Evaluation of the Actions Package of Muawiyah and Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) in Achieving the Contradictory Goals of Elimination and Preservation of the Shiite Community After the Peace Treaty and its Results

The acceptance of peace with Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan in the year 41 AH marks a pivotal moment in the history of Islam and Shiism. Despite the military superiority of Muawiyah over the institution of caliphate and the withdrawal of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) in his favor, the continuity of Shiism and the persistence of the Shiite population trapped amidst the anti-Shiite policies of the newly empowered caliph seemed unlikely under normal circumstances. Muawiyah's diverse package of challenges aimed at eradicating the Shiite identity encountered various reactions from Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and ultimately failed. The issue of this study is to examine the most important packages of challenges posed by Muawiyah and the reactions of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) in achieving two contradictory goals: the elimination or preservation of the Shiite community. The results of this study indicate that Imam Hasan's (peace be upon him) package of responses, characterized by realism, rationality, and proportionality to the available resources of the Shiite community, managed to turn the challenge packages posed by the Umayyad government into an opportunity for survival and the continuation of its historical heritage.