Muawiya

Mu'awiya Forced People To Give Bayya To Yazeed Yazeed the 'protector of Afflictions'

In his defence of Mu'awiya, Abu Sulaiman comments

Ansar.org states:"Perhaps the reason that pushed Mu'awiyah to take allegiance to Yazeed was to push away the disagreement and to be one in this crucial time at which the Ummah lived and where a lot of people claimed the caliphate. Hence, Mu'awiyah thought that by giving the leadership to Yazeed would be a good thing for the Ummah and it would prevent another affliction of happening And what wonderful affliction was prevented. Yazeed reigned for three years. In the first year Imam Hussain his family and companions were martyred. In the second year Yazeed ordered an attack on Harra that led to the slaughter of the companions and the mass rape of their women folk.

In History of al-Fakhri, translated by C.E.J. Whitting, London, 1947, pp. 113-115 we learn that Yazeed first asked Ubaydullah bin Ziyad to lead an army against Medina, who made excuses, then he asked Muslim bin Uqbah who led the army:

"Then Muslim, son of 'Uqbah, for three days gave Madinah to the sack. He murdered, looted and took prisoners, so that it was said that a man of Madinah thereafter, if he gave his daughter to wed, would not guarantee her virginity, "She may have been raped in the battle of Harrah." (from page 114) Ta'rikh Duwal al-Islam, al-Dhahabi, Hyderabad, page 31 provides list of those Sahaba who were killed in Harra.

Yazeed's protection from affliction did not just end there. Fakhri on page 114-115 states that Yazeed issued an order to go to Mecca, though Muslim died before he reached Mecca and so that another person (who Yazeed had nominated should Muslim die, since he was old led attack:

"The son of Zubair, with the men of Meccah, made a sally against him, battle was joined and a Syrian versifier said:- "'Artillery' like a foaming stallion, with which he shoots at the timbers of this mosque." A footnote says 'timbers' refers to the Prophet's pulpit and other relics. In al-Isabah fi tamyiz al-Sahaba, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani volume 3, page 470 also mentions the pillage of Medina, and stoning of Ka'bah during Yazeed's reign.

Nasibi appraisal of 'pious' Yazeed

Abu Sulaiman states:

Ansar.org states:"It is also a lie that Yazeed was an alcohol drinking person". We will let Muhammad bin Ali bin Abi Talib to answer this claim because Muhammad knew Yazeed the best because he lived with him for a while. Ibn Katheer says in Al-Bidayah: (When the people of Al-Medina returned from Yazeed, Abdullah bin Mutee'a and his companions walked to Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyah.

They wanted Muhammad to agree to dismiss Yazeed, but Muhammad refused. Ibn Mutee'a said: "Yazeed drinks alcohol, does not pray, and ignores the rule of the Book." Muhammad answered them: "I never saw what you are saying about him. I came to him, and stayed with him for a while and I saw him taking care of his prayers, looking for goodness, asking about jurisprudence, and clinging to the Sunnah.[Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah for IbnKatheer,vol.8,p.236]

It is agreed by Sunni and Shi'a alike that Yazeed was an ill character individual, and he is reviled throughout the world in Muslim circles. Curiously Abu Sulaiman seems to depart from the common Sunni line and all of a sudden endorses the piety of Yazeed! No true Sunni would ever utter praise for Yazeed. It is extremely insulting to see that yet again Abu Sulaiman is presenting his Nasibi thinking and cloaking it as Sunni Islam. In any case Abu Sulaiman has failed to substantiate his claim.

Assuming that this statement attributed to Ibn al-Hanafiyya is not a fabrication, Muhammad bin Hanafiyya is stating that he (personally) had NOT seen Yazeed drinking this so could not verify the allegation. Had Abu Sulaiman had an ounce of honesty in him, this was a fact that few ulama of Ahlul Sunnah deny.

Ibn Kathir's comments on Yazeed the drunkard

Interesting the very same text al Bidaya from where Abu Sulaiman had sought to extol the virtues of his Imam Yazeed, also contains these comments of Ibn Kathir proving that he was indeed a drunkard. Ibn Kathir writes in al Bidayah Volume 8 page 239:

"Traditions inform us that Yazeed loved worldly vices, would drink, listen to music, kept the company of boys with no facial hair, played drums, kept dogs, not a day would go by when he was not in a drunken state".

Ibn Atheer's comments on Yazeed 'the drunkard'

In Tareekh al Kamil Volume 3 page 450 Ibn Atheer narrates from Munzir bin Zabeer:

"Verily Yazeed rewarded me with 100,000 dirhams but this cannot stop me from highlighting his state, By Allah he is a drunkard"

Allamah Dhahabi's naration and verdict on Yazeed 'the drunkard' Yazeed's drinking despite Abu Sulaiman's denials is such an established fact that even Dhahabi, relied on as an authority by Abu Sulaiman, testifies to this fact.

In "Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala" Volume 4 pages 37-38, Dhahabi narrates:

"Ziyad Hurshee narrates 'Yazeed gave me alcohol to drink, I had never drunk alcohol like that before and I enquired where he had obtained its ingredients'. Yazeed replied 'it is made of sweet pommey granet, honey from Isfahan, sugar from Hawaz and grapes from BurdahYazeed indulged in alcohol and would participate in actions that opposed the dictates set by Allah (swt)".

In "Shadharat al Dhahab" page 69, Volume 1, Ibn al-'Imad al-Hanbali cites these comments of Dhahabi:

"Mu'awiya's son Yazeed was an enemy of 'Ali, a Nasibi, a man of evil nature, and a drunkard".

Ibn Jauzi's comments on Yazeed 'the drunkard' Ibn Jauzi in Wafa al-Wafa Volume 1 page 217:

"Yazeed appointed his cousin Uthman bin Muhammad bin Abu Sufyan as Governor of Madina. He sent a delegation to visit Yazeed who bore gifts so that they might take the oath of allegiance to him. Upon their return they said 'We have returned having visited a man who has no religion, he drinks, plays instruments, keeps the company of singers and dogs, we declare that we have broken our allegiance to him. Abdullah bin Abi Umro bin Hafs Mukhzumee commented 'Yazeed gave me gifts, the reality is this man is an enemy of Allah (swt) and a drunkard, I shall separate myself from him in the same way that I remove my turban [from my head]."

Ibn Hajr's comments on Yazeed 'the drunkard'

In his book written against the Shi'a, Sawaiqh al Muhriqa, Ibn Hajr sets out the Sunni position on Yazeed:

"One group made up of individuals such as Ibn Jauzi deem Yazeed a kaafir, others say he was not a kaafir but rather this is a matter that has caused a difference of opinion, the majority of Ahl'ul Sunnah agree that he was a fasiq (transgressor), a fajir (one that commits debauchery) and a drunkard.

Waqidi had recorded a narration 'verily we opposed Yazeed fearing Allah (swt) would reign stones down on us, Yazeed considered nikah (marriage) with mothers and sisters to be permissible and drank alcohol".

These comments are indeed interesting. Ibn Hajr asserts that in the eyes of the vast bulk of Ahl'ul Sunnah, Yazeed was "a fasiq, a fajir and a drunkard" while Abu Sulaiman who claims he is Ahl'ul Sunnah wants us to believe in a tradition portraying him as a pious worshipper who never drank alcohol.

Imam Ahmad issued Takfeer against Yazeed

In Sharh Fiqh Akbar page 77 we read:

"He considered alcohol halal and at the time of killing Husayn and his companions, he approached the pulpit and said that he had avenged the death of his ancestors at Badr. It is for reasons such as this that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal declared Yazeed to be a kaafir"

The Sunni Ulema have deemed it permissible to curse the drunkard Yazeed

Both Allamah Damiri in Hayaat ul Hayawaan page 196 Volume 2 and Ibn Khallikaan in Wafayat al-A'yan Volume 3 page 287 both record that:

"Ali bin Muhammad al Qiya al Harasee al Shafi'i was asked about what evidence existed that deemed it permissible to curse Yazeed. He replied 'in our opinion it is unanimous, that we curse Yazeed. He sat in the company of hunting animals, played chess and drank alcohol". We read in Sharh Fiqh Akbar page 355:

"Some Ulema and Imams have declared it permissible to curse Yazeed, because by ordering the killing of Husayn he had committed kufr". Ibn Kathir in al Bidaya Volume 7 page 223 notes that:

"Ibn Jauzi wrote a book proving that it was permissible to curse Yazeed".

An appeal to our Sunni brethren

We have faithfully cited the comments of grand Sunni Ulema who have deemed Yazeed to be a drunkard and issued fatwas declaring it permissible to curse him on account of his deeds. Sunni's likewise the world over are united in their hatred of Yazeed ibn Mu'awiya, he is despised and cursed whenever his name is mentioned.

Curiously by citing this tradition Abu Sulaiman has sought to present an alternative viewpoint of Yazeed, one of an ardent pious worshipper. This is a belief that is alien to Sunni aqeedah and one has to ask 'what is this new belief system that Abu Sulaiman is seeking to pass off as 'the truth'? Clearly his views bear no correlation with Sunni Islam; the only group that would have the audacity to praise Yazeed, killer of Imam Husayn (as) would be Nasibis.

Would it not simply be better for Abu Sulaiman to stop adopting taqiyya and instead acknowledge that his appraisal of Yazeed is in line with his Nasibi ideology? Why is he seeking to make false misleading representations on behalf of Sunni Muslims? Perhaps Abu Sulaiman is seeking to amalgamate his Nasibi endorsement of Yazeed with mainstream Sunni aqeedah.

Whatever his motives, we would urge our Sunni brethren to distance themselves from Nasibis like Abu Sulaiman who are seeking to indoctrinate Sunnis with the false thinking that Yazeed was a pious Muslim.