The status of Sayyidunā Amīr Mu‘āwiyah and the Battle of Ṣiffīn

Question

Hazrat a person is saying how he can say hazrat ameer e muawiah radiallahu taala anhu a sahabi e rasool صلي الله عليه وسلم after the war with hazrst Ali radiallahu taala anhu.he is saying read about war of siffin and speak truth at last he said you love yours ameer e muawiah radiallahu taala anhu and I love mine maula Ali alhaissalam. Hazrst what is hukm of shriyat on such person. Is tauba is mandatory for him?

M***, India (please keep name private)

— Name withheld, India

Answer

It is incumbent upon the believer to mention the Companions of the Messenger, upon him be blessings and salutations, solely in a manner which is positive. To spew negativity and hateful remarks concerning any one of them is contrary to the teachings of the Noble Messenger, upon him be blessings and salutations, as he has stated:

الله الله في أصحابي الله الله في أصحابي لا تتخذوهم غرضا بعدي فمن أحبهم فبحبي أحبهم ومن أبغضهم فببغضي أبغضهم ومن أذاهم فقد أذاني ومن أذاني فقد أذى الله ومن أذى الله فيوشك أن يأخذه

“[Fear] Allāh, [fear] Allāh in the matter of my companions! [Fear] Allāh, [fear] Allāh in the matter of my Companions! Do not take them as targets after me! Thus, he who loves them, it is out of my love that he loves them, and he who hates them, it is out of hatred for me that he hates them. Whomsoever harmed them has caused me grief, and he who causes me grief has insulted Allāh. And whoever insults Allāh, it is soon that he be taken to account.”

[Jāmi` al-Tirmidhī: 3862]

Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah, may Allāh be pleased with him, is also Companion and is one for whom the Messenger, upon him be blessings and salutations, has explicitly supplicated. He is a personality concerning whom the Companions did not allow criticism or negative remarks.

In the era of Sayyidunā `Umar al-Fārūq, Sayyidunā `Umayr bin Sa`d was removed from the post of a governor and Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah was appointed in his place. Upon hearing this news, the people began to speak, and Sayyidunā `Umayr bin Sa`d responded:

لا تذكروا معاوية إلا بخير فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول اللهم اهد به

“Do not mention Mu`āwiyah except with positivity because I have heard the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh send blessing upon him and salutation, saying, ‘O Allāh, spread guidance by his means.’”

[Jāmi` al-Tirmidhī: 3843]

In the court of Sayyidunā `Abd Allāh ‘ibn `Abbās, may Allāh be pleased with them, someone mentioned that Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah prays the witr as a single rak`ah, and Sayyidunā ‘Ibn `Abbās responded in a manner proving his status as a mujtahid who is required to practice ‘ijtihād (independent judgment) saying:

دعه فإنه فقيه

“Do not speak of him, for he himself is a jurist (faqīh).”

[al-Nibrās, Mentioning the Companions]

The narrations of Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah are accepted, reported, and relied upon by all scholars, and he was a companion who would pen the revelations which would be revealed to the Noble Prophet, upon him be blessings and salutations. To criticize him and deny his status as a companion is to criticize the foundations of the faith of ‘Islām. The senior ‘imāms of the nation held him in high regard and did not disregard him due to the conflicts which transpired. ‘Imām `Abd Allāh bin al-Mubārak was asked the question of who is superior amongst Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah and Sayyidunā `Umar bin `Abd al-`Azīz, may Allāh be pleased with them both, and he responded:

غبار فرس معاوية إذا غزا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفضل من عمر

“The cloud of dust produced by the steed of Mu`āwiyah when he fought alongside the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh send blessing upon him and salutation, is greater than `Umar [bin `Abd al-`Azīz]!”

[al-Nibrās, Mentioning the Companions]

This was the reverence exhibited by the greats of the nation in the court of Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah, may Allāh be pleased with him, and this demonstrates that the believer should remember the Ṣaḥābah in a positive manner and avoid speaking of the matters and conflicts which transpired amongst the Companions such as the battle of Ṣiffīn. In these matters, each group of the Noble Ṣaḥābah were in pursuit of the truth – some reached the truth through their judgment (‘ijtihād), while others were unable to. Though in this matter, it is the Lion of Allāh, `Alī al-Murtaḍā, may Allāh ennoble his countenance, who is upon the truth, it does not befit the believer to speak ill of Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah. Rather the position of the pious predecessors is beautifully displayed in the statement of Sayyidunā `Umar bin `Abd al-`Azīz, may Allāh be pleased with him, that:

تلك دماء طهر الله تعالى منها سيوفنا فلا نخضب بها ألسنتنا

“That is blood which Allāh, the Exalted, kept our swords pure from, thus we shall not paint our tongues with it.”

[al-‘Asālīb al-Badī`ah fī Faḍl al-Ṣaḥābah wa ‘Iqnā` al-Shī`ah, Chapter 1]

It is a favor of Allāh that he protected us from participating in a battle on whose opposing ends were both those who were beloved to Allāh. It is certainly not wise that the believer of today disregards this favor of Allāh and embarks the path to the scorching flames of hell as he speaks ill of either one of these groups of the Ṣaḥābah who are both bound for Paradise.

Thereupon, the individual who claims that, “You love your ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah, and I love my `Alī,” should be reminded that the individual who disregards any one Ṣaḥābī is akin to the one who has disregarded them all. Such is evident in the verses of the Noble Qur’ān the likes of:

كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ

“The nation of Nūḥ belied the Messengers.”

[Sūrah al-Shu`arā’: 105]

In exegesis of the verse, Ṣadr al-‘Afāḍil Sayyid Na`īm al-Dīn Murādābādī, upon him be mercy, highlights the fact that despite this nation explicitly belying only Sayyidunā Nūḥ, upon him be salutations, they were said to have belied all Messengers.

[Khazā’in al-`Irfān, Sūrah al-Shu`arā’: 105]

Muftī ‘Aḥmad Yār Khān Na`īmī, upon him be mercy, has deduced from this verse and those similar to it that just as the rejection of a single Prophet is equivalent to the rejection of them all, to reject one Ṣaḥābī or commit blasphemy against any one of the seniors of the ‘Ahl al-Bayt is, in reality, akin to rejection of all of the Ṣaḥābah and blasphemy against all of the ‘Ahl al-Bayt.

[Ḥaḍrat ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah par Eik Naẓar, pg. 5]

The individual who criticizes Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah will eventually manifest animosity in the court of Sayyidunā ‘Imām Ḥasan for his reconciliation with him, and thus, one after another, he will insult and speak ill of these pious personalities until there comes the day wherein he has spoken ill of all of the Ṣaḥābah and all of the ‘Ahl al-Bayt, Allāh forbid. Therefore, the truth of the matter is: only he who truly belongs to Sayyidunā `Alī is respectful of Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah, and he who does not revere Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah has no relation to Sayyidunā `Alī, may Allāh be pleased with them.

The one who submitted authority of the caliphate despite former conflicts to Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah was the Grandson of the Prophet, Sayyidunā ‘Imām Ḥasan al-Mujtabā, himself, and this act of his was in complete agreement with the will and pleasure of his Noble Grandfather, upon him be salutations and blessings. The Messenger of Allāh, upon him be abundant blessings and salutations, having his beloved grandson, Sayyidunā ‘Imām Ḥasan, seated to his side on the pulpit stated:

إن ابني هذا سيد ولعل الله أن يصلح به بين فئتين عظيمتين من المسلمين

“Surely, this son of mine is a chief. Perhaps Allāh shall reconcile two great groups of Muslims by his means.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2704]

Demonstrating an unparalleled loyalty to this statement of the Messenger of Allāh, upon him be blessings and salutations, ‘Imām Ḥasan, may Allāh be pleased with him, brought about harmony with the group of Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah by submitting the caliphate to him and pledging allegiance on his hands. He did so as per his own will and on his own authority in a battlefield surrounded by an army who would not hesitate for even a single moment to put their lives at stake for him. Thus, to criticize Sayyidunā Mu`āwiyah is to criticize this decision of Sayyidunā ‘Imām Ḥasan, to criticize him is to criticize the Noble Messenger, upon him be blessings and salutations, as this was an act which resulted from his own pleasure, and to criticize the Noble Messenger, upon him be blessings and salutations, is undoubtedly to criticize Allāh Almighty.

[Paraphrased from Bahār e Sharī`at, Vol. 1, Chapter of ‘Imāmah]

It is certain that the individual who slanders any Companion will inevitably transgress further and further to the point from which there is no return by slandering other Companions, the Noble Prophet, upon him be blessings and salutations, and then the Creator Almighty.

The ruling on the one who speaks such words is surely that tawbah is necessary upon them and Bahār e Sharī`at states:

کسی صحابی کے ساتھ سوء عقیدت بدمذہبی وگمراہی واستحقاق جہنم ہے

“Negative belief concerning any Companion is heresy, misguidance, and deserving of the hellfire.”

[Bahār e Sharī`at, Vol. 1, Chapter of ‘Imāmah]

Furthermore, speaking particularly of he who blasphemes against Sayyidunā ‘Amīr Mu`āwiyah, ‘Imām Shihāb Khifājī writes:

ومن يكن يطعن في معاوية

فذاك كلب من كلاب الهاوية

“The one who criticizes Mu`āwiyah,

He is a dog from the dogs of Hell.”

[Nasīm al-Riyāḍ, Vol. 4, Pg. 525]

May Allāh keep us on the path of the ‘Ahl al-Sunnah which teaches love and respect for all of the Ṣaḥābah and the Prophetic Household, and Allāh knows best.

Faqīr Sayyid `Abdul Ṣamad al-Qādirī · (May he be pardoned) · Dhū al-Ḥijjah 14, 1445