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| Awards for Excellence
Hasan and his younger brother Husayn, the beloved grandsons of Prophet Muhammad, started life with the most precious of gifts. Their mother, Fatimah, was the Prophet's daughter and a paragon of virtue. Their father, Ali, was the Prophet's cousin: a caring father and a fearless defender of the faith. The children enjoyed an age of protection and innocence unlike any other, they would sit on the Prophet's chest as he slept and climb on his back as he prayed. But fate held the cruellest of blows. When Hasan reached the age of eight and a half, Prophet Muhammad passed away, Fatimah died six months after. It was time to grow up. The boys gained expertise in Islamic law, they excelled in swimming, swordsmanship and archery and all the while they emulated the noble traits of their grandfather. That they were still tender in years did not prevent them from exercising tact and diplomacy. Once, the boys noticed a man performing his ablutions incorrectly, rather than embarrass him by pointing out his mistake, Hasan and Husayn set about performing their own ablutions allowing the man to observe and correct himself. As children Hasan and Husayn lived exemplary lives. Leaders by instinct and training, they grew to place the stability of the Muslim community above the desire to wield power. At 37, Hasan was elected caliph after his father's death, but faced with the disruptive machinations of Muawiyah, the irretraceable Governor of Iraq, he relinquished the position in order to see calm restored to the community. Nevertheless, Hasan and Husayn would not compromise on the principle of justice. Hasan's death left Husayn to defend Islam from the scourge of hereditary succession. He was martyred at Karbala, Iraq, for opposing the unjust succession of Muawiyah's son as caliph. When Muslims remember Hasan and Husayn, it is with joy and tears, and with the hope that we may see their exuberance and piety in our own children. |
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