever he took a bath. Ibn Burayda asked al-Hasan: Whom have you heard this from? From Abu Huraira, he said. al-Hasan says: I used to enter the rooms of the Messenger of God during the caliphate of Uthmân; I would touch their ceilings for I was a grown up boy then. I was 14 years old when Uthmân was killed, al-Hasan says. A beautiful tradition reported by al-Hasan al-Basree on the authority of Anas Ibn Malek is the following. He said: The Messenger of God peace be upon him used to give the Friday sermon while standing near a piece of wood against which he would lean his back. When the number of people increased in the mosque he said: Make a pulpit of two steps for me, which they did. When the Prophet stood up to give the sermon on Friday the said piece of wood moaned as if it expressed its feeling of missing the Messenger of God peace be upon him. Anas comments: I was in the mosque and heard the piece moan. It continued to moan until the Prophet descended to it and embraced it. Then it was silent. As a matter of fact, whenever al-Hasan narrated this tradition he would cry and say: O slaves of God! A piece of wood misses the Messenger of God! It is you who should do so.
It may sound strange how can a piece of wood moan and feel sorry and miss the absence of the Prophet. First of all there are other authentic traditions that confirm this incident. As Muslims we believe that everything in this world glorifies the praises of God. Trees and stones used to greet the Messenger of God, which is one of his minor miracles. Rabeeah Ibn Kulthoom quotes al-Hasan al-Basree as saying: We learnt from Abu Huraira the following: The Prophet ordered me to do three things: To take a shower every Friday, to finish my prayers nightly with one final prostration and to fast three days of every month. Muhammad Ibn Saad says in his famous encyclopedia called Al Tabaqat that al-Hasan al-Basree was all embracing in his knowledge, a real scholar of a high standard, one who excels in jurisprudence, reliable as a source, trustworthy, a sincere worshipper, overflowing with learning, outspoken, beautiful and handsome. He was also one of the bravest men. No one looks like him except a prophet. That is why Ibn Burda says: No one is similar to the Companions of the Prophet as he was. Thus Abu Qatada says: Keep close to this old man, for I have seen no one whose opinion is like that of Umer as al-Hasan is. So Anas Ibn Malek says: Ask al-Hasan for he still remembers while we forgot.
Muath Ibn Muath says: I said to Al Ashaath: You have met Atta and you had questions to ask why didn't you ask him? He said: I have never met anyone after al-Hasan al-Basree but was small in my eyes. Hammam says: It is said that the earth will never be lacking in seven men; through them people will get rain, and with their blessing they will be defended and I hope that al-Hasan is one of them. A man asked Atta about reciting the Quran on the funeral. He said: We never learnt or heard that it is recited upon. The man siad: al-Hasan says that we have to recite. Atta then said: Follow this, because al-Hasan is a great scholar.
Abu Jaafar Al Razi says: I remained a student of al-Hasan for ten years during which I always heard something new. Once al-Hasan described the effect of the Quran on the believer. He said: Son of Adam! By God if you recite the Quran then believe in it then your sadness will be long in this life, so will be your fear and your weeping. That is why one contemporary of al-Hasan says: I never saw anyone who had such a long time of sadness as al-Hasan al-Basree. Everytime I met him I thought he had a new misfortune. Imam Al Qasseer says: Once I asked al-Hasan about something. Then I said: Scholars of jurisprudence say so and so. He said: Have you ever seen a real scholar of this category. Such a scholar is he who is not interested in this life, who knows his sins and who continuously worships his Lord. Khaled Ibn Safwan was a close neighbour of al-Hasan al-Basree. Describing him once he said: I never saw a man like him. His outward appearance is identical to his inner reality, his words are identical to his deeds; if he enjoins what is right he is the first to do it, and when he forbids what is wrong he is the farthest one from it. I found him never in need of other people, but people were in need of him.
al-Hasan al-Basree once swore by God that he will be humiliated by God who honours money. That is why he said: Two bad comrades are the dinar and the dirham. They are useful to you only when they leave you. Hajjaj Al Aswad says: A man once expressed the following wish. He said: I wish I were a hermit like al-Hasan, as pious as Ibn Seereen, as a good worshipper as Ubadah Ibn Abd Qays and as understanding jurisprudence as Saeed Ibn Al Musayyib. Those who heard these wishes said: All these are found in al-Hasan al-Basree.
Iyas Ibn Abi Tameema says: I saw al-Hasan in the funeral of Abu Raja. He was riding a mule and Al Farazdaq, the famous poet, was along his side on a camel. The latter said to al-Hasan: You and I are higher than all those attending the funeral. They will say: Look! The best and the worst are together alone. al-Hasan very humbly said: O Abu Firas. It may be that a bad looking person is much better than me; and you are better than many old men who are polytheists. What have you prepared for death? Al Farazdaq said: The testimony that there is no diety except God. al-Hasan said: It has its own conditions. Don't attack chaste women in your poetry. Al Farazdaq asked: Is there any chance for repentence? al-Hasan said: Of course there is.
Sahl Ibn Hussayn Al Bahilee said: Once I sent to Abdullah son of al-Hasan al-Basree and asked him to send me all the books of his father. He wrote to Sahl saying: When my father became seriously ill he asked me to collect them which I did. Then al-Hasan ordered his servant to burn them all except one paper which he sent to his son. When the latter came to his father al-Hasan he asked him to read the contents of the paper which he did and al-Hasan approved it. Here are a few wise sayings of al-Hasan.
· Saleh Al Murri says, al-Hasan said: Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has gone.
· Mubarak Ibn Faddalah says: I heard al-Hasan say the following: Death has shown the reality of this worldly life. It did not leave any happiness for those who are wise.
· Thabet quotes al-Hasan as saying: The laughter of a believer is a sign of the inadvertence of his heart.
· Talha Ibn Sabeeh says: al-Hasan said: A believer believes in what God has said. He is the best of men in his deeds, but he fears God most, so that if he spends the size of a mountain of money, he would not be sure of his reward until he sees this with his own eyes. The more righteous and charitable the believer is, the more afraid of God he becomes. While the hypocirte says: Men are too many, I shall be forgiven. There is no harm on me. Thus he acts badly, but wishes many things from God.
This wise saying of al-Hasan al-Basree reminds me of another saying which describes real faith according to Islam. Faith is not mere wishes but what you have in your heart which is confirmed by your deeds. This means that deeds are the real test of faith. Younus says: When death approached al-Hasan he began to say: We are for God and to Him we will return. When he repeated this his son said: My father you make us sad for your sake. Have you seen anything around you which you don't like? al-Hasan said: It is only myself nothing is more heavy for me than it is. Hassan Ibn Hisham says: We were with Muhammad Ibn Seereen on Thursday evening when a man told him about the death of al-Hasan al-Basree. He was so sad that he kept silent and the colour of his face was changed. He lived after al-Hasan for one hundred days only.
May God be pleased with both.
"The wise man does not argue or seek to overcome with stratagem rather he propagates his wisdom. If it is accepted he praises Allaah and if it is rejected he praises Allaah."
Reported by Abu Nu`aim ibn Hammaad in his Zawaa'id `alaz-Zuhd libnil Mubaarak (no. 30) and Ibn Battah in Ibaanatul-Kubraa (no. 611)
25:36 And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.
"I have known people and kept company with groups who neither rejoiced when
the things of this world came to them, nor grieved when they lost anything in thiS world. The life of this world was more insignificant to them than dust. One of
them might live for a year or for sixty years without ever having a garment that
would entirely cover him, and without ever having anything that would come
between him and the ground, and without ever having any food that he could ask
to be prepared for him in his own home. When night came, they would be on
their feet, with their foreheads flat against the earth, tears rolling down their
cheeks, secretly calling on Allaah to save them on the Day of Judgement. If they
did something good, they never stopped being grateful for it, and they were
always asking Allaah to forgive them for it. By Allaah, they were not safe from
wrong actions, and were saved only by their constant turning in repentance. May
Allaah be pleased with them and grant them His mercy..."
"Do not sit idle, for indeed Death is seeking you!"
When al-Hasan finished his hadeeth, he would say, "O Allaah, you see our hearts
full of idolatry, pride, hypocrisy, showing-off, reputation, doubt and uncertainty in
your deen. O Turner of hearts, make our hearts firm in Your deen and make our
deen Straight Islam!"
"When a young man is devout, we do not recognise him by his speech. We
recognise him by his actions. That is beneficial knowledge."
"Son of Adam, never please anybody if this entails the Wrath of Allaah. Never
obey anybody if this entails disobedience to Allaah. Never thank anybody for
something which Allaah granted you. Never blame anybody for something which
Allaah did not grant you. Allaah created people and they steer the course predetermined
for them. Whoever thinks that extra care and interest will increase
his provisions, let him try such extra care and interest in increasing his life span,
changing his color, or increasing the size of his limbs and build!"
"Whoever gives money undeserved high esteem, Allaah will humiliate him."
“Two bad comrades are the dinar and the dirham. They are useful to you only
when they leave you.”( Dinar and dirham= Pound n dollar !)
“Death has shown the reality of this worldly life. It did not leave any happiness
for those who are wise.”
“The laughter of a believer is a sign of the inadvertence of his heart.”
“A believer believes in what God has said. He is the best of men in his deeds, but
he fears God most, so that if he spends the size of a mountain of money, he
would not be sure of his reward until he sees this with his own eyes. The more
righteous and charitable the believer is, the more afraid of God he becomes.
While the hypocrite says: Men are too many, I shall be forgiven. There is no
harm on me. Thus he acts badly, but wishes many things from God.”
"Guard against having a bad opinion of people."
It is related that 'Imran ibn Khalid al-Khuza'i said that a man told him, "Matar
asked al-Hasan about a question and said, 'The fuqaha' oppose you.' He said,
'May your mother be bereaved, Matar! Do you see a faqih at all? Do you know
what a faqih is? The scrupulous ascetic faqih is the one who does not care about who is above him nor mock the one below him, and who does not accept
ephemeral rubbish in exchange for the knowledge which Allaah has taught him."'
Al-Aajurree reports that a man came to al-Hasan (al-Basree) and said, "O Abu
Sa'eed! Let me debate with you about the Religion." Al-Hasan replied, "As for
me, I know my religion, If you have lost your Religion then go and look for it."
"Nifaaq is the difference between the inner and the appearance, between
statement and action and between entering and leaving and it used to be said
that the foundation of nifaaq upon which it is built is lying."
“Fear is the basis of morality, and sadness the characteristic of his religion; life is
only a pilgrimage, and comfort must be denied to subdue the passions.”
Ibn Abee Mulaika: "I encountered thirty Companions of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) every one of them fears hypocrisy for himself and Al-Hasan Al-
Basree used to say about it: 'No one fears it but a believer and no one feels safe
from it but a hypocrite.'"
"Whoever learns something in the name of Allaah, seeking that which is with Him,
he will win. And whoever learns something for other than Allaah, he will not
reach the goal, nor will his acquired knowledge bring him closer to Allaah."
A group of Muslims came to al Hasan al Basree seeking a verdict to rebel against
al Hajjaaj. So they said, "O Abu Sa'eed! What do you say about fighting this
oppressor who has unlawfully spilt blood and unlawfully taken wealth and did this
and that?" So al Hasan said, "I hold that he should not be fought. If this is the
punishment from Allaah (Ta'aala), then you will not be able to remove it with
your swords. If this is a trial from Allaah (Ta'aala), then be patient until Allaah's
Judgement comes, and He is the best of Judges." So they left Al Hasan,
disagreed with him and rebelled against al Hajjaaj - so al Hajjaaj killed them all.
When Umar ibn Abdul Aziz became caliph, he wrote to Hasan al-Basree to write
him the description of a just Imaam, and Hasan wrote him:
"Know, commander of Believers, that God has made the just Imaam the prop of
every learner, the straightener of every deviator, the reform of all corrupt, the
strength of all weak, the justice of all oppressed, the refuge of all who are pitied.
The just Imaam, O commander of Believers, is like a herdsman, solicitous for the
camels he tends, desiring the sweetest pasture for them, driving them away from
any dangerous grazing place, protecting them from beast of prey, and shielding
them from the harms of heat and cold.
And the just Imaam, commander of the Believers, is the guardian of the orphan,
and the treasury of the poor, fostering the little ones, and providing for the old
ones. The just Imaam, Commander of Believers, is as the heart is to the
members of the body: all are sound when it is sound, and all corrupt when it is
corrupt. The just Imaam, commander of Believers, stands intermediary between
God and His servants; hearkening to God's words, and making them hearken;
looking to God, and making them to look; obedient to God and making them
obedient.
Therefore commander of Believers, act not in what God the Mighty and Glorious
has given you like a slave whose master has trusted him and given into his care
his wealth and his children, who then squanders his master's wealth and drives
his children away, and reduces the family to poverty and scatters their fortune.
And know, commander of the Believers, that God has sent down (His prescription
for) the legal punishments to chide (people) away from wickedness and
immorality. How shall it be, if he who administers them, deserves them? And He
sent down (the law of) retaliation to give life to His servants. How will it be if the
man who gives them retaliation puts them to death?
Remember, O commander of Believers, death and what comes after it, and how
few partisans you have there, or aids against it. Therefore make provision for
death, and against the greater terror which follows it.
And know, commander of Believers, that there is a place for you other than the
place where you are now. Your stay there will be long, and your friends will be
separated from you. You will be committed to its depths as a completely solitary
individual. Therefore, make provision of what you may take with you - 'On the
day when a man shall flee from his brother, his mother, his father, his consort,
his sons' (80:36), and remember, commander of Believers, 'When that which is
within the tombs shall be cast out, and that which is in the breasts exposed'
(100:9), when secrets are made manifest, and 'The record leaves nothing, great
or small, without numbering it' (18:49).
And now, commander of Believers, you are in leisure, before the dissolution of
death and the serving of hope. Therefore commander of Believers, do not give
judgement among the servants of God according to the usages of pre Islamic
period (bi hokum al jahilan), and do not travel the way of transgressors with
them, and do not put he arrogant in power over the humble, for such will not
watch over any believer or the protected religious groups (dhimma), so that you
will have to acknowledge your own faults and the faults of others, and bear your
own burdens and other burdens too. Do not be deceived by those who would lead
a pleasant like by causing damage to you, and eat the good things of this world
by causing the good things of your afterlife to disappear. And do not regard your
power in this world, but look toward what will be your power when you are
captive in the bonds of death, and forced to stand before God Most High in the
company of the angels and prophets and apostles, and faces are turned to the
Living and Self-subsisting One.
And I, O commander of Believers, though I have not attained by my rigors what
prudent men attained before me, yet have not desisted from offering you
solicitude and advice, sending you my letter as a doctor causes a beloved friend
to drink disagreeable medicine, because he hopes to offer him health and
soundness.
And peace be upon thee, O commander of the Believers, and the mercy of God,
and His blessing."
Al-¬Hasan al-¬Basree – rahimahullaah – said:
“Eemaan (faith) is not outer decoration, nor mere hope. Rather it is what settles in the heart and what is affirmed by actions. Whoever spoke good, but did not act righteously, then Allaah throws it back upon his saying. Whoever spoke good and acted righteously, Allaah raises up the actions.
This is because Allaah – the Most High – says:
‘To Him ascend all goodly words, and righteous actions raise it’.”
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Imam Hasan al-Basree [rahimahullah] once said to a man, ”Cure your heart for Allah desires that His slaves should purify their hearts. You should know that you never truly love Allah until you love obeying Him.” (Jaami’ al-’Uloom v.1 by Ibn Rajab)
The heart cannot become purified until a person knows Allah, loves Him, fears Him, has hope in Him and trusts Him. This is the true realization of the statement Laa ilaaha ill-Allah. The heart will never be pure until it loves, deifies [worships, exalts], fears, and submits to no one except Allah, eventually ending up of the limbs by following and making the actions pure.
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Asma’i said that Abdul-Malik once delivered a very profound sermon, during which he began to weep while begging Allah:
“O Lord, my sins are great, but a small amount of Your forgiveness is greater than them. O Allah, forgive the greatness of my sins with a little of Your mercy.”
Asma’i said that when these words reached the ears of Hasan Al Basri, he too began to cry, stating that if ever words were uttered that should be inscribed in gold, it would be those words.
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"The world is 3 days: As for yesterday, it has vanished along with all that was in it. As for tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work on it."
— Hasan Al-Basri
"The world is 3 days: As for yesterday, it has vanished along with all that was in it. As for tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work on it."
— Hasan Al-Basri
Very nice MashahAllah , May Allah have mercy on him,
Ibn Al Qayyim's "between the past n future" is also along the same Lines. Very nice.
Between The Past & The Future
Your life in the present moment is in between the past and the future. So what has preceded can be rectified by tawbah (repentance), nadam (regret) and istighfar (seeking Allah’s forgiveness). And this is something that will neither tire you, nor cause you to toil as you would with strenuous labour. Rather it is an action of the heart.
Then as regards the future (then it can be corrected) by withholding yourself from sins. And this abandonment is merely the leaving of something and to be at ease from it. This also is not action of the limbs, which requires you to strive and toil. Rather this is a firm resolve and intention of the heart – which will give rest to your body, heart and thoughts. So as for what has preceded, then you rectify it with repentance. And as for the future – then you rectify it with firm resolve and intention. Neither of these involves any hardship or exertion of the limbs.
But then your attention must be directed to your life in the present - the time between two times. If you waste it, then you have wasted the opportunity to be of the fortunate and saved ones. If you look after it, having rectified the two times – what is before and after it, as we have said – then you will be successful and achieve rest, delight and ever-lasting bliss. However, looking after it is harder than that which comes before and after it, since guarding it involves keeping to that which is most befitting and beneficial for your soul, and that which will bring it success and well-being.
Taken from al-Fawaa’id by Ibn Al Qayyim pg -151-152
How perfect You are O Allaah, and I praise You. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance
Someone asked Hasan al Basri if hypocrites were still to be found amongst the Muslims of those days. His reply was: "If hypocrites desert the streets of Basra, you will find it hard to live in the city."
On another occasion he remarked, "Subhanallah! What hypocrites and self-seekers have gained an upper hand in this Ummah."
Faryaabi, pg 68.
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