ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imam Hasan and Caliphate The Strength of the Army History has recorded the evidence for a very long time that victory or defeat of an army does not depend on the number of its soldiers. When the soldiers are brave and determined to even sacrifice their lives for a great cause, then even small battalions can defeat a mighty army. The Holy Qur’an has clearly indicated this truth in the words of the sincere and devoted soldiers of Hazrat Talut: "...

How often, by Allah's permission, has a small army vanquished a mighty host. ..."(2:249) . The reason for the same is that there are so many factors which determine the success of an army, and its strength is one of these. Therefore, it is not possible to deny the importance of the strength of an army. However, it does not mean that success is sure just because the army is large.

As far as the question of the strength of the army of Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) is concerned, some historians have recorded that Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) had marched from Kufa with an army of forty thousand to meet the sixty thousand strong army of Muawiya. Some accounts have even mentioned the strength of the army of the Imam (as) as seventy or ninety thousand.

It is, therefore, necessary that a realistic and critical analysis of the historical facts be undertaken to determine the truth or otherwise of the claim. Is it possible that such a large army existed in Kufa? Moreover, did Imam Al-Mujtaba (as) prefer peace over war despite having such a large army? No doubt has been expressed about the strength of Muawiya's army.

The historians agree that during the caliphate of Imam Hasan (as) he had come to attack Iraq with a large army of sixty thousand soldiers. But there is a big difference of opinion and doubt about the strength of the army of Imam Hasan (as) in historical records. A number of historians have kept quiet about the total strength of his army. Moreover, those raising objections against it, contain so many obscure elements.

What could be quoted with authenticity was only the strength of the vanguard brigade of the Imam (as) as nearly repetitive historical records show it to be twelve thousand. The history and the historians mentioning the same are: 'Tarikh al-Yaqubi; 'Tarikh al-Khamis' (Dayar Bakri); 'Al Bidiyah wal Nihaya' (Ibn. Kathir) 'Maqatil al Talibin' (Abul Faraj) 'Ansab al Ashraf' (Baladhuri 'Tarikh al-Islam' (Hafiz Dhahabi) 'Tajarib al Ummum' (Abu Maskuya) 'Tarikh-Ibn.