Each narration below is shown in its original Arabic alongside an English translation, with its chapter, number, and reference.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلْحَسَنِ { مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِينَ * إِلاَّ مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ } قَالَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ يَصْلَى الْجَحِيمَ .
“Can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah, except such as are (themselves) going to the blazing fire.” He said: Except the one whom Allah destined that he should go to Hell.
حَدَّثَنَا هِلاَلُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدٌ، قَالَ كَانَ الْحَسَنُ يَقُولُ لأَنْ يُسْقَطَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَقُولَ الأَمْرُ بِيَدِي .
Al-Hasan used to say that his fall from the heaven on the earth is dearer to him than uttering: The matter is in my hand.
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدٌ، قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا الْحَسَنُ مَكَّةَ فَكَلَّمَنِي فُقَهَاءُ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ أَنْ أُكَلِّمَهُ فِي أَنْ يَجْلِسَ لَهُمْ يَوْمًا يَعِظُهُمْ فِيهِ . فَقَالَ نَعَمْ . فَاجْتَمَعُوا فَخَطَبَهُمْ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ أَخْطَبَ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ مَنْ خَلَقَ الشَّيْطَانَ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الشَّيْطَانَ وَخَلَقَ الْخَيْرَ وَخَلَقَ الشَّرَّ . قَالَ الرَّجُلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ كَيْفَ يَكْذِبُونَ عَلَى هَذَا الشَّيْخِ .
Al-Hasan came to us. The jurists of Mecca told me that I should speak to him that some day he should hold a meeting for them and preach to them. He said: Yes. So they gathered and he addressed them. I did not see anyone on orator greater than him. A man said: Abu Sa’id, who created Satan? He replied: Glory be to Allah! Is there any creator other than Allah? Allah created Satan, and he created good and created evil. The man said: May Allah ruin them! How do they lie to this old man.
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ الطَّوِيلِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، { كَذَلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ } قَالَ الشِّرْكُ .
“Even so do We let it creep into the hearts of the sinners.” He said: Polytheism
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ رَجُلٍ، قَدْ سَمَّاهُ غَيْرِ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدٍ الصِّيدِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ } قَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الإِيمَانِ .
Between them and their faith.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ أَسِيرُ بِالشَّامِ فَنَادَانِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ خَلْفِي فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا رَجَاءُ بْنُ حَيْوَةَ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَوْنٍ مَا هَذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُونَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّهُمْ يَكْذِبُونَ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ كَثِيرًا .
I was a prisoner in Syria. A man called me from behind. I turned towards him and suddenly found that it was Raja b. Haiwah. He said: Abu ‘Awn, what is this that the people are telling about al-Hasan? I said: They are much lying to al-Hasan.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَيُّوبَ، يَقُولُ كَذَبَ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ ضَرْبَانِ مِنَ النَّاسِ قَوْمٌ الْقَدَرُ رَأْيُهُمْ وَهُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُنَفِّقُوا بِذَلِكَ رَأْيَهُمْ وَقَوْمٌ لَهُ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ شَنَآنٌ وَبُغْضٌ يَقُولُونَ أَلَيْسَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ كَذَا أَلَيْسَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ كَذَا
I heard Ayyub say: Two kinds of people have lied to al-Hasan: people who believed in free will and they intended that they publicise their belief by it; and people who had enmity with and hostility (for al-Hasan), saying: Did he not say so and so? Did he not say so and so?
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، أَنَّ يَحْيَى بْنَ كَثِيرٍ الْعَنْبَرِيَّ، حَدَّثَهُمْ قَالَ كَانَ قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ يَقُولُ لَنَا يَا فِتْيَانُ لاَ تُغْلَبُوا عَلَى الْحَسَنِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ رَأْيُهُ السُّنَّةَ وَالصَّوَابَ .
Qurrah b. Khalid used to tell us: O young people! Do not think that al-Hasan denied predestination, for his opinion (i.e., belief) was sunnah and sight.
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، قَالَ لَوْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّ كَلِمَةَ، الْحَسَنِ تَبْلُغُ مَا بَلَغَتْ لَكَتَبْنَا بِرُجُوعِهِ كِتَابًا وَأَشْهَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ شُهُودًا وَلَكِنَّا قُلْنَا كَلِمَةٌ خَرَجَتْ لاَ تُحْمَلُ .
If we learnt that the remark of al-Hasan would reach the extent that it has reached, we would write a book for his withdrawal and call witnesses to him; but we said: This is a remark that surprisingly came out (from him) and it will not be transmitted to others.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ قَالَ لِيَ الْحَسَنُ مَا أَنَا بِعَائِدٍ، إِلَى شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ أَبَدًا .
Al-Hasan said: I will never return to it.