[COLOR="Indigo"][B]One of the major reasons that the scholars give for calling the first four Caliphs to be the “Four Rightly Guided Caliphs” to the exclusion of others is that they were nominated by Shura without coercion and that they did not reduce the leadership to a hereditary system. The Ahlus Sunnah looks to the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs as the model to implement and nobody else. Therefore, it is not fitting that we discuss other leaders, but rather we should confine our discussion to the group which represents our views.[/B][/COLOR]

In regards to [B]Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) ,[/B] it is incorrect to claim that he seized the leadership by force over an unwilling population. In fact, Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) commanded the unbridled support of the entire Banu Umayyah (رضّى الله عنه) , the whole of Syria, and many other Arabian tribes such as Banu Kalb. By the time of Muawiyyah’s Caliphate, the Muslim nation had already broken down into various competing localities. In the locality in which Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) resided, he most definitely had overwhelming support and consent of the governed. However, due to the unfortunate situation, the Ummah was divided and in a state of civil war. In such a confusing situation, it is unfair to be un-necessarily critical of Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) .

[B]The Muslim Ummah at the time was split between Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) and Hasan (رضّى الله عنه)[/B] , both of whom were ready to fight each other for it. This was in marked contrast to the previous Caliphates in which the Ummah jointly agreed on one leader. It was the first time that the Muslims could not peacably agree on one leader. Why was this? There are in fact many reasons for this, but we shall limit our discussion to two of them: Firstly, the Muslim nation-state had spread far and wide by this time, and it is much more difficult for larger groups to reach a consensus as opposed to smaller groups. During the nomination of Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) and Umar (رضّى الله عنه) , the Muslim state was limited to the Arabian Peninsula, and the Arabian tribes agreed upon the leadership of the Quraish of Mecca. By Uthman’s time, the Muslim state had absorbed many Non-Muslim lands such as Persia and Syria (under the valiant command of Umar); with the rapid expansion of the state, the unity of the Ummah was becoming a problem. It is no wonder that by the time of Ali’s death, the Kufans and Syrians cannot agree on a Caliph.

The second explanation for this disunity is the emerging rivalry between Banu Umayyah and Banu Hashim. Neither Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) nor Umar (رضّى الله عنه) belonged to either clan and so their Caliphates were saved from much of the in-fighting between the two clans. However, after Umar’s death, the top two candidates for the Caliphate came from these two rival clans: Uthman (رضّى الله عنه) from Banu Umayyah and Ali (رضّى الله عنه) from Banu Hashim. Banu Umayyah had always been the leaders before the advent of Islam, and now with the advent of the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم), Banu Hashim was seeking to remove Banu Umayyah from power and come in their place. This shift in power created a civil struggle, one that would manifest itself in the civil war between Banu Umayyah and Banu Hashim.

And so it was that the Western half of the Muslim empire accepted Banu Umayyah and the Eastern half accepted Banu Hashim. The Syrian Muslims nominated Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) , whereas the Kufans nominated Hasan (رضّى الله عنه) . It was not that Shura was not done, but rather that the two sides did not do Shura conjointly, a problem arising from (1) the vastness of the Muslim empire and (2) the budding rivalry between Banu Umayyah and Banu Hashim.

[B]It is incorrect to claim that Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) seized power by force. The two sides came to a peace agreement: Hasan (رضّى الله عنه) agreed to the Caliphate of Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه)[/B] in exchange for five million dirhams (for the coffers of the Bayt ul-Mal of Kufa) as well as the revenue of the Ahwaz Province. So it was not by force that Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) came to power, but rather by a peace agreement signed by Hasan (رضّى الله عنه) himself, in which five million dirhams and the revenue from a province were given to the Kufans.

[B]As for the system of hereditary rule, this too was not started by Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه)[/B] . Yes, Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) nominated Yezid to be the Caliph, but we must look into the matter before passing a rash judgment. Initially, Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) had no such intention of nominating his son; it was Mughira bin Shoba (رضّى الله عنه) who urged Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) to nominate Yezid. In fact, Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) was at first against this idea, but Mughira (رضّى الله عنه) insisted upon it. Mughira (رضّى الله عنه) was not the father of Yezid, and therefore, how can we say that Yezid’s appointment was done to create a dynasty based on hereditary rule? We read:

It cannot be denied that (only) at the insistence of Mughira bin Shoba, Amir Muawiyyah nominated Yezid as his successor; otherwise, he would never have thought of making his son Caliph after him. It was Mughira bin Shoba who was the first to introduce that idea…that proposal was absolutely against the tradition of the Rightly Guided Caliphate…

(Tareekh al-Islam, Vol.2, p.91)

We read:

Al-Mughira advised the Caliph to nominate his son as his successor. At first he hesitated, but (only) later he acted on his (Al-Mughira’s) advice.

(A Short History of Islam, by Mazhar ul-Haq, p.408)

We read further:

Mughira bin Shobah, a budding Meccan statesman of the tribe of Banu Thaqeef, embraced Islam in 5 A.H…he is credited with furthering the initiative of getting Yezid nominated by his father as a Caliph-designate. When the suggestion was first made, Muawiyyah could not persuade himself to take such a delication decision. Mughirah, the old, seasoned statesman over 60 years of age, was shrewd enough to arrange for a deputation of the people of Kufa (the stronghold of his opponents), of all places, headed by his own son, Musa, to convince Muawiyyah.

(Last Messenger with a Lasting Message, Ziauddin Kirmani, p.427)

In fact, it was Yezid who is blamed for institutionalizing the system of hereditary rule. We read:

Even upto Yezid’s reign, the Muslims had not accepted the principle of Caliphate by (hereditary) succession in government and politics. They knew that the act of Yezid succeeding Amir Muawiyyah as Caliph was a mistake and it needed to be rectified…however, after Yezid’s death, the idea of (hereditary) succession was strengthened…and finally this evil practise took such a deep root that until now the Muslims have not been able to get rid of it.

(Tareekh al-Islam, Vol.2, p.94)

The President of the United States today is George Bush II; do we say that George Bush I created a dynastic and hereditary system since he pushed his son into politics and the presidential race? In fact, we see that Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) did not nominate Yezid with any intention of a hereditary dynasty, but rather he did it only because of the circumstances of the time. The Muslim Ummah was in a state of great disunity; Syria and Kufa were very close to an all out civil war, along with Banu Umayyah and Banu Hashim. Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) feared that if he did not appoint a successor, then the Muslims would fall into civil war, and one is hard pressed to disagree.

It was based on this prevailing condition of extreme precariousness that Mughira (رضّى الله عنه) and others urged Muawiyyah (رضّى الله عنه) to simply nominate his son as Caliph to prevent any possible civil strife. We read:

Muawiyyah, on the other hand, believed that circumstances had greatly changed since the days of the Orthodox Caliphate (i.e. the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs)…there was (now) the danger of a renewed civil war, which might break out after Muawiyyah’s death, as it had after Uthman’s. This would divide Islam into warring camps…Muawiyyah rejected this wise suggestion (not to nominate his son) on the plea of the danger of dispute and bloodshed if he did not settle the question of succession in his lifetime.

(A Short History of Islam, by Mazhar ul-Haq, p.408)

[B][COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="2"]Written By: Ibn al-Hashimi, [url=http://www.ahlelbayt.com]Shia Islam | Muslim Girls Photos | Articles | Islamic Pictures | Sunni | Imam at Ahlelbayt.com[/url][/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]

[B]Once Mu'awiya(ra) said in a khutba,[/B] [B][COLOR="Green"]"'Umar appointed me over Syria and then 'Uthman did so after him. By Allah, I never swindled nor monopolised. Then Allah appointed me to command, and I did well sometimes and badly sometimes."[/COLOR][/B]
[B] Then a man stood up and said,[/B]

"O Mu'awiya! Rather you monopolised and were bad and neither good nor just!" He said to the man, "Sit down. Why are you speaking?" They went on to exchange words with each other until Mu'awiya(ra) said, "Sit down or I will make you sit down." At which the man exclaimed, "I will not sit down! I will go as far from you as possible!"
[B]He made to leave and Mu'awiya said[/B], "Bring him back." They brought him back and Mu'awiya said, [B][COLOR="Green"]"I ask Allah's forgiveness. I saw you when you came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and greeted him and he returned the greeting to you and you were guided to him and he accepted that from you. You became a good Muslim. We have spoken harshly to you. Tell us what you need and I will give to you and you will be satisfied." [/COLOR][/B]

[B]The role of Hazrat Mu'awiya(ra) is interesting in modern terms because the rule of Mu'awiya and his immediate successors involves bringing disparate elements into a single unity - as there were really three power bases for a time: Syria and the Umayyads, Iraq where 'Ali based himself, and the Hijaz as represented by Ibn az-Zubayr.[/B]

How did Mu'awiya manage to bring about a unity and prevent the fragmentation of the Umma into three states? Eventually the single unit broke up again under the Abbasids, and never again were the Muslims a single entity. During Mu'awiya's rule, he had no rivals, a situation which was never to prevail again. Even the Ottomans, the most successful in later times, did not encompass the entire community of Muslims.

oking at the course followed by Mu'awiya to re-establish the centre, once peace was established, Mu'awiya reconciled many of the Muslims who had been fighting each other by his generosity and fairness, not to mention the intrinsic power of his position, and resumed the conquests of Islam which had been interrupted by the fighting. Even the most stubborn of opponents would often melt under his generosity and diplomacy...........

He also managed through fine diplomacy to balance out the tribal rivalries which later destroyed Umayyad rule. The importance of jihad cannot be understated because without the external struggle against the unbelievers, almost without fail the struggle for power becomes internal.

When his friends expressed surprise at the vastness of his gifts to his opponents, he said, "a war costs infinitely more."


He said that he preferred to buy men than to cut off their heads, and he took the example of the Prophet, and the Book of Allah in this. This amounts to the Qur'anic category of ta'lif al-qulub, reconciling hearts (see Qur'an 9:60). This is gaining hearts rather than closing mouths, and it was a technique which was quite effective with the unruly Bedouins.

u'awiya was welcoming to his subjects at every hour of the day, including mealtimes. He created the first postal system and put it at the disposition of his subjects to use. He was known for his impartiality and justice, even where his family was concerned........

He did not make 'Uthman's mistake of putting his relatives into the limelight to the exclusion of others. He would often give judgement against the Umayyads in favour of the Hashimites, especially if it involved Hasan ibn 'Ali whom he was always eager to honour. He once imposed 100 lashes to 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn al-Hakam, the brother of the governor, Marwan, and confiscated his property. He would have an incorrect punishment publicly rescinded on the minbar, no matter who had issued it.

[B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"]Greatness of Syeddina Amir Muawiya(ra)
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]
[B]1.Hadhrat Ameer Muawiya (Radhiallaahu anhu) is also included in all the Qur'anic verses which illustrate the virtue of the Sahabe Karaam.
2. He is also included in all the statements of Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) concerning the Sahaba.
3. He was among those fortunate ones who wrote the Qur'an Kareem with their own hands.
4. He was at the fortunate group who participated in Jihaad by the side of Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
5. He was of those propitious person Ali ( Radhiallahu anhu )ties he heard the Qur'an from the blessed tongue of Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
6. He was also amongst those who enjoyed the good fortune of performing salaat behind Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
7. He was of those who directly narrated the words of Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
8. He had the great fortune of actually seeing Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
9. Of those people before when Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) ate food was Hadhrat Ameer Muawiya (Radhiallaahu anhu).
10. He was one to see Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) walking before him (i. e. in the flesh).
11. Hadhrat Jibraeel conveyed Salaams to him (Al Bidaya wan Nihaya).
12 Hadhrat Jibraeel advised that Hadhrat Muawiya (Radhiallaahu anhu) be treated well (Al Bidaya wan Nihaya).
13. Allaah had declared him trustworthy[/B]

[B]Sayyidna Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA) had once said after the Battle of Siffin :[/B]

[B][COLOR="Teal"] " Do not speak evil about Sayyidna Amir Muawiyah (RA) because if he were to die, our lives would become so insecure that you will see necks flying from the bodies everywhere."[/COLOR][/B]

[B]Sayyidna Abdullah Bin Abbas (RA) once said: [/B]

[COLOR="Teal"][B]" Leave Sayyidna Amir Muawiyah (RA) alone because he is a person who has enjoyed the Companionship of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).[/B][/COLOR]

[B]Once Sayyidna Amir Muawiyah (RA) received a letter from the Ceaser of Rome, it said: [/B]
[B][COLOR="Teal"]I know that your brother Sayyidna Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA) has caused you a lot of trouble so if you wish I will send a large Roman army to help you against him." [/COLOR][/B]

[B]In reply to this letter Sayyidna Amir Muawiyah (RA) wrote: [/B]

[B][COLOR="Purple"]" O Ceaser dont try to take advantage of the differences between me and Sayyidna Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA). I know that you want to fight the Muslims but beware if you send an army againg us, the first person to come out from the army of Sayyidna Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA) to behead you will be Muawiyah."[/COLOR][/B]

[B][SIZE="2"]
May Allah be pleased with him and all other Companions who are the pillars of Islam.[/SIZE][/B]

[B][SIZE="2"]Syeddina Ali sher khuda (ra) clearly said in Nahjul Balagha:[/SIZE][/B]

[B][COLOR="Teal"]“In the beginning of our matter, the people of Syria [Muawiyyah’s forces] and us met. It is obvious that our God is one, our Prophet is one, and our call in Islam is one. We do not see ourselves more in faith in Allah or more in believing His messenger than them, nor they do. Our matter is one, except for our disagreement in Uthman’s blood, and we are innocent from his murder.” [/COLOR][/B]
[B][COLOR="Purple"]
[Nahjul Balagha, vol.3, p.648][/COLOR][/B]


[B]Muslim narrated in his Saheeh from Ibn Abbas that Abu Sufyan asked the Prophet peace be upon him for three things: (He (Abu Sufyan) said to the prophet:[/B]

[B][COLOR="Blue"]“O’ Prophet of Allah, give me three things.” The prophet said: “yes.” ... Abu Sufyan said: “Mu’awiyah, make him a writer (of the revelation) under your hands.” The prophet answered: “Alright.”)[/COLOR][/B]
[B]
[Muslim with explanation. Book of “Virtues of the Companions,” Chapter of “Virtues of Abu Sufyan,” vol.17, p.2501][/B]


[B]Ahmad narrated in his Musnad, and Muslim from Ibn Abbas who says:[/B]

[B][COLOR="Teal"](Once I was a kid playing with other boys when I looked behind and I saw the prophet peace be upon him coming towards us. So I said: “The prophet did not come to anyone but to me.” So I went behind the door to hide. I did not feel until the prophet found me, grasped my neck, and pressed my shoulders gently. The prophet said: “Go and call Mu’awiyah for me.” And Mu’awiyah was his writer (of the revelation). So I went looking for Mu’awiyah and told him: “Go and answer the prophet of Allah peace be upon him because he needs you.”)[/COLOR][/B]

[B][Musnad Ahmed, vol.1, Musnad Ibn Abbas #2651, and Muslim with explanation, Book of “Al-Birr wa Al-Silah,” #2604][/B]

[B][U][COLOR="DimGray"] These two hadeeths prove that Mu’awiyah was one of the writers of the revelation. [/COLOR][/U][/B]

[B]Ibn Taymiyya said,

[COLOR="Green"]"The behaviour of Mu'awiya with the people was the best behaviour of any ruler. His people loved him," reflecting what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is recorded as having said in the Sahih of Muslim: "The best of your Imams is the one you love and who loves you, who gives to you and you to him." This was Mu'awiya's behaviour in a nutshell. [/COLOR]

'Umar ibn al-Khattab said,
[COLOR="Teal"]
"Do not mention Mu'awiya with anything but good. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'O Allah, guide him!'" Abu Musa al-Ash'ari called him, "Aminu'llah," the trusty one of Allah." [/COLOR]

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, the conqueror of Iraq and Iran and one of the oldest Companions and one of the ten promised the Garden, said that

[COLOR="Teal"]" After 'Uthman I did not see anyone giving more judgement for what was right than Mu'awiya." [/COLOR]


[/B]

An excerpt from A Study of Islamic History- Prof. K. Ali
 

[B][SIZE="5"][CENTER]Muawiya as a king: Founder of hereditary kingship[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]

[SIZE="4"][FONT="Garamond"]Muawiya was the first man who transformed the Khilafat into a Mulk-republic to a kingship. He once, said, "I am first king among the kings," He made caliphate a hereditary kingship by nominating his son Yazeed in 674 A.D to the throne.

His example of nominating the next caliph became a precedent and was followed by the subsequent Caliphs of Ummayyad dynasty. Their practice was equally followed by the Abbassids and the later dynasties. Hence, he may be called the founder of hereditary kingship in the history of Islam.

The tribal democracy of his predecessors was gone for ever and Muawiya replaced it by his personal rule and autocracy which his successors turned into the pattern of the Byzantine or Persian absolution.

Outwardly, Muawiya observed the forms and functions of the Caliphs. Like the orthodox caliphs, he led the prayers on Friday, But unlike them, he kept himself aloof from the common Muslims. He gave up the simplicity and accessibility of Orthodox Caliphs.

His palace was guarded by guarded by armed soldiers and when he appeared in the public, he was surrounded by his bodyguards.

He regarded the public treasury as his personal property. He tackled all important problems in his personal capacity and had no connection with the Council of Elders.
Therefor, "the accession of Muawiya to the throne at Damascus heralded the end of Caliphate and the beginning of Kingship."[/FONT][/SIZE]

page 157

[B][COLOR=darkgreen]the ggreatness of hazrat mua`avia (r.a) can not be denied but why we can not call him caliph i am going to mention some reasons...[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400]1. abuse custom in juma nimaz against hazrat Ali(R.A)[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400]2.beit ul ma`al was the property of public but muawaia took this under his control[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400]3. it is right mua`awia nominated yazid when mughira bin shiba had asked him. but he was a shrewd diplomatic or a puppet in the hand of mughaira??[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400] 5th caliph hazrat UMER BIN ABDUL AZIZ(R.A) ( the grandson of women who refused his mother to add impurity in milk).he revoked all the ill deeds/DECISIONS of pvs monarchs as WALID BIN ABDUL MAILK,MARVAN BIN HUKAM,ABDUL MALIK BIN MARWAN and LAST SULEMAN BIN ABDUL MALEK.one can say him in true essence the 5th caliph coz he refused to become a king when nominated by suleman bin abdul malik and when major public took baith`t over his hand he had taken ye responsibility.there are two pious persons in ummayad synasty one is Hazt umer bin abdul azaiz and scnd Hasham bin abdul malik.when Banu abbasid overthrown the ummayad rulers then ,they unburried the graves of all the monarchs of thsi dynasty except hazrat umer bin abdul aziz (R>A) and second one monarch -- the hasham bin abdul malik when unburried ,his dead body was not dissolved but was in true essence as one is sleeping .. so one can stress on hazrat umer bin abdul aziz .hasham bin abdul malik plus mua`avia sani in order to relate them with caliphate system .secon thing ,the stress would be on WALID BIN ABDUL MAILK becoz Islamic DOMAIN spreaded eastword and other side by tariq bin ziya.qatiba bin muslim ,musa bin naseer and mohammed bin qasim.[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400]3.why you people did not strees over the role of hazrat Abdullan bin zubari vs HUJJAJ BIN YOUSAF [/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400]REGARDS!![/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#006400]SAIDA SHAFIQ[/COLOR][/B]

Dude! is this a religious war here. Why you so much debate on Ameer Mawiya. May be you discuss on those people who have clean record according to History , Like other As'Haab whos character and life is according to Islam and Everybody satisfy with them in every Fiqah of Islam.

I hope you won't mind .