Hassan ibn Thabit

Hassan Ibn Thabit Name, Lineage & Kunya

Companion: Hassan ibn Thabit ibn Al-Mundhir ibn Haram ibn Amr ibn Zaid Manat ibn Adi ibn Amr ibn Malik, nicknamed Abu Abdur-Rahman and also known as Abu Al-Walid and Abu Hassam, an Ansari from the Najjar clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina. He was the poet of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who once said to him, "Satirize them, and Gabriel is with you".

It is said that Hassan was only a few years older than the Prophet (peace be upon him). He embraced Islam at the age of sixty and lived a long life. Hassan ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated some hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and Aisha, Omar, and Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with them all) were among those who narrated from him.

Distinctions and Status of Hassan ibn Thabit

Hassan ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) had many qualities that distinguished him and elevated his status in Islam:

• He was the poet of the Ansar before Islam, then the poet of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and later the poet of the Yemenis in Islam.
• He was a master poet known for his high-quality poetry.
• He was strong and powerful in satire, as requested by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
• He grew up among a people of poets.
• Hassan ibn Thabit held a high status not only because he was the prophet's poet but also because his poetry preserved the Arabic language due to its eloquence and rich vocabulary. He had expressive abilities and linguistic capabilities that many others did not possess.
• He composed many praises of the Prophet and poems that mention the virtues of Islam, which together are known as religious poetry.
• Many of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs praised Hassan ibn Thabit's poetry and recognized his status, making his poetry a subject of study for many due to its strong impact.
• His poetry changed between the pre-Islamic era and Islam; in the pre-Islamic era, his poetry was boundless and adorned with imagination, while in Islam, it depicted truths and chronicled events.
• He was eloquent, quick to memorize, truthful, and his poetry was characterized by grandeur and a strong style, adhering to the rules of religion. It was said that he was the most poetic of the people of Madar, and he never used poetry for earning after embracing Islam; rather, his poetry was in support of religion and faith.
• Allah supported him with the Holy Spirit in satirizing the polytheists who harmed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Muslims with their poetry.
• He did not participate in any battle with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), not because he was cowardly, as some claim, but because he was elderly, having embraced Islam when he was over sixty years old.

Hassan ibn Thabit Before Islam

Before Islam, Hassan ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) was a poet who was fiercely loyal to his tribe. His poetry was characterized by satire and boasting. He praised his people for their virtues and was always ready to defend them against any insult or satire. His tribe, the Khazraj, was in constant conflict with the Aws tribe, who had their own poet, Qais ibn Al-Khatim, and they satirized each other.

Hassan, like other pre-Islamic poets, had poetry about love and praising women, but this changed after Islam. He used to attend Ukaz's market to praise influential people and earn a substantial livelihood from it. It was said that the Ghassanids of Syria provided him with a monthly salary in exchange for his poetry. He not only praised them but also boasted about them in his poetry, as they were his maternal uncles, which enhanced his poetry. Just as he practiced satire and boasting in the poetry of his people, the Khazraj, he also practiced praise and flattery in the poetry of kings. Thus, when he embraced Islam, he excelled in all types of poetry, praising the Prophet and the Muslims and satirizing the polytheists.

Hassan ibn Thabit After Islam

Hassan ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) played an important role in Islam. Poetry was considered like media in that era, and it was political in nature, with the poet satirizing the opposing side and praising his own. Thus, Hassan defended the Islamic religious authority, not for the purpose of earning or begging, but in defense of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) even provided him with a pulpit in the mosque from which he defended Islam. On the Day of the Trench, the Prophet asked who would defend the honor of the Muslims, and three Muslims responded. The Prophet asked if anyone was good at poetry, and Hassan ibn Thabit said, "I am, then". The Prophet told him to satirize them, and the Holy Spirit would assist him.

Hassan ibn Thabit was an early convert to Islam and became the poet of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which elevated his status among the people higher than any other Islamic poet. This was not only because he defended the Muslims but also because his poetry was balanced. He did not satirize the lineage of the Quraysh, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) was from them, but rather their actions and behavior.

Death of Hassan ibn Thabit

There are differing reports and historians regarding the time of death of the Companion Hassan ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). It is said that he died at the age of one hundred and twenty during the caliphate of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. Some say he died in the year 40, others say earlier, and another report says he died in the year 54.

It is said that he lived sixty years in the pre-Islamic era and another sixty years in Islam, meaning he was elderly when he embraced Islam. The most famous view among Muslim scholars is that he died at the age of one hundred and twenty.