Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2091
The caliphate of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib
ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ سَنَةُ إِحْدَى وَأَرْبَعِينَ مِنَ الْهِجْرَةِ النَّبَوِيَّةِ قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ: فِيهَا سَلَّمَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْأَمْرَ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ أَبَى سُفْيَانَ . ثُمَّ رَوَى عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَمَّا بَايَعَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ طَفِقَ يُشْتَرَطُ عَلَيْهِمْ: إِنَّكُمْ سَامِعُونَ مُطِيعُونَ، مُسَالِمُونَ مَنْ سَالَمْتُ، مُحَارِبُونَ مَنْ حَارَبْتُ. فَارْتَابَ بِهِ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ وَقَالُوا: مَا هَذَا لَكُمْ بِصَاحِبٍ. فَمَا كَانَ عَنْ قَرِيبٍ حَتَّى طَعَنُوهُ فَأَشْوَوْهُ، فَازْدَادَ لَهُمْ بُغْضًا، وَازْدَادَ مِنْهُمْ ذُعْرًا، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ عَرَفَ تَفَرُّقَهُمْ وَاخْتِلَافَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ يُسَالِمُهُ وَيُرَاسِلُهُ فِي الصُّلْحِ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُ عَلَى مَا يَخْتَارَانِ. وَعَنْ أَبَى مُوسَى قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ يَقُولُ: اسْتَقْبَلَ وَاللَّهِ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ أَبَى سُفْيَانَ بِكَتَائِبَ أَمْثَالِ الْجِبَالِ، فَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ: إِنِّي لَأَرَى كَتَائِبَ لَا تُوَلِّي حَتَّى تَقْتُلَ أَقْرَانَهَا. فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ، وَكَانَ وَاللَّهِ خَيْرَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ: أَيْ عَمْرُو، إِنَّ قَتَلَ هَؤُلَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ، مَنْ لِي بِأُمُورِ النَّاسِ ؟ مَنْ لِي بِضَيْعَتِهِمْ ؟ مَنْ لِي بِنِسَائِهِمْ ؟ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ مِنْ بَنَى عَبْدِ شَمْسٍ ; عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَامِرٍ، فَقَالَ: اذْهَبَا إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَاعْرِضَا عَلَيْهِ، وَقُولَا لَهُ، وَاطْلُبَا إِلَيْهِ. فَأَتَيَاهُ فَدَخَلَا عَلَيْهِ فَتَكَلَّمَا، وَقَالَا لَهُ، وَطَلَبَا إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ: إِنَّا بَنُو عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ قَدْ أَصَبْنَا مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ، وَإِنَّ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ قَدْ عَاثَتْ فِي دِمَائِهَا. قَالَا: فَإِنَّهُ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيْكَ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَيَطْلُبُ إِلَيْكَ وَيَسْأَلُكَ. قَالَ: فَمَنْ لِي بِهَذَا ؟ قَالَا: نَحْنُ لَكَ بِهِ. فَمَا سَأَلَهُمَا شَيْئًا إِلَّا قَالَا: نَحْنُ لَكَ بِهِ. فَصَالَحَهُ. قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: وَلَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرَةَ يَقُولُ: رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ، وَهُوَ يُقْبِلُ عَلَى النَّاسِ مَرَّةً وَعَلَيْهِ أُخْرَى، وَيَقُولُ: " إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ، وَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. " قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: فَوَاللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ بَعْدَ أَنْ وَلِيَ لَمْ يُهْرَقْ فِي خِلَافَتِهِ مِلْءُ مِحْجِمَةٍ مِنْ دَمٍ. وَعَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَدَنِيِّ قَالَ: كُنَّا مَعَ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، إِذْ جَاءَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ فَسَلَّمَ فَرَدَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِهِ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَمَضَى، فَقُلْنَا: يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، هَذَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَدْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا. قَالَ: فَتَبِعَهُ فَلَحِقَهُ، وَقَالَ: وَعَلَيْكَ السَّلَامُ يَا سَيِّدِي. وَقَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ " إِنَّهُ سَيِّدٌ ". وَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَدَائِنِيُّ: كَانَ تَسْلِيمُ الْحَسَنِ الْأَمْرَ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ فِي الْخَامِسِ مِنْ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ سَنَةَ إِحْدَى وَأَرْبَعِينَ. وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ: فِي رَبِيعٍ الْآخَرِ. وَيُقَالُ: فِي غُرَّةِ جُمَادَى الْأُولَى. فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. خطبة الحسن بن علي لإعلام الناس بنزوله لأمر معاوية قَالَ: وَحِينَئِذٍ دَخَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ بِهَا بَعْدَ الْبَيْعَةِ. وَذَكَرَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ أَشَارَ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ النَّاسَ وَيُعْلِمَهُمْ بِنُزُولِهِ عَنِ الْأَمْرِ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ، فَأَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ الْحَسَنَ، فَقَامَ فِي النَّاسِ خَطِيبًا، فَقَالَ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ بَعْدَ حَمْدِ اللَّهِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ وَالصَّلَاةِ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ ﷺ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هَدَاكُمْ بِأَوَّلِنَا، وَحَقَنَ دِمَاءَكُمْ بِآخِرِنَا، وَإِنَّ لِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ مُدَّةً، وَالدُّنْيَا دُوَلٌ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ لِنَبِيِّهِ ﷺ وَإِنْ أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ فِتْنَةٌ لَكُمْ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ [ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: 111 ]. فَلَمَّا قَالَهَا غَضِبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ وَأَمَرَهُ بِالْجُلُوسِ، وَعَتَبَ عَلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ فِي إِشَارَتِهِ بِذَلِكَ، وَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي نَفْسِهِ مِنْهُ لِذَلِكَ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. تبكيت الناس للحسن على نزوله لأمر معاوية وَعَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ: قَامَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ بَعْدَ مَا بَايَعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَالَ: سَوَّدْتَ وُجُوهَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - أَوْ: يَا مُسَوِّدَ وُجُوهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - فَقَالَ: لَا تُؤَنِّبْنِي رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ ; فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أُرِيَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ عَلَى مِنْبَرِهِ، فَسَاءَهُ ذَلِكَ فَنَزَلَتْ إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ. يَعْنِي نَهْرًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَنَزَلَتْ إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ يَمْلِكُهَا بَعْدَكَ بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ. قَالَ الْقَاسِمُ: فَعَدَدْنَا فَإِذَا هِيَ أَلْفُ شَهْرٍ، لَا تَزِيدُ يَوْمًا وَلَا تَنْقُصُ. وَعَنْ أَبُو الْغَرِيفِ قَالَ: كُنَّا فِي مُقَدِّمَةِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا بِمَسْكِنَ مُسْتَمِيتِينَ، تَقْطُرُ أَسْيَافُنَا مِنَ الْجِدِّ عَلَى قِتَالِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَعَلَيْنَا أَبُو الْعَمَرَّطَةِ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَنَا صُلْحُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ كَأَنَّمَا كُسِرَتْ ظُهُورُنَا مِنَ الْغَيْظِ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْكُوفَةَ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَّا يُقَالُ لَهُ: أَبُو عَامِرٍ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ اللَّيْلِ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا مُذِلَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَقَالَ: لَا تَقُلْ هَذَا يَا أَبَا عَامِرٍ، لَسْتُ بِمُذِلِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَلَكِنِّي كَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهُمْ عَلَى الْمُلْكِ. استقرار الحسن بن علي في المدينة وَلَمَّا تَسَلَّمَ مُعَاوِيَةُ الْبِلَادَ وَدَخْلَ الْكُوفَةَ وَخَطْبَ بِهَا، وَاجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْكَلِمَةُ فِي سَائِرِ الْأَقَالِيمِ وَالْآفَاقِ، وَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ قَيْسُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ أَحَدُ دُهَاةُ الْعَرَبِ، وَقَدْ كَانَ عَزَمَ عَلَى الشِّقَاقِ، وَحَصَلَ عَلَى بَيْعَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَامَئِذٍ الْإِجْمَاعُ وَالِاتِّفَاقُ، تَرَحَّلَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، وَمَعَهُ أَخُوهُ الْحُسَيْنُ وَبَقِيَّةُ إِخْوَتِهِمْ وَابْنُ عَمِّهِمْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْعِرَاقِ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْمَدِينَةِ النَّبَوِيَّةِ، عَلَى سَاكِنِهَا أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، وَجَعَلَ كُلَّمَا مَرَّ بِحَيٍّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِمْ يُبَكِّتُونَهُ عَلَى مَا صَنَعَ مِنْ نُزُولِهِ عَنِ الْأَمْرِ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ، وَهُوَ فِي ذَلِكَ مُصِيبٌ بَارٌّ رَاشِدٌ مَمْدُوحٌ، وَلَيْسَ يَجِدُ فِي صَدْرِهِ حَرَجًا وَلَا تَلَوُّمًا وَلَا نَدَمًا، بَلْ هُوَ رَاضٍ بِذَلِكَ مُسْتَبْشِرٌ بِهِ، وَإِنَّ كَانَ قَدْ سَاءَ هَذَا خُلُقًا مِنْ ذَوِيهِ وَأَهْلِهِ وَشِيعَتِهِ، وَلَا سِيَّمَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بِمُدَدٍ، وَهَلُمَّ جَرًّا إِلَى يَوْمِنَا هَذَا. وَالْحَقُّ فِي ذَلِكَ اتِّبَاعُ السُّنَّةِ وَمَدْحُهُ فِيمَا حَقَنَ بِهِ دِمَاءَ الْأُمَّةِ، كَمَا مَدَحَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ، وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ وَالْمِنَّةُ.
Translation
✧ Then entered the year forty-one of the Prophetic Hijrah. Ibn Jarīr said: In it, al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī surrendered the matter to Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān. Then he narrated from al-Zuhrī that he said: When the people of Iraq pledged allegiance to al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, he began to stipulate conditions upon them: “You are hearers, obeyers, peacemakers with whom I make peace, and warriors against whom I fight.” The people of Iraq became suspicious of him and said: “This is not your companion.” It was not long before they stabbed him and pierced him, so he increased in hatred for them, and they increased in terror of him. At that point he recognized their disunity and their disagreement with him, and he wrote to Muʿāwiyah seeking peace with him and corresponding with him about the settlement between them, on whatever terms they both chose. And from Abū Mūsā, who said: I heard al-Ḥasan say: By God, al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī faced Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān with battalions like mountains. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ said: “I see battalions that will not turn back until they kill their peers.” Muʿāwiyah said—and he was, by God, the better of the two men—: “O ʿAmr, if these kill those, and those kill these, who will be left for me to manage the people's affairs? Who will be left for me to care for their dependents? Who will be left for me to care for their women?” Then he sent to him two men of Quraysh from Banū ʿAbd Shams: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Samurah and ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿĀmir, and said: “Go to this man, make an offer to him, speak to him, and entreat him.” So they came to him and entered upon him and spoke, and said to him, and entreated him. Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī said to them: “We, the Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, have obtained from this wealth, and this community has ravaged its own blood.” They said: “He offers you such-and-such, and entreats you and asks you.” He said: “Who will guarantee this for me?” They said: “We will guarantee it for you.” So he did not ask them for anything except that they said: “We will guarantee it for you.” Then he made peace with him. Al-Ḥasan said: I heard Abū Bakrah say: I saw the Messenger of God ﷺ on the pulpit with al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī at his side, and he was turning to the people once and to him another time, saying: “This son of mine is a chief, and perhaps God will bring about reconciliation through him between two great factions of the Muslims.” Al-Ḥasan said: For by God, by God, after he took charge, not a cupping-glass full of blood was shed during his caliphate. And from Saʿīd b. Abī Saʿīd al-Madanī, who said: We were with Abū Hurayrah when al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī came and greeted, and we returned the greeting, but Abū Hurayrah did not know, and he passed on. We said: “O Abū Hurayrah, this is al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī who greeted us.” He said: So he followed him and caught up with him, and said: “And peace be upon you, O my chief.” And he said: I heard the Messenger of God ﷺ say: “He is a chief.” Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Muḥammad al-Madāʾinī said: The surrender of the matter by al-Ḥasan to Muʿāwiyah was on the fifth of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year forty-one. Others said: In Rabīʿ al-Ākhir. And it is said: At the beginning of Jumādā al-Ūlā. God knows best. The sermon of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī to inform the people of his stepping down in favor of Muʿāwiyah He said: Then Muʿāwiyah entered al-Kūfah and gave a sermon to the people there after the pledge of allegiance. Ibn Jarīr mentioned that ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ suggested to Muʿāwiyah that he order al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī to give a sermon to the people and inform them of his stepping down from the matter in favor of Muʿāwiyah. So Muʿāwiyah ordered al-Ḥasan, and he stood before the people as a preacher. In his sermon, after praising God and extolling Him and invoking blessings upon His Messenger ﷺ, he said: “Now then, O people. God guided you through the first of us and spared your blood through the last of us. This matter has a term, and the world is a succession of states. God Almighty said to His Prophet ﷺ: ‘I know not; perhaps it is a trial for you and an enjoyment for a time’ [al-Anbiyāʾ: 111].” When he said this, Muʿāwiyah became angry and ordered him to sit, and he blamed ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ for his suggestion of that, and he harbored resentment against him for it. God knows best. The rebuking of the people of al-Ḥasan for his stepping down in favor of Muʿāwiyah And from Yūsuf b. Saʿd, who said: A man stood up to al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī after he had pledged allegiance to Muʿāwiyah and said: “You have blackened the faces of the believers”—or: “O blackener of the faces of the believers.” He said: “Do not reproach me, may God have mercy on you. The Prophet ﷺ was shown the Banū Umayyah on his pulpit, and that grieved him, so there was revealed: ‘We have given you al-Kawthar, O Muḥammad’—meaning a river in Paradise—and there was revealed: ‘We sent it down on the Night of Decree. And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months’—a thousand months during which the Banū Umayyah will rule after you, O Muḥammad.” Al-Qāsim said: We counted, and it is one thousand months, not a day more nor less. And from Abū al-Gharīf, who said: We were in the vanguard of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, twelve thousand men at Maskin, ready to die, our swords dripping with zeal to fight the people of Syria, and over us was Abū al-ʿAmarraṭah. When the peace of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī came to us, it was as if our backs were broken from rage. When al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī arrived at al-Kūfah, a man among us called Abū ʿĀmir Sufyān b. al-Layl said to him: “Peace be upon you, O abaser of the believers.” He said: “Do not say this, O Abū ʿĀmir. I am not an abaser of the believers, but I disliked killing them over sovereignty.” The settling of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī in Madinah When Muʿāwiyah took control of the lands and entered al-Kūfah and preached there, and consensus gathered upon him in all the regions and horizons, and Qays b. Saʿd, one of the shrewd men of the Arabs, returned to him—though he had resolved upon dissension—and in that year consensus and agreement upon the pledge to Muʿāwiyah was achieved, al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī departed, along with his brother al-Ḥusayn and the rest of their brothers and their cousin ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar, from the land of Iraq to the land of the Prophetic Madinah—upon its inhabitant be the best of blessings and peace. Every time he passed by a district of their partisans, they rebuked him for what he had done in stepping down from the matter in favor of Muʿāwiyah. Yet he was in that an upright, pious, rightly guided, and praiseworthy man. He found no distress in his breast, nor self-reproach, nor regret; rather he was content with that and delighted by it, even though this displeased a number of his kin, his family, and his partisans, especially afterward for a long time, and so on down to this day of ours. The truth in that matter is to follow the Sunnah and to praise him for what he did in sparing the blood of the community, just as the Messenger of God ﷺ praised him for that, as previously mentioned in the authentic ḥadīth. To God be praise and grace.
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