DID IMAM AL-HASAN (ع) PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO MU'AWIYA AS MENTIONED IN RIJAL AL-KASHI?

﷽

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his pure, immaculate family, and may the curse of Allah be upon all their enemies.

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you,

Upon reviewing the matter, the Sheikh stated that the adversary has no valid argument against us based on this report. This is because it is an unknown [Majhul] report with no certainty regarding its reliability or accuracy. The narrator in question, Al-Fadl or Al-Fudhayl, the servant of Muhammad bin Rashid, is not known for trustworthiness or precision [2]

Even for the sake of argument, the expression of "pledging allegiance" in this context is a figurative one, meant only to indicate a ceasefire and not to imply recognition of the legitimacy of the caliphate or the qualification of Muawiyah, may Allah curse him, for leadership. It is established that one of the conditions set by Imam Al-Hasan, peace be upon him, for the truce and agreement was that "Muawiyah must not be referred to as the Commander of the Faithful," as narrated by the leading scholar of the adversaries, Ibn Khuzayma, which can be found in ʿIlal al-Sharāʾiʿ [Vol. 1, p. 210]  [3]

Additionally, Sulaym bin Qays has narrated that Imam Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, ascended the pulpit after meeting with Muawiyah. He praised and glorified Allah, then said:

أيها الناس إن معاوية زعم أني رأيته للخلافة أهلا ولم أرَ نفسي لها أهلا، وكذب معاوية، أنا أولى الناس بالناس في كتاب الله وعلى لسان نبي الله، فأقسم بالله لو أن الناس بايعوني وأطاعوني ونصروني لأعطتهم السماء قطرها والأرض بركتها، ولما طمعتَ فيها يا معاوية»

"O people, Muawiyah claims that I deemed him suitable for the caliphate and that I did not consider myself fit for it. Muawiyah has lied. I am the most deserving of the people in accordance with the Book of Allah and the words of the Prophet of Allah. By Allah, if the people had pledged allegiance to me, obeyed me, and supported me, the sky would have granted them its rain, and the earth its blessings, and you, O Muawiyah, would not have been able to covet it." (Bihār al-Anwār, Vol. 44, p. 22) [4] [5]

May Allah grant you success in attaining His pleasure.

References

[1] Al-Tusi, Shaykh. Ikhtiyar Ma‘rifat al-Rijal, Known as Rijal al-Kashshi (with the annotations of Mir Damad al-Astaraabadi), Volume 1, Page 325

[2] The Shi'ite Scholar Muhammad Al-Jawahiri has stated the following:

9401 - 9400 - 9419 - الفضل غلام: محمد بن راشد يأتي في الفضل مولى محمد بن راشد " المجهول

"9401 - 9400 - 9419 - Al-Fadl, the servant of Muhammad bin Rashid: He is referenced as "Al-Fadl, the freed slave of Muhammad bin Rashid," and is classified as unknown (majhūl)."

[Al-Mufid min Muʿjam Rijal Al-Hadith, Shaykh Muhammad Al-Jawahiri, Page 458]

[3] The Shi'ite Scholar Ash-Shaykh As-Saduq has mentioned the following: 

قال محمد بن علي مصنف هذا الكتاب قد ذكر محمد بن بحر الشيباني رضي الله عنه في كتابه المعروف بكتاب الفروق بين الأباطيل و الحقوق في معنى موادعة الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب (ع) لمعاوية فذكر سؤال سائل عن تفسير حديث يوسف بن مازن الراشي في هذا المعنى و الجواب عنه و هو الذي رواه أبو بكر محمد بن الحسن بن إسحاق بن خزيمة النيسابوري قال حدثنا أبو طالب زيد بن أحزم قال حدثنا أبو داود قال حدثنا القاسم بن الفضل قال حدثنا يوسف بن مازن الراشي قال بايع الحسن بن علي (ص) معاوية على أن لا يسميه أمير المؤمنين

Muhammad bin ‘Ali, the author of this book, stated: Muhammad bin Bahr al-Shaybani, may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned in his work Kitab al-Furuq bayn al-Abatil wa al-Haqaiq [The Book of Distinctions Between Falsehoods and Truths] an explanation regarding the treaty of al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, with Mu‘awiya. He recorded a query from an inquirer concerning the interpretation of the narration of Yusuf bin Mazin Ar-Rashi on this matter, along with the response to it. The narration was transmitted by Abu Bakr Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Ishaq bin Khuzayma An-Naysaburi, who said: “Abu Talib Zayd bin Ahzam narrated to us, saying: Abu Dawud narrated to us, saying: Al-Qasim ibn al-Fadl narrated to us, saying: Yusuf bin Mazin Ar-Rashi narrated to us, saying:

بايع الحسن بن علي (ص) معاوية على أن لا يسميه أمير المؤمنين

‘Al-Hasan bin ‘Ali, peace be upon him, pledged allegiance to Mu‘awiya on the condition that he [Mu'awiyah] would not be addressed as Amir al-Mu’minin [Commander of the Faithful].’”

[Al-Shaykh As-Saduq. ‘Ilal al-Sharā’i‘, Volume 1, Pages: 211-212]

[4] Al-‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 44, p. 22

[5] Sulaym bin Qays. Kitab Sulaym bin Qays. Annotated by Muhammad Baqir al-Ansari, p. 458

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This narration is often cited by opponents [the Sunnis]:

[Source:] Rijal Al-Kashshi: Reported by Jibra'il bin Ahmad, Abu Ishaq Hamdawayh, and Ibrahim bin Nasir from Muhammad bin Abdul Hamid Al-‘Attar Al-Kufi, from Yunus bin Ya’qub, from Fudayl, the servant of Muhammad bin Rashid, who said:

سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: إن معاوية كتب إلى الحسن بن علي صلوات الله عليهما أن: أقدم أنت والحسين وأصحاب علي فخرج معهم قيس بن سعد ابن عبادة الأنصاري فقدموا الشام، فأذن لهم معاوية، وأعد لهم الخطباء فقال: يا حسن قم قبايع فقام وبايع، ثم قال للحسين عليه السلام: قم فبايع، فقام فبايع، ثم قال: يا قيس قم فبايع فالتفت إلى الحسين عليه السلام ينظر ما يأمره، فقال: يا قيس إنه إمامي يعني الحسن عليه السلام

"I heard Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace be upon him) say: ‘Mu’awiyah wrote to Hasan bin Ali, peace be upon them, requesting him to come forward along with Husayn and the companions of Ali. Thus, they travelled together, accompanied by Qays bin Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah al-Ansari, to meet Mu’awiyah in Damascus. Mu’awiyah allowed them entry and prepared for them a gathering with public speakers. He then said to Hasan, ‘Rise and pledge allegiance.’ Hasan stood and pledged allegiance. Then he turned to Husayn and said, ‘Rise and pledge allegiance.’ Husayn then stood and pledged allegiance. Finally, he addressed Qays and said, ‘Rise and pledge allegiance.’

At this, Qays turned to Husayn, looking to see what he would instruct. Husayn responded, ‘O Qays, he, Hasan, is my Imam,’ referring to Hasan bin Ali, peace be upon them." [1]

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