Hasan

Hasan , c.625-c.669; son of Ali and Fatima (daughter of Muhammad the Prophet). When Ali was killed in 661, Hasan became caliph, but he was not strong enough to withstand the threat of arms of the Umayyads and under pressure abdicated in favor of Muawiya . He retired to Medina and died, reputedly of poison. His more active brother, Husein , took up the family cause. The Shiites believe that Hasan was murdered by the Umayyads and venerate him as a martyr.

Hasan (son of ʿAli): see AL-HASAN.

al-Hasan b. ʿAli (d. 669–70 (AH 49)). Second Shīʿa Imam̄, son of ʿAlī and Fāṭima, and claimant to the Caliphate until he renounced the office in favour of Muʿāwiyyah. Muʿawiyyah rewarded him with a generous settlement and a subsidy of a million dirhams. The Shīʿa contend that Hasan was a martyr by being poisoned to death by Muʿāwiyyah. However, this is unlikely since Muʿāwiyyah had already neutralized him and Muʿāwiyyah was not a man to commit an unnecessary crime when his design had already succeeded. It is more likely that he died of consumption.