معاوية بن أبي سفيان

“…and fear Allaah with regard to it.”

A Servant Of Allaah — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:28:54 +0000

After the conquest of Cyprus Mu’aawiyyah said to ‘Ubaadah bin as-Saamit – radiyallaahu ‘anhu: “I give you the task of dividing the booty, for there is no one in Syria who is better or more knowledgable than you. So divide it among those who are entitled to it and fear Allaah with regard to it.” So ‘Ubaadah divided it among those who were entitled to it, and Abud-Dardaa’ and Abu Umaamah helped him.

[al-Bayhaqee 7/17]

Mu’aawiyyah: The First Of This Ummah To Campaign By Sea

A Servant Of Allaah — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:14:19 +0000

When Mu’aawiyyah bin Abee Sufyaan was the governor of Syria, he urged ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab to campaign by sea, and told him how close the Byzantines were to Homs. He said, “In one of the villages of Homs, the people can hear the barking of their dogs and the crowing of their roosters.”

‘Umar was almost convinced, and so he wrote to ‘Amr bin al-’Aas saying, “Describe to me the sea and those who sail on it, for I am thinking about it.” ‘Amr wrote to him saying, “It is like a huge creature being ridden by a small creature; if it stays still it will scare you and if it moves it will make you lose your mind; there is no certainty about it and great doubts about it. They (sailors) are like worms on a stick; if it tilts they will drown and if it is saved you will be astonished.” When ‘Umar read the letter of ’Amr, he wrote to Mu’aawiyyah saying, “No! By the One Who sent Muhammad with the Turth, I will never let a Muslim campaign by sea. By Allaah, a Muslim is dearer to me than all that the Byzantines have. Stop suggesting that to me.”

But the idea kept nagging at Mu’aawiyyah; he saw the Byzantines and their land, and kept hoping to conquer it. When ‘Uthmaan became the Khaleefah, he brought the matter up again and urged ‘Uthmaan to consider it. ‘Uthmaan replied by saying, “I am already aware of how ‘Umar (may Allaah have mercy upon him) responded when you asked him for permission to campaign by sea.” Then Mu’aawiyyah wrote to him again, trying to convince him that it was no major thing to travel by sea to Cyprus. ‘Uthmaan wrote back to him saying, “If you take your wife with you, then you have our permission to go, otherwise no.” ‘Uthmaan stipulated further conditions by saying, “Do not select people and do not draw lots; give them the choice, and whoever chooses to go willingly, let him go with you and help him.” When Mu’aawiyyah read the letter of ‘Uthmaan he started mobilising people to travel by sea to Cyprus. He wrote to the people on the coast ordering them to repair their ships and bring them close to the coast in Palestine at Acre, which he had refurbished so that the Muslims could travel from there to Cyprus.

[A collection of narrations taken from: Taareekh at-Tabaree 5/258-260; al-Idaarah al-'Askariyyah fid-Dawlah al-Islaamiyyah 2/538]

Mu’aawiyyah’s Letter To ‘Uthmaan Bin ‘Affaan

A Servant Of Allaah — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:31:39 +0000

The letter Mu’aawiyyah wrote whilst he was the Governor of Syria under the Khilaafah of ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan. This was written after his numerous confrontations with the rebels and mischief makers from Koofah who were sent to him by ‘Uthmaan in order to reprimand them.

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

To the slave of Allaah ‘Uthmaan, the Ameer al-Mu’mineen, from Mu’aawiyyah bin Abee Sufyaan.

O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, you sent to me some people who speak with the tongues of devils and say what these devils want them to say. They come to the people and support their arguments with the Qur’aan, as they claim, and they confuse the people. Not everyone realises what they are upto. All they want is to create division and fitnah. They are fed up with Islaam and the Shaytaan has full control of their hearts. They have corrupted many people among whome they lived in Koofah, and I am worried that if they stay among the people of Syria they may mislead them with their influence and immorality. It is better to send them back to their own region and let them live in the place were their hypocrisy started.

[Taareekh at-Tabaree 5/331]

“…if the people of Syria see what you have done to me…”

A Servant Of Allaah — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:21:30 +0000

Mu’aawiyyah addressing Sa’sa’ah bin Sawhaan and his fellow mischief makers in the Khilaafah of ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan:

“By Allaah! Allaah is Severe in punishment and I fear that if you continue to obey the Shaytaan, your obedience to the Shaytaan and your disobedience to ar-Rahmaan will expose you to the vengeance of Allaah in this world and eternal humiliation in the Aakhirah!”

Sa’sa’sah and his fellow thugs pounced upon Mu’aawiyyah and grabbed him by the head and beard and he said to them:

“Stop it! This is not Koofah. By Allaah, if the people of Syria see what you have done to me when I am their leader, I would not be able to stop them from killing you.”

Then he got up and left, and said, “By Allaah, I will never meet with them agani so long as I live.”

[Taareekh at-Tabaree 5/330-331]

“…but you do not make any sense to me!”

A Servant Of Allaah — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:07:37 +0000

Mu’aawiyyah addressed the mischief makers in the Khilaafah of ‘Uthmaan:

“Your leaders are a shield for you, so do not abandon your shield. Your rulers today treat you with patience and take care of you. By Allaah! You should stop (with your fitnah against ‘Uthmaan) or else Allaah will punish you with rulers who will mistreat you, then you will not be praised for your patience, then you will be their partners in sin for the injustice that you will have brought upon the people, during your life and after your death.”

One of the mischief makers replied to Mu’aawiyyah: “As for what you have said about Quraysh, they were never the most numerous or strongest of the Arabs during the Jaahiliyyah, such that you could scare us with them. As for what you have said about a shield, if the shielf is breached, then we could get hurt.”

Mu’aawiyyah said: “I know you now. I know what has led you to this attitude is a lack of maturity. You are the spokesman of the people but you do not make any sense to me. I am trying to remind you of the greatness of al-Islaam and you remind me of the Jaahiliyyah?! I am exhorting you and you claim that the shield that is protecting you can be breached?! Even if it is breached, it is not the fault of the shield!”

[Taareekh at-Tabaree 5/324]

Mu’aawiyyah On Aboo Bakr And ‘Umar

A Servant Of Allaah — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:56:36 +0000

Mu’aawiyyah bin Abee Sufyaan said:

“Aboo Bakr did not desire worldy luxury and it did not become available to him. Wordly luxury was available to ‘Umar but he did not want it. But we indulged fully in it.”

[Taareekh al-Islaam for adh-Dhahabee: 267]

“I shall certainly expel you from all of your land!”

A Servant Of Allaah — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:37:18 +0000

al-Imaam Ibn Katheer said:

“The king of Byzantium had great hopes of attacking and defeating Mu’aawiyyah after the latter having instilled fear in him and humiliating him, and routing his troops. When the king of Byzantium saw that Mu’aawiyyah was preoccupied with fighting ‘Alee, he approached some cities (on the border) with a huge army, filled with hope of victory. But Mu’aawiyyah wrote to him saying, “By Allaah! If you do not stop and go back to your own land, O cursed one, I shall reconcile with my cousin and we will unite against you, and I shall certainly expel you from all of your land! I shall keep pursuing you, and the earth, vast as it is, will be striatened for you [at-Tawbah: 25].” At that the king was afraid, and he sent word seeking a peace treaty.”

[al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah: 8/119]

Mu’aawiyyah’s Care and Concern for the Ummah…

A Servant Of Allaah — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:28:34 +0000

Muhibb ad-Deen al-Khateeb said:

“Mu’aawiyyah’s care and concern to protect the Ummah from its enemies was so great that he sent word to the king of Byzantium, threatening him, when he was in the midst of fighting with ‘Alee at Siffeen, when he heard that the king of Byzantium was approaching the border with a huge army.”

[Marwiyaat Kilaafah Mu'aawiyyah: 31]

Some Of Mu‘aawiyyah‘s Views

A Servant Of Allaah — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:18:49 +0000

Mu‘aawiyyah – radiyallaahu ‘anhu – held the view that a killer may be detained until the son of his victim reaches maturity to decide what should be done.

[Taareekh at-Tabaree]

He also believed it to be mustahabb to perfume the body when wanting to enter into ihraam.

[al-Mughnee; 5/77]

A divorce uttered in a state of drunkeness counts as a divorce.

[Taareekh at-Tabaree]

A Muslim should not be killed in retaliation [Qisaas] for a Kaafir.

[Taareekh at-Tabaree]

How ‘Umar Bin ‘Abdil-’Azeez Dealt With Those Who Cursed Mu’aawiyyah

A Servant Of Allaah — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:41:13 +0000

Ibraaheem bin Maysarah – rahimahullaah – said:

“I never saw ‘Umar bin ‘Abdil-’Azeez hit any person except one who reviled Mu’aawiyyah. This one he whipped many times.”

[al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah]