Was Sayyidina Hasan Ibn ’Ali (Allah Be Pleased with Them), One of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is the view that Sayyidina Hasan (Allah be pleased with him) is one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs a reputable and accepted opinion?
Answer
Yes, the view that Sayyidina Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with them) is one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs is both reputable and accepted within the mainstream tradition of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama’a. This view is grounded in several authentic narrations of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) and has been confirmed by leading scholars and jurists.
Summary of Evidence
Prophetic Hadiths
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) explicitly mentioned that the period of the caliphate following the Prophetic model would last thirty years. He said: “The caliphate in my Umma will last for thirty years; thereafter, it will become mulk (kingship).” [Tirmidhi] He (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said, “The caliphate in the footsteps of prophethood will be for thirty years, then it will become a kingdom.” [Abu Dawud]
Ibn Kathir, Qadi Iyad, and other scholars have held that the thirty-year period refers to the rule of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ’Ali, Allah be pleased with them) and the six-month caliphate of Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him).
Sayyidina Hasan’s Caliphate
After the assassination of his father, Sayyidina Ali (Allah be pleased with him), Sayyidina Hasan was given allegiance as the legitimate caliph in the year 40 AH. Though his caliphate lasted for only six months, it is counted as completing the thirty-year prophecy.
His decision to relinquish the caliphate to Mu‘awiya (Allah be pleased with him) was seen as a pivotal act in restoring unity to the Umma, fulfilling the prophecy of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), who said, “Indeed, this son of mine is a Sayyid (leader), and through him, Allah will reconcile two great factions of Muslims.” [Bukhari]
Scholarly Opinions
Ibn Kathir [al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya] states that the thirty-year caliphate was completed with the six-month reign of Sayyidina Hasan. Qadi Iyad echoes this in [al-Shifa], emphasizing that no other ruler held the caliphate during these thirty years except for the four renowned Rightly-Guided Caliphs and Sayyidina Hasan.
Moreover, Ibn Hajar Haythami and Ibn Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi both confirm the legitimacy of Sayyidina Hasan’s caliphate. [Adhra‘i, Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya; Al-Shaykh, ‘Aqida Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama‘a fi al-Sahabat al-Kiram, Haythami, al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqa ‘ala Ahl ar-Rafd wa al-Dalal wa al-Zandaqa] This reinforces the belief that Sayyidina Hasan is rightfully considered one of the five Rightly-Guided Caliphs.
Conclusion
The view that Sayyidina Hasan (Allah be pleased with him) is one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs is supported by Prophetic traditions, confirmed by classical scholars, and accepted in the tradition of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama‘a. His caliphate, though brief, is seen as a continuation of the just and divinely guided governance that followed the Prophetic model. His sacrifice in stepping down for the greater unity of the Umma further cements his role as a Rightly-Guided Caliph.
I pray that this benefits and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
