Allamah Ibn Abd Rabih in his esteemed book ‘Aqd al Fareed’...

Allamah Ibn Abd Rabih in his esteemed book ‘Aqd al Fareed’ records the following incident: ولما بلغ معاويةَ موتُ الحسن بن علي خر ساجداً لله ثم أرسل إلى ابن عباس وكان معه في الشام فعزاه وهو مُستبشر “Upon receiving news of Imam Hasan’s death, Mu’awiya became happy made a prostration of thanks. He then sent a message to Ibn Abbas and summoned him. When Ibn Abbas came, although Muawiyah advanced his condolence for Imam Hasan but he was happy over the death”.

Maqatil al Husayn: “Mu’awiya said: ‘News has reached me of the death of Hasan’, and he displayed signs of happiness” We read in Tareekh Abul Fida: ولما بلغ معاوية موت الحسن خر ساجداً‏.‏ “When Muawiyah came to know about the death of al-Hasan, he performed a prostration of thanks”.

Ibn Khalakan records: ولما كتب مروان إلى معاوية بشكاته كتب إليه أن أقبل المطي إلى بخبر الحسن ولما بلغه موته سمع تكبيرا من الحضر فكبر أهل الشام لذلك التكبير فقالت فاختة زوجة معاوية أقر الله عينك يا أمير المؤمنين ما الذي كبرت له ؟ قال مات الحسن When Marwan wrote a complaint to Muawyia, he mentioned that he has been informed that Hassan had passed away. When Muawiya heard the news, he did Takbir and the people of Khadra area performed Takbir too and so did the people Shaam.

Thus Fathkita, Muwayia’s wife said: ‘O commander of believers, may Allah please you, for what you did Takbir?’ He replied: ‘Hassan has died’. Is this type of love, Allah (swt) commands his faithful to bestow on the Ahl ul-Bayt expressing joy upon their deaths? Those that are happy at the tragedy that befalls the Ahl ul-Bayt (as), adhere to the Sunnah of Mu’awiya.

Mu’awiya’s not considering the death of Imam Hasan (as) as a calamity and the Sunni scholars’ acknowledgement that this demonstrated his hatred towards the family of Ali (a.s). We read in Sunan Abu Daud: Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib: “Khalid said: Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib and a man of Banu Asad from the people of Qinnisrin went to Mu’awiyah ibn Abu-Sufyan. Mu’awiyah said to al-Miqdam: Do you know that al-Hasan ibn Ali has died?

Al-Miqdam recited the Qur’anic verse “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.” A man asked him: Do you think it a calamity? He replied: Why should I not consider it a calamity when it is a fact that the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) used to take him on his lap, saying: This belongs to me and Husayn belongs to Ali? The man of Banu Asad said: (He was) a live coal which Allah has extinguished.