تحقيق وتفريغ مخطوط مغربي نادر في أحكام التجويد والحديث (15 ورقة) | Critical Edition of a Rare Maghrebi Manuscript

Pages 101–103: Beginning of the debate attributed to Imam al-Hasan ibn Ali, translated into English for archival and research purposes.

Translator’s Introduction

The following pages (101–111) preserve a lengthy polemical exchange attributed to Imam al-Hasan ibn Ali between himself and several leading figures associated with the Umayyad political establishment, including Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, Amr ibn al-'As, al-Walid ibn 'Uqba, Utba ibn Abi Sufyan, al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba, and later Marwan ibn al-Hakam.

The text presents a highly charged debate in which accusations are exchanged regarding the political conflicts that followed the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the assassination of Caliph Uthman, the status of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the legitimacy of political authority within the Muslim community. Imam al-Hasan’s response, as preserved in this source, draws extensively upon episodes from the Prophet’s life, traditions concerning the virtues of Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt, and arguments concerning the conduct and historical role of his opponents.

Readers should note that this material belongs to a genre of historical and polemical literature transmitted through various sources over the centuries. Some reports contained in the text are widely known in Islamic historical writings, while others remain subjects of scholarly discussion regarding their transmission and authenticity. The present translation seeks to reproduce the source faithfully for documentary and research purposes without endorsing or rejecting the claims contained therein.

The final pages of this section shift from the debate itself to a genealogical account of the descendants of Imam al-Hasan, including references to al-Hasan al-Muthanna, Zayd, and other members of the Hasanid line. The section concludes with the opening of a new chapter concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of Imam al-Hasan.

This translation is presented as part of the ongoing effort of the Taher Lhioui Digital Archive to preserve, document, and make accessible historical materials related to the history, genealogy, and intellectual heritage of the Islamic West and the wider Muslim world.

Page 101

“You, O sons of Abd al-Muttalib, were not granted kingship by God so that you might commit therein what is unlawful for you. And you, O Hasan, imagine within yourself that you are destined to become Commander of the Faithful, yet you possess neither the judgment nor the capacity for such a position. How could you, when your father has deprived you of it and left among Quraysh those more foolish than yourself? This, indeed, was due to the evil conduct of your father.

We summoned you only because of your lineage and that of your father. Yet you are unable to reproach us, nor can you refute anything we have said. If you believe that we have lied about any matter, falsely attributed anything to you, or claimed something contrary to the truth, then speak. Otherwise, know that you and your father are among the worst of God’s creation. As for your father, God spared us the burden of dealing with him by taking his life Himself. As for you, you remain in our hands, and we may choose what we wish concerning you. By God, were we to kill you, there would be neither sin before God nor disgrace before the people in doing so.”

Then Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan spoke. He began by saying:

“O Hasan, your father was the worst of Quraysh for Quraysh itself. He severed its ties of kinship and shed the blood of its nobility. You are among those responsible for the death of Uthman, and justice requires that we kill you on his account. According to the Book of God, retaliation is due from you, and we shall execute it. As for your father, God alone dealt with him and relieved us of him. And as for your hope for the caliphate, you possess no share in it whatsoever.”

Then al-Walid ibn Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt spoke in a manner similar to those before him and said:

“O Banu Hashim, you were the first to spread criticism of Uthman and to gather the people against him until you brought about his death, motivated by a desire for kingship, the severing of kinship ties, the destruction of the community, and the shedding of its blood in pursuit of worldly power and the fleeting gains of this life. Uthman was your maternal uncle, and what an excellent uncle he was to you. He was also connected to you by marriage, and what an excellent relation he was. Yet you were the first to envy him, criticize him, and ultimately bring about his death. How then do you regard what God has done to you?”

Then al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah spoke. Much of his speech consisted of attacks upon Ali ibn Abi Talib. He said:

“O Hasan, Uthman was killed unjustly, and your father had neither an innocent excuse nor the excuse of a repentant sinner concerning that matter. We always believed that your father’s protection of Uthman’s killers, his sheltering of them, and his defense of them indicated that he approved of Uthman’s death. By God, he was long of sword and tongue: he killed the living and reviled the dead. The Umayyads are better to the Hashimites than the Hashimites are to the Umayyads, and Mu'awiyah is better for you than you are for Mu'awiyah.

Your father opposed the Messenger of God during his lifetime, rallied opposition against him before his death, and sought to kill him. The Messenger of God became aware of this. Later, Ali disliked giving allegiance to Abu Bakr until he was brought under compulsion. Then he secretly arranged poison for him. He disputed with Umar until Umar nearly struck off his head, and he acted against him as well. He criticized Uthman until Uthman was killed. Thus, he shared responsibility for all their blood. What standing before God, then, could such a man possess, O Hasan?”

Page 102

“God has granted authority to the heir of the slain. Mu'awiyah is the heir of the murdered Uthman, and justice would permit us to kill both you and your brother. By God, the blood of Ali is no more precious than the blood of Uthman. God would never unite prophethood and kingship in one house among the descendants of Abd al-Muttalib.”

The Reply of Imam al-Hasan

Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali, may God be pleased with him, then spoke:

“Praise be to God, who guided the first of you through the first of us and the last of you through the last of us. May God bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and Messenger of God, and his family.

Listen carefully to what I say and comprehend it fully.

I shall begin with you, O Mu'awiyah. By God, O blue-eyed one, none among these men insulted me except through you. They did not revile me of their own accord. Rather, you insulted and abused me out of obscenity, poor judgment, malice, aggression, envy toward us, and longstanding hostility toward Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

By God, if I and these men were standing in the Mosque of the Messenger of God surrounded by the Muhajirun and the Ansar, they would never have dared to speak to me as they have spoken today.

Listen to me, O gathering assembled together against me. Do not reject what I say until you have examined it, and do not accept as truth any falsehood that has been uttered.

I begin with you, O Mu'awiyah, and I shall not mention concerning you even a fraction of what truly belongs to you.

I ask you by God: do you know that the man whom you now condemn prayed toward both qiblas, while you regarded both as error and worshipped al-Lat and al-Uzza? Do you know that he pledged allegiance in both the Pledge of Ridwan and the Pledge of Victory, while you were at one time an unbeliever and at another a breaker of pledges?

I ask you by God: do you know that he met you at Badr carrying the banner of the Prophet, while you stood among the polytheists worshipping al-Lat and al-Uzza, believing warfare against the Messenger of God and the believers to be an obligation? He met you likewise at Uhud carrying the Prophet’s banner while you carried the banner of the polytheists. He met you again at al-Ahzab under the Prophet’s banner while you stood beneath the banner of the idolaters. In all these encounters God manifested His proof through him, vindicated His call, strengthened His cause, and granted victory to His standard. Throughout all of this, the Messenger of God was pleased with him.

I ask you by God: do you know that when the Messenger of God besieged Banu Qurayzah and Banu al-Nadir, he first sent Umar ibn al-Khattab with the banner of the Muhajirun and Sa'd ibn Mu'adh with the banner of the Ansar? Sa'd was wounded and carried back injured, while Umar returned, discouraging his companions and being discouraged by them.

Then the Messenger of God said:

‘Tomorrow I shall give the banner to a man who loves God and His Messenger, and whom God and His Messenger love; he advances and never retreats, and he will not return until God grants victory through him.’

Abu Bakr, Umar, and others among the Muhajirun and Ansar hoped for that distinction. At that time Ali was suffering severely from an eye ailment. The Messenger of God called him, applied his saliva to his eyes, and he was cured. He then gave him the banner, and Ali advanced without hesitation until God granted victory through him.

Meanwhile, you, Mu'awiyah, remained an enemy of God and His Messenger. Can a man who sincerely served God and His Messenger be equal to one who opposed God and His Messenger?”

Page 103

“By God, your heart never truly embraced Islam; rather, fear compelled your tongue to speak words not found within your heart.

I ask you by God: do you know that the Messenger of God appointed Ali as his deputy in Madinah during the expedition of Tabuk? Ali did not resent that appointment, though the hypocrites spoke against him. He said:

‘O Messenger of God, do not leave me behind, for I have never remained behind from any expedition with you.’

The Messenger of God replied:

‘You are my trustee and my successor among my family, in relation to me as Aaron was to Moses.’

Then he took Ali by the hand and said:

‘O people, whoever takes me as his guardian has taken God as his guardian. Whoever takes Ali as his guardian has taken me as his guardian. Whoever obeys me has obeyed God. Whoever obeys Ali has obeyed me. Whoever loves me loves God. Whoever loves Ali loves me.’

I ask you by God: do you know that during the Farewell Pilgrimage the Messenger of God declared:

‘O people, I leave among you that by which you shall never go astray after me: the Book of God. Make lawful what it declares lawful and unlawful what it declares unlawful. Act according to its clear verses and believe in its ambiguous verses. Love my household and my family, support those who support them, and aid them against those who oppose them. These two shall remain among you until they come to me at the Pool on the Day of Resurrection.’

Then he called Ali while standing upon the pulpit and drew him near, saying:

‘O God, befriend whoever befriends him and oppose whoever opposes him. O God, whoever shows hostility toward Ali, grant him neither firm footing upon the earth nor elevation in the heavens, and place him in the lowest depths of the Fire.’

I ask you by God: do you know that the Messenger of God said to him:

‘You shall guard my Pool on the Day of Resurrection, driving people away from it just as one of you drives a stray camel away from the midst of his herd.’

I ask you by God: do you know that Ali entered upon the Messenger of God during the illness from which he later passed away and found him weeping? Ali asked:

‘What causes you to weep, O Messenger of God?’

The Prophet replied:

‘I weep because I know that after I depart there are grudges within the hearts of certain men of my community toward you which they will not reveal until I am gone.’

I ask you by God: do you know that when death approached the Messenger of God and his family gathered around him, he said:

‘O God, these are my family and my household. Befriend whoever befriends them and grant them victory over whoever opposes them.’”

To be continued 

Author 

Taher Ben Abdessalam El Lhioui Al-Wahhabi Al-Alami Al-Hassani
Foreword
Abdallah Guennoun
Digital Edition, Translation and Presentation
Jaafar El Lhioui
Northern Morocco 

https://northern-morocco-archive.blogspot.com/2026/09/hisn-al-salam-status-of-ahl-al-bayt-in.html

 Conclusion
The archival lineage records preserved by historian Taher El Lhioui offer critical insights into the structural dynamics of the early prophetic households. By documenting these primary transmissions and clarifying descendant pathways, his work serves as an essential bridge connecting foundational Islamic history with the genealogical heritage of Northern Morocco. 
Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters of this digital series as we continue to unlock rare documents from the Northern Morocco Archive.

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Jaafar El Lhioui
Researcher, Editor, and Digital Activist

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