Invasion
of Constantinople
In 48 A.H. after taking stock of the
Roman emperor's power, Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
thought it necessary to launch a naval attack on the Roman capital of
Constantinople and put an end to the air of invulnerability they enjoyed and
shatter the future ambitions of the Christians in such a way that they would
not dare to even look towards the Islamic borders. He made up his mind to
invade Constantinople and made a declaration in Makkah and Madinah that the
Muslims were going to attack Constantinople. Since the Companions knew the
Prophet's tradition, "The first army that attacks the city of the Roman
emperor, would be forgiven," the illustrious Sahabas like Abdullah bin
Umar رضي الله عنهما, Abdullah bin Zubair,
Abdullah bin Abbas, Husain bin Ali, and Abu Ayyub Ansari رضي الله عنهما gladly participated in the hope of getting
redemption. A large army was prepared and he sent it to Constantinople under
the command of Sufyan bin Auf and a part of the army was commanded by his son
Yazid who was an officer of the summer forces, this army proceeded by sea.
Another part moved towards Constantinople by the land route. The Muslims laid
siege to the city, because the ramparts and the location of the city were
extremely strong, the siege and the attacks were unsuccessful. A few great and
lion-hearted men from the Muslim side were martyred.
Abu Ayyub Ansari رضي الله عنه died during the siege and was buried under
the city's ramparts. Due to severe cold and natural impediments, the Muslims
returned without conquesting Constantinople. Although the invasion was a
failure and the city could not be brought under the control of the Muslims, the
consequences of the invasion achieved an important objective. The Roman emperor
and his army considered themselves as lucky to avoid conquest and they did not
want to provoke another attack and put themselves in future danger so the
Romans ceased to attack the Islamic borders and all the provinces under dispute
between the Muslims and the Christian finally came under the control of the
Muslims.
In 50 A.H., Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه made Oqba bin Nafi the commander in chief
of Egypt, Barqah and Sudan, and afterwards sent ten thousand more soldiers, he
instructed his commander to advance westward and capture all of North African.
The Berbers used to obey the Muslims whenever the Islamic army arrived there
but as soon as they found the Muslims relaxed and engaged somewhere else, they
rebelled and asserted their independence. Oqba bin Nafi passed through Egypt
and Barqah and invaded Tunis and Tripoli and after capturing all these
provinces, advanced towards Tlemcen, in the northwestern part of modern day
Algeria near Morocco. In the same year the administrator of Makran, (the
coastal area of modern day Pakistan and Iran) and Baluchistan, (western most
province of modern day Pakistan), Abdullah bin Sawar, attacked Sindh, (province
of southeastern Pakistan), in order to discipline the Sindhis. The Sindhis, who
were fully prepared, faced him firmly. Abdullah bin Sawar was martyred in the
battle. Mahlab bin Abi Safra was determined to be victorious and captured a
large part of Sindh.
Yazid
the Heir Apparent
During the same year, 50 A.H.,
Mughira left Kufa and came to Damascus and told Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه that he had seen the events of Uthman bin
Affan's رضي الله عنه martyrdom in Madinah
and all those scenes of the subsequent horrors were passing before his eyes,
the malicious kinds of upheaval and disturbances that it created were for the
sake of gaining the Caliphate. "So I think is proper that you should
nominate your son, Yazid to be Caliph after you and in it lies the security and
welfare of the Muslims". Amir Muawiya رضي الله
عنه had never planned to make his son the caliph. Mughira's words
turned his attention to it and gave him this idea. He said to Mughira, "Is
it possible that people would take ba'it for the Caliphate of my son?"
Mughira said, "This is quite possible. I shall persuade the people of
Kufa. Zayed bin Sufyan will force the people of Basra and in Makkah and Madinah
Marwan bin Hakam and Sayeed bin Aas will make the people do so and as for
Syria, there is no possibility of any opposition." Hearing this Amir
Muawiya رضي الله عنه sent Mughira to Kufa
to execute the plan. This same incident has been found recorded elsewhere as
follows: "Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
wrote to Mughira bin Shoba, the governor of Kufa, "that you should been
yourself deposed immediately after reading this letter." However, when
that letter was received by Mughira, he delayed its execution. When he reached
Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه, he enquired about
the cause of delay in execution of his orders. Mughira said, "I was
engaged in getting ready for a plan." Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه said, "What was that plan?"
Mughira said, "I was taking ba'it from the people for the future Caliphate
of your son." Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
was pleased to hear that and sent him back to Kufa. When Mughira arrived in Kufa,
the Kufis asked him about the affair, he said, "I have thrown him in such
a mire that he won't come out of it until doomsday." It is clearly known
that it was Mughira bin Shoba who was instrumental in persuading Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه for the idea of making his son the future
Caliph, which led to it becoming the convention of the reign of succession
among the Muslims, that the son succeeded his father or king and the practice
of selection by consultation was done away with. Yazid was Amir Muawiya 's son
and it was only natural for a father to love his son and try to enhance his
prestige and make him king. Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
may to some extent be taken as helpless or weak but no excuse can be offered on
behalf of Mughira bin Shoba.
Mughira arrived in Kufa, called all
the noblemen and those who were influential among the Arabs to him and tried to
convince them to accept Yazid as the heir apparent. The influential people of
Kufa showed willingness and agreed with the intention of saving the Muslims
from all kinds of riots and disturbances and that the Amir ul-Muminin should
nominate his son to be Caliph after him. Mughira then sent a delegation of
illustrious Kufis along with his son to Amir Muawiya رضي
الله عنه. It called on him and expressed its willingness that ba'it for
Yazid's caliphate should be taken. The arrival of that delegation strengthened
the intention and wish of Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه,
which Mughira had already created in his mind. He saw the delegation off with
great honor and said to them, "When the time comes ba'it from you will be
taken." Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
was a very far-sighted and scrupulous man. He wanted to know whether the
majority of the Islamic world agreed to his view or not. He then wrote to
Marwan bin Hakam, the governor of Madinah, and Zeyad bin Abi Sufyan, the
governor of Basra: "I have grown old. I do not want any riots or
disturbances to break out among the Muslims for the sake of taking the
caliphate. I want that in my lifetime I should nominate someone to be caliph
after me. Among the elders, I do not see anybody who would be suitable and
among the young, I suppose my son, Yazid, seems to be the best. You should
consult people and make consultation about it cautiously and influence them to
take ba'it for Yazid's caliphate in the future. When the letter was received by
Zeyad bin Abi Sufyan the governor of Basra, he showed it to a man of rank named
Obaid bin Kâb Numairi and told him, "In my opinion Amir ul-Muminin has
taken a hasty step in this affair. He has not thought over it deeply because
Yazid is a youth who leads a life of entertainment. People know very well that
he is fond of touring and hunting and so they would certainly cause hesitation
in taking ba'it." Obadiah bin Kâb said to him, "You need not express
your disagreement to the Amir ul-Muminin's view. Simply send me to Damascus and
I shall see Yazid and make him see reason and that he should reform himself so
that there will not be any hitch in the way of taking ba'it for him. I am sure
he will accept this advice. When his conditions undergo a pleasant change, the
people will also not hesitate in taking ba'it, and the Amir ul-Muminin's wish
will be fulfilled."
Zeyad appreciated the idea and
immediately sent Obaid to Damascus. Obaid made Yazid understand all the
subtleties of the matter and Yazid respected this advice, he reformed himself
remarkably and silenced the people on this point.
When the letter reached Marwan in
Madinah, he assembled the noblemen there and read to them this much, "the
Amir ul-Muminin has the intention of saving the Muslims from all possible riots
and disturbances by nominating someone to be caliph after him." All
appreciated the idea and expressed their willingness to support it. A few days
after Marwan again assembled the people and read to them, "Another letter
from Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه has come from
Damascus. He has written that in the betterment of Muslims he has nominated
Yazid as the heir apparent." At this time Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr,
Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin Zubair and Husain bin Ali رضي الله عنهما expressed great resentment. They said,
"This selection has been made not for the welfare of the Muslims but for
their annihilation because by this way the Islamic Caliphate will resemble the
Roman and Persian empires in which the son succeeds his father to the throne
this selection is against the spirit of Islam."
As a parenthesis, here attention
should be drawn to the fact when Marwan bin Hakam proclaimed in Madinah Amir
Muawiya's intention, Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه
had died a few months before. The people generally knew that at the time of
reconciliation with Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه
Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه in accordance with
efforts made by Abdullah bin Amir, was ready to have the declaration that Imam
Hasan رضي الله عنه should be made Caliph
after him included into the treaty of compromise although Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه did not have it mentioned in the treaty of
peace. The people thought that although the future Caliphate of Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه did not find mention in the treaty, the
Islamic world would agree to his Caliphate. When Marwan bin Hakam first read
Amir Muawiya's letter in Madinah, most of the people felt that it was due to
Imam Hasan's death that Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
had the idea in his heart to nominate someone, since Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه had died and he was considered to be the
next logical choice, another nominee should be chosen as the future caliph.
Their thinking was based on Amir Muawiya's nobility and love of justice, this
created a ray of hope in the hearts of those who considered themselves to be
worthy of the caliphate. When Marwan made the second proclamation about Yazid,
the concept created by his first proclamation, suddenly dissipated and
immediately various kinds of doubts were being expressed. Some people went to
the extent of speculating that it was Amir Muawiya رضي
الله عنه who had Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه
poisoned. Before the proclamation of Yazid's nomination, no one harbored any
thought connecting Imam Hasan's death to Amir Muawiya 's رضي الله عنه efforts or intention.
Here it is pertinent to draw the
attention of the respected readers that Amir Muawiya رضي
الله عنه was absolutely impeccable concerning any involvement in the
poisoning of Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه
and that it was Mughira bin Shoba who after Imam Hasan's death drew Amir
Muawiya's رضي الله عنه attention to Yazid's
nomination. He himself had never thought about it.
Just as Mughira bin Shoba was
instrumental in getting Yazid nominated as the future Caliph, he also did his
best to supervise this endeavor to that end. Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه was silent to the resentment expressed by
the people of Madinah and the Hijaz which he came to know through Marwan's
letter and thought how to persuade the people of Madinah to his point of view.
At that time, he received the news that Mughira bin Shoba رضي الله عنه died in Kufa. That
was in 51 A.H. Hearing this news he handed over the government of Kufa to Zeyad
bin Abi Sufyan and Zeyad came to be known as the governor of Iraqain (the two
Iraqs).
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