WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.399 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:08.400 The best of generations in stances and exemplary deeds, 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:13.400 Following the Messenger whenever he strove or spoke. 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:15.400 Mawaddah Association 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:17.399 Presents: 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:21.460 Portraits from the Lives of the Tabi'un, 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:26.559 By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:28.559 May Allah have mercy on him. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:33.090 Al-Hasan al-Basri, 00:00:33.090 --> 00:00:35.380 May Allah have mercy on him. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:46.439 The bearer of glad tidings arrived to give the good news to the Prophet's wife, Umm Salamah, 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:48.439 That her freedwoman, Khayrah, 00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:52.439 Had given birth and been delivered of a baby boy. 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:57.570 Joy overwhelmed the heart of the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, 00:00:57.570 --> 00:01:02.570 And delight overflowed upon her noble and dignified face. 00:01:02.570 --> 00:01:07.569 She promptly dispatched a messenger to bring the mother and her newborn to her, 00:01:07.569 --> 00:01:11.569 So that she might spend her post-natal recovery in her house. 00:01:11.569 --> 00:01:14.569 For Khayrah was deeply cherished by Umm Salamah, 00:01:14.569 --> 00:01:17.569 Dearly beloved to her heart, 00:01:17.569 --> 00:01:22.569 And she was eager and longing to see her firstborn child. 00:01:22.569 --> 00:01:24.659 It was not long 00:01:24.659 --> 00:01:29.659 Before Khayrah arrived, carrying her infant in her arms. 00:01:29.659 --> 00:01:33.659 When Umm Salamah laid eyes upon the child, 00:01:33.659 --> 00:01:37.659 Her soul was filled with delight in him and deep contentment. 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:41.659 For the newborn infant was handsome and graceful, 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:44.659 Of radiant countenance and perfect form, 00:01:44.659 --> 00:01:49.819 Captivating the eye of whoever beheld him and winning over the heart of anyone who saw him. 00:01:49.819 --> 00:01:53.819 Umm Salamah then turned to her freedwoman and asked, 00:01:53.819 --> 00:01:56.819 "Have you named your boy, Khayrah?" 00:01:56.819 --> 00:01:59.819 She replied, "No, dear Mother, 00:01:59.819 --> 00:02:05.890 I left that to you, so that you may choose whatever name you wish for him." 00:02:05.890 --> 00:02:10.889 She said, "With Allah’s blessing, we shall name him al-Hasan." 00:02:10.889 --> 00:02:15.979 Then she raised her hands and prayed for him with righteous supplications. 00:02:16.050 --> 00:02:19.050 But the joy over al-Hasan 00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:24.050 Was not confined solely to the household of the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her; 00:02:24.050 --> 00:02:29.050 Rather, another household of Medina shared in it as well. 00:02:29.050 --> 00:02:33.050 It was the household of the eminent Companion Zayd ibn Thabit, 00:02:33.050 --> 00:02:37.050 The scribe of the revelation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:43.050 For Yasar, the boy's father, was a freedman of his as well, 00:02:43.050 --> 00:02:47.050 And was among the most favored and beloved of people to him. 00:02:47.050 --> 00:02:54.389 Al-Hasan ibn Yasar—who would later be known as al-Hasan al-Basri—grew up 00:02:54.389 --> 00:02:59.389 In one of the households of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:02:59.389 --> 00:03:05.389 And was raised in the care of one of the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him: 00:03:05.389 --> 00:03:10.419 Hind bint Suhayl, known as Umm Salamah. 00:03:10.419 --> 00:03:13.419 And Umm Salamah, if you do not know, 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:16.419 Was among the most intellectually sound of Arab women, 00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:20.419 Abundant in virtue, and of the most resolute determination. 00:03:20.419 --> 00:03:26.419 She was also among the most knowledgeable of the noble Prophet's wives, peace be upon him, 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:29.419 And one of the most prolific in narrating from him, 00:03:29.419 --> 00:03:37.419 Having narrated 387 hadiths from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:40.419 In addition to all of that, 00:03:40.419 --> 00:03:46.419 She was one of the few rare women who could write during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance. 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:52.419 The fortunate boy's connection with the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah, did not stop at this, 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:55.419 But rather extended far beyond it. 00:03:55.419 --> 00:03:59.419 For Khayrah, the mother of al-Hasan, would often 00:03:59.419 --> 00:04:04.419 Leave the house to attend to some of the Mother of the Believers' needs, 00:04:04.419 --> 00:04:07.419 And the nursing infant would cry out of hunger, 00:04:07.419 --> 00:04:09.419 His weeping growing intense. 00:04:09.419 --> 00:04:12.419 So Umm Salamah would take him into her lap 00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:14.419 And offer him her breast, 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:18.420 To soothe him with it and console him during his mother’s absence. 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:21.420 Out of her immense love for him, 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:25.420 Her breast would flow with wholesome milk into his mouth, 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:28.420 Which the boy would nurse from and grow calm. 00:04:28.420 --> 00:04:33.420 Thus, Umm Salamah became a mother to al-Hasan in two ways: 00:04:33.420 --> 00:04:37.420 She was his mother by virtue of him being one of the believers, 00:04:37.420 --> 00:04:40.420 And she was also his mother through suckling. 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:46.610 The close bond between the Mothers of the Believers, 00:04:46.610 --> 00:04:49.610 And the proximity of their houses to one another, 00:04:49.610 --> 00:04:54.610 Allowed the blessed boy to frequent all of these households, 00:04:54.610 --> 00:04:58.610 To adopt the noble character of all their mistresses, 00:04:58.610 --> 00:05:00.610 And to be guided by their righteous guidance. 00:05:00.610 --> 00:05:03.610 As he would later recount about himself, 00:05:03.610 --> 00:05:06.610 He would fill these homes with his continuous movement 00:05:06.610 --> 00:05:09.610 And enliven them with his energetic play, 00:05:09.610 --> 00:05:15.740 To the point where his hands could touch the ceilings of the Mothers of the Believers' rooms 00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:18.740 As he jumped around inside them. 00:05:18.740 --> 00:05:25.019 Al-Hasan continued to thrive in this atmosphere, fragrant with the scents of prophecy, 00:05:25.019 --> 00:05:27.019 Radiant with its luminous light, 00:05:27.019 --> 00:05:30.019 Quenching his thirst from those pure springs 00:05:31.019 --> 00:05:35.019 With which the houses of the Mothers of the Believers abounded, 00:05:35.019 --> 00:05:42.019 And studying under the senior Companions in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:05:42.019 --> 00:05:45.019 He narrated from 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, 00:05:45.019 --> 00:05:47.019 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 00:05:47.019 --> 00:05:49.019 Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, 00:05:49.019 --> 00:05:51.019 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, 00:05:51.019 --> 00:05:53.019 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, 00:05:53.019 --> 00:05:55.019 Anas ibn Malik, 00:05:55.019 --> 00:05:57.019 Jabir ibn 'Abdillah, 00:05:57.019 --> 00:05:59.019 And countless others, 00:05:59.019 --> 00:06:02.089 May Allah be pleased with them all. 00:06:02.089 --> 00:06:09.089 Yet, he was captivated above all by the Commander of the Believers, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. 00:06:09.089 --> 00:06:13.089 He was awed by his steadfast firmness in religion, 00:06:13.089 --> 00:06:15.089 The excellence of his devotion in worship, 00:06:15.089 --> 00:06:19.089 And his ascetic detachment from the adornments and splendor of this worldly life. 00:06:19.089 --> 00:06:22.089 He was also mesmerized by his brilliant eloquence, 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:24.089 His profound wisdom, 00:06:24.089 --> 00:06:26.089 And his comprehensive words. 00:06:27.089 --> 00:06:33.149 Thus, he mirrored his character in piety and worship, 00:06:33.149 --> 00:06:37.149 And fashioned himself after his manner in eloquence and rhetoric. 00:06:37.149 --> 00:06:41.220 When al-Hasan reached fourteen years of age 00:06:41.220 --> 00:06:44.220 And entered into the ranks of manhood, 00:06:44.220 --> 00:06:47.220 He relocated with his parents to Basra, 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:50.339 Settling there alongside his family. 00:06:50.339 --> 00:06:53.339 From this, al-Hasan was attributed to Basra, 00:06:53.339 --> 00:06:58.620 Becoming renowned among the people as al-Hasan al-Basri. 00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:01.620 On the day al-Hasan arrived there, Basra was 00:07:01.620 --> 00:07:05.620 One of the greatest strongholds of learning in the Islamic lands. 00:07:05.620 --> 00:07:07.620 Its grand mosque 00:07:07.620 --> 00:07:13.620 Teemed with the senior Companions and prominent Tabi'un who had journeyed to it, 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:17.620 And study circles of various disciplines 00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:20.620 Populated the courtyards of the mosque and its prayer halls. 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:23.620 Al-Hasan dedicated himself to the mosque, 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:27.620 Devoting himself exclusively to the study circle of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:31.620 The learned scholar of the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 00:07:31.620 --> 00:07:35.620 From him, he acquired Tafsir, hadith, and the variant Qur'anic recitations, 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:39.620 Just as he acquired fiqh, the Arabic language, and literature from him and others, 00:07:39.620 --> 00:07:41.620 Along with many other sciences, 00:07:41.620 --> 00:07:46.620 Until he became an encyclopedic scholar, a jurist, and a trustworthy authority. 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:50.620 So the people flocked to him, drinking deeply from his abundant knowledge, 00:07:50.620 --> 00:07:56.620 Gathering around him to listen intently to his sermons that softened hardened hearts 00:07:56.620 --> 00:07:59.620 And drew forth unyielding tears. 00:07:59.620 --> 00:08:03.620 They took in his captivating wisdom 00:08:03.620 --> 00:08:08.620 And modeled their conduct after his life, which was sweeter than the scent of musk. 00:08:08.620 --> 00:08:12.879 Al-Hasan al-Basri's renown spread across the lands, 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:15.879 And his fame became widespread among the people, 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:19.879 So much so that caliphs and princes began inquiring about him 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:21.879 And eagerly seeking news of him. 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:26.129 Khalid ibn Safwan related: 00:08:26.129 --> 00:08:30.129 "I met Maslamah ibn 'Abd al-Malik in al-Hirah, 00:08:30.129 --> 00:08:35.129 And he said to me, 'Tell me, O Khalid, about al-Hasan of Basra, 00:08:35.129 --> 00:08:40.259 For I believe you know of him what no one else knows.' 00:08:40.259 --> 00:08:43.259 I replied, 'May Allah reform the prince, 00:08:43.259 --> 00:08:47.259 I am the best person to inform you of him with firsthand knowledge; 00:08:47.259 --> 00:08:51.259 I am his neighbor at his home, his companion in his gatherings, 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:54.289 And the most knowledgeable of the people of Basra concerning him.' 00:08:54.289 --> 00:08:57.289 Maslamah said, 'Bring forward what you have.' 00:08:57.289 --> 00:09:02.379 I said, 'He is a man whose inner self is identical to his outward conduct, 00:09:02.379 --> 00:09:05.379 And whose words match his actions. 00:09:05.379 --> 00:09:09.379 Whenever he enjoins what is right, he is the foremost of people in practicing it; 00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:13.379 And whenever he forbids what is wrong, he is the foremost of people in avoiding it. 00:09:13.379 --> 00:09:16.379 I have seen him completely independent of people, 00:09:16.379 --> 00:09:19.379 Spurning whatever is in their hands, 00:09:19.379 --> 00:09:22.379 While seeing the people utterly in need of him, 00:09:22.379 --> 00:09:24.379 Seeking the knowledge he possesses.' 00:09:24.379 --> 00:09:28.379 Maslamah exclaimed, 'Enough, O Khalid, enough! 00:09:28.379 --> 00:09:32.379 How could a people go astray when such a man is among them?'" 00:09:32.379 --> 00:09:38.600 When al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi was appointed governor of Iraq, 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:41.600 And transgressed with tyranny and oppression throughout his rule, 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:44.600 Al-Hasan al-Basri was one of the few men 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:47.600 Who stood firm against his tyranny, 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:50.600 Openly denouncing his evil deeds before the people, 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:53.600 And proclaiming the word of truth directly to his face. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:57.600 An instance of this occurred when al-Hajjaj built for himself 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:59.600 A grand residence in Wasit. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:01.600 When he completed its construction, 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:04.600 He summoned the people to come out and admire it, 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:06.600 And to pray for him to be blessed. 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:09.600 Al-Hasan was unwilling to let 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:12.600 This gathering of people pass by, 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:15.600 So he went out to them to preach to them, admonish them, 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.600 Make them renounce the fleeting trinkets of this world, 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:21.600 And instill in them a longing for what is with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.600 When he reached the place 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:28.600 And looked at the crowds of people walking around the towering palace, 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:31.600 Captivated by the magnificence of its construction, 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:34.600 Astounded by its spacious courtyards, 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:37.629 And enthralled by the splendor of its ornaments, 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:40.629 He stood before them to deliver a sermon. 00:10:40.629 --> 00:10:43.629 Among the words he spoke was: 00:10:43.629 --> 00:10:46.629 "We have examined the building of the vilest of the vile, 00:10:46.629 --> 00:10:50.629 And found that Pharaoh built grander than what he has built, 00:10:50.629 --> 00:10:53.629 And erected structures taller than what he has erected; 00:10:53.629 --> 00:10:56.629 Then Allah destroyed Pharaoh 00:10:56.629 --> 00:10:59.629 And obliterated all that he had built and erected. 00:10:59.629 --> 00:11:03.629 Would that al-Hajjaj knew that the inhabitants of the heavens detest him, 00:11:03.629 --> 00:11:06.629 And that the inhabitants of the earth have deceived him!" 00:11:06.629 --> 00:11:09.629 He continued to speak forcefully in this vein, 00:11:09.629 --> 00:11:12.629 Until one of the listeners grew fearful for him 00:11:12.629 --> 00:11:14.629 Regarding the vengeance of al-Hajjaj, 00:11:14.629 --> 00:11:17.629 And whispered to him, "Enough, O Abu Sa'id! 00:11:17.629 --> 00:11:19.629 Enough!" 00:11:19.629 --> 00:11:21.629 But al-Hasan said to him, 00:11:21.629 --> 00:11:24.629 "Allah took a covenant from the people of knowledge 00:11:24.629 --> 00:11:27.629 That they must make it clear to the people and not conceal it." 00:11:27.629 --> 00:11:30.700 The following day, 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:34.700 Al-Hajjaj entered his assembly bursting with fury, 00:11:34.700 --> 00:11:36.700 And said to those seated with him, 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:38.700 "Woe to you, and ruin! 00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:41.700 A slave from among the slaves of the people of Basra stands up 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:44.700 And says whatever he pleases concerning us, 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:48.700 And not one among you steps forward to refute him or denounce him?! 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:53.700 By Allah, I shall make you drink from his blood, you crowd of cowards!" 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:55.700 He then ordered the sword and the leather execution mat, 00:11:55.700 --> 00:11:57.700 And they were brought forward. 00:11:57.700 --> 00:11:59.700 He called for the executioner, 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:01.700 Who stood ready before him. 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:05.700 Then he dispatched some of his guards to al-Hasan, 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:07.700 and ordered them to bring him before him. 00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:09.700 And it was only a brief moment 00:12:09.700 --> 00:12:11.700 before al-Hasan arrived. 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:14.700 All eyes fixed upon him, 00:12:14.700 --> 00:12:16.700 and hearts trembled for his sake. 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:20.700 When al-Hasan saw the sword, the leather execution mat, and the executioner, 00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:22.700 he moved his lips, 00:12:22.700 --> 00:12:24.700 then approached al-Hajjaj 00:12:24.700 --> 00:12:26.700 with the majesty of a believer, 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:28.700 the dignity of a Muslim, 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:31.759 and the solemnity of a caller to Allah. 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.759 When al-Hajjaj saw him in this state, 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:36.759 he was struck with profound awe of him, 00:12:36.759 --> 00:12:38.759 and said to him, 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:40.759 "Over here, O Abu Sa'id! 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:42.759 Over here!" 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:44.759 He continued to make room for him, saying, 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:46.759 "Over here!" 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:49.759 while the people looked on in utter astonishment and bewilderment, 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.759 until he seated him beside himself on his own cushion. 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:55.759 Once al-Hasan had taken his seat, 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:57.759 al-Hajjaj turned to him 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.759 and began asking him about various matters of religion, 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:03.759 and al-Hasan answered every question 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.759 with an unwavering heart, 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:07.759 mesmerizing eloquence, 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:09.759 and vast knowledge. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:11.759 Thereupon al-Hajjaj said to him, 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:14.759 "You are the master of the scholars, O Abu Sa'id!" 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:16.759 Then he called for ghaliyah— 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:18.759 which is a type of precious perfume— 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:21.759 perfumed his beard with it, 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:23.820 and bid him farewell. 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:25.820 When al-Hasan departed from his presence, 00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:28.820 al-Hajjaj's chamberlain followed him and said, 00:13:28.820 --> 00:13:30.820 "O Abu Sa'id! 00:13:30.820 --> 00:13:34.820 Al-Hajjaj summoned you for a purpose entirely different from how he treated you! 00:13:34.820 --> 00:13:36.820 Indeed, I saw you when you entered 00:13:36.820 --> 00:13:38.820 and saw the sword and the leather execution mat, 00:13:38.820 --> 00:13:40.820 that you moved your lips. 00:13:40.820 --> 00:13:42.820 What did you say?" 00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:44.820 Al-Hasan replied, 00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:46.820 "I said: 00:13:46.820 --> 00:13:50.820 'O Master of my blessings and my refuge in my distress, 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:53.820 make his vengeance coolness and peace upon me, 00:13:53.820 --> 00:14:00.009 just as You made the fire coolness and peace upon Ibrahim.'" 00:14:00.009 --> 00:14:03.009 Many such stances were taken by al-Hasan al-Basri 00:14:03.009 --> 00:14:05.009 with governors and rulers; 00:14:05.009 --> 00:14:08.009 he would emerge from every encounter magnified 00:14:08.009 --> 00:14:10.009 in the eyes of those in authority, 00:14:10.009 --> 00:14:12.009 honored through Allah, 00:14:12.009 --> 00:14:14.009 and preserved by His protection. 00:14:14.009 --> 00:14:16.009 An example of this 00:14:16.009 --> 00:14:18.009 is that after the ascetic caliph, 00:14:18.009 --> 00:14:20.009 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, 00:14:20.009 --> 00:14:22.009 passed away to the mercy of his Lord, 00:14:22.009 --> 00:14:25.009 and the caliphate passed to Yazid ibn 'Abd al-Malik, 00:14:25.009 --> 00:14:29.009 he appointed 'Umar ibn Hubayrah al-Fazari over Iraq. 00:14:29.009 --> 00:14:32.009 Then he expanded his authority even further, 00:14:32.009 --> 00:14:35.009 annexing Khurasan to his realm as well. 00:14:35.009 --> 00:14:37.009 Yazid governed the people 00:14:37.009 --> 00:14:40.009 with a conduct quite unlike that of his great predecessor. 00:14:40.009 --> 00:14:43.009 He would send to 'Umar ibn Hubayrah 00:14:43.009 --> 00:14:45.009 letter after letter, 00:14:45.009 --> 00:14:48.009 ordering him to execute their contents, 00:14:48.009 --> 00:14:51.009 even if they were at times contrary to the truth. 00:14:51.009 --> 00:14:53.009 So 'Umar ibn Hubayrah summoned 00:14:53.009 --> 00:14:55.009 both al-Hasan al-Basri 00:14:55.009 --> 00:14:57.009 and 'Amir ibn Sharahbil, 00:14:57.009 --> 00:14:59.009 known as al-Sha'bi, 00:14:59.009 --> 00:15:01.009 and said to them: 00:15:01.009 --> 00:15:03.009 "The Commander of the Believers, 00:15:03.009 --> 00:15:05.009 Yazid ibn 'Abd al-Malik, 00:15:05.009 --> 00:15:07.009 has been appointed by Allah as caliph over His servants, 00:15:07.009 --> 00:15:10.009 and He has made obedience to him incumbent upon the people. 00:15:10.009 --> 00:15:12.009 He has granted me authority, as you see, 00:15:12.009 --> 00:15:14.009 over the affairs of Iraq, 00:15:14.009 --> 00:15:17.009 then extended it by appointing me over Persia as well. 00:15:17.009 --> 00:15:20.009 Yet he sometimes sends me letters 00:15:20.009 --> 00:15:22.009 commanding me to carry out directives 00:15:22.009 --> 00:15:25.009 whose justice I cannot feel assured of. 00:15:25.009 --> 00:15:28.009 Do you find for me, in complying with him 00:15:28.009 --> 00:15:31.009 and executing his commands, any religious leeway?" 00:15:31.009 --> 00:15:34.009 Al-Sha'bi gave an answer 00:15:34.009 --> 00:15:36.009 that was gentle toward the caliph 00:15:36.009 --> 00:15:38.009 and accommodating to the governor, 00:15:38.009 --> 00:15:40.009 while al-Hasan remained silent. 00:15:40.009 --> 00:15:42.009 So 'Umar ibn Hubayrah turned 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:44.009 to al-Hasan and said, 00:15:44.009 --> 00:15:47.009 "And what do you say, O Abu Sa'id?" 00:15:47.009 --> 00:15:49.009 He said: 00:15:49.009 --> 00:15:51.009 "O Ibn Hubayrah! 00:15:51.009 --> 00:15:53.009 Fear Allah regarding Yazid, 00:15:53.009 --> 00:15:55.009 and do not fear Yazid regarding Allah. 00:15:55.009 --> 00:15:58.039 Know that Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:00.039 will protect you from Yazid, 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.039 but Yazid can never protect you from Allah. 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:05.039 O Ibn Hubayrah! 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.039 An angel, stern and severe, 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:09.039 who does not disobey what Allah commands him, 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.039 is about to descend upon you. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:14.039 He will remove you from this throne of yours 00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:16.039 and transfer you from the vastness of your palace 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:18.039 to the narrow confines of your grave, 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:21.039 where you will not find Yazid, 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:23.039 but will find only your deeds 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:26.039 in which you disobeyed the Lord of Yazid. 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:28.039 O Ibn Hubayrah! 00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:30.039 If you are with Allah Almighty 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:32.039 and in obedience to Him, 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.039 He will spare you the harm of Yazid 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:37.039 ibn 'Abd al-Malik in this world and the Hereafter. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.039 But if you stand with Yazid 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:41.039 in disobedience to Allah Almighty, 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:44.039 Allah will leave you to the mercy of Yazid. 00:16:44.039 --> 00:16:46.039 And know, O Ibn Hubayrah, 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:50.039 that there is no obedience to any created being, whoever he may be, 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:53.039 in disobedience to the Creator, Exalted and Glorious is He." 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:56.070 Thereupon 'Umar ibn Hubayrah wept 00:16:56.070 --> 00:16:59.070 until his tears soaked his beard; 00:16:59.070 --> 00:17:02.070 he turned away from al-Sha'bi toward al-Hasan, 00:17:02.070 --> 00:17:05.069 and treated him with the utmost reverence and honor. 00:17:05.069 --> 00:17:07.069 When the two of them left his presence, 00:17:07.069 --> 00:17:09.069 they headed toward the mosque, 00:17:09.069 --> 00:17:11.069 where the people gathered around them 00:17:11.069 --> 00:17:13.069 and began asking them 00:17:13.069 --> 00:17:16.069 about their meeting with the governor of the two Iraqs. 00:17:16.069 --> 00:17:19.069 Al-Sha'bi turned to them and said: 00:17:19.069 --> 00:17:21.069 "O people! 00:17:21.069 --> 00:17:25.069 Whoever among you is able to prefer Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, 00:17:25.069 --> 00:17:27.069 over His creation in every circumstance, 00:17:27.069 --> 00:17:29.069 let him do so! 00:17:29.069 --> 00:17:31.069 For by the One in Whose hand is my soul, 00:17:31.069 --> 00:17:34.069 al-Hasan did not say anything to 'Umar ibn Hubayrah 00:17:34.069 --> 00:17:35.069 that I did not already know; 00:17:35.069 --> 00:17:39.069 rather, in what I said, I sought the favor of Ibn Hubayrah, 00:17:39.069 --> 00:17:42.069 while in what he said, he sought the countenance of Allah. 00:17:42.069 --> 00:17:45.069 Thus Allah distanced me from Ibn Hubayrah, 00:17:45.069 --> 00:17:49.069 while drawing al-Hasan close to him and endearing him to his heart." 00:17:49.069 --> 00:17:54.450 Al-Hasan al-Basri lived for about eighty years, 00:17:54.450 --> 00:17:58.450 during which he filled the world with knowledge, wisdom, and fiqh. 00:17:58.450 --> 00:18:02.480 Among the greatest legacies he left to future generations 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:07.480 were his heart-softening counsels, which remained across time a spring for the hearts, 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:11.480 and his sermons that shook and continue to shake souls, 00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:13.480 draw forth tears, 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:16.480 guide the lost to Allah, 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:20.480 and awaken the deluded and heedless to the reality of this worldly life 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:23.480 and the condition of people regarding it. 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:27.539 Among these was his response to an enquirer who asked him about this world and its nature: 00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:30.539 "You ask me concerning this world and the Hereafter? 00:18:30.539 --> 00:18:33.539 The parable of this world and the Hereafter 00:18:33.539 --> 00:18:35.539 is like that of the East and the West: 00:18:35.539 --> 00:18:38.539 whenever you draw nearer to one of them, 00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:41.539 you grow further away from the other. 00:18:41.539 --> 00:18:44.539 And you say to me, 'Describe this abode to me.' 00:18:44.539 --> 00:18:47.539 What can I describe to you of an abode 00:18:47.539 --> 00:18:49.539 whose beginning is hardship, 00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:51.539 whose end is annihilation, 00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:53.539 in whose lawful matters lies an accounting, 00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:56.539 in whose unlawful matters lies punishment, 00:18:56.539 --> 00:18:58.539 wherein whoever becomes wealthy is tried, 00:18:58.539 --> 00:19:01.539 and whoever becomes impoverished is grieved?" 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:04.799 And among them as well is his saying to another 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:08.799 who asked him about his condition and the condition of the people: 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.799 "Woe to us! What have we done to ourselves? 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:14.799 We have starved our religion 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:17.799 and fattened our worldly life; 00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:19.799 we have worn out our morals— 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:22.799 meaning, we have degraded our character— 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:25.799 while renewing our furnishings and garments! 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:28.799 One of us reclines on his left side 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:31.829 and eats from wealth that is not his own, 00:19:31.829 --> 00:19:33.829 his food acquired through extortion, 00:19:33.829 --> 00:19:35.829 demanding it through forced labor— 00:19:35.829 --> 00:19:37.829 meaning, unjustly and without compensation. 00:19:37.829 --> 00:19:40.829 He calls for sweet after sour, 00:19:40.829 --> 00:19:42.829 hot after cold, 00:19:42.829 --> 00:19:44.829 and moist after dry, 00:19:44.829 --> 00:19:47.829 until, when he is overcome with fullness, 00:19:47.829 --> 00:19:49.829 he belches from indigestion. 00:19:49.829 --> 00:19:50.829 Then he says, 00:19:50.829 --> 00:19:52.829 'Boy! 00:19:52.829 --> 00:19:55.829 Bring something to digest the food!' 00:19:55.829 --> 00:19:57.829 O foolish fool! 00:19:57.829 --> 00:20:00.829 By Allah, you will digest nothing but your own religion! 00:20:00.829 --> 00:20:02.829 Where is your needy neighbor? 00:20:02.829 --> 00:20:05.829 Where is the hungry orphan of your people? 00:20:05.829 --> 00:20:08.829 Where is your destitute one who looks to you? 00:20:08.829 --> 00:20:11.829 Where is that which Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, commanded you? 00:20:11.829 --> 00:20:14.829 If only you knew that you are merely a number of days, 00:20:14.829 --> 00:20:17.829 and that whenever the sun of a day sets upon you, 00:20:17.829 --> 00:20:20.829 a part of your count has diminished, 00:20:20.829 --> 00:20:25.109 and a portion of you has departed with it!" 00:20:25.109 --> 00:20:28.109 On the eve of Friday, the first of Rajab, 00:20:28.109 --> 00:20:30.109 in the year 110, 00:20:30.109 --> 00:20:33.109 al-Hasan al-Basri answered the call of his Lord. 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:35.109 When morning came upon the people 00:20:35.109 --> 00:20:37.109 and the news of his death spread among them, 00:20:37.109 --> 00:20:41.109 Basra was shaken to its core by his death. 00:20:41.109 --> 00:20:43.109 He was washed and shrouded, 00:20:43.109 --> 00:20:45.109 and the funeral prayer was offered for him after the Friday prayer 00:20:45.109 --> 00:20:48.109 in the very grand mosque within whose precincts he had spent 00:20:48.109 --> 00:20:51.109 most of his life as a scholar, a teacher, 00:20:51.109 --> 00:20:54.240 and a caller to Allah. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:57.240 Then all the people followed his funeral procession, 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:00.240 so that the 'Asr prayer was not held on that day 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:02.240 in the Grand Mosque of Basra, 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.240 because not a single person remained in it 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.240 to establish the prayer. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:08.240 And people know of no instance where the congregational prayer 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:10.240 was suspended in the Grand Mosque of Basra, 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:12.240 ever since the Muslims built it, 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:14.240 except on that singular day— 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:17.240 the day al-Hasan al-Basri passed away 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.240 into the presence of his Lord. 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:26.690 How could a people go astray when among them is the likes of 00:21:26.690 --> 00:21:28.690 al-Hasan al-Basri? 00:21:28.690 --> 00:21:31.200 Maslamah Ibn 'Abd al-Malik— 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:36.500 as a gentle soul and an exemplar— 00:21:36.500 --> 00:21:38.500 followed the Messenger 00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:41.500 in whatever he strived for or said. 00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:43.500 They were once here, 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:46.500 watering our lives like rain clouds, 00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:48.500 and though they have passed on among us, 00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:51.500 their memory continues to rise high. 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:53.500 They departed, leaving 00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:56.500 a question within our conscience: 00:21:56.500 --> 00:21:58.500 "Could there ever be like them 00:21:58.500 --> 00:22:01.500 a star that ascended and shone so bright?" 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:03.500 They filled life 00:22:03.500 --> 00:22:06.500 with glorious achievements through their deeds, 00:22:06.500 --> 00:22:10.599 and the world of mankind flourished through them.