Hasan Al-Bashri: Spoken Wisdom from the City of Basrah
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He was born in Medina during the caliphate of Umar bin Khattab, to a mother who was a servant of Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. It is said that the Ummul Mukminin herself took care of the baby. He grew up in an environment where the air was still filled with the breath of friends - and later became the most famous tabi'in figure: Al-Hasan bin Abil Hasan Al-Bashri. Moving to Basrah, he gained knowledge from great friends and became the city's reference for knowledge, fatwas and advice. What set his assembly apart were two things: his extraordinary eloquence, and โ more importantly โ his heart. People of his time said that when Hasan spoke about the afterlife, it was as if he had just seen it with his own eyes; if he reminds of death, it is as if death is standing at the door. His advice was passed down from generation to generation because it penetrated without further ado. "O son of Adam, you are but a collection of days; as each day passes, a part of you departs." "The world is three days: yesterday has gone with everything in it, tomorrow you will not necessarily meet it, so all you have is today - do good deeds in it." About people who continue to postpone repentance he said: they are deceived by the phrase 'later'. His bravery towards the authorities was also recorded. In the face of an unjust governor, he continued to convey the truth with wisdom - he did not curry favor, nor did he rebel and shed blood. When Umar bin Abdul Aziz became caliph and asked for his advice, Hasan wrote letters that became a mirror for every leader: reminding him that power is a temporary deposit, and that only justice is maintained in it. He died in Basrah in the year 110 Hijriah, accompanied by almost the entire population of the city - to the point that, according to narrators, the Jami mosque did not hold the usual congregational Ashar prayers because the city was empty to accompany his body. From Hasan Al-Bashri we learn that advice that moves is not born from cleverness in putting words together, but from the heart that puts it into practice first. Zuhud does not hate the world, but does not let the world reign in his heart โ and that is what keeps his words alive thirteen centuries later.