Moral Characteristics of Imam Mujtaba (AS)

 

The manner, character, behavior and deeds of Imam Mujtaba (AS) were exemplary for the time. In a general summary, it can be concluded that historians have recorded the most important moral characteristics of his Imam as “the most generous, the most magnanimous, the most generous, the most meek, the most ascetic, the most truthful, the most pious, the most devout, the most honorable, the most forgiving and the most generous among the people.” Sheikh Saduq narrates in his book Amali about Imam Sadiq (AS) and his fathers as follows:

 

Imam Hassan (AS) was the most devout, the most pious and honorable among the people of his time. When he intended to perform Hajj, he would walk and sometimes bare his feet. He would never do anything except remember God. He was the most truthful of people and had the most eloquent speech. When he reached the door of the mosque, he would raise his head to the sky and offer:

 

O God, your guest is standing at the door of your house, O benefactor! A sinful servant has come to you, forgive me for the good that is with you, and for the bad that is with me."[7]

 

Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari says:

 

I heard Imam Mujtaba (a.s.) say: The noblest of morals are ten things: 1. Truthfulness; 2. Honesty in humility; 3. Giving to the beggar; 4. Good temper; 5. Rewarding deeds; 6. Bonding with relatives; 7. Supporting the neighbor; 8. Gratitude to the owner; 9. Hospitality; 10. The top of all these is modesty and modesty.[8]

 

If we want to examine the moral characteristics of the Imam, the best criterion is the Imam's own words, which we will examine some of his sayings.

 

1. Honesty in humility

 

The scope of the Imam's forgiveness and kindness was so extensive that it even included his killer. As "Umar bin Ishaq" says:

 

I and Husayn (a.s.) were at the moment We were martyred in the presence of Imam Mujtaba (AS) who said: “They have poisoned me many times, but this time it is different, because this time they have cut my liver into pieces.” Hussein (AS) asked with sadness: “Who poisoned you?” He said: “What do you want from him? Do you want to kill him? If it is the one I know, the wrath and punishment of God will be greater than yours. If it is not him, I do not want him to be caught innocent because of me.”[9]

 

2. Humility

 

The Imam, like his grandfather, the Messenger of God (PBUH), sat on the ground without any arrogance and ate with empty hands. One day, he was riding past a place when he saw a group of poor people sitting on the ground and had put some bread in front of them and were eating. When they saw Imam Hassan (PBUH), they introduced themselves to him and invited him to their table. The Imam got down from his mount and recited this verse: (Inna lai yihab al-mustakbarin); “God does not love the arrogant.”[10] Then they sat at their table and began to eat. When they were all full, the Imam invited them to his house and entertained them and gave them They gave him clothes.[11]

 

They always put others before themselves and always treated people with respect and humility. One day, while they were sitting in a place and about to leave, a poor old man entered. The Imam welcomed him and, out of respect and humility, said to him: “O man! When you entered, we wanted to leave. Will you allow us to leave?” The poor man said: “Yes, O son of the Messenger of God!”[12]

. Generous treatment of people

Ibn Shahr-Ashhub narrates in his book Manaqib:

 

A man asked Imam Mujtaba (AS) for financial assistance. The Imam gave him fifty thousand dirhams and five hundred dinars. Then he said: “Go and bring a porter to carry this money for you.” The man brought a porter. The Imam gave his green robe to the beggar and said: “This is the fare of the porter.”

 

Imam Mujtaba (AS) surpassed everyone in generosity and generosity; to the extent that he gave up his possessions with godly gifts and offered them all in the way of God’s pleasure. This in fact expressed his indifference to the deceptive appearances of the world. In this regard, it has been written:

 

Imam Mujtaba (AS) spent all his property and wealth in the way of God twice during his lifetime and divided his wealth into two halves three times, keeping half of it for himself and giving the other half in the way of God.[13]

 

5. Generosity and Meeting the Needs of Others

It can be said that the most prominent characteristic of Imam Mujtaba (AS), which is the best example for his friends, is his great generosity and taking care of others. He used to make everyone benefit from his generosity under various pretexts and gave so much that the needy person became needless; because according to the teachings of Islam, generosity should be in such a way that it eradicates the culture of begging and, if possible, removes the person from the circle of the needy. One day, the Imam was engaged in worship when a person was sitting next to him and said to God: “O God! Grant me ten thousand dirhams.” The Imam came to his house and sent him ten thousand dirhams.[14]

 

Imam Mujtaba (AS) never turned away a beggar and never said “no” to the needy and considered all the spiritual aspects of generosity. A man came to Imam Mujtaba (AS) and expressed his need. In order to avoid giving help face-to-face and not to embarrass the man, the Imam said: “Write what you want in a letter and send it to us so that your need may be met.” The man went and sent his needs in a letter to the Imam. The Imam also sent him what he had asked for. A person present there said to the Imam: “What a blessed letter that was for that man!” The Imam replied: “This was a greater blessing for me, which made me worthy of doing this good deed; because true forgiveness is when you fulfill a person’s need without asking, but if you give him what he asks for, it is in fact a price you have paid for his honor.”[15]

 

The Imam always prioritized meeting the needs of others. Ibn Abbas says:

 

I was with Imam Mujtaba (a.s.) in the Grand Mosque. The Imam was there in seclusion and engaged in Tawaf. A needy man came to him and said: “O son of the Messenger of God, I owe so-and-so a certain amount of money and I cannot pay his debt. If possible, [help me].” The Imam said: “To the owner of this house [and pointed to the Kaaba], unfortunately, I do not have any money at the moment.” The needy man said: “O son of the Messenger of God! Then ask him to give me a reprieve, because he has threatened me that if I do not pay my debt, he will throw me in prison.” The Imam interrupted his Tawaf and set out with the man to go to his creditor and ask for a reprieve. I said: “O son of the Messenger of God! It seems that you have forgotten that you have intended to observe I’tikaf in the mosque.” The Imam said: “No, I have not forgotten; but I heard from my father that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever fulfills the need of his believing brother is like one who has fasted for nine thousand years and spent his nights in worship.”[16]

6. Good-naturedness

Imam Mujtaba (AS) also had a kind heart towards the culturally poor and the ignorantly deceived. Although they treated the Imam with insults and disrespect due to the deception of their enemies; the Imam never got angry at their useless words and would caress them with kindness and compassion and strive to meet their needs. They too were amazed by the Imam's humble treatment and soon expressed regret for their words. A clear example of the Imam's humility towards the culturally poor and the religiously lost without identity is the meeting with the Syrian man whose story will be told later.

 

Similarly, the Imam always responded to kindness with kindness. Even his response to unkindness was kindness. The Imam had a beautiful sheep that they showed interest in. One day, they saw the sheep lying in a corner and moaning. They went further and saw that its leg had been broken. The Imam asked his servant: “Who broke the leg of this animal?” The servant said: “I broke it.” The Imam asked: “Why did you do that?” He said: “To make you sad.” The Imam said with a heartwarming smile: “But in return, I will please you and freed the servant.”[17]

 

7. Rewarding deeds

During the journey when the Imam was going on Hajj with Imam Hussain (AS) and Abdullah ibn Ja’far, a camel carrying provisions got lost and they were left hungry and thirsty in the middle of the way. At that time, they noticed a tent in which an old woman lived alone. They asked her for water and food. The old woman, who was a kind and hospitable person, milked the only sheep she had and then said: “Slaughter it for food so that I can prepare food for you.” The Imam slaughtered the sheep and the woman prepared food for them from it. They ate the food and after eating, they thanked the woman and said: "We are people from Quraysh who are going on Hajj. If you come to Medina, come to us so that we can repay your hospitality." Then they said goodbye to the woman and continued on their way. At night, the woman's husband came to her tent and she told him the story of the party. The man became angry and said: "How could you kill the only sheep that was all we had in this wilderness for people you didn't know?" A long time passed until the Bedouins flocked to Medina due to poverty and drought. The woman also came to Medina with her husband. One of these days, Imam Mujtaba (a.s.) saw the old woman in the alley and said: "O servant of God! Do you know me?" She said: "No." He said: "I am the same person who stayed in your tent with two people a long time ago. My name is Hassan bin Ali." The old woman was happy and said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!" In return for her sacrifice and hospitality, the Imam gave her a thousand sheep and a thousand dinars and sent her to his brother Hussein (AS). He also gave her the same amount of sheep and dinars and sent her to Abdullah bin Ja'far. Abdullah, following his leaders, gave the same amount to the old woman.[18]

 

With this gratitude, the Imam both rewarded the good deed of the old woman and entertained the strange guest. He often said about the poor people who had been entertained by him:

 

Virtue is with them. Although their hospitality is small and they have no money, they are superior, because they have nothing other than what they entertain us with and have spent everything they have, while we have more money than what we leave for our guests.[19]

. Supporting the Neighbor

A Jewish family lived in the neighborhood of the Imam. The wall of the Jewish house had a crack through which impure moisture from his house was seeping into the Imam's house. The Jew was also unaware of this until one day a Jewish woman came to the Imam's house to ask for help and saw that the crack in the wall had caused the wall of the Imam's house to become impure. She immediately went to her husband and informed him. The Jewish man came to the Imam and apologized for his negligence and was ashamed that the Imam had been silent and had not said anything during this time. In order to prevent him from being further embarrassed, the Imam said: "I heard from my grandfather, the Messenger of God (PBUH), that you should be kind to your neighbors." The Jew, seeing this, forgave him and treated him kindly, went to his house, took the hands of his wife and child, and came to the Imam and asked him to convert them to Islam.[20]

 

9. Gratitude to the Rightful Owner

Kindness towards the servants of God was one of the prominent characteristics of Imam Mujtaba (AS). Anas says:

 

One day I was in the presence of the Imam when one of his maidservants entered with a flower in her hand and presented it to the Imam. The Imam took the flower from her and kindly said to her: “Go, you are free!” I, who was surprised by this behavior of the Imam, said: “O son of the Messenger of God! This maidservant only gave you one flower. Then you will set her free?!” The Imam replied: “The Great and Merciful God has told us that whoever shows you kindness, repay him twice as much.”[21] Then he said: “The reward for his kindness was his freedom.”[22]

 

10. Hospitality

The Imam always made a serious effort in welcoming guests. Sometimes he would welcome people he did not know. He was especially fond of welcoming the poor. They would take them to their homes, warmly welcome them, and give them clothes and wealth.

 

Throughout their blessed lives, Imam Hassan (AS) always walked on the path of guiding people, and the way he treated everyone - even his enemies - was so beautiful that it attracted everyone to him.

 

Historians have written:

 

One day, Imam Mujtaba (AS) was riding a horse. A Syrian man came across his path and cursed him. When he finished cursing, the Imam turned to him and greeted him! Then he laughed and said: "O man! I imagine you are a stranger here... If you ask us for something, we will give you; if you are hungry, we will feed you; if you are naked, we will clothe you; if you are in need, we will make you free from need; if you are driven from somewhere, we will shelter you; if you have asked for something, we will fulfill it. Come now and be our guest. As long as you are here, you are our guest..." The Syrian man, who saw all this solicitude and love from the Imam, began to cry and said: "I bear witness that you are the Caliph of God on earth, and God knows best where to place the position of Caliphate and Prophethood. Before this, I had a hard time hating you and your father, but now I consider you the most beloved of God's creation." From then on, that man was considered one of the friends and followers of the Imam and continued to be his guest as long as he was in Medina.[23]

Sources

 

The Holy Quran.

 

1. Ibn Athir, Izz al-Din, Asad al-Ghabah fi Ma’rifat al-Sahaba, Beirut: Darahiya al-Turat al-Arabi Publications, 1393 AH.

 

2. Isfahani, Imad al-Din Hussein, Life of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (AS), Tehran: Muhammad Publications, bi-ta.

 

3. Amin, Seyyed Mohsen, Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS) (Shiite Nobles), first edition, translator, Research and Writing Department, Bija, Publications of the Joint Stock Printing Company (Ministry of Islamic Guidance), 1982.

 

4. Behbahani, Mohammad Baqir, Karim Ahl al-Bayt (AS), translator, Ebrahim Soltani Nasab, proofreader, Mohammad Ali Hosseinzadeh, first edition, Tehran: Siyam Publications, 1981.

 

Pishvai, Mahdi, Seerah of the Leaders, second edition, Qom: Imam Research and Educational Institute Publications, 1995.

 

5. Jafarian, Rasool, Intellectual and Political Life of the Shiite Imams (AS), first edition, Qom: Ansarian Publications affiliated with the World Center for Islamic Sciences, 1997.

 

6. Dashti, Mohammad, Dictionary of the Sayings of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (AS), first edition, Qom: Amir al-Momenin Publications, 1990.

 

7. Rashidi, Hossein, Life Imam Hassan Mujtaba (AS) (Stories and Instructive Hadiths from the Noble Ahl al-Bayt (AS), first edition, Qom: Bayan al-Haq Publications. 1389.

 

8. Sharif Qurashi, Baqir, Hayat al-Imam al-Hasan ibn Ali (AS), first edition, Beirut: Dar al-Balagha Publications, 1413 AH.

 

9. Qadiani, Abbas, Zindegani 14dah Masoom, first edition, Qom: Fardabeh Publications, 1380.

 

10. Qomi, Abbas, Muntahi al-Amal, first edition, Qom: Ansarian Publications, 1386.

 

11. Mazandarani, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Shahrashub, Manaqib Al Abi Talib (AS), Qom: Allama Publications, 1379 AH.

 

12. Motawasal, Ahmad, The Miracles of Imam Hassan (AS) from Birth to Martyrdom, First Edition, Qom: Dar al-Fikr Publications, 1386.

 

13. Majlisi, Mohammad Baqir, Bihar al-Anwar, Beirut: Al-Wafa Publications, 1403 AH.

 

14. Hadi Manesh, Abolfazl, Aftab Hassan An Analytical Approach to the Life of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (AS), Second Edition, Qom: Daftar al-Aql Publications, 1387.

Footnotes

 

[1] Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 33.

 

[2] Rasool Jafarian, The Intellectual and Political Life of the Shiite Imams, p. 120, first edition, Qom: Ansarian Publications, 1376.

 

[3] Seyyed Mohsen Amin, Ayan-e-Shiite, translated by the Research and Writing Department, p. 34, first edition, Ministry of Guidance Joint Stock Company Publications, 1361.

 

[4] Ibid.

 

[5] Ayan-e-Shiite, p. 36.

 

[6] Rasool Jafarian, ibid., p. 121.

 

[7] Sheikh Abbas Qomi, Muntaha-e-Amal, p. 307, first edition, Qom: Ansarian Publications, 1386.

 

[8] Emad al-Din Isfahani, The Life of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (a.s.), p. 225, Tehran: Mohammad Publications, Bita.

 

[9] Ibn Athir, Asdal Ghabah, vol. 2, p. 15, Beirut: Darahia Al-Trath al-Arabi Publications, 1393 A.H.

 

[10] Surah Nahl, verse 23.

 

[11] Mohammad Baqer Majlesi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, 253, Beirut: Al-Wafa Publications, 1403 AH.

 

[12] Abul-Fadl Hadi-Manish, Aftab Hasan Ruykurdi, An Analytical Approach to the Life of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (AS), p. 46, second edition, Qom: Daftar-e-Aql Publications, 1387.

 

[13] Mahdi Pishvai, Seerah of the Leaders, pp. 90-91, second edition, Qom: Imam Research and Educational Institute Publications, 1374.

 

[14] Ibn Shahr-e-Ashūb Mazandarani, Manaqib Aal Abi Talib, vol. 4, p. 17, Qom: Allama Publications, 1379 AH.

 

[15] Hadi-Manish, ibid., p. 44.

 

[16] ibid., p. 45.

 

[17] Baqir Sharif Qureshi, Hayy-al-Imam al-Hasan ibn Ali (AS), vol. 1, p. 314, Beirut: Dar al-Balagha Publications, 1413 AH.

 

[18] Ayan-e-Shi’ah, pp. 39-40.

 

[19] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 253.

 

[20] Hadi Manish, ibid., p. 38.

 

[21] Surah an-Nisa, verse 86.

 

[22] Muhammad Baqir Behbahani, Karim Ahl al-Bayt:, p. 71, first edition, Tehran: Siyam Publications, 1380.

 

[23] Manaqib al-Abi Talib, vol. 4, p. 19.

 

[24] Muhammad Dashti, Farhang Qabah of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (a.s.), p. 243, first edition, Qom: Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) Publications, 1389.

 

[25] Muntaha al-Amal, p. 306.

 

[26] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 331.

 

[27] Ibid. 332.

 

[28] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 44, p. 91.

 

[29] Hadi Manish, ibid., p. 42.

 

[30] Manaqib al-Ali Abu Talib, vol. 4, p. 21.

 

[31] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 352.

 

[32] Surah al-Baqarah, verse 197.

 

[33] Surah al-Baqarah, 197.

 

[34] Surah Yusuf, verse 38.

 

[35] Surah al-Shura, verse 23.