Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) was born in Madina, on the 8th day of the month of Rabi' Thani, in the year 232 A.H.
Imam's name is al-Hasan, being a resident of 'Asgar a suburb of Samarra', he is titled al-Askari. His father was Imam 'Ali An-Naqi (AS) and his mother was Salil Khatun, an ideal woman in piety, worship, chastity, and generosity.
Imam Hassan al-Askari (PBUH) was called 'al-Askari' in connection with the district of Askar in the city of Samarra' in which he and his father, Imam Ali un-Naqi al-Hadi (BPUH) were imprisoned by the Abbasid caliphs.
Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) was peerless in knowledge, forbearance, forgiveness, generosity, sacrifice, and piety.
The major task of the Imam was to safeguard the Message of Islam, defend its originality, invite people towards it, and convey its principles and values.
During the reign of Imam al-Askari (PBUH), the school of Ahlul-Bayt (PBUH) was filled with knowledge, calling to Islam and defending it, and spreading its ideas, the chief element of this act was done through the academic way.
Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS) was a gracious personality and an unmatched commentator of the Holy Quran. He was chief of religious scholars and an ideal of worshippers.
Imam al-Askari (AS), like his forefathers, practiced his cultural and scholarly role within the course of the school of Ahlul-Bait (AS) - which concentrated its activity on the Quran and prophetic traditions, safeguarding the originality of the message and discovering its contents.
According to the Wikishia, in hadith studies, one of the titles mentioned for Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (AS) is "faqih", with which he (AS) was especially known to his companions.
Interpreting the Qur'an was among the activities Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (AS) cared about so much that an extensive text on the interpretation of the Qur'an (among the oldest exegetical heritage of Shi'a) is attributed to him. Even if this attribution is not correct, it should be noted that Imam's (AS) emphasis on exegetical discussions made the grounds for this attribution.
Imam Hasan al-Askari (PBUH) lived during the times of the Abbasid caliphs, Mu'taz, Muhtadi, and Mu'tamid. The Holy Imam (PBUH) suffered more afflictions, confinement, terrorism, and pursuit by the three above-mentioned brutal and cruel caliphs and was, also, exposed to imprisonment at different times before them.
The last caliph, whom the Holy Imam (PBUH) lived with, Mu'tamid, was dissolute, disposed to entertainment and pleasures, singing, and committing the forbidden. All these caused people to hate him, and the Holy Imam (PBUH) suffered different kinds of troubles and torments at the hands of the caliph, Mu'tamid, who surrounded him with intensive security forces to keep an eye on him and pursued those who wanted to contact him.
Imam Abu Muhammad Hassan al-Askari (PBUH) was poisoned by the caliph, Mu'tamad, and, thus, suffered severely and was martyred on the 8th of the month of Rabi' Awwal in the year 260 (A.H.). At the time of his martyrdom, he was twenty-eight years old. He was buried in the house in which his father was buried in Samarra.
He left behind his son - Living Holy Awaited Savior Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (PBUH) the one who is awaited to bring about the heavenly rule of truth in the whole world.
Reported by Tohid Mahmoudpour