Summary of Imam Hasan and Peaceful Coexistence | Sheikh Nuru Mohammed

00:00:00 - 00:35:00

Sheikh Nuru Mohammed discusses the birth anniversary of Imam Asr Al-Mujtaba and the importance of learning from the personalities of Ahlul Bayt Alayhimus Salaam to improve our lives. He emphasizes the importance of good akhlaq or moral character and shares stories of the Imams' exemplary behavior towards others, emphasizing the importance of maintaining good akhlaq even in difficult situations. The Sheikh also discusses the importance of peaceful coexistence, interfaith dialogue, and respecting people's religions and beliefs. He uses the example of Imam al-Hassan's treaty with Muawiyah to highlight the importance of spreading peace even when disagreements exist, and urges the community to follow Imam al-Hassan's example of being generous and sacrificing social status for the greater good.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed discusses the birth anniversary of Imam Asr Al-Mujtaba and how it marks peaceful coexistence. He looks at the bigness of the hearts of Imam Asr Al-Mujtaba Alayhi A'la Fatahiyyati Al-Thana, the three major reasons as to why Imam Asr Al-Mujtaba Alayhi Salaam signed a peace treaty with Muawiyah, and the Fada'il and the merits of Imam Asr Al-Mujtaba Alayhi Salaam. Sheikh Nuru Mohammed also emphasizes the importance of taking lessons from the great personalities of Ahlul Bayt Alayhimus Salaam to improve and perfect our lives.
• 00:05:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed explains the difference between essence and acquired qualities, using the example of the heat of fire versus the heat of water. He explains that for some people, good akhlaq or moral character is their essence, such as in the case of prophets like Rasulullah, while for others, it may be something acquired. He mentions the example of Imam al-Bakir, whose akhlaq was his essence, and who demonstrated patience in response to insults. This serves as a demonstration of the importance of good akhlaq as a key component of a person’s essence.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed discusses the virtue of maintaining good akhlaq or manners towards others, as exemplified by the Imams in Islam. He shares stories of Imam al-Bakir and Imam Hassan, where they did not allow the rudeness or disrespect of others to change their demeanor towards them. Instead, they responded with generosity, compassion, and kindness. Sheikh Nuru emphasizes the importance of maintaining good akhlaq, even in difficult situations, as it is a reflection of our true essence. He further discusses the reasons why Imam al-Hassan entered into a peace treaty with Muawiyah, which was to spread peace and peaceful coexistence, highlighting the importance of peacefully resolving conflicts.
• 00:15:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed discusses the importance of peaceful coexistence and the two methods of bringing about peace - negative and positive. While negative peace is based on tolerating the other person, positive peace is founded on respecting the other person's right to live and have peace. The Sheikh identifies three main reasons why people become violent - upbringing, community, and media. He urges people to react diplomatically and ethically when faced with situations that may incite violence. The Sheikh uses the example of Imam Hassan's treaty with Muawiyah to emphasize the importance of spreading peace even when disagreements exist, for the sake of the welfare of the community.
• 00:20:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed highlights the importance of peaceful coexistence and interfaith dialogue in Islam as well as respecting people's religions and beliefs. He points to Quranic verses such as Quran 2 verse 62 and Quran 22 verse 39 that emphasize peaceful coexistence and the right to defend oneself in case of injustice. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of being kind and respectful towards others, even if we don't agree with their beliefs, and underscores the significance of respecting one another and forging unity to bring about development within our communities and countries.
• 00:25:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed talks about the three reasons why Imam al-Hassan entered into a peace treaty with Muawiyah. The first reason was to promote peaceful coexistence and prevent the shedding of Muslim blood. The second reason was to protect and preserve the institution of Imamate by not allowing Muawiyah to apprehend and ridicule Imam Hassan. The third reason was to expose people to the leadership of illegitimate leaders, after they experienced the quality of leadership of Imam Amir al-Mumineen. By doing so, Imam al-Hassan achieved his mission of giving people a feeling of what the leadership style of an illegitimate leader would be like.
• 00:30:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed explains why Imam al-Hassan is referred to as Kareem Ahlul Bayt, the generous of the Ahlul Bayt. The Imam's generosity was not just limited to sharing his wealth, but also sacrificing his social status for the welfare of the ummah by signing a peace treaty with Muawiyah. This act of sacrifice is not less than that of Aba Abdullah who sacrificed his life. Sheikh Nuru Mohammed urges the community to follow Imam al-Hassan's example by being generous and sacrificing their social status for the greater good.
• 00:35:00 In this section, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed highlights the Akhlaq of Ahlulbayt regarding peaceful coexistence with others. He encourages people to promote peaceful coexistence and emulate the example of Imam Hasan, who invited his adversaries to his house and shared what he had with them. The sheikh wishes everyone a happy occasion and asks them to remember him in their prayers as he does the same for them.