Zeyad
bin Abi Sufyan In Kufa
In handing over to Zeyad bin Abi
Sufyan the governorship of Basra and Kufa the practical benefit was that he
could persuade all the people of Iraq to take ba'it for Yazid's caliphate and
nobody else could have performed this task so well. Besides, Mughira was
somewhat soft hearted and forgiving. However, Zeyad bin Abi Sufyan was more
familiar with the nature of Iraqis. He knew that if they were not dealt with
sternly, they could not be expected to be on the right path. That was why the
tenure of his rule was highly successful and he was the first person who was
made the governor of Kufa and Basra both and later on the whole of Iran and
Khorasan up to Turkistan was handed over to him. Zeyad bin Abi Sufyan made
Samura bin Jundub his deputy in Basra and he himself, along with two thousand
people, set out for Kufa. When he started giving the Khutba (the Friday sermon)
in the Central Mosque in Kufa, the Kufis who were accustomed to humiliate their
officers and disobey the government officials, started mocking him, they began
to shower pebbles over him. He stopped the Khutba and ordered his men to
surround the mosque and not to let anyone out of it. Then he sat in the chair
at the door of the mosque and by calling four persons at a time, began to ask
whether they had thrown the pebbles. Thirty people were found to have done so.
He let off the others and had the hands of the thirty guilty ones cut off.
Similar punishments were awarded to the other Kufis for their faults.
Consequently, in a matter of days they were humbled. Zeyad began to live in
Kufa and Basra alternatively for six months each.
Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه issued a declaration to all his officials
to the effect that they should narrate Yazid's good traits and send delegations
of the influential people of their respective territories to him (Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه) in order that he might also talk to the
people regarding Yazid's ba'it. Afterwards, delegations from all the
territories arrived in Damascus. Amir Muawiya رضي الله
عنه talked to them separately and then arranged a meeting and asked
them to attend it. He then stood up and read a Khutba in which after praising
Allâh and the Prophet ﷺ, dwelt at length on
the virtues of Islam, rights and duties of caliphs, obedience to the rulers and
duties of the masses.
He then talked about Yazid's
manliness, generosity, wisdom, thinking power and his ability for
administration. At the end, he expressed his wish that they should take ba'it
for Yazid's caliphate. Among the delegates from Madinah was Mohammad bin Amr
bin Hazam, he stood up and said, "Amir ul-Muminin! You are going to make
Yazid Caliph but kindly think over it a little that you will have to answer to
Allâh on the Day of Judgement for this act of yours." Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه said, "I am thankful to you that you
wished me well according to your view. But the fact is that there in none but
young boys at this hour and my son among them deserves it most." Then
Dhahak bin Qais stood up and in an eloquent speech, he strongly supported Amir
Muawiya رضي الله عنه. Then a few more
persons stood up and all of them supported him. Ahnaf bin Qais from Egypt was
also there. When the series of speeches came to an end, Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه turned to Ahnaf bin Qais and asked why he
was silent. He said, "If I tell a lie, I fear Allâh; if I speak the truth,
I fear you. Why do you consult us on this issue? You know Yazid better than us
and at your insistence, we are ready to take ba'it." Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه took those words to be a sign from God and
he pleased Ahnaf afterwards by rewarding him greatly. Thus enriched with good
rewards the foreign delegates returned highly pleased. Amir Muawiya was very
much perturbed about the people of Hijaz, Makkah and Madinah because it was there
that the people might oppose him boldly. At the end of 51 A.H., he thought of
going for the Hajj, thinking that he might be able to convert the people of
Hijaz to his own opinion. Consequently, he first went to Madinah. Hearing of
his arrival Abdullah bin Zubair, Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin Abbas and
Husain bin Ali رضي الله عنهما went to Makkah.
Having reached Madinah, Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
amply rewarded the people and won them over to his side and instituted Marwan
bin Hakam to enhance their daily allowances, give them loans from the state
treasury and not insist on its collection in order to avoid opposition and in
this way oblige them. Then he proceeded to Makkah. Reaching there, he called
the four persons mentioned who objected to him and talked about Yazid's ba'it.
Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما said, "I can
admit this much that I will accept as Caliph the man on whom there is a popular
consensus. Even if a slave is made caliph I shall obey him and not part with
the Jamat." Abdullah bin Zubair رضي الله عنهما
said, "I put before you a few points. You are at liberty to choose
whichever suits you (1) You must act upon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and leave the issue of Caliphate without
nominating anyone on the Muslims so that they might elect the caliph whom they
want. If you do not like it, then you act upon the Sunnah of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and depute to your post a man who comes
neither from your tribe nor your family and if this is also not to your liking,
then emulate Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه
by nominating six persons who are neither of your family or tribe nor your own
son. Those six persons should be at liberty to choose anyone as caliph from
among themselves. There is no fourth alternative except these three to which we
may agree." Others also seconded Abdullah. After Hajj Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه took bay'ah for the caliphate of Yazid
from all the people of Makkah except the four persons mentioned above. He gave
money to the general people. There is no doubt that Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه in order to convert the people to his
opinion, used his wealth and it is just possible that he might have had the
conviction that Yazid's nomination was really beneficial to the world of Islam
and its harmful aspect might have been hidden from him. When he returned to
Damascus after Hajj, he heard of the demise of Abu Musa Ashari رضي الله عنه in Kufa. Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه had already made Zeyad the ruler of Basra
and Kufa and moreover the area up to Sajistan was under him. Now he thought it
proper to put under Zeyad's control all the eastern countries up to Sindh,
Kabul, Balkh, Khorasan and Turkistan. Zeyad's stature became so high that he
began to appoint the governors of Persia and Khorasan according to his own
choice and depose who ever he wanted. Zeyad managed and administrated these
eastern countries very efficiently and did not give any chance to the Khawarij
to rebel. Zeyad was a great asset and help to Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه and he was fortunate to have had such an
able and qualified person at his disposal. If Zeyad had not been able to
maintain peace in the eastern territories, uprisings of the Khawarij and
mischief of the Munafiqin, (hypocrites) would not have given him enough time to
make the many arrangements for Yazid's bay'ah. Besides, the impact of
disturbances in the eastern territories would also have had a bad affect on the
western territories and would not have given him any peace and security to
accomplish his other projects.
Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه had made Maslama bin Mukhallad governor of
Egypt and Africa after Abdullah bin Amr. Oqba bin Nafe Fihri who was advancing
towards the west, Tripoli, Tlemcen and Morocco and whom Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه himself had deputed on that expedition was
now brought under the command of the Egyptian governor Maslama bin Mukhallad.
Makkah and Madinah were under the governorship of Sayeed bin Aâs and Marwan bin
Hakam. Syria and Palestine were under the direct administration of Amir Muawiya
رضي الله عنه. Oqba bin Nafe Fihri in view of the
requirements of North Africa, laid the foundation of the city of Qairwan by
cutting down the forest. The cantonment for Africa at Qairwan was as
indispensable to North Africa as Basra and Kufa was to Iraq.
As soon as the population of Qairwan
reached its peak in 55 A.H., Maslama bin Mukhallad deposed Oqba bin Nafe and
appointed his slave Abul Muhajir the commander-in-chief. Oqba bin Nafe then was
reassigned to Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه
in Damascus. When the great advisers like Marwan, Sayeed, and Oqba and the
valiant chiefs from the Arabs were assembled in Damascus and while Zeyad bin
Abi Sufyan kept the flag of victory flying over the Islamic cities, the bay'ah
for Yazid was taken by the whole Islamic world in 56 A.H. Only four persons,
Abdullah bin Zubair, Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin Abbas and Husain bin Ali رضي الله عنهما did not take the ba'it. Amir Muawiya رضي الله عنه left them on their own and did not think
it proper to force them.
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