He defeated them, made shame and disgrace follow them.

He defeated them, made shame and disgrace follow them. He made them feel their evil deeds, [^1] Ibn ‘Asakir, Tarikh. Mashariq al-Anwar. Noor al-Abbsar. [^2] Jama‘ Asrar al-‘Ulama’. A hand-written book available in the Public Library of Kashif al-Ghita’. [^3] Hayat al-Imam Musa bin Ja‘far, vol. 2, p. 332. the deviation and corruption for which they were famous. He unwillingly answered them.

He refuted their obscenity and said: “By Allah, were it not for that the Umayyads ascribed me to feebleness of speech, I would refrain from debating with them as a sign of neglecting them.” Because of his wonderful speech and his strong proofs, Ibn Abbas kissed him between his two eyes and said to him: “May I die for you, O cousin! Your sea is still full, and you assault until you satisfied me (for revenge on) the children….” In all these debates the Imam was successful and victorious.

His opponents were weak. Submission, defeat, and astonishment befell them. Their leader Mu’awiya advised them to refrain from debating with him after he had seen their defeat.[^1] Anyway the texts of these debates with eloquent forms and literary values are worthy of presentation as an Arabic original inheritance indicating by itself the correctness of its ascription, and give us through his style and formation a picture of the literature of the debates at his time.

The clubs and assemblies in Damascus were busy repeating the debates. They admired and respected the Imam. In the meantime they made light of his opponents and disrespected them. The following are the texts of the debates: Mu’awiya came to Imam al-Hasan (a.s) and said to him: -O Hasan, I am better than you. -How is that, O Hind’s son. -Because the people have unanimously agreed on me, and they have not unanimously agreed on you.

As authority in Islam does not bring about distinction and pride, rather piety and good deed bring them about, Imam al-Hasan (a.s) refuted Mu’awiya’s claim, saying: “How far! The thing through which you have become high is evil, O son of the woman who ate the (Hamza’s) liver. Those who have unanimously agreed on you are two men. They are either obedient or forced. The one who is obedient to you is disobedient to Allah, and the one who is forced is excused according to Allah’s Book.

Allah forbids that I say that I am better than you, for you have no good. Surely Allah has cleared me from vices as He has cleared you from virtues.”[^2] [^1] Al-Zarkali, A‘lam, vol. 2, p. 215.