After attaining an armed upper hand...

After attaining an armed upper hand, it was very likely that the Amir of Syria would put pressure on the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) to give up the caliphate and to accept him as the religious caliph, just like Hazrat Abu Bakr had nominated Hazrat Umar for caliphate. This was the only wayin which his government and its acts would attain legal and constitutional status.

The Amir of Syria did not stop there but demanded that Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) should seek forgiveness from Muawiya for waging war against Syria. He spread rumour among the political circles in Kufa that Imam Hasan (as) had handed over the caliphate to Muawiya and was himself retiring. [^2] The residents of Kufa were already depressed from defeat and they were likely to be adversely affected by such rumours.

Although they did not accept these rumours as true, yet they were gripped with anxiety and doubt. However, they had very closely seen the attractive personality of the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws), his refined manners, his impeccable character, knowledge, piety and political farsightedness. Apart from these, his valuable services to the cause of Islam were very well known and appreciated by all.

Perhaps due to these qualities of the Imam (as) they had earlier chosen him collectively as their caliph despite so many disagreements in Kufa. Under a difficult situation, they were anxiously waiting for the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saws) to appear personally and to address them publicly to explain his version of the peace, to remove the doubts created in their minds.

They did not have to wait long and the Imam (as), after duly praising Almighty God, addressed them from the pulpit thus: "O men! Doubtless Almighty God guided you through the first of us (the Holy Prophet (saw)) and through the last of us, (i.e.Imam Hasan (as) himself), He has saved you from mass killings. Undoubtedly, the power is for a temporary period and such worldly ranks keep changing.

The Merciful God has commanded His prophet that He is not sure whether he would take it as a trial or a source of pleasure for a short while." [^3] "O men! for sure a pious person is very intelligent and the transgressor and sinful person is quite foolish. You may go anywhere in the East or West, yet you will find no one except me and my brother Husayn whose grandfather is the Holy Prophet (saws).