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Did Imam Hassan give bayah to Mu'awiya ? If yes, then why did Imam Husayn not likewise give bayya to Yazeed ?

Imam Hassan didn't give bayah to Mu'awyia rather he entered into a treaty with him. Authentic Sunni sources like Tareekh Abul Fida, Volume 1 page 182, Tareekh Khulfa page 130, Tareekh Kamil, Volume 3 page 190 and Tareekh Tabari, Volume 6 page 92 etc mention about the treaty and there is no mention of Bayah as one of the terms of the agreement. Moreover the most authentic Sunni work Saheeh Bukharee contains details of the treaty of Imam Hassan wherein there is no mention of bayah.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 49, Number 867:

Narrated Al-Hasan Al-Basri:
By Allah, Al-Hasan bin Ali led large battalions like mountains against Muawiya. Amr bin Al-As said (to Muawiya), "I surely see battalions which will not turn back before killing their opponents." Muawiya who was really the best of the two men said to him, "O 'Amr! If these killed those and those killed these, who would be left with me for the jobs of the public, who would be left with me for their women, who would be left with me for their children?" Then Muawiya sent two Quraishi men from the tribe of 'Abd-i-Shams called 'Abdur Rahman bin Sumura and Abdullah bin 'Amir bin Kuraiz to Al-Hasan saying to them, "Go to this man (i.e. Al-Hasan) and negotiate peace with him and talk and appeal to him." So, they went to Al-Hasan and talked and appealed to him to accept peace. Al-Hasan said, "We, the offspring of 'Abdul Muttalib, have got wealth and people have indulged in killing and corruption (and money only will appease them)." They said to Al-Hasan, "Muawiya offers you so and so, and appeals to you and entreats you to accept peace." Al-Hasan said to them, "But who will be responsible for what you have said?" They said, "We will be responsible for it." So, what-ever Al-Hasan asked they said, "We will be responsible for it for you." So, Al-Hasan concluded a peace treaty with Muawiya. Al-Hasan (Al-Basri) said: I heard Abu Bakr saying, "I saw Allah's Apostle on the pulpit and Al-Hasan bin 'Ali was by his side. The Prophet was looking once at the people and once at Al-Hasan bin 'Ali saying, 'This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e. a noble) and may Allah make peace between two big groups of Muslims through him."


We don't see any thing about bayah in the above cited tradition rather we learn that it was Mu'awiyah who had sent two people to Imam Hassan for the purpose of the treaty and Imam Hassan adopted the method which avoided bloodshed among Muslims.

Another comment supported by a question is often advanced from Nasibis, namely 'why didn't Imam Hassan choose to fight Mu'awiya rather than enter into a peace treaty?' We would like to reply that the Holy Prophet (s) had foretold that Imam Hassan will make treaty between two groups.

We read in Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 57, Number 89:

Narrated Abu Bakra: I heard the Prophet talking at the pulpit while Al-Hasan was sitting beside him, and he (i.e. the Prophet ) was once looking at the people and at another time Al-Hasan, and saying, "This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e. chief) and perhaps Allah will bring about an agreement between two sects of the Muslims through him."
Thus it was not possible for Imam Hassan to oppose the words of the Holy Prophet (s) while rejecting the offer of treaty.

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