Every evening food was served to many of those who were not...

Every evening food was served to many of those who were not in a position to provide for themselves. While the family of ‘Ali (as) lived in small house and without any pomp or luxury for themselves. This was the example they were setting for all to see and follow that even when you have become rich you share your bounties with other Muslim brothers and sisters to make the society equally prosperous and happy.

In these 25 years Hasan (as) has seen the Islamic State grow into a much larger and more powerful Muslim nation. After the death of the 3rd Caliph Osman his father ‘Ali (as) was elected caliph by a popular vote of the companions of the Holy Prophet. But soon there emerged those who wanted a lot of favor from ‘Ali (as) and when they did not get it they stood against him. The battle of Jamal was fought and won by ‘Ali (as) and the capital of the Muslim state was removed from Madinah to Kufa.

Kufa was established during the reign of the 2nd caliph as a garrison town and was much more central to the vastly growing Muslim Empire than Madinah. This was a very prudent move to give a better control over all corners of this growing Muslim state which stretched from North Africa in the West, to Persia and Azerbaijan in the East. ‘Ali (as) has appointed his own trustworthy Governors of the provinces but none of them from his own family.

All his children stayed with him at the center or in Madinah to control the Trust he had formed earlier or to join in the battles of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrwan fought during the life of the Khilafat of ‘Ali (as) Hasan (as) took part with his father in all these battles and shown the customary Hashemite bravery and skill in defeating the enemy.

In these battles the real adversary of ‘Ali (as) and his family was Moawiya ibne Abu Sofian who challenged ‘Ali’s authority and fought with him to remain the governor and later the ruler of the province of Syria. His atrocities against the rule of ‘Ali (as) continued even after the near defeat at Siffin. After the martyrdom of ‘Ali (as) in the mosque of Kufa in 41 Hijri and the election of Hasan (as) as the next caliph was a thorn in the heart of Moawiya.

His propaganda machine against the House of ‘Ali (as) , in fact against Islam, began its work in earnest. Large sums of money and fraudulent promises of vast properties and governorships of provinces were given to many commanders of Hasan’s (as) army who deserted and left Hasan (as) without much power.