even learnt how to pronounce a valid divorce for his own wife, yet he goes around saying, “We used to rank the Companions!”

I was once in his presence when the hadith was mentioned: “Indeed, this son of mine is a leader.” (1) He retorted, “Allah has not made him a leader.” (2)

I (the author) say: As for Abū Ghassān, I do not know his standing. If he has reported truthfully, then perhaps Ibn al-Jaʿd later repented of this blunder. In truth, Allah did make him a leader in spite of every ignoramus. Whoever persists in rejecting a statement of the Master of Mankind thereby commits outright disbelief without any second opinion. (3) And what leadership is greater than the fact that al-Ḥasan was given the pledge of allegiance for the caliphate, then relinquished the office to his kinsman, pledging allegiance on the basis that he would be the heir-apparent of the believers and that the caliphate would revert to him after Muʿāwiyah— all in order to quell turmoil, spare blood, and reconcile the armies of the ummah so they could devote themselves to fighting external foes instead of each other? Thus the keen insight of his grandfather ﷺ was proven true in him; this counts among the prophetic miracles and the Prophet’s foretelling of events to come. The complete nobility of the leader, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī—the fragrant basil of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his beloved—thereby became manifest. All praise belongs to Allah.

Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Dawraqī said: “I said to ʿAlī ibn al-Jaʿd, ‘It has reached me that you said: Ibn ʿUmar—that youngster.’ He replied, ‘I did not say that; but as for Muʿāwiyah, I would not mind if Allah punished him.’ (4)