The virtues shared by al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us, and with him were Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), one on one of his shoulders and the other on his other shoulder. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would kiss one of them at one time and the other at another, until he reached us. A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you love them both?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever loves these two loves me, and whoever hates these two hates me." (Allamah Haythami says:) I say: Ibn Majah recorded this narration in abridged form.
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), though there is disagreement about some of its narrators. Al-Bazzar recorded it.

Ata' bin Yasar narrates: A man told him that he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hold Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) close to himself and then say: "O Allah, I love them both, so love them both."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was offering prayer. When he went into prostration, Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) climbed onto his back. The people intended to stop the two of them, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) signalled to them to leave them be. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prayer, he seated them in his lap and said: "Whoever loves me should love these two."
Abu Ya'la and al-Bazzar recorded it, except that he (al-Bazzar) reported these words: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) hugged them close to himself.
Tabarani recorded it in abridged form. The narrators of Abu Ya'la are thiqat (trustworthy), though there is disagreement about some of its narrators.

It is reported from him: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Allah, I love them both, so love them both! And whoever loves them both loves me."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its chain is good.

Sayyiduna Qurrah bin Iyas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him): "I love them both, so love them both!" (The narrator is unsure; perhaps the words are:) "O Allah, indeed I love them both, so love them both."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains Ziyad bin Abi Ziyad, whom Ibn Hibban declared trustworthy, and he said: "He falls into error (wahm)." The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Allah, indeed I love them both, so love them both."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its chain is hasan (good).

It is reported from him that he said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say about Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Imam Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him): "Whoever loves me should love these two."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its narrators have been declared trustworthy, and there is disagreement about them.

It is reported from him that he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped at the house of Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) and gave the greeting of peace. Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), or perhaps Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), came out to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Climb up onto your (grand)father, O small-eyed one!" Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his fingers and seated him on his neck. Then the other son came out from another corner, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Climb up onto your father, O small-eyed one!" Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his fingers and seated him on the other side of his neck. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) held them by the backs of their necks, placed their mouths on his mouth, and then said: "O Allah, indeed I love them both, so love them both, and love the one who loves them both." (Allamah Haythami says:) I say: Part of it is mentioned in the Sahih.
Tabarani recorded it, and its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

It is also reported about Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that during the illness in which he passed away, Marwan came to him. Marwan said to Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Since we have been together, I have not been angry with you over anything except that you love Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him)." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) sat up straight and said: "I bear witness that we set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We were at some place on the way when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard the voices of Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him); both of them were crying, and both were with their mother. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked quickly until he came to them, and I heard him say: 'What is the matter with my children?' Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: 'They are thirsty.' The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached for a waterskin to get water from it, but there was no water at that time, and the people were searching for water. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called out loudly: 'Does any of you have water?' Every man reached his hand to his own waterskin to look for water in it, but no one found a single drop. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said (to Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her)): 'Hand me one of the two.' Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) handed one of the boys from behind the curtain; I saw the whiteness of her forearm. Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) handed that boy over, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took him and held him to his chest. The boy was crying and would not quiet down, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put out his tongue, and the boy began to suck it until he calmed down, and after that I did not hear him crying. The other boy was crying as before and would not quiet down. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Hand me the other one.' Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) handed him the other boy, and he did the same with him, until both of them became quiet and I heard no sound from either of them. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Move on!' So we moved away to the right and left of the women, until later on the way we met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again. So when I have seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) do this, should I not love these two?"
Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever loves Hasan and Husayn, I will love him; and whomever I love, Allah Almighty will love him too; and whomever Allah Almighty loves, Allah Almighty will admit him into the Gardens of Bliss. And whoever hates the two of them (the narrator is unsure; perhaps the words are:) transgresses against them, I will hate him; whomever I hate, Allah Almighty will hate him too; and whomever Allah Almighty hates, Allah Almighty will admit him into Hell, and for that person there will be an everlasting punishment."
Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains Yahya bin Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came into the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) (who were children) were playing in front of him, (the narrator is unsure; perhaps the words are:) in his lap. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Do you love them both?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why would I not love them both, when they are my flowers in this world, whose fragrance I smell?"
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, al-Hasan bin Anbasah, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came into the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) (who were children) were playing on his stomach. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Do you love them both?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why would I not love them both, when they are both my flowers?"
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Ya'la bin Murrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Husayn is from me and I am from him. May Allah love whoever loves him. Hasan and Husayn are each a sibt (a distinguished grandson) among the asbat." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say:
Al-Tirmidhi recorded it in abridged form, leaving out the mention of al-Hasan.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We performed the Isha prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into prostration, Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) climbed onto his back. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head, he took hold of them both from behind; he held them gently and moved them off his back. When he went into prostration again, the two boys did the same thing again, until, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prayer, he sat them both in his lap. The narrator says: I got up and came to him, and I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall I take them both back?" The narrator says: Just then there was a flash of lightning (or something like a light), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them both: "Go to your mother!" The narrator says: That light remained until they both reached their mother.
Ahmad recorded it, and al-Bazzar recorded it in abridged form. In it he recorded these words: "On a dark night." Ahmad's narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into prostration, Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) or Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) would come and ride on his back, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would prolong the prostration. It was said: "O Prophet of Allah! You prolonged the prostration." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "My son had mounted me, and I did not like to hurry him (down)."
Abu Ya'la recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Dhakwan, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy) and whom others called da'if (weak). The remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "I saw Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) (who were children) on the shoulders of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I said: 'What an excellent horse you have beneath you!' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'And what excellent riders these two are!'"
Abu Ya'la recorded it in al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.
Al-Bazzar recorded it with a da'if (weak) chain.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came into the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was walking on his hands and feet, and Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) were riding on his back. He (peace and blessings be upon him) was saying: "What an excellent camel your camel is, and what excellent riders you both are!"
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Masruh Abu Shihab, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying, and Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), or one of the two, came and rode on his back. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head, he held him, or the two of them, with his hand like this and said: "What an excellent mount you have!"
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were gathered around the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Meanwhile Sayyidah Umm Ayman came and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Hasan and Husayn are lost." The narrator says: This was when the day had risen high. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Get up, all of you, and search for my two sons." So each man set off in the direction in front of him. The narrator says: I set off in the direction the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took. After a little while, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached the foot of a mountain, and there were Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), clinging to each other. And there was a serpent standing on its tail, with something like sparks of fire coming out of its mouth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hurried towards it. It turned, looked towards the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said something, then turned away and went into its hole. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to the two boys and separated them from each other. He passed his hand over their faces and said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! How honoured you both are with Allah Almighty!" Then he seated one of them on his right shoulder and the other on his left shoulder. I said: "Glad tidings to you both! How excellent your mount is!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And how excellent these two riders are, and their father is better than both of them."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Ahmad bin Rushd al-Hilali, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it with various chains. Its chain contains a narrator, al-Harith al-A'war, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her): "By Allah! Every prophet fathered prophets; only my case is different. And your two sons are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise, except that the case of the two maternal cousins, Sayyiduna Yahya (peace be upon him) and Isa (peace be upon him), is different."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), though there is weakness in some of its narrators.

Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Hakim bin Hizam Abu Sumayr, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "An angel from the heaven who had never come to visit me asked Allah Almighty for permission to come and visit me. (When he came to me,) he gave me the glad tidings that Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Marwan al-Dhuhli, and I do not know him. The remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One night I stayed at the home of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I saw someone with him. He asked me: "Did you see him?" I replied: "Yes!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is an angel who has never descended to the earth since I was sent. He came to me last night and gave me the glad tidings that Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say:
Al-Tirmidhi recorded it in abridged form.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Abu Umar al-Ashja'i, or perhaps Abu Amrah, and I do not know him. The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

From Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him)
this report is transmitted; he narrates: One day we saw signs of happiness on the face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so we said: "O Messenger of Allah! We see signs of happiness on your face." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why should I not be happy, when Jibril came to me and gave me the glad tidings that Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise, and that their father is more excellent than both of them?"
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Amir Abu al-Aswad al-Hashimi, and I do not know him. The remaining narrators of this report have been declared trustworthy, and there is a difference of opinion about the narrator Asim bin Bahdalah.

Sayyiduna Qurrah bin Iyas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise, and their father is better than both of them."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Rahman bin Ziyad bin An'um, and there is a difference of opinion about him. The remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Malik bin al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise, and their father is better than both of them."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Imran bin Aban, and another, Malik bin al-Hasan; both of them are da'if (weak), though both have also been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Jabir al-Ju'fi, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Ziyad al-Jassas, and he is matruk (abandoned). Ibn Hibban declared him thiqah (trustworthy) and said: "He sometimes falls into error."

Sayyiduna Imam Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth of the people of Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Paradise boasted before Hell, saying: 'I am better than you.' Hell said: 'Rather, I am better than you.' Paradise asked Hell by way of enquiry: 'For what reason?' Hell replied: 'Because within me are the tyrant rulers, Nimrod and Pharaoh.' So Paradise fell silent. Then Allah Almighty revealed to Paradise: 'Do not feel humbled! I shall adorn your two pillars with Hasan and Husayn.' So it swayed just as a bride sways in her canopy (out of joy or bashfulness)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Abbad bin Suhayb, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasan and Husayn are the ornaments of the Throne, but the two of them are not mu'allaq (i.e. they are not hanging)."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the people of Paradise have settled in Paradise, Paradise will say: 'O my Lord! You promised me that You would adorn me with two of Your pillars.' Allah Almighty will say: 'Have I not adorned you with Hasan and Husayn?'"
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Humayd bin Ali, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Asr prayer. When he was in the fourth rak'ah, Hasan and Husayn came and rode on the back of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concluded with the salam, he stood them both in front of him. Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) came forward, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted him up; Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) sat on the right shoulder of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) sat on his left shoulder. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people! Shall I not tell you of the best of people with regard to maternal grandfather and grandmother? Shall I not tell you of the one who is best with regard to paternal uncle and paternal aunt? Shall I not tell you of the one who is the best of people with regard to maternal uncle and maternal aunt? Shall I not tell you of the one who is the best of people with regard to mother and father? They are the two, Hasan and Husayn. Their grandfather is the Messenger of Allah, their grandmother is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, their mother is Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, their father is Ali bin Abi Talib, their paternal uncle is Ja'far bin Abi Talib, their paternal aunt is Umm Hani' bint Abi Talib, their maternal uncle is Qasim, the son of the Messenger of Allah, and their maternal aunts are Zaynab, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum, the daughters of the Messenger of Allah. Their grandfather will be in Paradise, their father will be in Paradise, their mother will be in Paradise, their paternal uncle will be in Paradise, their paternal aunt will be in Paradise, their maternal aunts will be in Paradise, they themselves will be in Paradise, and whoever loves them will also be in Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. The chains of both contain a narrator, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Umar bin Yunus al-Yamami, and he is matruk (abandoned).

It is reported about Sayyidah Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah be pleased with her), that she brought Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was during the illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he passed away. She said: "O Messenger of Allah! These two are your sons; give them something as an inheritance." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for Hasan, he shall have my dignified awe and my leadership; and as for Husayn, he shall have my courage and my generosity."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), brought Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) with her to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was during the illness in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away. Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "These two are your two sons; give them something as an inheritance." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her): "As for Hasan, he shall have my steadfastness and my leadership; and as for Husayn, he shall have my resoluteness and my generosity."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Whenever a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I am obliged to free a slave from the descendants of Isma'il," the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would say: "Take Hasan and Husayn (as your example)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Abu Shaddad narrates: I used to play madahi (a game of rolling stones into holes) with Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him). When the two of them beat me, they would ride on me, and when I beat them, they would say: "Would you ride on a part of the Messenger of Allah?!"
Al-Tabarani recorded it with two chains. I do not know the narrator Abu Shaddad. One of the two chains contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Amr al-Bajali; more than one scholar declared him thiqah (trustworthy) and a group called him da'if (weak). The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).