The Role of Aisha in the History of Islam (volume 3)

Abu Sufyan in the Time of Two Caliphs

May God kill them for not abandoning their rancor against the Muslims. Az-Zubayr Ibn 'Asakir, the great historian of Damascus, writes: One day Abu Bakr, during the period of his rule, spoke harshly to Abu Sufyan. His father, Abu Quhafah, said: "O Abu Bakr! Why did you speak in such a tone to Abu Sufyan?" Abu Bakr answered: "O father! For the sake of Islam, God has granted eminence to some families and abased others. My house is one of those which found eminence, and his is one with debasement!"

At the time when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab had visited Mecca on pilgrimage, he was informed that Abu Sufyan was building a house, and the stones he had heaped for it on the water-course had exposed the city to the danger of a torrent. 'Umar accompanied the complainants to Abu Sufyan's house and ordered him himself to carry the stones back to where they belonged. Then he raised his arms heavenward and said: "O God! I praise you for enabling me to issue a command to Abu Sufyan, chief of the Quraysh in the middle of the city of Mecca, and making him obeys me!"

Historians have written: One day 'Umar, as caliph, was passing along one of the streets of Mecca, and noticed that it was filthy. He ordered the people to clean the front part of their houses. A few days later again he found the streets dirty. He picked up his whip in anger, and hit Abu Sufyan on the head. The incident of the whipping of Abu Sufyan, chief of the Quraysh, was reported to his wife, Hind. This heiress of pagan times, remembering the time of material power and magnificence, said: "O 'Umar! By God, if you were to whip him in former times, the city of Mecca would have trembled under your feet!" 'Umar answered: "You are right. But for the sake of Islam God has given dignity to one group and has abased another." 64 We saw how Islam had given eminence to one group and abjectness to Abu Sufyan. Consequently in his heart much rancor and hostility were nested towards Islam and the Muslims; a rancor which revealed itself in his words from time to time.

'Abd Allah ibn az-Zubayr says: "I was present with my father in the battle of al-Yarmuk, but I was too small to fight. During the battle I noticed a group on a hill not participating in the combat. I went towards them and saw Abu Sufyan and some Quraysh chiefs assembled here. They were the men who had embraced Islam after the capture of Mecca. When I reached them they were in 64. Tahdhib of Ibn 'Asakir 6/406-407 on Abu Sufyan.

the middle of their conversation. As they looked upon me as a child, they did not think I would understand their words. So they continued their talk and spoke as openly as possible. The moment the Muslims happened to make a slight retreat giving the Romans a slight advantage, this group shouted gladly: "Oh! Long live the Romans!" But as soon as the Romans were driven back and the Islamic army gained the advantage, they cried with a great regret: "O, pity for you Romans!" 65

When the battle ended and the Muslims defeated the Romans, I told the story to my father az-Zubayr. He laughed and said: "May God destroy them, for not abandoning their rancor! For, we are better than the Romans for them."66 The above incident is narrated differently elsewhere, namely: Whenever the Romans drove back the Muslims, Abu Sufyan shouted: "Long live the Romans!" But when the Muslims gained some advantage, Abu Sufyan cried out: "It seems that no living personality has remained from the Roman nobility." When the warriors of Islam won the final victory, and I told my father the story, he held my hand and took me among various groups of Muslims, saying to each group: "My son! Repeat the story for them!" I repeated all I had heard, and they were amazed at all that hypocrisy and hostility to Islam.67

Abu Sufyan in the time of 'Uthman

By God! There exists neither a heaven, nor a hell! Abu Sufyan Time passed and with the assassination of 'Umar, 'Uthman became caliph, and Abu Sufyan, owing to his kinship with 'Uthman, found new respect, and he was no longer humiliated. One day when he went to 'Uthman's presence and said: "O sons of Umayyah! Since the time the caliphate had fallen into the hands of the men of the Taym and 'Adi tribes (meaning Abu Bakr and 'Umar) I coveted that position. Now that it has fallen into your hands, you should take turns in seizing it, in the same way that children pass a ball to one another. I swear to God that there exists neither a heaven nor a hell!"68,69

Another narration says that Abu Sufyan declared: "O Banu Umayyah! Pass 65. at-Tabari 4/137, Ibn al-Athir 2/159, al-Isabah 2/172.

  1. at-Tabari 4/137 printed Egypt First, and Ibn al-Athir 2/284, and al-Isabah 2/172, account No. 4046, and Tahdhib of Ibn 'Asakir 5/356 and 6/406.

  2. al-Aghani 6/354-355, and al-Isti'ab 689 account No. 321, and Usd al-ghabah 5/216.

  3. al-Aghani 6/355-356, and al-Isti'ab 690.

  4. And an-Niza' wa at-takhasum 20.

the caliphate like a ball to each other. I swear in the name of him to whom Abu Sufyan takes an oath that I have been hoping for a long time to see the caliphate in your hands. Now you should let your children inherit it." 'Uthman rebuked him for this remark and was very displeased.70 Another narration says: In his old age and when he had lost his eyesight, Abu Sufyan went to 'Uthman's presence and after settling down, he said: "Is there no stranger present who might report our words to others?" 'Uthman said: "No, no one." Abu Sufyan said: "This matter of caliphate is a worldly one, and this government is of the same kind as that of pagan times. Therefore, it is up to you to make our tribe of Banu Umayyah the administrators of the wide realm of Islam." 71 72

It was in the same period that Abu Sufyan one day passing by the tomb of Hamzah, the martyr of Islam, started kicking the tomb, and said: "Abu 'Amarah, the thing for which we drew our swords yesterday, has fallen into the hands of our children today, and they are playing with it now." 73 Thus we see that Abu Sufyan secured his evil wishes with the caliphate of 'Uthman, such wishes for the fulfillment of which he had made so much effort, and for which many leaders of the Quraysh had been killed, without producing any success, owing to the valor of the Muslims. But now in 'Uthman's time and after his death, the rule of the Umayyads fulfilled all those wishes. Abu Sufyan died in 'Uthman's time in one of the years between 31 and 34 of the Hijrah, and according to various reports he was between 80 and 90 years of age. But his wife, Hind, had died before him during 'Umar's caliphate.74

  1. Muruj adh-dhahab on Ibn al-Athir 5/465-166.

  2. al-Aghani 6/355, and Tahdhib of Ibn 'Asakir 6/407.

  3. In our perusal of the caliphate of 'Uthman and the Umayyads we see that the evil suggestions and Islam-destroying ideas of Abu Sufyan have been carried out word for word by the Umayyads, and governing was made hereditary for the first time by Mu'awiyah, and in Uthman's time the whole realm of Islam was given to the Umayyad house to govern.

  4. Description of Nahj al-balaghah 4/51 printed first Egypt.

  5. Refer to his account in Usd al-ghabah 5/563.