On the tragic date of 8 Rabiul Awwal, the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL) condoles the Master of our time (as), the Ahlul Bayt (as) and all believers on the martyrdom anniversary of the 11^th infallible successor, Imam Hasan ibn Ali, al-Askari, the father of our Master.

 
Imam Hasan al-Askari was born on 10 Rabiul Akhir in 232 AH / 946 CE in Madinah to the 10^th Imam, Ali an-Naqi and his wife lady Susan / Salil Khatun. Imam Ali Naqi (as)’s life was spent in great hardship either under the watchful eyes of the Abbasid rulers when he was in Madinah, or under house arrest in Samarra, a garrison town. Imam Hasan (as)’s life was spent in this garrison town under house arrest, or in prison in Baghdad, hence the title Askari (army). Bur despite this oppression and limitations on his movements, he still led the community in guiding them to the true teachings of the Quran and the Prophet’s Sunnah.

 
Imam Hasan al-Askari guided the people through the divinely ordained wisdom bestowed on him: at times that meant exposing a Christian priest who was using relics and magic to fool people.
 

He married Narjis Khatun, a princess, granddaughter of the emperor of Rome, yet their lives were constantly patrolled. The caliphs feared the birth of the last twelfth Imam, but the miraculous concealed birth of Imam Mahdi (as) in 255 AH could not be averted.  However, Imam Hasan led a very short life in which he endured many sufferings. In 260 AH / 874 CE, he was martyred by poisoning during the rule of Mutamid the accursed. His five year old son led his funeral prayers before Allah took him into minor occultation to save him from the enemies’ plots.

 
This martyrdom is very grievous for all believers, for this is the day that our Master (as), the Infallible who we swear allegiance to and live to serve Allah (swt) by serving him (as), was orphaned. This was the beginning of the years of torment to follow for our Imam, to be taken into occultation, ever present to guide us, yet also watching the torment and suffering of his people and all humanity.
 

Indeed these days of mourning for Imam Husain (as) culminate in the mourning for Imam Hasan al-Askari (as), where we see how the entire line of Allah’s infallible pious righteous servants have been hounded and oppressed by the rulers seeking to lead people astray from the message of Islam. But real Islam cannot be sought from those who were paid by the rulers to invent lies and fabricated hadiths to justify their despotic rule: real Islam can only be found in the holy progeny of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).
 

WABIL prays that we may follow the life example of patience and perseverance of Imam Hasan al-Askari (as) and that we live and die to serve his son our Master (as).
 

Sayed Mohammad Al-Musawi
World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL)
London, U.K
 

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