That school played an effective part in ripening public opinion...

That school played an effective part in ripening public opinion, correcting its course, and saving it from the deviation of the official bodies led by Mu'awiyah bin Abu-Sufyan. The school of Imam Hasan (as) gave fruit twofold. It graduated the greatest scholars and traditionalists, like Hasan al-Muthanna, al-Musayyab bin Najbah, Suwaid bin Ghaflah, al-Sha'bi, al-Asbagh bin Nubatah, Abu-Yahya al-Nakha'i, Ishaq bin Yasar, and others...

If Imam Hasan (as) had scored a great and glorious victory for Islam by establishing this school; he obliged the ummah and the Message another great favor. He called the people to uprightness of behavior and faith, and the following of the Messenger (S) and his family (as), doing their best to spread good manners and fight every evil act. Apart from this, he paid special attention to his society. He took care of the poor, the helpless and destitute. He looked after the needy.

We cited some examples of his care of the poor previously. Beside his ideological activities, it was only natural that Imam Hasan (as) would plan the future of his ummah, both in social and political spheres. In these fields, he took a good course for the benefit of the Divine Message and the ummah. He created an Islamic current of awareness among the ummah. It became clear for the ummah that the legitimate Imamate was the right of Ahlul Bayt (as), and particularly Imam Hasan (as).

Mu'awiyah and the likes of him were not fit to rule. Obedience to them was incompatible with the pristine Islamic line. Imam Hasan (as), and the Muslim intellectuals who graduated from his school, succeeded in bringing about an ummah with a sharp political awareness. An ummah which opposed the Umayyad rule, in thought, course of action, and method, and which defended Islam throughout the next generations. The Umayyad rule was not unaware of these nascent Islamic activities.

It was they, as a matter of fact, who were to be reckoned with. That is why the high-ranking officials of the Umayyad government held a meeting to discuss the matter. The meeting was attended by, in addition to Mu'awiyah, Amru bin al-Aas, al-Walid bin Aqabah bin-Mu'eet, Utbah bin Abu-Sufyan and al-Maghirah bin Shu'bah! They said to Mu'awiyah, in part: “Hasan has certainly animated his father and revived his memory.

He talked and he said the truth, gave orders and was obeyed, and was followed by the people. Such thing would raise him to a higher level.