Al-Waqidī and Ibn Jarīr (1) – as well as a number of other authorities – transmit the same, although some maintain that he was sixty-five and others that he was sixty-eight years old, may Allah be pleased with him.

His caliphate lasted four years and nine months.

When ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, died, al-Ḥasan had Ibn Muljam brought before him. Ibn Muljam (2) said, “I would like to offer you a proposal.” Al-Ḥasan asked, “And what is it?” He replied, “I pledged to Allah at al-Ḥaṭīm that I would kill ʿAlī and Muʿāwiyah or die in the attempt. If you set me free, I shall go to Muʿāwiyah; and should I fail to kill him—or should I kill him and remain alive—then I am bound before Allah to return to you and place my hand in yours, whether you wish to execute me or to pardon me.” Al-Ḥasan answered, “By Allah, never—until you behold the Fire!” He then ordered that he be brought forward and put to death; the people wrapped him in reed mats and burned him with fire (3).

It is also reported that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar severed his hands and feet and seared his eyes, while the man continued to recite the sūrah: “Recite in the name of your Lord who created (1), created man from a clinging clot …” to its end. When they came to cut out his tongue he became anxious and said, “I fear that a moment may pass in which I do not remember Allah.” They then cut out his tongue, killed him, and burned him inside a wooden crate (4) – and Allah knows best.

Ibn Jarīr related: al-Ḥārith told us, Ibn Saʿd told us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar, who said: “ʿAlī was struck on a Friday. He lived through that Friday and the night of Saturday and died on the night of Sunday, eleven nights before the end of Ramaḍān in the year 40 AH, at the age of sixty-three.”

Al-Waqidī (5) said, “This is, in our view, the most reliable report, and Allah knows best what is correct.”

[Section: His wives, his sons, and his daughters – may Allah be pleased with them]

Imām Aḥmad (6) narrated: Ḥajjāj told us; Isrāʾīl told us, from Abū Isḥāq, from Hāniʾ ibn Hāniʾ, from ʿAlī who said:

“When al-Ḥasan was born, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and said, ‘Show me my son; what have you named him?’ I said, ‘I have named him Ḥarb (War).’ He said, ‘Rather, he is al-Ḥasan (Handsome).’

“When al-Ḥusayn was born, he said, ‘Show me my son; what have you named him?’ I said, ‘I have named him Ḥarb.’ He said, ‘Rather, he is al-Ḥusayn.’

“When a third son was born, the Prophet ﷺ came and said, ‘Show me my son; what have you named him?’ I said, ‘Ḥarb.’ He said, ‘Rather, he is Muḥassin.’ Then he added, ‘I have named them after the sons of Hārūn: Shabbar, Shabbīr and Mushabbir.’”

Muḥammad ibn Saʿd (7) transmitted it through Yaḥyā ibn ʿĪsā al-Tamīmī (8), from al-Aʿmash, from Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd.