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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islamic Correspondence Course (book 4) Lesson 48 : the Eleventh Imam (hasan Bin ‘ali) 1. Birth & Early Years Imam Hasan al-’Askari was born in the year 232 A.H. in Samarra, Iraq during the tenth Imam’s stay in that city. “Al- ’Askari” is from al-’askar which means “the army”. Our eleventh Imam is known as al-’Askari because he lived in al-’Askar neighbourhood which was the military garrison of the Turkish troops of the ‘Abbasids.

His imamate began at the age of twentytwo, and continued for just six years when he was poisoned in 260 A.H. 2. Political Circumstances of His Imamate The short period of Imam al-’Askari’s imamate coincided with the caliphate of Mu’tazz, Muhtadi and Mu’tamid. Mu’tazz is the same caliph during whose reign Imam ‘Ali an-Naqi was martyred. More than seventy members of the Hashimites were arrested on his orders and brought from Hijaz to Samarra.

The Shi’as were truly suffering under the tyranny of Mu’tazz; but soon he was deposed from his caliphate by the Turkish troops. Muhtadi assumed the pretence of a pious caliph, forbade the presence of female singers in the court and even fixed a time to hear the grievances of the people. But when it came to the Shi’as and their Imam, he was no different from the other rulers. Imam Hasan al-’Askari was even imprisoned for a short while during Muhtadi’s caliphate.

But even Muhtadi’s rule was ended by the Turkish troops who rebelled against him and killed him. Mu’tamid led a promiscuous lifestyle and left the management of the state to his brother Muwaffaq. After the death of Muwaffaq, the control of the state came into the hands of his son, Mu’tazid who succeeded his uncle, Mu’tamid, in the year 279 A.H.

Mu’tamid’s reign was full of civil strife and tyranny; thousands of people were killed, especially the descendants of Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) whose bodies were mutilated. Imam Hasan al- ’Askari was put in the prison of Nahrir who used to mistreat the Imam in whatever way he could. 3. The Miracle of Rain Once there was a severe famine in Samarra. Mu’tamid ordered the people to organize a salat known as salatu ‘l-istisqa’ (the prayer for rain).

For three days, people went outside the city to take part in the istisqa’ prayer but there was no sign of any rain. On the fourth day, the Christian high priest went to the desert and prayed for rain; and lo! heavy rain started to fall. The same thing was repeated the next day.