Al-Hasan ibn ’Ali (RA): His Life & Times by Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallabi, translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab, is a meticulously sourced biography of the Prophet’s ﷺ elder grandson — the son of ’Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah Az-Zahra, and one of the two leaders of the youth of Paradise.
Raised in the House of Prophethood
As-Sallabi traces Al-Hasan’s life from a childhood spent under the direct care of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which shaped the character that would later define his leadership: mercy, patience and an unshakeable regard for the Ummah’s unity over his own position.
The Decision That Defined Him
The book’s central event is Al-Hasan’s reconciliation with Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan — his voluntary surrender of the caliphate to prevent further bloodshed among Muslims. As-Sallabi treats this not as a defeat but as the fulfillment of the Prophet’s ﷺ own prophecy that Allah would reconcile two great groups of Muslims through him, and the reason that year became known as ’Aam al-Jama’ah, the Year of Unity.
A Sourced Account of a Contested Period
Writing on the years following ’Ali’s martyrdom means writing on ground where narrations are often weak or politically motivated. As-Sallabi separates reliable historical reports from fabricated ones throughout, presenting the period according to the methodology of Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama’ah rather than any partisan reading of it.
Who This Book Is For
Students of Islamic history working through the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and anyone who wants Al-Hasan’s example of leadership through sacrifice told with full historical rigor rather than as a brief aside in a larger history.
By the Same Historian
Dr. As-Sallabi has written extensively on the Companions and their era, including Salah Ad-Deen Al-Ayubi, a two-volume biography of the sultan who recaptured Jerusalem.
