Did Al-Hasan Resemble Prophet Muhammad in Physical Strength?
Some forgers try to twist the words of the scholars regarding Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and his resemblance to the Prophet ﷺ. They pretend that mentioning one aspect of physical strength means reducing the entire resemblance to that point alone. This is a dishonest reading, and it collapses once the actual narrations, scholarly comments, and comparative standards are brought forward.
The Quoted Passage From Haqi’s Interpretation
Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said: Having many women is not part of this world, because Ali was the most ascetic of the Prophet’s companions, peace be upon him, and he had four wives and seventeen concubines. Al-Mughira ibn Shu’bah married eighty women, and Al-Hasan ibn Ali was prolific, until he married more than two hundred women. He, peace be upon him, said: “You resemble my creation and my character.”
The point being discussed here is not the reduction of Al-Hasan’s virtue to one trait. Rather, the text mentions one particular aspect of strength while acknowledging the broader resemblance between Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, and the Prophet ﷺ.
First Response: The Resemblance Is Established
As for the fact that Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, resembled the Prophet ﷺ in his creation and character, this is true. The meaning of resembling him in his character is that the characteristic proven for him is also proven for the Prophet ﷺ.
If Al-Hasan ibn Ali had the sexual ability to have a strong relationship with women, then there is no doubt that the Prophet ﷺ was like that as well. As for their citing as evidence for this characteristic the many marriages that Al-Hasan had, this is appropriate evidence, because it is not reasonable that he would marry such a number while being sexually weak or impotent.
Second Response: One Trait Does Not Exhaust the Resemblance
If the scholars have proven that Al-Hasan was strong in this aspect, as the Prophet ﷺ was, and there is no fault in that of course, this means he resembled him in this characteristic as well, just as he resembled him in other characteristics.
This does not mean that this is the entirety of the similarity, as the deceiver tries to make us understand.
Third Response: Physical Strength Is Not a Defect
There is not a single man on earth who would boast that he is sexually weak, even if he were. If we say that the Prophet ﷺ and his family were physically strong, both inwardly and outwardly, then there is no doubt that this aspect of strength is part of that.
We are not required to conceal a proven physical characteristic of the Prophet ﷺ merely to please fools. The Prophet ﷺ married more than one woman, as is known, according to what our Sharia permits, and it has not been reported that he was otherwise.
Fourth Response: The Scholars Were Speaking About a Real Event
When the scholars liken Al-Hasan to the Prophet ﷺ in this aspect, this does not mean they are saying this is the whole resemblance. Rather, they are discussing a reality that occurred with Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, and mentioning that it indicates strength resembling the strength of the Prophet ﷺ.
There is nothing strange in that.
Fifth Response: The Forged Use of Al-Ghazali’s Text
The forger cited the text of Al-Ghazali’s words, although the book usually has the commentary of Al-Hafiz Al-Iraqi at the end, which denies this wording of the hadith.
We do not deny that Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, resembled the Prophet ﷺ. However, the specific wording, “You resemble my appearance and character,” is known in another context.
Hadith that he said to Al-Hasan bin Ali, “You resemble my appearance and character.” I said, “It is known that he said this wording to Ja’far bin Abi Talib, as agreed upon from the hadith of Al-Bara’. But Al-Hasan also resembled the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, as agreed upon from the hadith of Abu Juhayfah, Al-Tirmidhi, who authenticated it, and Ibn Hibban from the hadith of Anas: ‘No one resembled the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, more than Al-Hasan.’”
So the wording cited by the forger belongs specifically to Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, while the resemblance of Al-Hasan to the Prophet ﷺ is still authentically established through other narrations.
The Hadith Regarding Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib
On the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him, he said: “We came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, I, Ja’far, and Zaid, so he said to Zaid, ‘You are our brother and our master,’ so he blushed, and he said to Ja’far, ‘You resemble my appearance and character,’ so he blushed after Zaid’s blushed. Then he said to me, ‘You are from me and I am from you,’ so I blushed after Ja’far’s blushed.”
The reason for this statement was their dispute over who would take care of Hamza’s daughter.
Ahmad bin Harb told us, he said Al-Qasim Al-Jarmi told us, he said Israel told us, on the authority of Abu Ishaq, on the authority of Hubayrah bin Yareem and Hani bin Hani, on the authority of Ali, he said: When we returned from Mecca, Hamza’s daughter cried out, “O uncle, O uncle.” Ali took hold of her and said to Fatima, “Here is your cousin.” So he carried her and Ali, Ja’far and Zaid argued over her. Ali said, “I have more right to her, for she is my cousin.” Ja’far said, “My cousin is my daughter, and her maternal aunt is under me.” Zaid said, “My brother’s daughter.” So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ruled that she be in favor of her maternal aunt, and said, “The maternal aunt is in the position of the mother.” He said to Ali, “You are from me and I am from you.” He said to Ja’far, “You resemble my creation and my character.” He said to Zaid, “O Zaid, you are our brother and our master.”
This proves the exact phrase was said to Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, not Al-Hasan ibn Ali, even though Al-Hasan’s resemblance to the Prophet ﷺ remains established by other authentic narrations.
What Was Authentically Reported About Al-Hasan
Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim told me: Husayn ibn Muhammad told me: Jarir told us, on the authority of Muhammad, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may God be pleased with him: Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad was brought the head of Al-Husayn, peace be upon him, and it was placed in a basin. He began to poke at it and say something about its beauty. Anas said: He was the most similar to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he had dyed his hair with henna.
This narration establishes the resemblance of Al-Husayn, peace be upon him, to the Prophet ﷺ.
Abdun told us, Abdullah told us, Umar bin Saeed bin Abi Husayn told me, on the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaykah, on the authority of Uqbah bin Al-Harith, who said: I saw Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, carrying Al-Hasan and he was saying: My father resembles the Prophet, but he does not resemble Ali. And Ali was laughing.
This narration establishes that Al-Hasan resembled the Prophet ﷺ, and this was openly recognized by Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him.
Ibrahim bin Musa told me, Hisham bin Yusuf told us, on the authority of Ma’mar, on the authority of Al-Zuhri, on the authority of Anas. And Abd Al-Razzaq said, Ma’mar told us, on the authority of Al-Zuhri, Anas told me, he said: “No one resembled the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, more than Al-Hasan bin Ali.”
This is direct evidence that Al-Hasan’s resemblance to the Prophet ﷺ was well known and not dependent on the wording misquoted by the forger.
Muhammad ibn Bashar told us, Yahya ibn Saeed told us, Ismail ibn Abi Khalid told us on the authority of Abu Juhaifa, who said: I saw the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and Al-Hasan ibn Ali resembled him. This is a good and authentic hadith.
These narrations are enough to prove the established resemblance between Al-Hasan ibn Ali and the Prophet ﷺ without relying on the misapplied wording.
Sixth Response: The Biblical Double Standard
As for the number of wives and concubines, the deceiver can refer to his Holy Book to learn about the number of Solomon’s wives and concubines.
“And he had seven hundred noble wives and three hundred concubines.”
So if the critic wants to turn numbers of wives and concubines into an accusation, then he has a much bigger problem inside his own scripture.
The resemblance of Al-Hasan ibn Ali to the Prophet ﷺ is authentically established. The wording “You resemble my appearance and character” is known regarding Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, while other authentic narrations establish Al-Hasan’s resemblance to the Prophet ﷺ. Mentioning one physical aspect of strength does not reduce the entire resemblance to that aspect, and there is nothing shameful in affirming physical strength for the Prophet ﷺ or his family. The polemicist’s argument is selective, dishonest, and collapses under his own Biblical standard.