Al-Hasan

Al-Hasan is the eldest grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, the first child of Fatima and Ali. The Prophet ﷺ loved him deeply and said of him and his brother that they were 'the masters of the youth of Paradise.' He is remembered for renouncing the caliphate in order to prevent a war between Muslims — fulfilling a prophetic word.

Al-Hasan was born in Medina in the year 3 of the Hijra. At his birth, the Prophet ﷺ came, gave the call to prayer in his ear, and according to reports named him himself 'al-Hasan' (the good). He loved him tenderly: it is authentically reported that he would carry him on his back during prayer, waiting for him to climb down before rising, never scolding him.

The Prophet ﷺ spoke a word about him reported in Bukhari, which proved prophetic: 'This son of mine is a master. Through him, Allah will reconcile two large groups of Muslims.'

This word was fulfilled: after the assassination of his father Ali, al-Hasan was proclaimed caliph. But seeing that retaining power would lead to civil war among Muslims, he chose to relinquish it and cede the caliphate to Mu'awiya, to preserve the unity and blood of the community. The year of this agreement (year 40 of the Hijra) was called 'the year of consensus' (am al-jama'a). He died in Medina a few years later.

Al-Hasan is an eminent Companion and a beloved grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, honoured by all Muslims. The hadith 'the masters of the youth of Paradise' (Tirmidhi, Ahmad) is authentic. However, some accounts of his death (poisoning by his wife) are not held to be authentic by scholars such as adh-Dhahabi and Ibn Kathir, who say they find nothing solid on this. We signal it therefore as an unestablished account, out of scholarly rigour.

Al-Hasan teaches that greatness lies not in holding power, but sometimes in relinquishing it. By ceding the caliphate to spare the blood of Muslims, he fulfilled his grandfather's word and preferred the unity of the community to his own right. A rare lesson in selflessness and peace.