The Government Confusion

The Abbasid government was too confused when Imam Abu Muhammad (AS) became seriously ill. Al-Mu’tamid ordered five of his trusted statesmen, among whom Nahrir was, to remain in the imam’s house and report to him about every new happening. He also ordered a committee of physicians to test the imam’s health day and night. After two days, he ordered the physicians not to leave the imam alone because his state was too bad.¹

To The Best Of Abodes

The imams’ health got worse, and the physicians were desperate of his recovery. Death began approaching him quickly. At those last moments of his life, Imam Abu Muhammad (AS), mentioned Allah, glorified Him, and prayed Him to take him nearer to Him. His lips were busy reciting verses from the Holy Qur'an. He turned towards the Qiblah, and after no long, his pure soul flew towards the Heaven surrounded by the angels of the Beneficent Lord.

It was the greatest loss Muslims suffered in that age. They lost their leader, reformer, and instructor who loved and helped their weak, poor, and orphans.

The imam’s body was (ritually) washed, enshrouded, put in the coffin, and carried to be prayed on by Muslims. Eesa son of al-Mutawakkil led the prayer by al-Mu’ tamid’s order. After the prayer, he uncovered the imam’s face before the Hashemites, the Abbasids, army leaders, government clerks, state officials, judges, and physicians and said to them, ‘This is al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin al-Rida (peace be on them). He died a natural death in his bed.

So-and-so of Ameerul Mo'minin’s (al-Mu’tamid) servants and trusted men, So-and-so of judges, and So-and-so of physicians were present with him.’ Then he covered his holy face.²

The painful news spread everywhere in Samarra’. It was a great shock for Muslims who hurried up to the imam’s house while crying and weaning. Government offices and all markets were closed. It was like the Day of Resurrection in Samarra’.³

Samarra’ did not witnessed before a day of escorting like that. Waves of human beings and flowing masses of people from all classes and trends came to escort the holy corpse of this pure imam (AS) while mentioning his virtues and favors and talking with great sorrow and regret about the great loss they were afflicted with.

^{* Taken from : The Life Of Imam Al-Hasan Al-Askari Study And Analysis By: Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi Translation by: Abdullah al-Shahin}

^{1- Al-Irshad, p.383.
2- Al-Irshad, p.383.
3- Al-Irshad, p.383, Encyclopedia of al-Bustani, vol.7 p.45.}