Some of these purposes were good, while some of them were evil.

Some of these purposes were good, while some of them were evil. The evil purposes were the reason for creating disagreement in the Muslim community. Though al-Hasan was in the beginning of his succession, all the hearts inclined towards him. For he was the son of the daughter of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family. To love him was among the conditions of belief. To obey him was among the conditions of the pledge of allegiance to him.

Ibn Kathir said: "They (the Kufans) loved him (i.e., al-Hasan) more than they loved his father.[^3] Al-Hasan, peace be on him, was still safe from all parties. That is because he did not react to destroy the purposes of some people or to injure the sensitive cord of the stubborn ideas of some people. That is because the ways through which Islam lived at that time were sometimes subjected, in such Muslims, to personal aims and were sometimes to fanatic opinions.

Many of those people were selfish and ambitious. Their selfishness and ambitions exceeded the limits of Islam. Thus they thought that they would achieve their ambitions through pledging allegiance to al Hasan. Al-Hasan's good manners made them pledge allegiance to him. For his manners reminded them of the manners of his grandfather, may Allah bless him and his family. Also they memorized a tradition from the of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family.

The tradition said that al-Hasan was the most similar person to Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, in form and nobility. In fact, they (the Kufans) understood al-Hasan's great manners as they were. Many of those who were opposed to al-Hasan's ideas and thoughts competed with each other for the above- mentioned ambitions. So they pledged allegiance to him of their own accord as the loyal believers did.

Then they, after a short time, were the quickest of all the people in escaping from his camps. That is because they thought that they would obtain their ambitions through the leniency of al-Hasan, peace be on him. However, they found it difficult for them to get their ambitions when al-Hasan assumed the succession. For he was very strict in enforcing the Islamic law even with his close relatives such as his brother and cousin.

For this reason, it was natural for the leaders in Kufa to oppose al Hasan, peace be on him, as they had opposed the late Imam (i.e., Imam 'Ali) who said to them: "You have filled my heart with puss and loaded my bosom with rage.