The sad occasion of 28th of lunar month of Safar reminds us passing away anniversary of the Holy Prophet of Islam and Martyrdom of his grandson Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (peace be upon them).
The greatest messenger of Allah to mankind passed away at the age of 63, after preaching for 23 years the message of peace, harmony, healthy way of life and submission to none but God the Almighty creator.
The honorable prophet of Islam left behind the "Thaqalayn" (the holy Qur'an and his pure progeny) for the guidance of the Muslims and the whole world.
Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) elder grandson and 2ndinfallible heir, Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (PBUH), was martyred at the age of 47, as a result of a fatal dose of poison, given on the orders of the corrupt rulers of the times.
Imam Hassan was hailed along with his younger brother, Imam Hossein (peace be upon them), as "Leaders of the youth of paradise".
Imam Khomeini, the contemporary leader of the contemporary Muslim world highlighted the pious character of Imam Hassan in great detail and frequently paid tributes to the elder grandson of prophet of Islam.
Imam Khomeini underscored the role of Imam Hassan (PBUH) for the cause of Islam and efforts which were made by him for the unity of masses at that time.
With regard to this, Imam Khomeini said in following historic messages as following:Imam Hassan rose up against the king of his day, Muawiyah, as far as he was able, even though at that time most people had sworn allegiance to Muawiyah and recognized him as their king. And when he was betrayed by a group of self-seeking, opportunistic followers and left without support, the very conditions of the peace treaty that he signed with Muawiyah disgraced that monarch, just as later, the bloody revolt of the Doyen of the Martyrs [Imam Hussain] disgraced Yazid. (Sahifeh, vol2, Page: 386-387)
Imam Hassan (may God's peace be upon him) did not have as many problems with others as he had with his devoted friends. The companions who did not have any sense of understanding as to what plans the Imam of their time is following, they, with their narrow-mindedness and defective thoughts, resisted against him and plundered him and inconvenienced and, let me add that they defeated him. They concluded a treaty with his enemies and played a thousand other tricks upon him. (Sahifeh, vol. 9, Page: 30)
We are also on the eve of the martyrdom of Ali ibn Musa ar-Riḍa (PBUH), the eighth infallible successor of the holy prophet, who rendered great services to shied genuine Islamic teachings at a sensitive juncture of the Islamic history
Various events which occurred in Ma’mun’s capital confirmed that Imam al-Ridha’s popularity was growing, despite Ma’mun’s ardent efforts to counter that growth. Many of the Abbasids feared that granting Wilayat al-Ahd to Imam al-Ridha would remove the Abbasids from power indefinitely. What magnified Ma’mun’s worries was the revolt of some Abbasids back in the traditional capital – Baghdad – against him. These factors led Ma’mun in a decision to rid himself of his worry. Thus, the Abbasid ruler Ma’mun decided to have the holy eighth Imam poisoned.
Imam ‘Ali al-Ridha was buried in Tus, present-day Mashhad, Iran. His mausoleum is now a center to which millions of devotees flock every year.
Ibrahim ibn al-Abbas narrated,
‘I have never seen Abu al-Hasan al-Rida hurt anybody with something he said, nor have I ever seen him interrupt anyone until he had finished, nor refuse someone a favor that he was able to do, or did he ever stretch his legs before anyone sitting with him, nor lean against something while his companion did not, nor did he ever insult any of his servants or workers. And I have never seen him spit or burst into laughter; rather, his laughter was just a smile. When he was ready to eat and the table had been laid, he seated with him at the table all his servants, including the doorman and the stable boy.’
Imam Khomeini once said the holy shrine of al-Rida (PBUH) in holy city of Mashhad is the source of endless divine blessings and mercies.