In recent post- #GE15 events, we see numerous urges for a certain high-level figure to "resign honourably" or "step down gracefully". This reminds me of an interesting event in the Sirah of the Khulafah Ar-Rashidun (Rightly Guided Caliphs):
After the fourth khalifah Ali bin Abi Talib, was assassinated by the khawarij, the Muslims pledged allegiance to his son, Hasan, to be the fifth khalifah. After 6 months of being the Khalifah, Hasan bin Ali, grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, stepped down his position, and handed it over to Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan: the perceived “rival” to his father, after years of civil war including tragic battles such as the Battle of Siffeen and the Battle of the Camel.
So, what happened after Hasan stepped down ?
Plot twist: The Muslims stopped fighting completely. They united under the leadership of Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan, who continued ruling as Khalifah for the next 20 years, without any civil wars or political instability. The nation thrived and flourished once again in a period of history which most people tend to conveniently “forget”.
But let’s do some role-play here and play devil’s advocate: What would have been some inner struggle and thoughts that could have occupied the mind of Al-Hassan in the moment he was confronted with this tough decision? What would the materialistic-minded people would have incited and tried impose on him to burn his ego?
“Ya Hasan, Ya Khalifah. Come on.. you are the GRANDSON of the Prophet ﷺ.. son of the fourth khalifah ar-rashidun, son of Fatimah, best of women!
If there ever was ONE fella who deserved leading the ummah, it’s YOU, Hasan! Didn’t the Prophet himself call you a Sayyid - a LEADER?!
Dude, YOU should be the one in charge and calling the shots here - not this Muawiyah guy!
What will the people say? That you lack courage for the responsibility of leadership? Your father was such a BEAST in battle and now you chicken out?!
Hold your ground. In fact, it's through YOUR Leadership that will reconcile the ummah together!"
But Alhamduilillah, Hasan didn't let these thoughts get the best of him. He took the high road and handed the reins to Muawiyah. In hindsight, his decision became a unifying act that resulted in stability within the nation for decades to come, fulfilling the prophecy of the Prophet ﷺ:
ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ وَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
"This son of mine is a leader, and (one day), Allah may make peace and reconcile between two groups of Muslims through him.” (Al-Bukhari)
There is a deep lesson for us here. The fact that the Prophet ﷺ here specifically praised him for being a leader, even though he was only leading for 6 months, it signifies an important lesson we can all learn from: Sometimes, our greatest impact can result from ONE decision - and that positive impact can only be seen much later. No, Hasan didn't garner the glory or glamour of leadership. Rather, he made a magnanimous decision that characterized a decision putting aside personal ego, seeing a big picture vision for the greater good of the nation.
In fact, after Hasan stepped down, he continued to be an upright citizen under Muawiyah’s leadership, even participating in battles organized by Muawiyah’s caliphate.
Finally, as the Prophet ﷺ himself testifies, it is THROUGH Hasan that the ummah is united and reconciled. And so with peace and stability, the nation prospers. So if you think about it, ALL the good that came from the Muslim ummah under the 20-year leadership of Muawiyah from that moment onwards, can be attributed to the ripple effect - nay, the Barakah Effect - of Hasan’s actions.
A nice little side point as well about parenting, with respect to inspiring words of encouragement. Hasan was only 7 years old when the Prophet ﷺ passed away. When the Prophet openly told the people that "this son of mine is a leader", he was probably only a little toddler. Imagine what those words would have done to this young boy, who heard this directly from his grandfather who was the leader of Arabia, and Final Messenger from God.
Now, not all situations call to step down. Part of the heavy responsibility of leadership is wisdom in decision-making: how, what, and when to do certain acts, carefully weighing out the consequences before decisively taking action. Sometimes, as we all have probably witnessed, stepping down can open the floodgates of worse disasters down the road. Which is why the 3rd caliph Uthman didn't step down, even though the rebels were right at his doorstep and eventually entered his house and assassinate him.
But to me, one takeaway lesson from this story is:
As leaders, we will face difficult situations where our sincerity will be put to the test. Sometimes, we have to make a decision for a cause far greater than ourselves. There are times where we just have to swallow our ego, put aside personal preferences, and bite the bullet for the greater good in the long run.
Easier said than done, for sure.
But such is integrity. Who said leadership is easy?
Allah knows best.
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