# Why did Hasan ibn Ali give up the caliphate to Muawiya? *Hasan ibn Ali: the wisest of the three, and the truce with Muawiya* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/7/ - Date: 2020-10-16 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (24:18–27:40) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=1458s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/ **Topics:** The companions; Succession and the first civil wars **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth feels Hasan was the wisest of Ali's family, a diplomat who opposed fighting at Siffin and handed power to Muawiya for peace, fulfilling the hadith on reconciling two factions. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that of Ali and his two sons Hasan was the wisest, with more insight than his father Ali. **Evidence, his words at 24:18:** “out of Ali and his two sons Hassan and Hussein, I feel that Hassan out of all three was the most wisest.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=1458s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says, aware it may seem controversial, that of Ali and his two sons he feels Hasan was the wisest, with more insight than his father, while stressing that Ali was unquestionably one of the most amazing people of the Ummah. He says Hasan's approach was always diplomacy, how to avoid the most harm for the greatest number, and that at Siffin he told his father that fighting was a huge mistake, though he stayed loyal and fought with him, because war is always wrong. He cites the hadith that this son of the Prophet would bring two great factions of the Ummah together, and says Hasan did so by handing rule to Muawiya for the sake of peace and unity. Things then stabilised for a couple of decades, he says, but Banu Umayya were once again entrenched in power. ## Sources and names cited - Hasan ibn Ali - Ali ibn Abi Talib - Husayn ibn Ali - Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan - the battle of Siffin - report: this son of mine will bring two great factions together ## Transcript (machine tier, 24:18–27:40) [23:51] And what should they be doing? And they do set an arbitration which still kind of goes goes wrong. Uh they set some people who eventually say, "Okay, we're going to remove everyone from power. We remove Ali, we remove Muawiyah, we remove everyone. We're going to meet again and then we'll decide." And then before they can meet again uh Ali is martyred. [24:17] So, and there's an attempt to martyr Muawiyah as well, but it's unsuccessful. And then Ali's son Hassan is given rulership. So, Hassan you know, in my understanding I not I my opinion of Hassan and it very high opinion of Hassan. It may appear very controversial to certain people, but I actually feel out of all the you know, out of the three out of Ali and his two sons Hassan and Hussein, I feel that Hassan out of all three was [24:56] the most wisest. Um I feel he was somebody who had an incredible sense of insight. That I'm not saying the other two didn't have that, but I feel his exceeded them. I feel he had more insight than his father Ali and um I mean I'm not detracting from being an amazing person. [25:23] He was an amazing person unquestionably one of the most amazing people of this ummah, but you know, his son Hassan he saw things in a different light. And he his concern was always how to avoid the most poss how how to avoid the most harm for the greatest number of people always. [25:52] Like he it was his approach was one of diplomacy. Even in the battle of Siffin he did oppose his father Ali on not wanting him he said that you're you're this is a huge mistake that you're going to fight. Not because he was with Muawiyah. He wasn't with he eventually he did he was loyal to his father, so he fought with him, but he did tell him that look you this is a mistake. [26:20] War is always wrong. And when he was made in charge you see it's interesting that there's a hadith of the prophet saying that this son of mine will bring two great factions together. These two great groups that fit a turn of the matan of my ummah. [26:43] And he is the one that actually once again brings he he he he he he manages to bridge a truce between these two groups. The Shia to Ali and the whole camp of Muawiyah he brings them together and he says he kind of gives up. He says to Muawiyah that I will I'll hand it to you if you want. [27:10] If it will stop all of this and if it will bring peace and unity, then it makes no difference. And with that things actually for a few decades for a couple of decades stabilize. But, what this does do is it solidifies once again Bani Umayya. So, Bani Umayya once again because once Muawiyah gets into control he makes sure that obviously his people are everywhere. ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment iaBL5ViS3Rg/s/7. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/7/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.