Chapter 2: Hasan al-Basri
CHAPTER 2: HASAN AL BASRI
Following the death of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz , the government and the people returned to their moral decadence. This time, the decline was more rapid and another revival was needed which came through Hasan Al Basri . The summary of this chapter will be split into two sections.
1. The state of the Muslim world before Hasan Al Basri
2. Life and efforts of Hasan al-Basri
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz passed away in 101AH/720CE and was succeeded by Yazid II. There was a complete reversal of state policy” (p53). There was an even greater passion for extravagance and moral decadence which was exacerbated by the government’s policy. Hypocrisy also rose again with people outwardly embracing Islam to reap its economic and social benefits whilst inwardly holding on to their former practices. These people were “the lingering remnants of the hypocrites of earlier days referred to in the Qur’an.” (p61) The Muslim world faced an even greater crisis than the one at the time of ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz and it indeed “appeared to be the beginning of the end” (p53). No military conquest of foreign lands could help the Muslim nation nor was there any practical possibility of the Umayyad government being overthrown. A revival from within was needed and a few scholars rose to the occasion. They “stepped in to fill in the gap at this crucial moment, and thus save the world of Islam from declining into a godless, characterless, and spiritually enfeebled existence”. The author mentions Sa’id ibn Jubayr, Muhammad ibn Sirin, Sha’bi as some of the most prominent scholars who attempted to revive the Muslim World at that time. The forerunner of them all however was Hasan al-Basri .
Hasan al-Basri was born in 21AH/642CE in Madinah. His father was Zayd bin Thabit, a senior companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Hasan al-Basri was distinguished by his personality and was known to be an amicable, considerate, charismatic and enchanting young man. In addition to this, he was very intelligent and had profound learning and wisdom. Unlike many scholars today, he was well-educated in all Islamic sciences. He would “teach Hadīth to one, Qur’ an exegesis to another, jurisprudence to a third, expounding a legal opinion to someone else and giving instruction in legal methodology to yet another” (p55, Bustani, Da’irat al-Ma’arif, 44). Even the Makkans, who came from one the biggest hubs of knowledge in the Muslim World, were dumbfounded by the knowledge of Hasan Al Basri. Furthermore, he was a great orator who “could hold an audience spellbound” (p56). His sermons were directly from the heart and is recorded that his speeches bore a close resemblance to those of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The problems Muslim society faced were not unknown to Hasan Al-Basri and he exerted himself in resolving these. His “heroic efforts to enjoin the right and to forbid the wrong and his undaunted championship of the righteous path before the elite, rulers, and administrators could never be forgotten” (p55, Bustani, Da’irat al-Ma’arif, 44). Despite his oracy skills and deep understanding of Islam, he often remarked that his sermons were of little use to people whose hearts had become hard. Nonetheless, his efforts bore fruit and “untold numbers returned as changed men after hearing Hasan’s sermons.” (p59) He also actively spoke up against the government and its corruption – including the infamous tyrant Hajjaj bin Yusuf. Hasan Al Basri was also aware of the threat posed by the hypocrites and reprimanded them by reminding them of the next life.
After more than 60 years of propagating the message of Islam, Hasan Al Basri passed away in 110AD/720CE. The whole of Basra, which was one of the largest cities in the Muslim World, attended his funeral, leaving the central Masjid of the city empty during Friday’s ‘Asr prayers for the first time. His legacy lived on through his students who continued his work.
In conclusion, Hasan Al Basri exerted great effort in preserving the Islamic spirit. His efforts are best described by Awwam ibn Hawshab who says “Hasan performed for sixty years the same task which the noble prophets used to do among their communities.” (p59, Da’irat al-Ma’arif, 7:44). Without his efforts, the trajectory of moral decline would almost certainly have been much more rapid. It is therefore clear that Hasan Al Basri was truly a saviour of the Islamic spirit.