The Role of Aishah in the History of Islam (volume Three)

Government Becomes Hereditary (imperial)

I tore up the affair of this ummah to such an extent that it can never be repaired. al-Mughayrah ibn Shu'bah Their religion has indeed been worthless in their mind.

Mu'awiyah

When the rule of Mu'awiyah was established and its pillars became firm, and no danger threatened his position any more, he had a new idea. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that this idea had always existed in his mind, since, as we have already seen, this was a part of the counsels given to him by his father, Abu Sufyan. This idea was nothing but making the Umayyad government hereditary. So he started making his idea an actual fact. In this task he made use of every existing factor in the country, and employed every trick and scheme and crime that is possible.

Ibn 'Abd Rabbih, well known Andalusian writer, says:

Mu'awiyah spent seven successive years trying to pave the way for the people's allegiance to Yazid. He consulted crafty politicians, and deceived those around him with money, and brought near him those who were more remote by means of all kinds of tricks.(221) In this connection, too, he adopted the same method he had used in strengthening his own rule, using money, position etc., and when he found these weapons weak or ineffective, he had no fear of even killing his uncompromising nemies e new no bounds in his cunning and unmanly deeds.

A group of historians depict the origin of the idea of making the government hereditary in a special way. Ibn al-Athir writes:

The first move for securing allegiance to Yazid was made by al-Mughayrah ibn Shu'bah. Mu'awiyah had intended to dismiss him as governor of Kufah and replace him by Sa'id ibn al-'As who was of the Umayyads. When crafty al-Mughayrah learnt of this, he departed for ash-Sham with a group of his friends. When he reached Damascus, be said to his supporters: "If I do not succeed in this visit to consolidate my position as governor, a success from which you, too, will benefit, then I shall never be able to get such a chance."

Then he proceeded to meet Yazid, and said to him: "All the great friends and companions of the Prophet and the chiefs and elders of the Quraysh have departed this life. Only their descendants are left, of whom you are more superior and enlightened and better familiar with the Prophet's tradition and the manner of ruling. I do not know what obstacle exists in the way of Amir al-Mu'minjn (Mu'awiyah) that he does not take a step in securing allegiance to you from all people."

Yazid said: "Do you think this matter will eventually be settled success-fully?" al-Mughayrah answered in the affirmative. The meeting came to an end and the conversation was reported by Yazid to Mu'awiyah. Mu'awiyah summoned al-Mughayrah and made inquiries about the subject.

Cunning al-Mughayrah said: "You yourself have witnessed all those wars and bloodsheds which occurred after 'Uthman about the question of government. Yazid is competent to succeed you. Why delay it, then? Secure allegiance for him, so that if anything happens to you, there will be your successor and people's support to prevent bloodshed and mischief."

Mu'awiyah asked: "Who can undertake this task?" al-Mughayrah answered: "I accept the responsibility for Kufah, and Ziyad can for Basra, and next to these two cities there is no one left to oppose you. Mu'awiyah said: "You had better return to your own seat and consult your trusty friends until we see what course the events take." al-Mughayrah returned to his friends and said to them: "I have placed Mu'awiyah's feet in a stirrup where his drilling-ground over the ummah is far and wide, and I have torn up the affair of this ummah in such a way that it can never be repaired."

Then ai-Mughayrah returned to Kufah and prepared ten of the supporters of the Umayyads together with his own son, Musa to depart for a journey to ash-Sham. He divided three hundred thousand dinars among them to go to Mu'awiyah and give the question of the allegiance a new gloss and attraction. In his meeting with this group, Mu'awiyah said: "Do not be hasty in this matter, and of course you should not forget your view, either."

Then he secretly summoned Musa, son of al-Mughayrah, and asked him: "At what price has your father bought these men's religion?"

Musa said: "For three hundred thousand dinars!" Mu'awiyah said: "How trifling their religion seems to be to them!"(222) Allegiance to Yazid in Basra Yazid is a dog fancier; a monkey-fancier and a wine- bibber! How can I invite people to allegiance to. him?

Ziyad ibn Abihi

At the time that al-Mughayrah was preparing the people of Kufah for allegiance to Yazid, Mu'awiyah wrote a letter to Ziyad ibn Ab1hi, governor of Basra, as follows:

"al-Mughayrah ibn Shu'bah has invited the people of Kufah for allegiance to Yazid and his succession as caliph. Without a doubt in connection with the son of your brother, al-Mughayrah is not worthier than you. Therefore, on receiving my letter, invite the people of your city to the same thing that al-Mughayrah has invited the people of Kufah, and receive allegiance from them for Yazid."

Ziyad received the letter and, on learning of its content, summoned one of his friends whose wit and intelligence he trusted and said to him: "I want to entrust you with a secret; for, one cannot be sure that letters and written things can keep it. Go to Mu'awiyah and say to him: O commander of the faithful! I have received your letter.

What will the people say when I invite them for allegiance to Yazid, while he is a dog fancier and a monkey-fancier? He wears a garment of a different color every day, and is always drunk with wine. He does not abstain from music. Opposite him there are such men as al-Husayn ibn 'Ali 'Abd Allah ibn al-'Abbas, 'Abd Allah ibn az-Zubayr and 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar. There is only one alternative left, namely that you order him for a year or two to conduct himself in the manner of his rivals and adopt their behaviour. It is then that we might succeed in deceiving people."

The messenger went to Mu'awiyah and delivered his message. Mu'awiyah said: "Woe upon the son of 'Ubayd! By God! I have heard that a minstrel has composed this line for him: 'After me Ziyad will be Emir!' By God I will send him back in his Lineage to mother Sumayyah and his slave father, 'Ubayd!"(223) at-Tabari and Jbn al-Athir narrates this story at a greater length but with a slight difference.

They say: Ziyad's envoy said to Ziyad: "My opinion is that you do not charge Mu'awiyah's view with error in such a way, and do not rouse his anger against his son. I will go to Yazid and inform him that the caliph has consulted Ziyad about the question of allegiance to him, and Ziyad fears people's opposition, since they have observed unseemly deeds from Yazid. Ziyad's opinion is that Yazid should abandon his improper conduct in order to make allegiance and caliphate possible for himself."

Ziyad agreed to his envoy's suggestion. The envoy Left Basra and reached ash-Sham, and on meeting Yazid, informed him of Ziyad's view. Yazid, on his part, accepted that suggestion and thenceforth temporarily gave up some of his unworthy deeds. Then the envoy delivered Ziyad's letter to Mu'awiyah.

In this letter Ziyad had dissuaded Mu'awiyah from haste in this matter, and Mu'awiyah, on reading the letter, approved of his suggestion. But when Ziyad died, Mu'awiyah became more determined to follow up the question of allegiance to Yazid, and at first sent one hundred thousand drachmas to 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar who was a so-called devout ascetic. 'Umar accepted the money, and then Mu'awiyah's messenger brought up the question of allegiance to Yazid. 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar said: "So this is what Mu'awiyah wants! If I were to show allegiance in return for this money, it would be clear that I consider my religion as trifling and worthless." (224)(225)

Allegiance to Yazid in ash-Sham

Mu'awiyah ordered his Jewish physician to poison and kill 'Abd ar-Rahrnan ibn Khalid.

Ibn 'Abd al-Barr

Ibn Abd al-Barr, the great biographer, writes: When Mu'awiyah became determined to win allegiance for Yazid, he delivered a sermon to the people of ash-Sham saying: "I have lived too long and my death is near. I wish to secure allegiance for a man, but as I am one of you, I wish to hear your view without which no decision will be taken!"

The people unanimously said: "We approve of the caliphate of 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Khalid." But this view was not pleasing to Mu'awiyah, for, he supposed that they would surely nominate Yazid for this position. He saw now that they had paid no attention to Yazid, and were bringing up the name of 'Abd ar-Rahman son of Khalid ibn al-Walid. He was greatly enraged, but he could not reveal it. The people of ash-Sham were the same people who had tolerated his rule for forty years and had supported him in all .the dangerous events of the time. So he had to control his anger, and secretly take steps for the removal of this obstacle.

Some time passed and 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Khalid fell ill. Mu'awiyah sent his personal physician, who was a Jew, to visit and treat him. This man was a trusty secret keeper of Mu'awiyah, so he was ordered to poison 'Abd ar-Rahman in any way he knew. This dishonest and self-sold physician carried out Mu'awiyah's order to the Letter, poisoning his innocent patient, and the poison was so strong that it split 'Abd ar-Rahman's belly and he died very quickly. (226)

at-Tabari and Ibn al-Athir narrate this story in a different way, and say: Mu'awiyah ordered his personal physician who was a Christian named Ibn Athal to kill 'Abd ar-Rahman by any trick that he considered efficacious, and in return for this service he would be exempted from the payment of tribute all his life, and would be appointed as a collector of taxes for the town of Hims, as a reward. The wicked physician poisoned 'Abd ar-Rahman and carried out the evil order of Mu'awiyah. In return for this service Mu'awiyah fulfilled his promise.(227)

Ibn 'Abd al-Barr adds: After the death of 'Abd ar-Rahman, his brother, Muhajir, secretly travelled to Damascus and in the company of his slave waited in ambush for the Jewish physician. One night when the physician was returning from Mu'awiyah's house, they attacked him and after putting his companions to flight, they killed him.

After quoting the above incident, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr writes:

This story is rumored by scholars.

Allegiance to Yazid in Medina

o Mu'awiyah! Your relatives refuse to carry out your order concerning the allegiance to Yazid.

Marwan ibn al-Hakam

It is reported in the book of al-Imamah wa as-siyasah of Ibn Qutaybah: Mu'awiyah wrote a letter to Marwan who was his governor at Medina, asking him to propose the allegiance to Yazid to the people of that city. This was an unpleasant task for Marwan and also the Quraysh chiefs of Medina were by no means willing to show allegiance to Yazid. So Marwan wrote to Mu'awiyah, saying: 'Your relatives refuse to carry out your order concerning the allegiance to Yazid. Write your view to me.

Mu'awiyah was annoyed at the conduct of Marwan and at his negative answer, and dismissed him from the governorship of Medina, replacing him by Sa'id ibn al-'As. Marwan departed for ash-Sham with a group of the Umayyads, being full of rage the whole time. He visited Mu'awiyah and spoke harshly in his presence. But cunning Mu'awiyah did not think it expedient to be sharp then. So he treated him calmly and mildly, and after increasing his salary, he sent him back to Medina.(228)

After this incident he thought of a new plan. He thought that the best way of carrying out the question of Yazid's succession, was to create a division among the chiefs of his own tribe, the Umayyads. Consequently he wrote a decree and sent it to Sa'id ibn al-'As, governor of Medina, ordering him to demolish the house of Marwan ibn al-Hakam and confiscate all his property including Fadak.

Ibn al-Athir writes: In the year 54 of the Hijrah, Mu'awiyah dismissed Sa'id ibn al-'As as governor of Medina and replaced him by Marwan. The reason for his dismissal was that Mu'awiyah had written to Sa'id during his governor-ship ordering him to demolish Marwan's house and confiscate all his property and even Fadak which he had granted to him in the past. But Sa'id had ignored his order and had failed to act upon it.

Mu'awiyah sent Sa'id another letter reminding him of this order, but again Sa'id disregarded it and only kept the two letters. After dismissing him and replacing him by Marwan, Mu'awiyah wrote to Marwan, ordering him to demolish Sa'id's house and confiscate his property. Marwan, accompanied by several officials went to Sa'id's house to carry out the order. Sa'id came out and said: "O 'Abd al-Malik! Do you intend to demolish my house?" Marwan answered: "Yes, the caliph has written a letter ordering me to demolish your house. If you were given such an order to demolish mine, you would carry it out immediately!"

Sa'id said: "But I would not do so!" Marwan said: "By God! You would have done so!" Sa'id said again: "No! I would never do so!" Then he showed Marwan the two letters of Mu'awiyah and said: "Mu'awiyah intends to create division and differences between us. When Marwan saw the contents of the letters and observed Sa'id's reaction to Mu'awiyah's order, he said: "By God! You are better than me!"

Then he desisted from demolishing Sa'id's house and returned. Following this incident Sa'id wrote a letter to Mu'awiyah, saying: "How strange is the conduct of the caliph! And how incompatible it is with kinship! He has decided to create enmity and rancor between us and divide us into hostile groups! The caliph, with all his tolerance and fortitude, despite his disapproval of hastiness and anger, and with all his inclination to indulgence and forgive-ness,

tries to produce enmity and separation between his kins, so that their descendants would inherit these rancours. Even if we did not share the same father with the caliph and did not possess such a close bond, it would have been proper for the caliph Mu'awiyah to have a consideration for our right, in view of the goal for which he gathered us together, making us claim vengeance for the innocent and martyred caliph, 'Uthman's blood!"

Mu'awiyah was greatly vexed that this plan bad failed, but he wrote to Sa'id pretending to apologize for his treatment.(229)

Allegiance to Yazid demands victims

For the matter of allegiance to Yazid, Mu'awiyah secretly killed Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.

The question of Yazid's caliphate had occupied the mind of Mu'awiyah and he saw certain obstacles in it which he could not overcome. But he used all his efforts to remove the last obstacles. On the one hand there was Imam al-Mujtaba the grandson of the Prophet who was the greatest social and spiritual personality of the day, and on the other hand there was Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqa, a great general and a member of the council of six appointed by 'Umar, and popular with a number of Muslims.

Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, famous historian, writes:

"Mu'awiyah desired people's allegiance for his son, Yazid. But in this course no obstacles were greater than al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqa. In order to remove these two great obstacles, he secretly poisoned them both, and they died."(230)

The reason why Imam al-Hasan and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas were at that time regarded as obstacles in the way of Mu'awiyah's objective, was that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was the last. remaining member of the council of six appointed by 'Umar to decide the choice of the successor to him as caliph.(231) Later on these six men gained such a high reputation that each of them was considered worthy of being chosen as caliph. But Imam al-Hasan, in addition to his particularly great virtue and fine qualities, had stipulated in his truce with Mu'awiyah that after the latter's death he should be caliph,(232) and Mu'awiyah was not allowed to nominate any other successor for himself.(233)

Historians have not described how Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was killed. They only state that his death was due to poisoning. But in connection with the martyrdom of Imain al-Hasan, there exists several pieces of evidence, which clarify this tragic matter.

al-Mas'udi writes: Ju'dah, daughter of al-Ash'ath ibn Qays al-Kindi poisoned Imam al-Hasan with a poison sent secretly to her by Mu'awiyah. He had sent her a message that if she could kill Imam al-Hasan through an effective plan, he would reward her with one hundred thousand drachmas, and would wed her to his son, Yazid. Thus Ju'dah was persuaded to commit that criminal act.

When the Imam died, Mu'awiyah fulfilled that part of his promise about the money, and sent it to her, but concerning the question of marriage with Yazid he sent a message to her, saying: "We love our son's life, and if it were not 50, we would fulfill our second promise, namely your marriage with him, too!" He meant that as she had poisoned her husband, the grandson of the Prophet for the sake of promises, she was also capable of repeating it in the case of his son.

Therefore he abstains from fulfilling his second promise.(234) Mu'awiyah's plot removed Imam al-Hasan and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqgas, to open the way for the caliphate of Yazid. As Mu'awivah had already killed 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Khalid he is also likely to have killed 'Abd ar-Rahman, son of Abu Bakr. We will deal with this subject in future chapters.

Ceremonies of allegiance to Yazid

Rise and in the Name of God show allegiance to Yazid.

Mu'awiyah

Mu'awiyah was engaged in a great attempt, and was inviting great men of influence to Damascus from every part of the country, and persuading them to show allegiance to Yazid. He threatened those who opposed the plan, and satisfied those who agreed by granting them huge sums of money,(235) and sometimes by giving them high positions and ranks.(236) Several years passed in this way and many parts of the country were brought under the Umayyad yoke.

But Hejaz, with its two great cities of Mecca and Medina, still refused to submit to allegiance to Yazid. Mu'awiyah decided to visit Hejaz and those cities, and departed with a number of sup-porters to secure allegiance from the people of Mecca and Medina, who owing to their greater familiarity with Islam, and also because of the influence of such personalities as Imam al-Husayn, 'Abd Allah ibn az-Zubayr, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar and 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, refused to agree to that allegiance for Yazid.

Ibn al-Athir writes: To carry out his wishes, Mu'awiyah made use of enormous gifts granted to his intimates, mildness with those who stayed away, and kindness to chiefs of tribes. He was so successful in this scheme that the people began to trust him and showed allegiance to Yazid.

When the allegiance of the people of ash-Sham and Iraq was carried out, he left for Hejaz with one thousand horsemen, and in Medina Imam al-Husayn was the first person to meet him.

Jbn al-Athir then describes this meeting at length and quotes the words exchanged between Jmam al-Husayn and three other dignitaries of the city and Mu'awiyah, and the rude and sharp answers given by Mu'awiyah. He adds that Mu'awiyah refused to meet these four persons in Medina, and then went to visit 'A'ishah. As he had heard that she had spoken of Imam al-Husayn and those men, he said to her: "If they do not show allegiance, I will kill them."

He complained of them to 'A'ishah, and she gave him advice and counsel. Ibn al-Athir describes Mu'awiyah's travel to Mecca as follows: In that city the people went out to welcome him, and those four persons were among the Muslims there. He treated them gently and then brought up the subject of allegiance. The son of az-Zubayr said to him: "You may accept one of our three proposals, either act in the manner of the Prophet who did not choose anyone as his successor,(237) and the people themselves showed allegiance to Abu Bakr, or act in the manner of Abu Bakr who nominated a man of the Quraysh as caliph, and did not allow any of his house to assume this position, or act in the manner of 'Umar who entrusted the choice of the caliph to a council of six, to which his son did not belong.

Mu'awiyah said: "Have you any other proposal or suggestion?" They said: "No."

Mu'awiyah said: "I have given you a warning, and he who warns others of their fate, is exeusable. Now, it is my turn to speak, and I swear to God that if any of you here says something contrary to my words, he will lose his head before he concludes his words. Therefore every person should think of his own life and try to preserve it."

Then he ordered to place two men with drawn; swords by each of those objectors so that if they uttered a word of protest, they would be beheaded without delay. Then he proceeded with these men to the mosque of al-Haram, climbed the pulpit and, after praising God, he said:

"These are the leaders and dignitaries of Islam, and the best of them, and no one should perform a task without consulting them. They have voluntarily shown allegiance to Yazid! Now you people rise and in the Name of God, show allegiance."

The people on every side rose and showed allegiance, and when the ceremony was concluded, he ordered to prepare the mounts and then proceeded towards Medina. He seized allegiance from the people of this city in the same way he had done with the people of Mecca, and then he returned to ash-Sham.

As for the allegiance falsely attributed to Imam al-Husayn and those few men, the matter did not remain hidden, and after the departure of Mu'awiyah the people said to those four men: "How did you, who had no intention of ever showing allegiance, submit so easily and voluntarily to this allegiance to Yazid?"

In answer they described the unmanly and cunning plan of Mu'awiyah and the danger that threatened their lives.(238)

***

We have made a deep inquiry into the events of Mu'awiyah's life, since there was no other alternative for discovering the reasons and factors for the fabrication of traditions in the time of Mu'awiyah, we wished to re-discover his complex personality in order to find out the nature of his connection with and interest in Umm al-Mu'minin 'A'ishah in this particular field. This is a subject, which will be dealt with in the forthcoming pages.