Introduction to Sayyiduna Hassaan Bin Abu Sinaan and his profession

Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was a great worshipper, pious and ascetic person. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه had a strong aversion towards worldly pleasures. He was a Tabai’ and also had the blessed company of Sayyiduna Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه.

Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 60 AH and he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه also had privilege to have Ziyarat of Sayyiduna Anas Bin Malik رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ.

(Tareekh-ul-Islam Liz Zahabi, vol. 3, pp. 395, Al-Bidayah wan Nihayah, vol. 7, pp. 166)

Acts of piety and abstinence were made easy for him as he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه himself said: “Nothing is easier for me than adopting piety, whenever I have doubt about anything, I give it up.”

(Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 3, pp. 26, Raqm 3022)

Abdaal of Iraq

Ja’far Bin Sulayman said, I heard a companion of Sayyiduna Wahb Bin Munabbih رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه saying: ‘I had privilege to see the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in my dream; I humbly said, “O Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Where are the Abdaal of your Ummah?” The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم gestured towards ‘Syria’. I humbly asked: “Is any of them in Iraq?” The Beloved Rasool  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمsaid: “Yes! ‘Muhammad Bin Waasi’, ‘Hassan Bin Abu Sinan’ and ‘Malik Bin Dinar’ (رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی).” (Tahzeeb-ul-Kamaal, vol. 2, pp. 501)

Source of income

Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was a trader and would say while describing the reason of choosing this profession: “‘لَوْلا الْمَسَاكِينُ مَا اتَّجَرْتُ’ If there had not been the poor, I would not done trade indeed.” (Tahzeeb-ul-Kamaal, vol. 2, pp. 501)

Performing Salah behind a curtain

After opening his shop, he would place ink-pot, spread accounts pages around,   hang a curtain and would start performing Salah behind the curtain. When he would hear any sound of someone coming in, he would get engaged in accounting so that the one who would arrive would feel that as if he had been busy doing accounting. (Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 3, pp. 137, Raqm 3458)

Financial cooperation with the poor

Once some people brought a person in the court of Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه with the purpose of getting financial help for him. That person was stable and prosperous in past but became poor afterwards. When the people reached there and noticed that Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was worried, they consulted with one another and started to go back. Upon seeing them going back, heرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه asked them: “Do you need anything?” They humbly said: “O Abu Abdullah! We will be back again.” But he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: “No! Tell me the purpose of your arrival.” People humbly said: “This is so and so, you know him, he was a wealthy person in past but now he has become poor. We have thought to raise some money for his help.” He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه asked them to wait and went into his home and brought a small bag filled with 400 dirhams and said: “This is what I currently have.” Thereafter he disclosed the cause of his grievance: “I have had a room constructed for my family which has cost me 27 dirhams; though it is beneficial for us but we would have managed our life if I had not got it constructed. This is why I was anxious.” (Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 3, pp. 139, Raqm 3468)

Need might force her into committing any sinful act

Once a woman came in the court of Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه and asked for some financial help. By the gesture of his middle and index fingers, he
رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه asked his partner to bring two [things] for her. Upon this, the partner of Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه brought 2 dirhams but he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه asked him to give her 200 Dirham. (After she had left), people humbly asked Sayyiduna Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه: “O Abu Abdullah! She was agreed to take even the less amount.” He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: “I observed an important fact, you have no idea about it, the point is that she is still young and I feared that her need might force her into committing any disliked act (i.e., sin). (Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 3, pp. 138, Raqm 3463)

Gave Sadaqah with borrowed money

Sayyiduna Ibn-e-Shawzab رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: “Sayyiduna Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was from the traders of Basra but he used to live in Ahvaz (Iran). A person belonging to Basra was the partner of Sayyiduna Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه and he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه used to provide him with goods for trade in Basra and at the end of year, they used to come together and distribute the profit with each other, and after keeping some amount for their livelihood out of their shares, they used to give rest of the amount in Sadaqah. Once he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه went to Basrah and gave a certain amount of money in Sadaqah what he had intended. Later, when someone informed him that family of such and such  house is needy, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: “Why did you not tell me earlier? So, he borrowed 300 dirhams and sent to them.”(Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 3, pp. 138, Raqm 3462)

I do not need these dirhams

Once some blessed companions of Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan  رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهwere going somewhere in a boat with the purpose of trade. They saw a boat full of rice; they bought all the rice. Some said: “Keep the same amount of share for Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه which each one of us will get.” So, one share was also kept for Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. They earned so much profit on these rice that each person got 2000 dirhams. The share of Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was kept in a bag. When they all came to Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, they related the whole story while presenting dirhams. Upon this, Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan
رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: “If you had sold these rice in loss, would you have kept me in the share equally?” They humbly said: “No” Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Hassan Bin Abu Sinan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: “Then I have no need of these dirhams.” (Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 3, pp. 140, Raqm 3470)