in full Ḥasan ibn ʽAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib
born 624, Arabia
died 680, Medina
Grandson of Muhammad , the elder son of Muhammad's daughter
He is one of the five most revered persons in the Shīite branch of Islam . After the murder of his father, {{link=Ali ibn Abi talib">Alī , in 661, he was seen by many as the Prophet's rightful heir. When Muāwiyah I opposed Ḥasan's succession and began to prepare for war, Ḥasan raised an army to meet him. Plagued by defections, however, he opened peace negotiations within the year and abandoned the caliphate to his opponent. For the rest of his life he lived quietly in Medina.