The false story of the poisoning of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) attributed to Sayyidna Muawiya (رضي الله عنه)
The false story of the poisoning of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) attributed to Sayyidna Muawiya (رضي الله عنه)
The details of Sayyidna Hasan’s illness and death have been mentioned by various historians and narrators.
One widely known narration mentions that among the wives of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) was a woman named Jada’ah bint Ash’ath bin Qays al-Kindi. Due to her reckless and unwise actions, she poisoned Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), which led to a severe illness. His illness became so intense that he frequently experienced bouts of sickness. This illness lasted for about forty days.
ابوعوانة عن مغيره عن ام موسی ان جعدة بنت الأشعث بن قيس سقت الحسن السم فاشحكي فكان توضع تحته طشت و ترفع اخرى نحوا من اربعين
▪️Mukhtasar Tarikh Ibn Asakir, Volume 38
▪️Siyar A'lam al-Nubala by Al-Dhahabi, Volume 3, Page 184
▪️History of Ibn Asakir by Ibn Manzoor, Volume 29
One narration
In this context, historians have also mentioned another narration that clarifies some additional details related to this incident. A person from that time, Mir bin Ishaq, says that during the illness of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), we visited him to inquire about his health. We found him frequently going to the bathroom. At that time, Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) described his condition and said, "By Allah, I have been poisoned several times, and the poison this time is much stronger than the previous ones,' and he would add, 'My liver is being torn apart and coming out.'
Mir says that the next day he visited again, and this time, Sayyidna Hasan's (رضي الله عنه) condition was extremely troubling.
During this period, Sayyidna Hussain (رضي الله عنه) arrived, and he asked his brother, Sayyidna Hassan (رضي الله عنه), 'O brother, please inform me who has poisoned you?'
Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) replied, 'Why do you ask? Do you want to kill him?' Sayyidna Husayn (رضي الله عنه) responded, 'Yes.'
At this, Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) said, "I do not want to speak about this matter. If it is indeed the one I suspect, then Allah is the one who will take the most severe revenge on him. But if I am mistaken in my suspicion, then I do not wish for anyone innocent, who has not committed any crime, to be killed because of me.
Benefit:This means that Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) himself did not know for sure who poisoned him. So, who informed the Shi’a today that Sayyidna Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) poisoned him?
After this, Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) passed away soon after, and his date of death is recorded as either the 1st or 2nd of Rabi’ al-Awwal in the 49th or 50th year of Hijra, corresponding to February 999 CE. Different opinions also exist regarding this in history.
ابن علية عن ابن عون عن عمير بن اسحق قال دخلنا على الحسن بن على نعوده فقال لصاحبی يافلان سلنى ثم قام من عندنافدخل كنيفاثم خرج فقال اني والله قد لفظت طائفة من كبدی قلبمها ںعود وانی قد سقيت السم مرارافلم اسق مثل هذافلما كان الغدانيته وهو يسرق فجاء الحسين فقال ای اخیاانبئنی من سفاک قال لملحقحله؟ قال نعم قال ماانامحدثك شيا- ان يكن صاحبي الذي اظن فالله اشد نقمة والافوالله لايقبل ہی بری له۔
Translation: It was understood that Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) passed away due to poisoning. However, he did not disclose the name of the poisoner and kept it hidden. In this matter, he displayed utmost patience, composure, and restraint, demonstrating unparalleled forbearance. Throughout his life, he never allowed anyone to harm others.
These are the noble qualities of a wali (friend of Allah), and Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) embodied them fully.
Another Narration
There are various narrations regarding the passing of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه). One of these is cited by Hafiz al-Dhahabi in Siyar A'lam al-Nubala from Sayyidna Qatadah (رضي الله عنه), who reports that when the news of Sayyidna Hasan's (رضي الله عنه) death reached the service of Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) in the region of Sham, Sayyidna Abdullah bin Abbas (رضي الله عنه) was present there by chance. Upon hearing the news, Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) expressed astonishment and said, 'It is strange that Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) drank honey mixed with the water of the well of Roma and then passed away.' Afterward, Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) expressed condolences to Sayyidna Ibn-e-Abbas (رضي الله عنه), offering words of comfort and presenting him with a reasonable amount of cash, saying, 'Distribute this among your family.'
ابوهلال عن قتاده قال معاويه واعجباللحسن اشرب شربة من عسل بماء رومة فقضى نحبه ثم قال لابن عباس لايستوک الله ولايحزنك في الحسن بله
In short, many different opinions are recorded by historians regarding the cause of Sayyidna Hasan's (رضي الله عنه) death, and the above-mentioned narration is just one of these opinions.
Caution: Regarding the death of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) wrote:
فقيل انه مات مسموما وهذه شهادة له وكرامة في حقه ولكن لم يمت مقاتلات
This means that Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) passed away due to poisoning, and this is considered a testimony to his status and a sign of his honour. He did not die in combat.
Clarification of a Doubt
Regarding the passing of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), some Shi’a groups raise the objection that the poison administered to him by his wife was part of a plot orchestrated by Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه). They claim that Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) contacted her and instigated the poisoning.
In response, we affirm that this is a false accusation and baseless fabrication. The first person to mention this claim was the Shi’a historian al-Mas'udi, and subsequently, others have repeated this claim. However, there is no authentic narration or reliable chain of transmission in any of the Sunni books regarding this event.
A more detailed rebuttal can be found in the book Seerat Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه), Volume 2 (Jawab al-Taa'n) by Maulana Nafi' (رحمه الله).
For further clarification, we recommend referring to this work.
In his work, major scholars such as Hafiz Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi and Ibn Khaldun have clearly stated that attributing the act of poisoning to Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) is entirely incorrect. The narrations upon which this accusation is based are from Shi’a sources, and such allegations from Shi’a groups are not uncommon.
From a historical perspective, it is also wrong to attribute this act to Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) because after the death of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), his funeral prayer was conducted by Sayyidna Sa'id bin al-As al-Umavi (رضي الله عنه), who was appointed by Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) as the governor of Medina at that time.
After the passing of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), Sayyidna Hussain (رضي الله عنه) used to visit Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) as part of a delegation. During these visits, Sayyidna Hussain (رضي الله عنه) received many gifts and honours from Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه), which he graciously accepted. Additionally, in 51 AH, during the campaign of Constantinople, Sayyidna Hussain (رضي الله عنه) participated in the campaign, and at that time, the commander of the army was none other than Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya's (رضي الله عنه) son, Yazid.
Now, it is entirely contrary to the honour and dignity of these noble individuals, particularly from a natural perspective, to be involved with those who allegedly poisoned their family members, to have them lead their funeral prayers, to participate with them in military campaigns, or to accept gifts and rewards from them. These actions go against the sense of self-respect and pride inherent in them.
When considering these facts, it becomes clear that Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه) was not involved in the death of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) and was not a part of this incident.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) wrote in his research regarding this matter:
و عندي ان هذا ليس بصحيح و عدم صحته عن ابيه معاوية بطريق الاولى والاحرى
This means that Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) states that attributing the act of poisoning to Yazid is not correct in my view (it is wrong). And attributing it to his father, Sayyidna Ameer Muawiyah (رضي الله عنه), is even more incorrect and certainly not valid.
Death and Funeral
Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) endured his illness with immense patience and perseverance. He passed away in Rabi' al-Awwal of 49 AH. At that time, the governor of Medina was Sayyidna Sa'id bin al-As al-Umavi (رضي الله عنه). Sayyidna Hussain (رضي الله عنه) instructed him to lead the funeral prayer for his brother and also clarified the following point that In Islam, لولا انها سنة ماقدمت لین دین
the established Sunnah is that the ruling leader (Ameer al-Waqt) has the greatest right to lead the funeral prayer. If this were not a Sunnah of Nabi (ﷺ), I would not have given you precedence in leading the Salat al-Janazah. This statement indicates that it was the established Sunnah of Nabi (ﷺ) that the ruler or leader of the time has the right to lead the funeral prayer. If this had not been the case then I would not have chosen you (رضي الله عنه) to lead the prayer.
This incident also demonstrates that after the death of Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه), Sayyidna Hussain (رضي الله عنه) continued to abide by the authority of the governor appointed by Sayyidna Ameer Muawiya (رضي الله عنه), reaffirming the respect for the authority in place.
Therefore, the claim that Sayyidna Hasan (رضي الله عنه) was poisoned is entirely fabricated. If one were to accept such a claim, it would be a gross misrepresentation, especially when attributed to Sayyidna Muawiya (رضي الله عنه).
References:
•Al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, Volume 8, Page 43, under the year 40 AH.
• Kitab-ul-Ma'rifah At-Tarikh al-Baswi, Volume 1, Page 216.
• Minhaj-ul-Sunnah, Volume 2, Page 121, Lahore edition.
• Hilyat-ul-Awliya, Volume 2