This is our comprehensive rebuttal to Ansar.org’s defense of Mu’awiya ibn Hind. Mu’awiya is a character whose antics have been meticulously recorded in the annals of history. From his birth onwards, the historians and Ulema of Ahlul Sunnah have managed to provide a significant insight into the character of Mu’awiya. His role within the history if Islam during the advent of Rasulullah(s)’s mission is non-existent. In fact he spent the vast portion of it on the opposite side, his alleged father being Abu Sufyan, leader of the Banu Umayya Clan who sought to undermine, fight and destroy the message of Rasulullah (s). ‘Abu Sufyan eventually conceded defeat following the conquest of Mecca and allegedly embraced Islam. In much the same way Rasulullah (s) was opposed by Abu Sufyan, his alleged son Mu’awiya carried on the mantle of his father opposing the rightful caliph Ali during his lifetime, refusing to give him bayya (oath of allegiance) and even after his martyrdom vented his hatred of Imam Ali via the disgraceful practice of cursing him during the Friday Sermons. Despite his disgraceful acts, new generations of Nasibi disguising themselves Sunni have appeared in recent years declaring affiliation with Mu’awiya and defending his actions and praising them. ‘Abu Sulaiman is at the forefront of this neo-Nasibi ideology. His appraisal of both Mu’awiya and Yazid demonstrates how convoluted Nasibi ideology is and how it seeks its utmost to raise doubts on the stance of Amir al Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) in an effort to protect the persona of Mu’awiya. Hence we decided to lift the veils on Mu’awiya and present his true image to our readers.
Our readers should know that the approach taken by the post modern advocates of Mu’awiya whose defence of him is (according to them) part and parcel of their Sunni ideology, the Sunnis of past eras were unrelenting in their criticism of Mu’awiya and in no way felt that it negated their Sunni credentials, a fact vouched for by Salafi scholar Hassan bin Farhan al-Maliki who in his book Qeraah fi Kutub al-Aqaid pg. 153 said:
وأصبح نقد معاوية بن أبي سفيان (وهو من الطلقاء) غير مقبول عند السنة بعد أن كان متقدموهم يذمون ظلم معاوية وانتزاؤه على هذه بالسيف وجعله الخلافة ملكا عضوضا واستئثاره ببيت المال وما إلى ذلك من المفاسد التي أحدثها
“Criticizing Mu’awyia bin Abi Sufiyan (who was from the Tulaqa) is unacceptable to the Sunnis, whereas the former Sunnis would criticize Mu'awiya for his injustices, his taking power via by sword, and turning the Caliphate into a monarchy, his seizing public money, and (their citing) the numerous corruptions that he perpetrated”
We would urge our Sunni readers to ponder over this admission. If today’s Sunni advocates are insisting that reading any form of critique of Mu’awiya is abhorrent and places one’s faith at harm, then their emotional rants come into conflict with the past Sunni Ulema who did just that.
