07-15-2003, 11:26 PM
Al-Hasan Al-Basri
His Birth and Early Life:
- His name is Al-Hasan bin Yasar. His father “Yasar” was the freed-slave of the great Companion Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). His mother’s name was “Khaiyrah,” who was a freed female-slave of Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife (peace be upon him).
- Al-Hasan was born in Medina in around 30 A.H. He was brought up in the apartments of the Prophet’s wives, especially Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), who suckled him when he was a baby.
His Pursuit of Knowledge:
- He received knowledge in the Prophet’s Mosque at the hands of major Companions, such as `Uthman bin `Affan, `Abdullah bin `Abbas, `Ali bin Abi Talib. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, Anas bin Malik, Jabir bin `Abdullah and `Abdullah bin `Umar.
- At the age of fourteen, Al-Hasan moved to Basra and settled there with his family. The city of Basra was then a beacon of knowledge, whose great mosque was teeming with major Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), especially `Abdullah bin `Abbas, with whom Al-Hasan kept company and learnt from him Tafsir, Hadith and the manners of recitation of the Holy Qur’an.
- Al-Hasan received the knowledge of jurisprudence, grammar and literature from Companions other than Ibn `Abbas, until he became a prominent scholar, who was much loved by people.
The Scholars Acknowledgement of Him:
- Khalid bin Safwan said concerning him: “He is a man of good nature, who practiced what he preached. He always felt self-sufficient from people, while people were in need of his knowledge.”
- Maslamah bin `Abdul-Malik said concerning him: “How can a people go astray while Al-Hasan Al-Basri is among them?”
His Preaching:
- The preaching of Al-Hasan Al-Basri had a great influence on the hearts of people. Among his preaching was his saying: “The parable of the worldly life and the Hereafter is like the east and the west. The nearer you draw to either of them, the farer you be to the other. The worldly life is an abode whose start is a suffering and its end is the passing away. Lawful deeds made during life will be accountable, while misdeeds will be punished….”
His Death:
- Al-Hasan Al-Basri died in 110 A.H. All the people of Basra witnessed his funeral in the first of the month of Rajab.[/color:6535c0cfe7]