MU‘ĀWIYA’S MONARCHY

On entering Kūfa he announced that the one swearing not allegiance to him would in no way be secure. He set a three-day respite for allegiance. [2] Quoted from Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr and Djāhi¨, he did secure allegiance from the nation as loathing for ‘Alī (a). [3]

In a letter to ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Dja‘far to swear allegiance to Yazīd, he had written, “If you swear allegiance, you will be adored; otherwised, you will be coerced.” [4]

Allegedly, he had ordered to slay the one who avoids swearing. [5] About figures like Qays Ibn Sa‘d, having a kind of influence, he secured allegiance by clasping his hand and compelling him to pat his hand whereas Qays was refraining. [6]

Mu‘āwiya’s aristocratic lifestyle and his procedures adopted in caliphate, pompted Sa‘d Ibn Abī Waqqās as well to address him a “monarch” when meeting. [7] In Damascus he was determined to find the works created about ruler’s biographies in Damascus. [8] Later on, Djāhi¨ recorded that Mu‘āwiya turned the rule into the rule of Kasrā and Caesar. [9] Historians have also introduced him as the ever-first monarch. [10] And Sa‘īd Ibn Musayyib affirmed that Mu‘āwiya was the first one converting caliphate into monarchism. [11] Mughīra IbnShu‘ba described Mu‘āwiya as an emir and specified that there should be a difference between a peasant and an emir. [12] Reportedly, the first one who substituted, ملك يوم الدين “Master of the Day of

[1] Sharh nahdj al-balāgha, Ibn Abi l-Hadīd, vol.16,46; Mukhtasar Tārīkh Dimashq, vol.XXV, pp.43,45
[2] Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol.III, p.47
[3] Bahdjat al-madjālis, vol.I, p.99; al-Bayān wa l-tabyīn, vol.II, p.105
[4] al-Imāma wa l-siyāsa, vol.I, p.201
[5] Hayāt al-sahāba, vol.II, p.441
[6] Sharh nahdj al-balāgha, Ibn Abi l-Hadīd, vol.XVI, p.48-49
[7] Mukhtasar Tārīkh Dimashq, vol.VIII, p.210; Tārīkh Ya‘qūbī, vol.II,.217; al-Musannaf, ‘Abd al-Razzāq, vol.I, p.291
[8] Muntakhabāt al-tawārīkh li-Dimashq, p.81 quoted from Min dawlat ‘Umar ilā dawlat ‘abd al-malik, p.146
[9] Rasā’il al-Djāhi¨, Rasā’il al-kalāmiyya, p.241
[10] Tārīkh Khulafā’, pp. 196,203
[11] Tārīkh Ya‘qūbī, vol.II, p.232
[12] Tabaqāt al-kubrā, vol.VI, p.20

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Judgment” for مالك يوم الدين “Owner of the Day of Judgment” was Mu‘āwiya. [1]

Ya‘qūbī has enumerated what he did as indications of monarchism as follows, being seated on a platform and making others sit in a lower position, singling out the best propertys of the people and allotting them all to himself. [2] He commanded to devote whatsoever Iranian kings had possessed in farmlands or anywhere else to him. [3]

Mu‘āwiya’s status was so conspicuous that ‘Umar had named him Kasrā in his tenure. [4] It should be asserted that Mu‘āwiya was set to establish a “caliphate of Islamic royalty”. He considered himself as a king but described as a caliph concerning old traditions. Making efforts to transport Prophets’ pulpit from Medina to Damascus, he intended to fortify his Islamic strength although he could never succeed. [5]

Mawdūdī has itemized a number of characteristics for clarifying the distinction between Mu‘āwiya’s monarchism and his predecessors’ caliphate as follows, first, the way of designating a caliph converted. In spite of his predecessors who never rose up for caliphate, Mu‘āwiya in any way exerted to gain the caliphate. As soon as he secured the authority, no one was able to dissent him. Anyone had to swear on oath of allegiance to him.