Hassan ibn Thabit (ra)
The Prophet's ﷺ poet ("Jibril is with you"); had his own minbar.
The Ansari poet who served as the Prophet’s ﷺ official defender in verse — “Stand up, Hassan, and Jibril is with you” — who had his own minbar in the mosque, and who, honestly recorded by the tradition, fell into the gossip of the Slander of Aisha (rha), received the hadd, and was forgiven.
Identity & lineage
An Ansari of Madinah.
Role in the Seerah
The Prophet’s ﷺ official poet, who answered the Quraysh’s poets in kind. The Prophet ﷺ would say, “Stand up, Hassan, and Jibril is with you,” and had a minbar set up for him in the masjid from which he would recite in the Prophet’s ﷺ defence.
Key episodes
- The Slander (al-Ifk). Hassan was one of the three Muslims (with Mistah and Hammanah bint Jahsh) who — without inventing the lie — spread the rumour against Aisha (rha). After Surah al-Nur declared her innocence, the three received the hadd of 80 lashes for qadhf. The tradition presents this frankly as a repented human failing: these were righteous people punished in this world, and “we say nothing but good” of them.
- The Safwan sword incident. Before the matter was resolved, Safwan ibn Muattal — hearing Hassan repeat the rumour — struck him with the flat of his sword and wounded him; Hassan’s tribe attacked Safwan. Brought before the Prophet ﷺ, the ruling went for Hassan, since one may not take the law into one’s own hands. The Prophet ﷺ then asked Hassan to forgive Safwan; Hassan replied, “For you, O Messenger of Allah, I will forgive him,” and was gifted a garden as recompense for the injury.
- Aisha’s regard. Urwah reports that Aisha (rha) herself would never allow anyone to speak ill of Hassan afterwards — his standing was restored.
Character & lessons
A cautionary and hopeful example at once: even a beloved Companion and defender of the Prophet ﷺ could slip into the sin of spreading tales — yet repentance, the hadd, and forgiveness restored him. The danger of wanting to be “the life of the party” with gossip; the mercy that follows sincere return.
Death
Not established in the lectures. (Open question: date.)
Cross-references
Muhammad ﷺ · The Slander of Aisha (rha) · Safwan ibn Muattal (ra) · Aisha bint Abi Bakr (rha) · The Ansar (the Helpers of Madinah) · Madinah (Yathrib) · Seerah Timeline
Sources
- S008 — Yasir Qadhi Seerah EP 051–060 (esp. EP 056).
- Classical basis: Aisha’s (rha) narration in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim (the al-Ifk report, transmitted by Urwah). Quran: Surah al-Nur (Q 24:11 onward, the hadd for qadhf).