Hasan Ibn ‘Ali, a cousin of Imam Sadiq (a.s), was a courageous, robust and physically powerful person such that he was referred to as the lance of the family of Abu Talib. Possessing a wide nose, he was popularly known as Hasan Aftas.
He was the standard-bearer in the uprising initiated by ‘Abdullah Mahdh (the grandson of Imam Hasan (a.s)) against Mansur Dawaniqi. His relations with Imam Sadiq (a.s) turned sour over the issue and he even went to the extent of attacking him (a.s) with a large knife with the intention of killing him (a.s).
Salimah, one of Imam’s (a.s) slave-girls, relates: “The Imam (a.s) was on his death-bed and I was at his bedside, nursing him, when he suddenly dropped into unconsciousness. As soon as he had regained his consciousness, he instructed me: ‘Give seventy dinars to Hasan Aftas and such and such sums to such and such individuals.’”
I said to him: “Should we give seventy dinars to the person, who had lunged at you with a knife and desired to kill you?”
He (a.s) said: “Do you not desire that I should be one of those about whom Allah says:
وَ الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ ما أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَ يَخافُونَ سُوءَ الْحِسابِ وَ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَ أَقامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ أَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْناهُمْ سِرًّا وَ عَلانِيَةً وَ يَدْرَؤُنَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّار
“And those who join that which Allah has bidden to be joined and have awe of their Lord and fear the evil reckoning. And those who are constant, seeking the pleasure of their Lord, and keep up prayer and spend (benevolently) out of what We have given them secretly and openly, and repel evil with good; as for those, they shall have the (happy) issue of the abode.”6
He (a.s) then continued: “Yes, O’ Salimah! Allah has created the Paradise and made it pure and fragrant such that its fragrance can be perceived at a distance of two thousand years – but this fragrance shall not reach the person, who has severed ties with his relatives, and one, who has been disowned by his parents.” ( Hikayat-ha-e-Shanidani, vol. 5, pg. 30; Al-Ghunyah of (Sheikh) Tusi, pg. 128 )