Imam Hasan al-Askari: A Brief Excursion into the Life and Thought of the Fourteen Immaculates

In this book, we will discuss some of the aspects of the life of the Eleventh Imam, Imam Hasan al-Askari, who is the father of the awaited universal savior, the Imam al-Mandi.

The brilliant sun of Islam dawned like the appearance of lightning among the stormy events of history, illuminating the world of humanity which was in darkness with its radiant light, illuminating the hearts and minds of the people whom it made aware of and invited to the possibility of eternal life.

The dawn of this sun was announced by His Eminence the Prophet Mohammad. The social conditions of his day were murky and dark. Injustice and immoral behavior had become the norm in human societies. The ignorance and wickedness of oppressors poured down on the oppressed like an angry storm. But with the dawning of the sun of Islam and the lessons of towhid — which is itself the basis of all human virtues — a new spirit was born. In this way, mankind, whom resided in a state of ignorance, learned to avoid following false idols and turned to the way of the brotherhood of man. A number of people brought their capacities to bear and came to the aid of the ministry of the Prophet of Islam and the message of the Qurʼan, thereby laying the foundation of their felicity in this world and in the world to come.

Because the sacred ordinances of the Qurʼan and the tenets of Islam were not revealed for a particular era or for a particular nation or tribe but were sent for the salvation of the whole of humanity in every era and for every nation, everyone turned toward Islam.

Islam — the preeminent religion from its inception to the present — opened the horizons of humanity’s moral and spiritual vision, thereby manifesting humanity’s true religious identity. As a consequence of the grace which is the religion of Islam, mankind is able to familiarize himself with the mystery of existence and to discover the path to his eternal voyage.

Islam arose and was uttered through the mouth of the Apostle of God so that its lofty and beautiful facets might awaken mankind from its slumber of neglect and to guide it toward that which is right and just, and in order that mankind might be freed from his ignorance and idolatry and bondsmanship to other than God, and to learn to worship and to obey the will of the one and only God.

In order for such an objective to obtain, Almighty God has deemed it necessary for Imams to continue the Prophet’s ministry as his divinely-appointed successors. After the passing of the Prophet of God, twelve Imams who were the shining stars of the world of Islam continued his mission, the last of whom, the Imam al-Mandi (may God hasten the advent of his noble person) will appear when God wills it, and will fill the world with justice and equity.

The Fourteen Immaculates Series from The Lion of Najaf Publishers is a series which dedicates a separate volume to the religious, political and intellectual biography of each of the Fourteen Immaculates (the Prophet Mohammad, his august daughter Lady Fatema, and the Twelve Imams of his Purified and Immaculate Household). Each volume covers the life and times of the Fourteen Immaculates from their birth, to their being vested in the office of the imamate, to their martyrdom. Each volume provides a history of their piety, mannerisms, and other personal, social and ethical character traits. The volumes which treat the Imams, provide examples of the specific characteristics of their imamates and each Imam’s relations with the caliphs of his time. Each volume also provides examples of their knowledge and their miracles, and provides insights into their imamology on the basis of their own words and deeds, as well providing teaching stories as to how each of the Imams provided guidance to and cultivated the moral substance of their faithful and devout followers. And finally, each volume ends with a brief section which gives a sampling of the sayings of each imam. All of the source materials for this series is taken from the authoritative Shi’a histories and collections of hadith scripture, wherein the words and deeds of the Imams have been lovingly preserved by their companions and students for posterity. The language of the text is kept simple such that in addition to the general readership, it is suitable for young adult readers as well.

Table of Contents

Preface

Birth

The Succession to his Father

The Imam’s Piety

The Imam’s Social and Ethical Character Traits

The Tale of Lady Narges

The Reign of the Abbasid Caliphs during the Time of the Imam

Guidance

From the Letters and Will of Imam Hasan al-Askari

Some of the Miracles of Imam Hasan al-Askari

Some of the Companions of the Imam

Ahmad b.Eshaq al-Ash’ari al-Qomi

Abu Hashim Dawud b. Qasem al-Ja’fari

Abdollah b. Ja’far al-Hamyari

Abu Amr Othman b. Sa’id al-Amri

Martyrdom

A Sampling of the Words of the Imam

Bibliographic Information

Title: Imam Hasan al-Askari: A Brief Excursion into the Life and Thought of the Fourteen Immaculates

Author(s): Mahdi Rahimi and Abdollah Taherkhani

Translator: Blake Acher Williams

Publisher: ‎ ‎ ‎Lion of Najaf Publishes

Length: 114 pages

ISBN: 978-1543079432

Pub. Date: April 7, 2017

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