Amir
Muawiya رضي الله عنه
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه was born seventeen years before the Hijra,
he was junior to Ali bin Abi Talib رضى الله عنه
by six years. Amir Muawiya's mother Hind bint Utba was first married to Faka
bin Mughira Quraishi. Faka once doubted his wife's chastity. He kicked her and
ultimately turned her out of his house. That became a topic of discussion among
the people. Hind's father Utba asked his daughter. "What is the matter?
Tell me clearly. If Faka is justified in accusing you, I shall tell somebody
and he will kill him and we shall be saved from dishonor. However, if he is a
liar and slandered you unnecessarily, we shall refer this affair to a
soothsayer." Hind swore many times to prove her innocence and refused the
allegation absolutely. When Utba was convinced of his daughter's innocence, he
compelled Faka bin Mughira to take his tribe Banu Makhzoom with him and go to a
soothsayer in Yemen. Similarly Utba bin Rabia too, along with a few persons of
Abd al-Manaf, Hind and a friend of hers, set out. They reached the soothsayer
and requested him to attend to the affair of those two women.
The soothsayer first went to his
friend and striking at her both shoulders said: "Stand up". Then he
came to Hind and struck her also, and said "Stand up. You have neither
done a bad deed nor committed adultery and you will give birth to a king whose
name will be Muawiya." Hearing this Faka caught hold of his wife's hand
but the latter pulled away her hand away with a jerk and told him that if she
was to give birth to a king, he would not be from his seed. So, after the proof
of her impeccability she severed her relation with him. Abu Sufyan bin Harb
then married Hind and Muawiya was born.
Abu Sufyan was not more than forty
when Muawiya was born. Abu Sufyan was ten years older than the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). Right from his
childhood Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه
had some indications of the future by virtue of which he was called the 'Choro
(Kisra) of the Arabs'. He was chiefly known for his wisdom, good management,
love of peace and moderation. He was tall, fair complexioned, handsome and
strongly built. When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) saw him, he said, "This is the Choro (Kisra) of Arabia.
The day Muawiya رضى الله عنه leaves the world, you
will see that lots of heads will be severed from their bodies." In the
last days of his life, Amir Muawiya's belly bulged a little. He used to read
the Khutba while sitting on the pulpit. This mode of address of sitting was
started by him. He was a well-read man. On the day of the Conquest of Makkah he
came with his father, Abu Sufyan, and embraced Islam at the age of twenty five
and remained with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
until the latter's death. He accompanied him on the expedition of Hunain and
the siege of Taif also. After that when the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) came to Makkah, performed Umara and
proceeded to Madinah, Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه
came Madinah and was appointed as one of the recorders of the revelation. Apart
from recording the revelation, he on behalf of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to entertain and make arrangements
for the board and lodging of foreign delegates. After the Prophet's death when
Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه sent Amir Muawiya's
brother Yazid bin Abu Sufyan رضى الله عنه
to Syria with an army, he gave Amir Muawiya رضى الله
عنه a division and put him in charge of supplying aid to him. In
the Syrian expedition, his performance was extremely marvelous and a good indication
of his abilities and he impressed all by his acts of valor. Umar bin Khattab رضى الله عنه made him the permanent administrator of
Jordan. When Sahabas like Abu Obeida and Yazid bin Abu Sufyan died of the
plague of Amwas, Umar bin Khattab رضى الله عنه
appointed him the ruler of Damascus, the jurisdiction of his brother. Jordan
and other districts were included under his government. When Umar bin Khattab رضى الله عنه went to Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), Amir
Muawiya رضى الله عنه accorded a reception
for him and accompanied him. Umar bin Khattab رضى الله
عنه objected to Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه
saying, "You have adopted the royal way of living and I have heard, you
have assigned door keepers." Amir Muawiya رضى
الله عنه said, "The Syrian borders always remain in danger of
incursion by the Roman soldiers and attack. Their spies keep roaming throughout
Syria. I think the external pomp and grandeur is necessary to keep the Roman
emperor and the Christians in awe and the door keepers keep the Roman spies at
bay."
Satisfied with this answer Umar bin
Khattab رضى الله عنه no longer questioned
him. Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه sought his permission
for launching a naval attack on Constantinople and the capture of the islands
in the Mediterranean Sea. But Umar bin Khattab رضى
الله عنه did not allow him to do so. When Uthman bin Affan رضى الله عنه became caliph after Umar bin Khattab رضى الله عنه he made Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه the governor of Syria and all the
adjoining areas. He permitted him to prepare a navy and extended his powers.
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه captured Syria and
considerably strengthened the Islamic rule there, kept the Roman emperor in
terror and awe of him and did not give the Christians a chance to attack the
Islamic territories. What transpired between him and Ali bin Abi Talib رضى الله عنه after the martyrdom of Uthman bin Affan رضى الله عنه has been discussed in Volume 1 of this
book, there was a truce between Amir Muawiya رضى الله
عنه and
Imam Hasan رضى الله عنه. Till the month of
Rabia at-Awwal 41 Hijra, the entire Islamic world took ba'it (Arabic for the
swearing of allegiance) at the hands of Amir Muawiya رضى
الله عنه and Imam Hasan accepted him as the caliph. Up to that time,
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه had been the governor
of Syria for twenty years. After becoming caliph and emperor of the whole
Islamic world, he remained alive for twenty years more. The total period of his
rule was forty years. In the first half of the forty years, he was a ruler of a
province or Governor and in the second half, he ruled as caliph or emperor. I
have recorded in detail his conditions, circumstances and important events in
the first volume. From this point, we have to consider him as Caliph for the
events in the second half of his rule and hence he has been named caliph in the
following text.
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