It is well known that divorce contradicts clemency because...

It is well known that divorce contradicts clemency because it breaks the woman’s heart and humiliates her. This does not agree with Imam al-Hasan who took great care of delighting the people, turned away from treating them badly and hurting their feelings. [^1] Wasa’il al-Shia, vol. 15, p. 15, pp. 267-268. Imam al-Hasan was distracted from that.

He was distracted from such affairs by serving Allah, clinging to Him, his constant action in the field of reform, granting the needs of the people, brining good to them, and driving evil and unhappiness away from them. Therefore he did not think of anything except the reformative affairs, nor did he have a leisure time to spend it on such things. These are the proofs of those who maintained that Imam al-Hasan did not marry many women, though some of them are weak.

As for me ( the author), I think that saying that Imam al-Hasan had married many women was fabricated and very far from the reality. This cannot be explained except through showing the narrations and considering their chain of authorities carefully, which is a condition for accepting the narration. I say that the traditionists have greatly differed on the number of Imam al-Hasan’s wives. They have said that they are: Seventy. Ninety. Two hundred and fifty. Three hundred.

Numbers other than these have also been narrated but they are very irregular. The most important thing is the research on the chain of the authorities of the narrations, for it indicates whether the narrations are correct or not. So I say: As for the first narration, it has been reported by Ibn Abi al-Haddeed and the like[^1] . He narrated it on the authority of Ali bin Abdullah al-Basri, known as al-Mada’ini. The latter died in the year 225 A. H.

He is among the weak narrators on whose narrations none depends. Muslim refused to narrate on his authority in his book al-Saheeh.[^2] In his book al-Kamil, Ibn Adiy has regarded him as weak. Concerning him, he has said: “He is not strong in tradition. He has rare traceable narrations.”[^3] Al-Asma‘i has said to him: “By Allah, you will leave Islam behind you.”[^4] He (Ali bin Abdullah al-Mada’ini) was among the sincere companions of Abu Ishaq al-Mousili.

He made friends with him for his properties and wealth. Ahmed bin Abi Khuthayma has narrated, saying: “My father, Yahya bin Ma‘een, and Mus‘ab al-Zubayri used to sit down at the door of Mus‘ab. A man passed by them. The man was riding a mule and wearing good clothes.