In spite of the profligate personality, negative acts, serious crimes,
uncountable corruptions, shameless lineage, degraded origin of Muawiyah, you
will find people fabricating his excellence, and there is no limit to shamelessness
and exaggeration made by the fabricators.
Here, we would enumerate some of this specialties, so that the reality of
merits attributed to him becomes clear to the researcher, and the statement of
Ibne Kathir is understood: which he heard from his ancestors in a mountain in
Shaam – which was perhaps issued by Shaitan:
“Whoever is inimical to Muawiyah would be dragged into Hell by angels of
Hell; and they will cast him into horrible scorching fire.”
Attention should be paid to the point of view of Saeed bin Musayyab: one,
who dies on love for Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and who testifies for the
ten persons given glad tidings of Paradise (by Prophet according to Ahle Sunnat),
who seeks forgiveness for Muawiyah, it is incumbent on God, not to be strict in
his accounting.1
And a confusing dream narrated from Umar bin Abdul Aziz in which the
statement of Muawiyah is mentioned: By the God of the Kaaba, I have got
salvation.
And that we pay attention to what is mentioned in the statement of Ahmad
bin Hanbal: What do they have to do with Muawiyah? [Nothing should be said
about him], I beseech forgiveness for him from Allah.
We don’t accept such frivolous statement; statements without evidence or
comprising of nonsensical thought, or reasoning by an unknown caller, or relying
on an imaginative dream, as opposed to traditional reports, which have come
down from Prophet about Muawiyah, and important statements of senior
companions who witnessed his acts from close quarters and knew his defects and
apparent faults, and recognized him along with his corruptions and had complete
knowhow of his weaknesses and know his aims and intentions during the period
of Ignorance and during Islam. Please note some examples of these statements.
1. It is narrated by Ali bin Aqmar from Abdullah bin Umar that: The
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) emerged from a defile; he saw Abu Sufyan astride
a mount, accompanied by Muawiyah and his brother; one was holding the reins and the other was driving it from the rear; he remarked: “O God, curse the one
holding the reins, one driving it and one mounted on it.” I asked him: “Did you
hear it directly from the Prophet?” He replied: “Yes, or may my ears become deaf
as my vision has gone blind.”2
It is mentioned Tarikh Tabari that:3 Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) saw Abu Sufyan
mounted on an ass; Muawiyah was holding the reins and his son, Yazid was
driving it from the rear. The Prophet said: “Curse of Allah be on the one leading
it, the one mounted on it and the one following.”
Imam Hasan (a.s.) also hinted at this tradition in his address to Muawiyah,
when he says: Muawiyah, I adjure you by Allah, do you remember the day when
your father was mounted on a red haired camel, and you were driving it from rear
and your brother, Utbah was holding its reins; and the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.) saw you and remarked: O God, curse the one, who is mounted, one,
who is holding its reins and one driving the beast from behind.”4
Muhammad bin Abu Bakr also, in his letter to Muawiyah has hinted at this
tradition: [You are accursed, son of accursed]5 the complete text of the letter will
be given shortly.6
2. In his Musnad, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Abu Yaala, and Nasr bin Muzahim in
Kitab Siffeen, have narrated from Abu Barza Aslami, and Tibrani in his Tarikh
Kabir, has narrated from Ibne Abbas that: I was in the company of Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.a.) during one of the journeys, when I heard the sound of two
persons; one said to another:
“Always the bones of the affectionate friend become apparent and the battle
is a hurdle for his shrouding and burial.”
It is mentioned in the words of Ibne Abbas that:
“Always the bones of my horse become apparent and the battle becomes a
hurdle for his burial.”
The Prophet said: “Check who are those?” I replied: “Muawiyah and Amr
Aas.” His Eminence raised his hands and said: “O God, turn them upside down,
turn them back to their former condition; and cast them into the fire of Hell.”7
And it is mentioned in the words of Ibne Abbas that: “O God, cast them
headlong into mischief.”