Hassan ibn Thabit

Hassan ibn Thabit ibn al-Mundhir al-Ansari was from the Khazraj tribe of Madinah. He was already one of the most celebrated poets of Arabia before Islam, having recited before the courts of the Ghassanid kings in Syria. He was known for the power and eloquence of his verse. He accepted Islam after the Hijrah and placed his considerable poetic talent entirely in the service of the Prophet's message. In the cultural context of pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabia, poetry was a potent weapon — more feared by some than the sword. The Quraysh poets constantly attacked the Prophet and the Muslims through their verses. The Prophet tasked Hassan with responding to them and said: 'Attack them with your poetry, and Jibril is with you.' Hassan would mount a pulpit in the Prophet's mosque and recite his verses defending the honour of the Prophet and refuting the claims of the polytheists. The Prophet said of his work: 'Hassan has replied on behalf of Allah's Messenger. O Allah, support him with Ruh al-Qudus (the Holy Spirit).' This is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Hassan's poetry covered panegyrics praising the Prophet, elegies mourning fallen Companions, and satirical verses against the enemies of Islam. His elegy for the martyrs of Badr and his satires against Abu Sufyan (before his conversion) and other Quraysh leaders are preserved in the Sirah of Ibn Hisham. His poems remain among the finest examples of early Islamic literature, blending the pre-Islamic qasidah tradition with Islamic devotional content. Though Hassan did not participate in the military expeditions due to a temperament unsuited to combat, his contribution through poetry was valued by the Prophet as equal to fighting. He lived to an advanced age, reportedly over 120 years — sixty in Jahiliyyah and sixty in Islam. He continued composing poetry throughout his life and died in Madinah around 54 AH during the caliphate of Mu'awiyah.