Imam Hasan (a) and al-Shami
A Syrian man who was misled by the propaganda machine of that time.
Having entered Medina to visit the grave site of the greatest Messenger of Allah, he happened to see a rider on horseback whose dignity and awe were captivating, and who was accompanied by some of his followers surrounding him from all directions, eagerly awaiting his commands. The Syrian man was quite astonished to find a man besides Mu`awiyah surrounded with such a halo of reverence. He was told that the rider was Imam al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (a).
"Is he the son of Abu Turab, the Kharijite?!" asked he.
Then he went to extremes in cursing and taunting Imam al-Hasan, his father, and his Ahl al-Bayt.
Imam al-Hasan's companions took their swords out of their scabbards and rushed to kill that Syrian, but they were stopped by Imam al-Hasan (a) who alighted from his horse, welcomed the Syrian, and with noble manners asked him, "It seems to me that you are a stranger in these quarters, O brother of the Arabs, are you?"
"Yes," the Syrian answered, "I am from Syria, and I am a follower of the commander of the faithful and the master of the Muslims Mu`awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan."
Imam al-Hasan (a) again welcomed him and said to him, "You are my guest," but the Syrian rejected the invitation, yet Imam al-Hasan (a) kept insisting to host him till he agreed. The Imam, and for the entire (three-day customary) hospitality period, kept serving him in person and being extremely nice to him.
On the fourth day, the Syrian showed signs of regret and repentance on account of his past conduct towards Imam al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib; he remembered how he had cursed and taunted him, while here he was so kind to him and so generous.
He asked Imam al-Hasan (a) and pleaded to him to forgive his past conduct, and the following dialogue resulted in the presence of some of Imam al-Hasan (a)'s companions:
Imam al-Hasan (a): "Have you recited the Quran, O' brother of the Arabs?"
Syrian: "I have memorized the entire text of the Quran."
Imam al-Hasan (a): "Do you know who Ahlul-Bayt from whom Allah removed all abomination and whom He purified with a perfect purification are?"
Syrian: "They are Mu`awiyah and the family of Abu Sufyan."
Those present there were very surprised to hear such an answer.
Imam al-Hasan (a) smiled and said to the man, "I am al-Hasan ibn Ali; my father is the cousin and brother of the Messenger of Allah; my mother is Fatima, Mistress of the ladies of all mankind; my grandfather is the Messenger of Allah and the master of all prophets and messengers. My uncle is al-Hamza, master of martyrs, and so is Ja`far al-Tayyar.
We are Ahlul-Bayt whom Allah, Praise to Him, has purified and kindness to whom He required of the Muslims. We are the ones whom Allah and His angels blessed, ordering the Muslims to bless us. I and my brother al-Husayn are the masters of the youths of Paradise."
Then Imam al-Hasan (a) enumerated some virtues of Ahlul-Bayt, acquainting him with the truth, whereupon the Syrian could see the light, so he wept and kept kissing Imam al-Hasan (a)'s hands and face, profusely apologizing to him for his misconduct, saying:
"By Allah Who is the One and Only God! I entered Medina and none on the face of earth I hated more than you, while now I seek nearness to Allah, Praise to Him, through loving you, obedience to you, and dissociation from those who antagonize you."
It was then that Imam al-Hasan (a) turned to his companions and said, "And you wanted to kill him though he was innocent! Had he known the truth, he would not have been our opponent. Most Muslims in Syria are like him. Were they to know the truth, they would follow it".
Then he recited the verse saying:
"The good deeds and the bad deeds are not alike; repel (evil) with what is best, so one between whom and you there is enmity will be as if he were a warm friend" (Quran, 41:34).
Yes, this is the reality with which most people, unfortunately, are not familiar. How many are those who oppose the truth and reject it for a good portion of their lives till one day they find out that they were wrong, so they rush to repent and seek forgiveness? Everyone is obligated to seek the truth: it is said that reverting to the truth is a virtue.
The problem is with those who see the truth with their very eyes and who touch it with their very hands, yet they still stand in its face and fight it for the achievement of low ends, for the sake of a fleeting life, and because of hidden grudges. About such people has the Lord of Honors and Dignity said,
"It is the same whether you warn them or not; they will never believe" (Quran 36:10).
So there is no sense in wasting time with them; rather, it is our obligation to sacrifice everything for those who are fair-minded and who truly seek the truth and exert a genuine effort to reach it. Such are the ones about whom the Lord of Honor and Dignity has said:
"You can only warn one who follows the Reminder and fears the Beneficent God in secret; so announce to him forgiveness and an honorable reward" (Quran 36:11).