WISDOM IN RETREAT
AFTER the demise of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 A.D., for a period of 20 years, Muslims made huge conquests. Every month, news poured in of some large territory being conquered by Muslim armies. But with the murder of the third Caliph in 646 A.D., internecine fighting broke out among Muslims, which put a break to this series of conquests for around a decade.
The person who reopened this closed door was Imam Hasan. In 661 A.D., he withdrew his claim to the Caliphate, expressing, as it were, his decision to retire from worldly action. But this stepping back actually opened up new doors for positive developments in Islamic history.
Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib was born in the year 624 A.D. and passed away in the year 670 A.D. When his father, Ali ibn Abi Talib, was martyred in 660 A.D., Hasan was 37 years old. At that time, only Iraq and Iran remained under Ali’s Caliphate. In territories such as Yemen, the Hijaz (present day western Saudi Arabia), Palestine, Egypt etc., Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufiyan had established his rule. Many people were secretly opposed to him. After Ali’s martyrdom, a large number of people pledged the oath of allegiance to Hasan, Ali’s eldest son, accepting him as the Caliph.
Only that person can act successfully who knows the secret of successful retreat.
Cognizant of the delicate situation then prevailing, Hasan accepted the responsibilities of administering the Caliphate. But he very soon realized that, in the given conditions, his insistence on the Caliphate would only exacerbate dissensions among the Muslims. Reflecting his pragmatism, he once told his younger brother, Husain, ‘I know that Prophethood and the Caliphate cannot remain together in our family.’ 1 Because of this delicate situation, while accepting people’s oath of allegiance to him as Caliph, Hasan also took from them their assent to fight against those whom he engaged in war with, and to make peace with those whom he made peace with.
1. Ali ibn Abi Talib was Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law; and Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husain were the Prophet's grandchildren.
After Ali’s martyrdom, the denizens of Kufa (capital city of Ali in Iraq) made Hasan the Caliph. On the other hand, for Muawiyah, Ali’s passing away from this world had cleared the road, as it were. As soon as he heard of Ali’s martyrdom, he adopted the title of Amir-ul-Mumineen or ‘Commander of the Faithful’ for himself, and made a plan to bring the remaining Muslim territories (Iraq and Iran) under his dominion. After renewing people’s oath of allegiance, Muawiyah headed, along with a force of 60,000 men, from Damascus towards Kufa. Before entering Kufa, he sent a message to Imam Hasan, telling him that instead of entering into war, it would be better if he reconciled with him and accepted him as the Caliph.
At that time, Imam Hasan, too, had an army of 60,000 men, who were brave fighters. But he thought it necessary to save Muslims from shedding each other’s blood. And so, he withdrew his claim to the Caliphate, and, remaining as Caliph for just six months, gave the oath of allegiance at Muawiyah’s hand in a mosque in Kufa.
To avoid protesting is not to ignore a problem, but, rather, a way to focus one’s resources on positive and constructive work instead.
For some of Imam Hasan’s ardent followers, this ‘insult’ was intolerable. They raised a hue and cry over his decision. They labelled him as a disgrace for the Muslims, and said he had become a kafir. They tore his clothes, and even attacked him with swords. Yet, Imam Hasan refused to engage in oppositional politics under any conditions whatsoever and said, ‘If the Caliphate was the right of Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufiyan, then it has reached him. And if it was my right, I have given it to him.’ With Imam Hasan’s stepping back, internecine fighting among Muslims was replaced by internal solidarity. In this way, Muslims were able to use their strength and resources in the propagation of Islam, which would otherwise have gone to waste in civil war.
As this example shows, sometimes stepping back is the way to move forward, although few people are cognizant of this fact of life. This action of Imam Hasan’s did not represent any sort of defeat or escapism. Rather, it was a very wise political decision, and entirely in keeping with the model established by Prophet Muhammad in his life.
Collective existence is a very delicate affair. If you think only in terms of offensive action, opposition and confrontation with others, you can be sure that you will never succeed in bringing about any social reform. This is because collective life is another name for multiple voices and views and for all sorts of conditions and circumstances. That is why for collective living, you cannot lay down one single rigid criterion. You need to properly understand the multiple forces that face each other in society. You also need to properly gauge your own and other people’s conditions and then chalk out your plan of action. This requires great insight, as well as a mind free from psychological burdens.
To step back is not always cowardice. It can also be wise pragmatism.
Sometimes, when it comes to facing opposition from others, you need to remain confined solely to working for the spread of the ideology you champion. This was reflected, for instance, in the first 12 years of the Muhammad’s life as a prophet in Makkah. At other times, conditions may demand that you have to accept your opponent’s challenge on the battlefield — as was the case of the Battle of Badr between the Prophet with his followers, on the one hand, and the polytheist Quraysh of Makkah on the other. At other times, in order to obtain long-lasting results, you need to save yourself from directly clashing with one’s opponent, even if this means unilaterally accepting the opponent’s demands — as was the case of the Treaty of Hudaibiya.
Patiently bearing a difficult situation also becomes politically wise and necessary. That is also something that Islam teaches us. This is also what we learn from Imam Hasan’s example.
Only that person can act successfully who knows the secret of successful retreat. To step back is not always cowardice. Rather, as Imam Hasan’s example exemplifies, it can be wise pragmatism. Avoiding a clash with the ruling authorities is not synonymous with tolerating oppression.
Rather, it is a wise means to develop the strength necessary to uproot oppression. To abandon politics is not political suicide. Rather, it can be a means to promote other factors and resources in society. To avoid protesting is not to ignore a problem, but, rather, a way to focus one’s resources on positive and constructive work instead.