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Hazrat Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was a companion of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and this station of companionship was attained by those fortunate Muslims who were blessed to see the Messenger of Allah in the state of faith and they departed from this world as believers. Their status is so high that no one from the Ummah can become equal to them even through extensive worship and devotion.
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “When my companions are remembered withhold yourselves,’ i.e. do not criticise them. {Ash-Sharful Mu’abbad}
Today we have ignorant so-called scholars who try to degrade the status of Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and they are going against the command of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). This in itself is proof of their deviance.
Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was amongst 13 distinguished companions who were the scribes of the revelation upon Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Amongst them, Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya and Hazrat Zaid bin Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhuma) carried out this duty more than the others. This in itself is a great excellence that he possessed.
He is from amongst the just Fudhalaa (people of merit and virtue) and he is from amongst the best companions. {Mirqaat Sharh Mishkaat} He was a pious, just and reliable companion. This is why great jurists and intellectuals such as Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Umar, Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Zubair, Sayyiduna Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum) etc. narrated Ahaadith from Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). In the same way, the great jurists and scholars amongst the Taabi’een narrated many Ahaadith from Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). If he was a deceitful person or an immoral person as some ignorant people claim, then the great predecessors would never have accepted Prophetic narrations from him.
Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, etc. mentioned the Ahaadith narrated by Sayyiduna Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in their works. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhuma) were especially very careful when accepting narrations. If there was even a minute defect in a narrator, they would reject the narration. The fact that these great personalities accepted the narrations of Sayyiduna Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is an open declaration of the fact that they believed Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) to be a reliable, pious and just personality.
Hazrat Sayyiduna Farooq-e-Azam (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), who used to assess the actions of his appointees vigorously, appointed Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) as the governor of Damascus and never deposed him from this position. Sayyiduna Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) remained in this pivotal post until the demise of Sayyiduna Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), proving that he was an extremely reliable and esteemed companion.
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) made Dua for him in the following manner, “O Allah, teach Mu’awiya knowledge of the book and arithmetic and preserve him from the fire of Hell.” {Musnad Imam Ahmad}
In another Hadith Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) made the following Dua for him, “O Allah, make Mu’awiya a rightly guided person who is a guide. Grant guidance to people through him.” {Mishkaatul Masaabeeh}
Rasoolullah’s (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) prayers are definitely accepted and therefore it is established that Sayyiduna Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is on the correct path and he guides others towards this path. Describing such a personality with derogatory terms and criticising him is surely a way of gaining the displeasure of Allah Ta’ala.
Mulla Ali Qaari (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), who is from amongst the outstanding students of Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), was once asked who was more virtuous between Sayyiduna Umar bin Abdul Azeez and Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhuma). Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied, “The dust that entered the nose of Mu’awiya’s horse when he was fighting under the leadership of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is more virtuous than the likes of Umar bin Abdul Azeez. {An-Nihaayah}
When a great Imam such as Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Mubarak describes the dust of the nose of Sayyiduna Mu’awiya’s horse as being more virtuous than the esteemed personality of Sayyiduna Umar bin Abdul Azeez (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), it becomes clear that the status of Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is incomprehensible.
Hazrat Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) passed over the reigns of Khilafat to Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) after ruling for six months. Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) pledged allegiance to Sayyiduna Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and he accepted the yearly salary given to him by Sayyiduna Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). There is no doubt in the fact that had Hazrat Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) believed that Hazrat Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was on falsehood, Hazrat Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) would never have compromised but moreover, he would have sacrificed his life instead of bowing to falsehood. Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah praised this action of Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) when he said, “This son of mine is a master and hopefully Allah shall reconcile two troops of Muslims through him.” {Bukhari Shareef}
If any wretched individual claims that Hazrat Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was not worthy of being the Khalifah then Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) shall be blameworthy as he will be accused of allowing an unworthy person to rule over the Muslim Ummah. Hazrat Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) believed Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) to be worthy of Khilafat as he did not oppose the Khilafat of Hazrat Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) even though 40 000 soldiers had pledged to Hazrat Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that they were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of his leadership.
When Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) refused to pledge allegiance in the hands of Yazeed and chose to sacrifice his life and family instead of bowing to falsehood, how can it be possible that Hazrat Imam Hasan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) would have pledged allegiance to Hazrat Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) if he was on falsehood? Therefore defiling the excellence of Hazrat Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is defiling the excellence of the Ahle Bait.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to sincerely love and respect Hazrat Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’awiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and to stay away from those corrupt people who slander and insult him, Allahumma Ameen.
