The Stance of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) on the Islamic Conquests (11-132 AH / 632-749 CE).

Abstract

This study examines the biography of Imam al-Hasan (peace be upon him) as presented in Kanz al-Durar wa Jāmiʿ al-Ghurar by the historian Ibn Aybak al-Dawādārī. The author highlights key aspects of the Imam’s character and his political stance, particularly in his dealings with Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān during the early Umayyad period. Al-Dawādārī focuses chiefly on the pivotal event of Imam al-Hasan’s abdication of the caliphate, portraying it as a strategic decision aimed at preventing bloodshed, preserving the unity of the Muslim ummah, and safeguarding the principles of Islam.

However, this study reveals a deliberate omission by al-Dawādārī of the deeper dimensions of the Umayyad agenda and their pursuit of political dominance at the expense of Islamic values. Upon the conclusion of the peace treaty and the public declaration of the Imam’s conditions, the true nature of Muʿāwiyah’s intentions became evident. He quickly reneged on the agreement and worked to marginalize the Imam, paving the way for the appointment of his son, Yazīd, as heir to the caliphate—a move that marked the beginning of dynastic rule in the Islamic state.