Character and virtues of Imam Al-'Askari (PBUH)

Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s 11th truthful descendant, Imam Hasan Al-'Askari (PBUH), martyred at the age of 28 years on Rabi’ul Awwal 8 year 260 AH, was one of that illustrious series of the immaculate infallible each member of whom displayed the moral excellence of human perfection.

He was peerless in knowledge, forbearance, forgiveness, generosity, sacrifice and piety. Whenever Al-Mu'tamad asked anybody about his captive Imam Hasan al-'Askari (PBUH), he was told that the Imam fasted during the day and worshipped during the night, and that his tongue uttered no word but remembrance of his creator.

Once when the 'Abbasid caliph asked his Minister for Charities Ahmed ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Khaqan, who was an enemy of the Prophet (PBUH)'s family, about the descendants of Imam 'Ali Naqee (PBUH), he reported: "I do not know anybody among them who is more distinguished than Hasan al-'Askari. None can surpass him in dignity, knowledge, piety and abstinence, nor can anybody match him in the point of nobleness, majestic grandeur, modesty and honesty".

Then he further said: “One day I was present with my father when Imam al-‘Askari arrived there, although my father was the enemy of the Prophet's family, yet he got up from his place, kissed his hand and made him seated upon his own place and sat before him like a pupil in front of a teacher and listened to Imam's words carefully.”

Imam’s name is al-Hasan, Abu Muhammad. His father was Imam 'Ali An-Naqi (PBUH) and his mother was Salil Khatun, an ideal woman in piety, worship, chastity and generosity. He was born in Medina on the tenth of Rabi' al-Akhir, 232 AH.