Appointment
of Officials
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه had already given the governorship of
Egypt to Amr bin Al-Aas رضى الله عنه.
Now on becoming the caliph of the whole Islamic world he appointed Sayeed bin
Al-Aas and Marwan bin Hakam رضي الله عنهما
governors of Makkah and Madinah respectively. Sayeed and Marwan رضي الله عنهما both were his relatives. He deputed them
in Makkah and Madinah so that in these key cities of the Islamic world, no
opposition group might rise up and to eliminate the possibility of any
conspiracy. He did not go for Hajj every year he would appoint one of them as
the Amir of Hajj. He was also very alive to the possibility that either of them
could take advantage of the centrality and importance of Makkah and Madinah to
gain power and influence. Because of this, he used to interchange their posts
every year. After taking the ba'it for his Caliphate in Kufa, Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه made Mughira bin Shoba رضى الله عنه the governor of Kufa and instructed him to
crush the sedition of the Khwarij at any cost. He sent a letter to the
governors of the remaining provinces and territories to take ba'it from the
people on his behalf and consider themselves assigned on his behalf. In Persia
Ali bin Abi Talib رضى الله عنه had deputed Zeyad bin
Abi Sufyan رضى الله عنه who was considered to
be from amongst partisans of Ali. Zeyad was known for his intelligence all over
Arabia and had been ruling over Persia very successfully. Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه thought that if Zeyad betrayed him and
made anyone from the progeny of Ali رضى الله عنه
the caliph and took ba'it at his hand and rebelled against him (Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه), then it would pose a major problem.
Therefore, he gave the priority to a plan to bring him under his control.
Zeyad
bin Abi Sufyan رضي الله عنه
Zeyad's mother Sumayya was the slave
of Harith bin Kilab Thagafi. People had doubts about who his real father was.
In fact, Abu Sufyan married Sumayya before embracing Islam and Zeyad was born
of them. Zeyad resembled Abu Sufyan but the members of Abu Sufyan's family and
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه did not accept Zeyad
as Abu Sufyan's son. When Zeyad heard that Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه was recognized as the caliph, he hesitated
in taking ba'it, (the oath of allegiance) and accepting Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه as the caliph. At that time, Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه thought it wise to give a letter of
protection to Zeyad's friend Mughira bin Shoba and send him to Zeyad and
include him in his family and lineage by accepting him as Abu Sufyan's son.
Mughira took the letter to Zeyad in Persia attested all the accounts of the
treasury and brought him to Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه.
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه received him warmly
and accepted him as his brother. His name was officially written in all papers
as ibn Abi Sufyan. Ali bin Abi Talib رضى الله عنه
was sure that Zeyad was Abi Sufyan's son because Abi Sufyan once in his
presence at a meeting with Umar bin Khattab رضى الله
عنه had admitted him as his son and so Umar رضى الله عنه made Zeyad the governor of Persia. Now
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه gave him greater
honor, promoted him and made him the governor of Basra and instructed him to
set and keep the people of Basra on the right path. Having arrived in Basra,
Zeyad assembled the inhabitants of Basra in the Central Mosque and made a grand
and impressive speech. The people then had grown very undisciplined. Theft, robbery
and sedition were rampant everywhere. Immediately after his arrival in Basra
Zeyad instituted martial law and ordered that whosoever went out of his house
or was seen in the field at night would be killed without any trial. That order
was strictly complied with and in a few days the people of Basra became humble.
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه after making Zeyad and Mughira governors
of Basra and Kufa respectively was relieved of pressure from the Iraqi and
Persian fronts because all the provinces of Iran were under Kufa and Basra.
Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه extended Zeyad's jurisdiction up to
Persia, Jazirah, the northern section of land between the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers, and Sajistan. By including all these places in the jurisdiction of the
governor of Basra, he had put an end to all possible sedition in the eastern
territories. The Khwarij used to raise their heads off and on in rebellion in
Iraq and Persia but Zeyad and Mughira together stamped them out very boldly and
efficiently and did not allow any critical situation to be created, which might
add to Amir Muawiya's رضى الله عنه
troubles. Zeyad used not only strong measures in his jurisdiction but also
behaved mildly and made allowances as the situation demanded. Once it was
reported that Abul Khair, who was a brave and intelligent man, turned friendly
to the Khwarij, Zeyad at once called for him and sent him back by making him an
official of Jundi Saboor and thus he averted any future danger very wisely.
The governor of Egypt Amr bin Al-Aas
رضى الله عنه died in 43 Hegira. Amir Muawiya رضى الله عنه appointed his son Abdullah bin Amr its
governor in his place. That same year when the Khwarij in Kufa saw that Mughira
did not behave harshly like Zeyad and sometimes overlooked the people's weak
points, hatched a conspiracy for rebellion. Had Zeyad been in place of Mughira,
the Khwarij would not have dared such a bold step. Zeyad knew the Khwarij very
well and the inhabitants of Basra were humbled as mentioned earlier. Under the
command of Masturad bin Alqama more than three hundred Khwarij left Kufa on 1
Shawwal 43 A.H., which corresponded to Eid al-Fitr (the celebration after the
month of fasting and one of the two official Muslim holidays). Mughira sent an
army of three thousand soldiers after them. In ensuing battle, the three
hundred Khawarij defeated the three thousand soldiers from Kufa.
More men were sent and they also met
the same fate. At last, under the command of Ma'qil bin Qais a large army set
out. As a consequence, Ma'qil bin Qais and Masturad bin Alqama were killed
while facing each other and all the Khawarij except five were exterminated, the
impact of this event was so great that Mughira bin Shoba paid more attention
and was more cautious about the threat of the Khawarij.
The northern borders of Syria always
faced danger from the Roman Empire. There was also the danger of a naval attack
on the Syrian coast. Egypt and North Africa were also under constant attack by
the Romans. Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه,
after settling the eastern problems, spent all his energy and resources
confronting the danger from the Romans. He prepared a naval force and enhanced
the salaries of the sailors to attract others to join. He had two thousand war
boats prepared, made Junada bin Umayya the Admiral. He made the army more
powerful, arranged separately the defensive and offensive armies besides
enhancing the supply links. He divided the army into two parts. The first was
called Shitiwi, meaning winter forces and the second was Saifia, meaning summer
forces. In both seasons the army kept a strict vigil on the borders by
eliminating and suppressing the Roman forces. The naval forces made the Island
of Cyprus its headquarters, they dispossessed the Roman forces from the
Mediterranean Sea and made the Egyptian and Syrian coasts safe from enemy naval
invasion. The adjoining provinces of Sajistan like Rehaj were conquered. In the
same year, the Islamic army made advances towards Barqah, (historic region of
North Africa and Sudan) and thus the area of Islamic rule was considerably
extended.
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