Rabi al-Awwal 8th marks martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him)

The 8th of Rabi al-Awwal marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari, the 11th Imam of Shiites.

According to the historical tradition, the mourning of Shias does not end with the end of the months of Muharram and Safar, and continues until the eighth day of the month of Rabi al-Awwal, after which the days of joy and happiness of the Shias come on the occasion of the eve of the ninth of Rabi al-Awwal.

Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), the son of Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), the father of Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him), and the 11th Imam of the Shiites, was born in the year 232 AH in Madinah.

After the martyrdom of his noble father in 254 AH, he assumed the Imamate. At the age of 28, after six years, he was poisoned by al-Mutamid al-Abbasi and died a martyr on the eighth of Rabi al-Awwal in the year 260 AH in the city of Samarra.

His kunya is Aba Muhammad, but some sources have also mentioned other kunyas such as Abal-Hujjah, Abal-Hassan and Abal-Qa’im.

Hadi, Naqi, Zaki, Rafiq, Khalis and Samit are some of Imam Hassan al-Askari’s nicknames, but his most famous nickname is al-Askari, which refers to his forced stay in Samarra.

By the order of the ruler of the time, the 11th Imam was under the strict scrutiny of the government in Samarra. During this period, he was in contact with the Shiites through special representatives and through correspondence. One of his prominent representatives, who later became Imam Mahdi’s first Naib, was Uthman bin Sa’eed.

According to reliable historical sources, Imam Hassan al-Askari’s mother was a concubine named Hadith or Haditha, and in some sources, other names have been mentioned, like Susan, Asfan, and Salil.

He married an honorable lady by the name Narjis Khatun, or Melika in some sources, who became the mother of the Master of the Time, Imam Mahdi, peace be upon them.

Sources are divided on the number of his children, but most consider Imam Mahdi as his only child.

He spent his years of Imamate in the city of Samarra, often under the strict control of the Abbasid caliphs, such that his communication with the Shiites was very limited and was realized only through his special representatives.

In Rabi al-Awwal 260 A.H., al-Mutamid employed one of his relatives to poison Imam Hassan al-Askari. As a result, the Imam was ill for several days, during which, the Abbasid ruler continuously sent court physicians to the Imam’s bedside, so that the poison they had given to the Imam would not be known to the people, fooling people to believe he was suffering from a natural disease.

While treating the Imam and gaining public image, these physicians and delegates aimed to monitor the situation and control the visits to his house, so that they could notice and report anything suspicious related to the succession and Imamate after Imam Hassan al-Askari.

After the Shiites learned about the martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari, an aura of sadness and bewilderment filled the atmosphere of Samarra, and the sound of wailing and crying arose from all sides, while people prepared to mourn and give the deceased Imam a funeral.

After the Imam departs from the world, al-Mutamid orders his house to be inspected and the maidservants to be monitored, but he did not know that the Awaited Imam had been born more than five years ago, and had been hidden from the eyes of spies, while select senior Shias had pledged allegiance to him.

The martyrdom of Imam Hassan al-Askari had a huge impact on Samarra; the markets and the shops were closed, the general public went to the Imam’s house quickly and hastily, Bani Hashem, scribes, commanders, judges, and other people were present to attend the funeral of the Imam, and the city of Samarra became so hectic and vibrant.