Hasan al-Basri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Imam Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
Tābiʿūn; Theologian, Ascetic, Mystic, Scholar; Imām of Basra, Lamp of Basra, Leader of the Ascetics
Born	c. 21 AH/642 CE Medina, Rashidun Caliphate
Died	Friday, 5th Rajab 110 AH/15 October 728 (aged 86) Basra, Umayyad Caliphate
Venerated in	Sunni Islam, but particularly in traditional tariqas of Sufism
Major shrine	Tomb of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, Az Zubayr, Iraq
Influences	Ali ibn Abi Talib
Influenced	Abdul Wahid bin Zaid & Habib al-Ajami

Hasan al-Basri (born in 642 CE, died October 15, 728 CE) was an important early Muslim scholar and teacher. His full name was Abū Saʿīd b. Abi ’l-Ḥasan Yasār al-Baṣrī. People often called him Hasan of Basra or Imam Hasan al-Basri. He was known as a preacher, a very religious person (ascetic), a theologian, a Quran expert (exegete), a scholar, a judge, and a mystic.

Hasan was born in Medina and belonged to the second generation of Muslims. These people are known as the tābiʿūn in Sunni Islam. He became one of the most famous tābiʿūn because of his great knowledge and lasting influence. Hasan was respected for living a simple life and teaching against being too focused on worldly things. His powerful speeches left a big mark on people during the early Umayyad Caliphate.

He had close connections with many of the companions of the prophet Muhammad, which made him an even more respected teacher. He was especially good at explaining the Quran and understanding theology and Sufism (Islamic mysticism). Hasan played a huge role in developing Sufism. His name appears in many spiritual family trees (called silsilas) of Sufi teachers, linking them back to Muhammad. Many scholars see him as a key founder of early Sufism.

Most of Hasan's original writings do not exist today. His wise sayings and advice were passed down by his many students through oral tradition. Some parts of his famous speeches can be found in later books.

Who Was Hasan al-Basri?

Hasan al-Basri was a highly respected figure in early Islamic history. He is honored by all the main Sunni schools of thought. Many important Sunni thinkers, like Abu Talib al-Makki and Attar of Nishapur, often called him one of the most respected people of his time.

His Teachings and Influence

Abu Talib al-Makki, a famous Basran Sunni mystic, wrote about Hasan: "Hasan is our leader in this teaching we follow. We walk in his footsteps and follow his ways. From his lamp, we get our light." This shows how much he was admired and how his ideas guided others.

Hasan's Life Journey

Hasan was born in Medina in 642 CE. His mother, Khayra, worked for Umm Salama, one of the prophet Muhammad's wives. His father, Peroz, was a Persian slave from southern Iraq. Hasan spent most of his early life in Medina before his family moved to Basra after the Battle of Siffin. Being connected to Medina and knowing many of Muhammad's companions made him a very important religious figure.

Early Blessings and Education

Stories say that Hasan was even nursed by Umm Salama. When he was a baby, his mother took him to the caliph Umar. Umar is said to have prayed for him, saying, "O God! Please make him wise in faith and loved by all people." As Hasan grew up, he was admired for strictly following the example of Muhammad. Early sources say he often studied with Ali when he was still a teenager. Some people even believed Hasan was one of the abdal, which are special saints whose numbers stay constant until the Day of Judgment.

From Business to Scholarship

As a young man, Hasan took part in military campaigns in eastern Iran around 663 CE. He also worked as a jewel merchant. However, he later left business and military life to become a dedicated religious scholar and ascetic. During this time, he openly criticized the rulers in Iraq. His strong words even made him have to flee for his life from Ḥaj̲j̲āj, a powerful governor.

Hasan had close friends who also lived simple, religious lives, like Farqad as-Sabakhi, an Armenian Christian who became a Muslim. Along with people like Rabia Basri, Hasan spoke out against wealthy people who gathered too much money. It is said he disliked wealth so much that he refused a rich man who wanted to marry his daughter, simply because of his riches. Hasan also had many students in mysticism, like Habib al-Ajami. Hasan passed away in Basra in 728 CE, at the age of 86. A story says that on the night he died, someone dreamed that the Gates of Heaven opened, and a voice announced, "Hasan al-Basri is coming to God Most High, Who is pleased with him."

Hasan's Important Ideas

Hasan's main message was about focusing on the afterlife, living simply, being poor, and having deep respect for God. He also spoke about knowing and loving God, which he contrasted with loving the world too much.

His Mystical Teachings

Even though Hasan's full writings on mysticism don't exist, he taught many students about religious sciences and what later became known as Sufism. He is called a "great patriarch" of Sufism by scholars. He likely shared his teachings by speaking, not by writing. From what we know of his speeches, a key part of his mysticism was his strong belief in living a simple life and not being attached to worldly things.

Some of his famous sayings show this:

• "Live in this world as if you had never stepped here, and in the next world as if you had never left it."
• "He that knows God loves Him, and he that knows the world stays away from it." This saying captures the heart of Sufism in Basra at that time.
• Hasan also said, "The onlooker thinks they are sick, but no sickness has hit that folk. Or, if you wish, they are hit: completely hit by remembering the Hereafter." This means some people can clearly see the next life while still living in this one.

Hasan is seen as a very important link in Sufi history. He grew up during the time of the Prophet's companions, and by the time he died, Islamic mystics had become a distinct group. Traditional Sunni mystical books say that Hasan learned a lot of his spiritual knowledge from Ali. This is why many Sufi groups trace their spiritual lineage back to Ali, and then to the Prophet Muhammad, through Hasan.

Using Prayer Beads

Hasan is known to have supported using prayer beads (called misbaḥah or tasbīḥ) for remembering God (dhikr). It is said that Hasan stated about prayer beads, "Something we have used at the beginning of the road, we do not want to leave at the end. I love to remember God with my heart, my hand, and my tongue."

A scholar named al-Suyuti commented on this, saying that prayer beads remind people of God, and seeing them often makes a person remember God, which is a great benefit. Because of teachers like Hasan, using prayer beads is common in mainstream Sunni and Shia Islam. However, some groups like Salafism and Wahhabism do not agree with this practice, seeing it as a new addition to the religion.

Stories About Hasan

Islamic stories (hagiography) have many tales and anecdotes about Hasan. One famous story is about how he changed his life. It says that he started as a successful jewel merchant.

Hasan's Change of Heart

The story goes that Hasan visited the Byzantine Emperor's court. The vizier (a high official) invited him to travel into the desert. There, Hasan saw a beautiful tent. A large army, 400 scholars, elders, and 400 beautiful servant maids came to the tent one after another. The vizier explained that the Emperor's handsome young son had died, and every year, these people came to honor the dead prince.

After everyone else had left, the Emperor and his chief minister went into the tent. They told the deceased boy how sad they were that their power, knowledge, wisdom, wealth, beauty, or authority could not save his promising life. This powerful scene made Hasan realize he needed to always remember that life is short. This experience changed him from a rich businessman into a person who gave up worldly things for a religious life.

Hasan and Prophet Muhammad

Some stories even suggest that Hasan met the prophet Muhammad when he was a baby. The tradition says that Muhammad visited Umm Salama's house and prayed for baby Hasan, giving him blessings. Another time, young Hasan is said to have drunk some water from Muhammad's water jug. When Muhammad found out, he declared that Hasan would gain knowledge from him in proportion to the water he had drunk.

What Was Hasan Like?

Historical sources say that Hasan was admired for his good looks. A scholar named Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya shared an older story: "A group of women went out on Eid day and looked at people. They were asked: 'Who is the most handsome person you have seen today?' They replied: 'It is a teacher wearing a black turban.' They meant al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī."

As for his personality, Hasan was known for crying often. He shed many tears out of regret for his sins. One story says he cried so much while praying on his rooftop that his tears flowed down through the drainpipes onto a passerby. The passerby asked if the water was clean. Hasan immediately called out that it was not, because they were "sinner's tears," and advised the passerby to wash himself. Another scholar, Qushayri, said of Hasan: "One would never see al-Hasan al-Basri without thinking that he had just been hit by a terrible tragedy." These stories show that Hasan was deeply affected by sadness and fear, which was common for very religious people of all faiths.