Imam Askari's (AS) Birth and Childhood

Imam Hasan ibn Ali (AS), also known as Askari, was born on the 8th of Rabi’ al-Thani, in the year 232 Hijri, in Medina. Similar to the second Shia Imam, Imam Hasan Mujtaba (AS), Imam Askari was also given the title of “Aba Muhammad”. He was also known by the title of “Ibn al-Reza” or “the son of Reza”, as he was from the lineage of Imam Reza (AS). Imam Reza had become very well-known among the Muslims after becoming Mamun’s Crown Prince, and thus the next Shia Imams from his lineage were known as “Ibn al-Reza”. Imam Askari’s mother was a slave before she married Imam Hadi. She is referred to by various names, including Hudaith, Saleel, and Saosan. It was the Ahlul-Bayt’s family tradition to attribute multiple honorable names to their slave wives to remove bad memories from their period of captivity. Imam Askari’s mother was so pious that Imam Hadi had described her as “the one who was far from any impurity and evil.”
Imam Askari was about two years old when Mutawakkil forcefully relocated Imam Hadi and his family to Samarra. Imam Askari left Medina forever, and never had an opportunity to return to Medina or Mecca. As a result, Imam Askari is the only Shia Imam who did not perform the Hajj.
Similar to his father, Imam Hadi, Imam Askari was given the title of “Askari”, which means ‘the army’. This title referred to the Imam’s residence in the city of Samarra, which was originally built to accommodate Mu’tasim’s Turkish army. “Askari” also referred to the name of the city’s neighborhood where the Imam was living, which was within the army bases and government offices. Therefore, the Imam’s activities during his Imamat were intensely monitored by the government, and his interactions with his representatives and the people were significantly limited.
There are limited historical records about the life of Imam Askari before his Imamat. The available records suggest that many had never seen the Imam before his Imamat. This was to such an extent that some saw Imam Askari’s face for the first time during the memorial program for the demise of his brother, Syed Muhammad, when the Imam was 20 years old. The Imam had limited public interactions due to the pressure imposed on him by the government. This may also be attributed to an intentional plan by Imam Hadi and Imam Askari to train and prepare the Shias for the minor occultation of Imam Mahdi, during which the Shias would not have direct access to their Imam and would have to communicate with him through letters.