حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد ومحمد بن عباد وتقاربا في اللفظ قالا حدثنا حاتم وهو ابن إسمعيل عن بكير بن مسمار عن عامر بن سعد بن أبي وقاص عن أبيه قال أمر معاوية بن أبي سفيان سعدا فقال ما منعك أن تسب أبا التراب فقال أما ما ذكرت ثلاثا قالهن له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فلن أسبه لأن تكون لي واحدة منهن أحب إلي من حمر النعم سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول له خلفه في بعض مغازيه فقال له علي يا رسول الله خلفتني مع النساء والصبيان فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أما ترضى أن تكون مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبوة بعدي وسمعته يقول يوم خيبر لأعطين الراية رجلا يحب الله ورسوله ويحبه الله ورسوله قال فتطاولنا لها فقال ادعوا لي عليا فأتي به أرمد فبصق في عينه ودفع الراية إليه ففتح الله عليه ولما نزلت هذه الآية فقل تعالوا ندع أبناءنا وأبناءكم دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عليا وفاطمة وحسنا وحسينا فقال اللهم هؤلاء أهلي
Briefly on Hazrat Ameer Mu'aawiyyah Just as one cannot accept the narrations that report the excessive marriage and divorce habits of Imām Hasan (radī Allāhu ‘anhu - please refer to my post above for further details), one cannot accept that Hazrat Amīr Mu’āwiyyah (radī Allāhu ‘anhu) would plan or execute such an agenda which involved the assassination of Hazrat Imām Hasan (radī Allāhu ‘anhu) and/or other Ahl al-Bayt members (radī Allāhu ‘anhum). Nor can one accept that he ordered his “supporters” to insult the Ahl al-Bayt (radī Allāhu ‘anhum) from the pulpits of the mosques’. Nor can one accept any other absurdities attributed to these noble personalities. If any such irrational, inconsistent, illogical and unreasonable narrations or reports are found in the books of history or weak Ahādīth then I (I can only speak for myself, obviously) do not accept them. For me the Qurān and the authentic Ahādīth are sufficient, which distinctly declare that Allāh the all-Knowing is pleased with “them”, and “they” are pleased with Him [al-Qurān: 98:8, 9:100]. I will not be questioned for their actions. Neither will you. This, my brothers and sisters, is the bottom line.
The following excerpt is an English translation of some chapters from the Urdu book, "Zikr-e-Sayyidunā Husayn" [radī allāhu 'anhu] by Mowlānā Ghulām Husayn 'Āsim al-Māturīdī, published with the funding of 'Abd al-Wahhāb Sāhib of London, a disciple of Mufakkir al-Islām ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī of London, pages 47-50 (words between these brackets are part of the original text [whereas words between these brackets are mine or in the case of Urdu words, taken from the original text]): To perform marriage in abundance: The historians have narrated pertaining to Hazrat Hasan (radī allāhu 'anhu) that he performed many marriages. At all times, four independent women would be present with him [that is, they would have a marriage contract with him] and he was a giver of many divorces and a giver of many dowries [mahar]. They [the historians also] say that he married seventy women (al-bidāyah wa an-nihāyah, 8:38). To give divorce in abundance: Ibn Sa'ad narrated from 'Alī bin al-Hasan (radī allāhu 'anhu) that Hazrat Hasan (radī allāhu 'anhu) would give many divorces to women. (He would divorce many women) and any woman who would come into marriage with him would certainly not desire separation from him. She would become inflamed in his love. This way, he performed ninety marriages. It is written in reference from Hazrat Ja'far bin Muhammad that Imām Hasan (radī allāhu 'anhu) would get married and [then] give divorce. We became fearful that enmity between the tribes would now remain forever because of this behaviour of his. Ibn Sa'ad [narrated] in reference from Ja'far bin Muhammad and he reported from his father that he [Ja'far's father] used to say that Hazrat 'Alī (radī allāhu 'anhu) made an announcement [i'lān] that: "O People of Kūfah! Do not marry your daughter with Hasan [because] he is habitual in giving divorce." Upon hearing this, a Hamdānī [presumably a person of Hamdān] said: "We swear by Allāh [khudā kī kasam] we shall definitely give him our daughters. He can keep whomever he approves of and divorce whomever he does not approve of." Ibn Sa'ad narrated from 'Abd Allāh bin Hasan that Hazrat Hasan (radī allāhu 'anhu) would perform marriage in abundance. He would keep the new woman he had married for a few days and then he would divorce her. Despite this [abundance of divorcing], the situation was that any woman he married would become immensely [dil wa jān say] inflamed in his love (tārīkh al-khulafā, 151). The narrations of performing marriage in abundance are an exaggeration: Some [historians] say he married approximately one hundred women. Wallāhu a'lam [Allāh knows best]. Man can keep four women in marriage at anytime. It is impermissible to keep more than this [amount of women at any time]. However, there are two circumstances in which he can perform many marriages, [1] the women die and the man keeps marrying [so that four women always remain with him] or [2] this that he keeps giving divorces and [at the same time] performs marriage, just as the narrations show [this second circumstance] pertaining to Hazrat Imām Hasan (radī allāhu 'anhu). However, to give an unnecessary [without a valid reason] divorce is an extremely undesirable [nāpasan dīdah] action as told in Hadīth. This is not possible that Hazrat Imām Hasan would commit such an action that his grandfather [the Prophet of Allāh 'alayhis salātu was-salām] considers undesirable [nāpasan dīdah]. Therefore, it must be said that [1] either the historians have taken work from a lot of exaggeration or [either] this that [2] it is from Hazrat Hasan's peculiarities [khusūsiyāt, or specialities] because he would not keep those women who desired to have the honour of marriage [with him] to attain nisbat [with him] deprived of the honour of marrying him and [after] giving them [the women he married] lots of wealth he would divorce them. Therefore, no discord can be born from this style of manner of his [the latter style]. And that which is found to be more sound [sahīh, or accurate or correct] is this that the narrations of the abundance of marriage that are attributed to him are abundantly abounded with exaggeration. Wallāhu ta'ālā a'lam [Allāh the Almighty knows best].
