Al-Hasan Al-Basree, the leader of the disciples of the Companions of the Prophet was, in fact, the son of Yasar

the slave of Zayd Ibn Thabet Al Ansari. His mother Ummul-Hasan was a slave woman of Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him). So he was born in the house of the Prophet, and his father's master was one of the famous scribes who recorded Divine revelation for the unlettered Prophet. Yasar, father of al-Hasan was a slave captured in Meesan between Basra and Waset in Iraq. He lived in Madinah where he was liberated from slavery. Then he got maried two years before the end of Uthmn's caliphate.Al-Hasan was brought up in Wadi Al Qura. Another report says that Ummul Hasan was captured and taken prisoner of war when she was pregnant. She gave birth to al-Hasan in Madinah. What is sure, however, is that al-Hasan was the son of two ex-slaves. Muhammad Ibn Sallam says that Umm Salamah used to send Ummul-Hasan to do anything for her. Al-Hasan used to cry in his mother's absence; so Umm Salama would breast-feed him for some time. She would also bring him out to the Companions of the Prophet while he was still young. They would pray for him. Once Umar Ibn Al-Khattab said: "O Allah! Make him well-versed in religion and make people love him." Al-Hasan al-Basree was as his name implies, the greatest scholar of Basra city. He met Uthmn, Talhah and a number of other senior Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Abu Hilal says:' I heard al-Hasan say: "Moses the Prophet of God, used to cover his private parts whenever he took a bath." Ibn Burayda asked al-Hasan: "Whom have you heard this from?" "From Abu Huraira", he said. Al-Hasan says: "I used to enter the rooms of the Messenger of Allah during the caliphate of Uthmn; I would touch their ceilings for I was a grown up boy then. I was 14 years old when Uthmn was killed". A beautiful tradition reported by al-Hasan al-Basree on the authority of Anas Ibn Malek is the following. He said: 'The Messenger of God peace be upon him used to give the Friday sermon while standing near a piece of wood against which he would lean his back. When the number of people increased in the Masjid he said: "Make a pulpit of two steps for me", which they did. When the Prophet stood up to give the sermon on Friday the said piece of wood moaned as if it expressed its feeling of missing the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Anas comments: "I was in the mosque and heard the piece moan. It continued to moan until the Prophet descended to it and embraced it. Then it was silent."'

As a matter of fact, whenever al-Hasan narrated this tradition he would cry and say: O slaves of God! A piece of wood misses the Messenger of God! It is you who should do so. It may sound strange how can a piece of wood moan and feel sorry and miss the absence of the Prophet. First of all there are other authentic traditions that confirm this incident. As Muslims we believe that everything in this world glorifies the praises of God. Trees and stones used to greet the Messenger of God, which is one of his minor miracles. Rabeeah Ibn Kulthoom quotes al-Hasan al-Basree as saying: 'We learnt from Abu Huraira the following: "The Prophet ordered me to do three things: To take a shower every Friday, to finish my prayers nightly with one final prostration and to fast three days of every month." Muhammad Ibn Saad says in his famous encyclopedia called Al Tabaqat that al-Hasan al-Basree was all embracing in his knowledge, a real scholar of a high standard, one who excels in jurisprudence, reliable as a source, trustworthy, a sincere worshipper, overflowing with learning, outspoken, beautiful and handsome. He was also one of the bravest men. No one looks like him except a prophet. That is why Ibn Burda says: "No one is similar to the Companions of the Prophet as he was." Thus Abu Qatada says: 'Keep close to this old man, for I have seen no one whose opinion is like that of Umar as alHasan is. Anas Ibn Malek says: "Ask al-Hasan for he still remembers while we forgot."' Muath Ibn Muath says: I said to Al Ashaath: "You have met Atta and you had questions to ask why didn't you ask him?" He said: "I have never met anyone after al-Hasan al-Basree but was small in my eyes." Hammam says: "It is said that the earth will never be lacking in seven men; through them people will get rain, and with their blessing they will be defended and I hope that al-Hasan is one of them." A man asked Atta about reciting the Quran on the funeral. He said: "We never learnt or heard that it is recited upon." The man said: "Al-Hasan says that we have to recite." Atta then said: "Follow this, because al-Hasan is a great scholar." Abu Jaafar Al Razi says: I remained a student of al-Hasan for ten years during which I always heard something new. Once al-Hasan described the effect of the Quran on the believer. He said:

"Son of Adam! By God if you recite the Quran then believe in it then your sadness will be long in this life, so will be your fear and your weeping." That is why one contemporary of al-Hasan says: "I never saw anyone who had such a long time of sadness as al-Hasan al-Basree. Everytime I met him I thought he had a new misfortune." Imam Al Qasseer says: Once I asked al-Hasan about something. Then I said: "Scholars of jurisprudence say so and so". He said: "Have you ever seen a real scholar of this category. Such a scholar is he who is not interested in this life, who knows his sins and who continuously worships his Lord." Khaled Ibn Safwan was a close neighbour of al-Hasan al-Basree. Describing him once he said: "I never saw a man like him. His outward appearance is identical to his inner reality, his words are identical to his deeds; if he enjoins what is right he is the first to do it, and when he forbids what is wrong he is the farthest one from it. I found him never in need of other people, but people were in need of him." Al-Hasan al-Basree once swore by Allah that he will be humiliated by Allah (i.e.:) who honours money. That is why he said: "Two bad comrades are the dinar and the dirham. They are useful to you only when they leave you." Hajjaj Al Aswad says: A man once expressed the following wish. He said: "I wish I were a hermit like al-Hasan, as pious as Ibn Seereen, as a good worshipper as Ubadah Ibn Abd Qays and as understanding jurisprudence as Saeed Ibn Al Musayyib." Those who heard these wishes said: "All these are found in al-Hasan al-Basree." Iyas Ibn Abi Tameema says: 'I saw al-Hasan in the funeral of Abu Raja. He was riding a mule and Al Farazdaq, the famous poet, was along his side on a camel. The latter said to alHasan: "You and I are higher than all those attending the funeral. They will say: 'Look! The best and the worst are together alone.'" Al-Hasan very humbly said: "O Abu Firas. It may be that a bad looking person is much better than me; and you are better than many old men who are polytheists. What have you prepared for death?" Al Farazdaq said: "The testimony that there is no diety except God." Al-Hasan said: "It has its own conditions. Don't attack chaste women in your poetry."

Al Farazdaq asked: "Is there any chance for repentance?" Al-Hasan said: "Of course there is." Sahl Ibn Hussayn Al Bahilee said: "Once I sent (a message) to Abdullah, (the) son of al-Hasan al-Basree, and asked him to send me all the books of his father." He wrote to Sahl saying: "When my father became seriously ill he asked me to collect them which I did. Then al-Hasan ordered his servant to burn them all except one paper which he sent to his son. When the latter came to his father al-Hasan he asked him to read the contents of the paper which he did and al-Hasan approved it." Some of the wise sayings of al-Hasan: Saleh Al Murri said, al-Hasan said: "Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has gone." Mubarak Ibn Faddalah said: 'I heard al-Hasan say the following: "Death has shown the reality of this worldly life. It did not leave any happiness for those who are wise."' Thabet quotes al-Hasan as saying: "The laughter of a believer is a sign of the inadvertence of his heart." Talha Ibn Sabeeh said: al-Hasan said: "A believer believes in what God has said. He is the best of men in his deeds, but he fears God most, so that if he spends the size of a mountain of money, he would not be sure of his reward until he sees this with his own eyes. The more righteous and charitable the believer is, the more afraid of God he becomes. While the hypocirte says: 'Men are too many, I shall be forgiven. There is no harm on me.' Thus he acts badly, but wishes many things from God." This wise saying of al-Hasan al-Basree reminds me of another saying which describes real faith according to Islam. Faith is not mere wishes but what you have in your heart which is confirmed by your deeds. This means that deeds are the real test of faith. Younus said: 'When death approached al-Hasan he began to say: "We are from God and to Him we shall return."

When he repeated this his son said: "My father you make us sad for your sake. Have you seen anything around you which you don't like?" Al-Hasan said: "It is only myself nothing is more heavy for me than it is." Hassan Ibn Hisham says: "We were with Muhammad Ibn Seereen on Thursday evening when a man told him about the death of al-Hasan al-Basree. He was so sad that he kept silent and the colour of his face was changed. He lived after al-Hasan for one hundred days only. May God be pleased with both."

His blessed name was Hasan and his nickname Abu Saeed. Another two nicknames are also attributed to him Abu Muhammad and Abu Nasr. His fathers name was Yasar who was the maulaa (emancipated slave) of Hadhrat Zaid Bin Thabit (radhiyallahu anhu). His mothers name was Khairah who was the Baandi (slave girl) of Hadhrat Umm-e-Salmah (radhiyallahu anha), the noble wife of Rasulullah () . His father had embraced Islam in 12 Hijri at the hands of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu anhu). Hadhrat Hasan (rahmatullah alayh) was born in Madinah Munawwarah during the Khilaafat of Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu), two years before Hadhrat Umars demise. When he was born, he was taken to Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) who carried out the tahneek rite. He instructed: Name him Hasan because his face is hasan (beautiful). Hadhrat Umm-e-Salmah (radhiyallahu anha) played a prominent role in his upbringing and moral training. According to Hadhrat Abu Zarah, at the age of 14 years Hadhrat Hasan became the mureed of Hadhrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu). Thereafter Hadhrat Hasan migrated to Kufa and Basrah. Hadhrat Hasan had three sons Ali, Muhammad and Saeed. Hadhrat Hasan was an embodiment of all the lofty attributes necessary for a Wali-e-Kaamil (a perfect saint). A very large segment of the Ummah has always glowingly praised him. Among his contemporaries he was incomparable. Hajjaaj Bin Irtat says that when he asked Ata Bin Abi Rabaah concerning Hadhrat Hasan, he said: Cling to him strongly. He is a great Imaam who is followed (by the Ummah). Hammad Bin Salmah said: We have seen many Fuqaha. But we have not seen anyone with such a high moral culture as Hasan Basri.

Hadhrat Amash said: Hasan Basri always accumulated hikmat (wisdom), then disseminated it. Hadhrat Baqir would say: Hadhrat Hasan Basris speech resembled the speech of the Ambiya. He remained perpetually in the state of wudhu. One night his sleep was disturbed more than 70 times. Each time he awoke, he performed wudhu and two rakats Namaaz. In taqwa he was unique. In this regard he would frequently say: Taqwa is the basis of Deen. Desire and greed destroy this basis. His relationship with the Sunnah of Rasulullah ( evol gninrub fo eno saw ( and devotion. He went to extremes in following the Sunnah and instructing others to also follow the Sunnah. Khauf (Divine Fear) was excessive in him. Frequently this fear would reduce him to tears because he feared that Allah Taala may rebuff him on account of sin which he had committed and reject his ibaadat. Once he accompanied a janaazah to the qabrustaan. After the burial, he stood at the graveside shedding tears in abundance. Then he said: People, beware! The end of the world and the beginning of the Aakhirah is this grave. The Hadith says that the grave is the first of the stations of the Aakhirah. Why love such a world, the end of which is the grave. Why do you not fear Qiyaamah, the inception of which is this grave? The moving eloquence of his naseehat reduced the gathering to tears. He said that when a person dies and the inmates of the house begin to cry, then Malakul Maut, standing in the doorway, says: I did not consume his provisions (rizq). He has completed his provisions. I have not decreased his age. Remember, I have to repeatedly visit this house. Hadhrat Hasan then said: I swear by Allah! If the house folk could see the Angel at this time and hear him, they would forget about the dead person and worry about themselves. Humility was overwhelming in him. He always regarded himself to be the most contemptible person. Once when someone asked him: Hasan, are you or the dog better?, he responded: If I am saved from Allahs punishment, I am better than the dog. But if I am apprehended by Allahs punishment, the dog is a thousand times better.

At times when seeing a dog, he would supplicate: O Allah! Accept me through the medium of this dog. According to Hadhrat Hasan, the omission of Tahajjud Salaat is because of a sin committed. He therefore advised observance of muhaasabah before going to bed and repentance for any sin committed during the day to ensure the acquisition of Tahajjud Salaat. (Muhaasabah means to take stock of oneself. This exercise entails thinking about the days acts and utterances. For every good act recalled, be grateful to Allah Taala and for every sinful or futile deed committed, regret and repent. When a man who regularly performs Tahajjud Salaat misses this Salaat, the omission, after deep reflection, can be traceable to some sinful deed. In relation to the Sulahaa (Pious) even futility and idle talk are tantamount to sins which produce spiritual darkness Translator.) Tahajjud is difficult for a person who indulges in transgressions. Allah Taala had bestowed to him a wonderful ability in lecturing. His lectures were most eloquent. He would deliver a waz (lecture) once every week. A very large number of people laymen and even Auliyaattended his discourses. However, if Hadhrat Rabiyah (rahmatullah alayha) was not present, he would not deliver his discourse. When asked to explain the reason for this, he said: The drink which fills the water-trough of elephants cannot be poured for ants. Once when Hadhrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) visited Basrah, he attended one of Hadhrat Hasans discourses. Hadhrat Ali asked: Hasan, are you an Aalim or a Searcher of Knowledge? Hadhrat Hasan responded: I am neither. However, I deliver (to others whatever has reached me from Rasulullah () . Hadhrat Ali then said: This young man is qualified to deliver discourses. So saying, Hadhrat Ali departed and banned all other incompetent lecturers from lecturing. Once it was reported to Hadhrat Hasan Basri that in the city was a man who loved to live in solitude. One day Hadhrat Hasan visited him and enquired: You appear to love solitude. Why do you not meet people? He replied: The duty in which I am occupied does not permit me to meet people. Hadhrat Hasan: In this place resides Hasan Basri. You should frequent him. (The man was unaware that it was Hasan speaking to him). The man: The duty which keeps me away from others, also restrains me from visiting Hasan

Basri. Hadhrat Hasan: What is this duty? The man: When I contemplate, I see Allahs bounties and my sins. I am thus occupied in rendering shukr for the bounties and repenting for my sins. Hadhrat Hasan: You are more intelligent than Hasan Basri. It suffices that you remain occupied in your duty. Once when Hadhrat Hasan Basri saw a youth indulging in laughter, he said: Have you already crossed the Siraat? (The Bridge over Jahannum.) Youth: No! Hadhrat Hasan: Do you know whether you are going to enter Jannat or Jahannum? Youth: No! Hadhrat Hasan: Why then this laughter? The narrator says that the youth was never again seen laughing. (Such was the electrifying effect of Hadhrat Basris naseehat Translator). Some sayings of Hadhrat Hasan Basri: A man will be released after a thousand years in Jahannum. How wonderful, if I could be that person. (At least this mans salvation is assured, hence Hadhrat Hasans yearning Translator) When Allah intends to do good to a bandah (Allahs devotee), He prevents him from engrossment in his family. (It should be understood that fulfilment of the huqooq of the family and engrossment with the family are two different issues. While the former, i.e. Huqooq, is obligatory, the latter is spiritually detrimental.) The requisite for tawaadhu (humility) is to believe everyone else to be nobler than oneself. A true repentance produces proximity to Allah Taala. When a man complained of the hardness of his heart, Hadhrat Hasan said: Attend gatherings of Thikr. I have met such Auliya whose dislike for even halaal things exceed your dislike for haraam things. Tama (Worldly desire) blemishes the Aalim. I swear by Allah! Allah disgraces a person who loves money. The world is a vehicle for you. If you drive it, it will deliver you to your destination. If it drives you, you will be destroyed. Abstain from being an enemy of Allahs obedient servant. Allah will never assign him to your control. If he is a sinner, refrain from being his enemy because he will see the consequences of his misdeeds. A man who claims Allahs Love but does not dislike sins, is false in his claim of love. Once he heard a man reciting the hadith: A man will be together with the one whom he loves. Hadhrat Hasan Basri, commented: Do not be deceived. This companionship will be acquired only if one practises such deeds as the person (whose companionship is desired).

When anyone would make gheebat about him, Hadhrat Hasan would send him a gift of dates with the message: Your gift (i.e. the gheebat) is vastly superior to my insignificant gift. His Demise According to conflicting narrations, Hadhrat Hasan Basri (rahmatullah alayh) passed away during the reign of Hisham Bin Abdul Malik either on the 4th Muharram, or 1st Rajab in the year 110 Hijri at the age of 90 years. He was buried in Basrah. On the occasion of his demise, a wonderful episode was enacted. During his final moments he laughingly exclaimed: Which sin? Which sin? Thereafter he died. In a dream a buzrug asked Hadhrat Hasan the reason for his laughter and the meaning of the statement. He replied: At the time of death I heard a voice saying: O Malakul Maut! Be harsh with him. There yet remains a sin on him. I was pleased to hear this and laughingly enquired about the sin. The author of Siyarul Aqtab has enumerated five of Hadhrat Hasans khulafaa. Among them, Shaikh Abdul Wahid Bin Zaid (rahmatullah alayh) belongs to our Silsilah (Chishtiyyah). We shall now proceed to discuss him.