Muawiya

Rasulullah (s) Made Three Dua's, One That Was Rejected

We read in Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6904:

"Thauban reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Allah drew the ends of the world near one another for my sake. And I have seen its eastern and western ends.

And the dominion of my Ummah would reach those ends which have been drawn near me and I have been granted the red and the white treasure and I begged my Lord for my Ummah that it should not be destroyed because of famine, nor be dominated by an enemy who is not amongst them to take their lives and destroy them root and branch, and my Lord said: Muhammad, whenever I make a decision, there is none to change it.

Well, I grant you for your Ummah that it would not be destroyed by famine and it would not be dominated by an enemy who would not be amongst it and would take their lives and destroy them root and branch even if all the people from the different parts of the world join hands together (for this purpose), but it would be from amongst them, viz. your Ummah, that some people would kill the others or imprison the others".

Rasulullah (s) was fully aware in his Prophetic capacity of the fitnah that would befall the Ummah after him, and he foretold in clear traditions that Imam 'Ali (as) would face stiff opposition, that he would fight those who opposed his Leadership, the Qasatheen. Mu'awiya was the Leader of the opposition / Fitnah group, hence even if for arguments sake we were to accept Rasulullah (s) making such a dua, it would have been rejected on account of Mu'awiya's enmity and condemnation by Rasulullah (s) of those that shall fight Imam 'Ali (as).

Rasulullah (s) even prayed for Abu Jahil to be guided

Amongst Ahl'ul Sunnah's traditions in praise of Hadhrath Umar, they commonly cite this one that we have taken from Riyadh ul Nadira Volume 2 page 13:

"Rasulullah made a dua, O Allah Strengthen Islam by either Umar bin Khattab or Abu Jahil, whoever you prefer more".

Here Rasulullah made a du'a for Abu Jahil to be guided to the truth but this never transpired, and his example is very much like Mu'awiya's. We even learn in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 8, Book 75, Number 406 that Rasulullah (s) made dua for the pagans:

At-Tufail bin 'Amr came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! The tribe of Daus has disobeyed (Allah and His Apostle) and refused (to embrace Islam), therefore, invoke Allah's wrath for them." The people thought that the Prophet would invoke Allah's wrath for them, but he said, "O Allah! Guide the tribe Of Daus and let them come to us,"

Rasulullah was a mercy for mankind and it was part of his great compassion that he made du'as of guidance to the truth for all people, including the mushrikeen. Praying for their guidance should not in any way be deemed as a virtue of the mushrikeen. It was an example of Rasulullah's desire that ALL are guided. So even if Rasulullah (s) did for arguments sake pray for Mu'awiya's guidance, it was in the same way as he prayed for all to be guided to the right path whether Muslim or non Muslim.

Not all of Rasulullah's prayers were accepted

Even if for arguments sake we were to accept this dua, according to Ahl'ul Sunnah not all of Rasulullah's supplications were accepted by Allah (swt). Ibn Hajar Asqalani in Fathul Bari Volume 11 page 97 states:

"If the Prophet (s) makes a dua for his Ummah it is accepted by Allah (swt) whereas if he makes it for a particular individual it may or may not be accepted".

So even if we are to accept this dua for arguments sake, to be Sahih, whether or not it will be accepted is subject to Allah (swt)'s discretion. With regards to Mu'awiya, his 'noble' deeds make it clear that Allah (swt) would never deem him as a Guide, and to prove this, let us see the words of Allah (swt)

Allah (swt) never guides a wrongdoer

We read in Surah Tauba verse 80:

Whether thou ask for their forgiveness or not (their sin is unforgivable): if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness Allah will not forgive them: because they have rejected Allah and His apostle; and Allah guideth not those who are perversely rebellious (Zalimoon) [Taken from Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an].

Abdullah Yusuf Ali's comments in the footnotes of this verse are indeed interesting:

"An awful warning for those who actively oppose the Cause of Allah. The Holy Prophet was by nature full of mercy and forgiveness. He prayed for his enemies. But in such a case even his prayers are nullified by their attitude of rejecting Allah".

We suggest our readers contemplate this verse in light of Islamic history. There is no possibility that Mu'awiya was even remotely a Hadi who guided others on account of his guidance. Such was his guidance that he introduced the disgraceful practice of cursing Imam Ali (as) throughout his Kingdom and ordered his Governors to enforce this practice - was this a form of guidance that was leading people to the right path? He led an army against the rightful Imam becoming a baghi in the process. During his reign he killed Imam Hasan (as) and adherents of Imam 'Ali such as Hujr bin Adi. Are these actions of a Hadi?

Not only is this hadith contrary to logic and historical facts The narrator of this 'Hadi' hadith is not a reliable authority The narrator of the tradition in which Rasulullah (s) allegedly called Mu'awiya a Hadi is Abdul Rahman Abi Ameera Qurshee. About him we read in al Istiab Volume 3 page 399:

"Abdul Rahman Abi Ameera Qurshee is not proven to be a Sahabi. He was a Qurshee and a Syrian, his hadith are not deemed as authority and some have rejected this hadith"

Sadly for the advocates of Mu'awiya the embarrassment does not just end there Not a single hadith in praise of Mu'awiya is Sahih The leading 'Ulama of Ahl al-Sunnah have declared all hadith praising Mu'awiya as fabricated. Al Hafidh Jalaluddeen Suyuti in "La'ali al-Masnuaa fi ahadith al-Mauduaa" Volume 1 page 424 states:

"Imam Hakim claims that he never came across a single hadith in praise of Mu'awiya that was Sahih".

La'ali al-Masnuaa fi ahadith al-Mauduaa Volume 1 page 424 Muhammad bin Ali bin Shawkani in "Fawa'id al Mujmua fi bayan al-hadith al-maudua", page 147 states that:

"Ibn Hibban commented that all ahadith in praise of Mu'awiya are fabricated". Fawa'id al Mujmua fi bayan al-hadith al-maudua page 147

Al Muhaddith Shaykh Abdul Haqq Dehlavi in "Sharh Mishkat Shareef" - Volume 4 page 716 (published in 1873) after citing the hadith in praise of Mu'awiya including the "guidance hadith" Abu Sulaiman cited from Tirmidhi comments: "It is recorded in Jami al-'Usul that many muhaddith scholars have concluded that there exists not even a single hadith in praise of Mu'awiya that is Sahih".

Sharh Mishkat Shareef Vol. 4 page 716 Abu'l Hasan Quinani in "Thunziyaa as Shari'a al Murfoo'a", Volume 2, Chapter 8 page 7 comments "Imam Hakim cites from a chain used by Sibt Ibne Jauzi who cites Isaan bin Ruhiyaa that 'there exists nothing in praise of Mu'awiya that is Sahih". Thunziyaa as Shari'a al Murfoo'a Vol. 2 Chapter 8 page 7

Allamah Ibn al-Jawzi al-Qurashi in "al- Mawduat" Volume 2 page 24 states: "Imam Hakim narrated from Abu'l Abbas who heard from his father, who heard from Ishaq bin Ibraheem al-Hanzali that 'no hadith in praise of Mu'awiya are Sahih'.

al- Mawduat Volume 2 page 24 Shaykh Ismail bin Muhammad in "Kashful Khafa" Volume 2 page 420 states:

'There exist no hadith in praise of Mu'awiya that is Sahih'" Kashful Khafa Vol. 2 page 420 al 'Aini in "Ummdat al Qari fi Sharh Sahih al Bukhari page 994 Volume 7 comments:

"that no reports in praise of Mu'awiya are proven. If many are present, the reply is that no hadith exist with a Sahih isnad as stated by Isaac bin Rahvia and Imam Nasai, and that's why Imam Bukhari wrote Chapter bab ai Dhikr Mu'awiya rather than bab ai Fadail Mu'awiya. Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani states in Fathul Bari Volume 7 page 104:

"Imam Bukhari on the topic of Mu'awiya wrote a Chapter Bab ai Dhikr Mu'awiya because no hadith in praise of Mu'awiya are proven and Ibn Abi Asim and Abu Umar Ghulam Thalib and 'Abu Bakr Nakash wrote on the virtues of Mu'awiya and Ibn Jauzi in Maudu'at wrote about him, then Ibn Jauzi stated in the opinion of Isaac bin Raaviya, in praise of Mu'awiya no hadith is Sahih and that's why Imam Bukhari wrote a Chapter titled bab ai Dhikr Mu'awiya rather than bab ai Fadail Mu'awiya"

Fathul Bari Vol. 7 page 104 We read in Tareekh ibn Khalikaan page 35 Volume 1:

"The compiler of Sunan Nasa'i Ahmad bin 'Ali was a hafidh of Hadith and in his time an Imam of Ahl'ul hadith. Towards the end of his life he went to Damascus and he was asked about the virtues of Mu'awiya, Imam Nasa'i replied "Mu'awiya should protect himself, what praise should I shower on him, I know only virtue namely that Rasulullah (s) cursed him "May Allah never satiate his stomach" al-Nasa'ih al-Kaafiyah page 163

"Imam Ahl'ul Sunnah Muhammad bin 'Ali Shawkani wrote in his book Fawaid Majmua Dhar ahadith Maudu'ah states that in praise of Mu'awiya no hadith exists"

Ibn Taymiyya in Minhaj al Sunnah page 207

"One party has created virtues of Mu'awiya and these virtues have been presented as these hadith and all of these are lies".

Rasulullah's advice for Mu'awiya is also a fabrication

One tradition commonly cited by the advocates of Mu'awiya is this one, in which Mu'awiya states:

"I longed to become Khalifa ever since I was told by the Prophet: O Mu'awiya rule justly if you come to power".

Like all traditions praising Mu'awiya this is also a fabrication and Ibn Kathir in al Bidaya Volume 8 page 122 notes:

"on the tradition in which Rasulullah (s) said O Mu'awiya rule justly if you come to power" - Imam Bayhaqi stated that the narrator of this hadith Ismail bin Buram is daif"

Rasulullah (s) in fact did indeed give advice to his followers about how to react if Mu'awiya attained power.

Rasulullah (s) ordered the killing of Mu'awiya in the event of him becoming Khalifa

Imam if Ahl'ul Sunnah Dhahabi records this tradition in numerous places of his Mizan al-Itidal and deems the hadith to be Sahih:

"If you see Mu'awiya on my pulpit then kill him" (see Volume 2 page 17; Volume 2 page 129 on the authority of Abu Said al Khudri; Volume 7 page 324 and Volume 8 page 74).

Other Sunni Ulema have also recorded this hadith "Tadhib al Tadhib by Ibn Hajar Asqalani Volume 5 page 110 [Hyderabad edition]; Kunz al Haqaiq by al Mu'awi page 9, Tabaqat by Ibn Sad Volume 4 page 134-135 [Leiden edition], al Kamil fi Safa al Rijal Volume 2 page 146 hadith number 343, Ansab al Ashraf Volume 5 page 136, Waq'at Sifeen page 216 and 221, Tareekh Tabari Volume 8 page 186.

An interesting event in connection with this event can be located in Ansab al Ashraf Volume 5 page 136:

On one occasion an Ansari individual wanted to kill Mu'awiya, the people said, 'the sword can not be raised during the reign of Umar, they said that he should write to Umar and seek his consent. He replied ' I heard that Rasulullah had said "If you see Mu'awiya on my pulpit then kill him". The people confirmed that they had also heard the hadith, but said we have not carried out this action, so let us write to Umar on the matter, which they did, but Umar did not write back to resolve the matter, until he died"