Personalities

In his book (al-Furuq bayna al-Abatil wa al-huquq), Mohammed b. Bahr al-Shaybani has mentioned the following on the authority of al-Qasim b. Mujayma: "Mu'awiya did not fulfill anything of the covanant he made with Al-Hasan. I (ie, al-Qasim b. Mujayma) have read the letter of Al-Hasan to Mu'awiya, in which he counted he counted the crimes Mu'awiya committed against Him and his Shi'ite of Ali, peace be on Him. Al-Hasan mentioned Abd Allah b. Yahya al-Hadrami and those whom Mu'awiya killed with Him."1

I (ie, the author) say: We do not know now anything about the conditions of al-Hadrami, the event of his killing, and the number of his martyred compaions. Howerver, we know that this man (ie, Abd Allah b. Yahya) was among the men of the Commander of the faithful who said to him at the battle of Camel: "O sin Yahya, you and your father be cheerful."

We have known the reason why Al-Hasan mentioned Abd Allah before the Shi'ites whom Mu'awiya killed. Among these reasons is that he was the farthest of them from the life on this world and the nearest of them to the life of ascerticism.

They (i.e., the historians) said: "Mu'awiya knew that (Abd Allah) b. Yahya and his companions were full of sadness when the Commander of the faithful (ie, Ali died, and that they loved Him and mentioned his outstanding qualities very much. Thus Mu'awiya brought them and cut off their heads because of patience. The one who brings down a monk from his cell to kill Him without a crime (issues) from Him towards his killer is more wonderful than the one who takes out a priest from an abbey and kills Him, for the owner of the abbey (ie, the priest) is nearer to the stretching of the hand then the owner of the cell (ie, the monk) who is between the sky and the earth. Therfore no wonder when Al-Hasan counted Mu'awiya's crimes, preferred servants to servants, ascertics to ascertics, and the lamps of the country (ie, the brilliant figures) to the lamps of the country. Rather, it is a wonder if he had preferred a neglectful one to the one who was humble (before Allah). and a moderate one to a hardworking one."2

The tragedy of Abd Allah b. Yahya was similar to the tradegy of Hijr b. Adi, For they both were killed becuse of patience. Companions were killed with them both. Moreover,they bothwere killed without any crime except the crime that was the title of their outstanding virtures.

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1. Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol.10, p.101.

2. Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol.10, p.102.

Adopted from the book: "Sulh al-Hasan (a.s.)" by: "Sheykh Radi al-Yasin"