Is it OK to put Radiyallahu Anhu after Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan who was not a rightly guided caliph?

Question

I really find no reason to apply a blanket "Radiyallahu Anhu"(Allah is pleased with him) to all Sahaba specially those involved in fighting with Ahlebayt and breaking pledge with Hasan A.S?

Also I found no Ahadith mentioning virtues of Muaviyah almost all other major sahabas have meritorious hadith praising them

Quran 9:100. And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirun) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.

I have the understanding that the verse Sura Tauba 9:100 from where "Radiyallahu Anhu" is taken applies at least to all to Muhajir and Ansar and Muawiyah was neither, does he also include in 9:100? Is my understanding correct as I respect all Sahabas ? but my heart does not allow me to say this after such people? And I believe but not sure of earliest texts of the first three generations of Muslims ever applied any salutation to any of the Sahaba.

Answer 1

People confuse between Muwayah (RA) and his son, Yazid bin Muwayah.

This confusion comes because

1- Muslims go extreme because of their emotions, feelings, and love of Ahlul Bayt and they were devastated by what happened to them.

2- Lack of knowledge

3- They were taught to hate him by some sects.

However, there is a huge difference between these two:

1- Muwayah is a companion who met the prophet Muhammed PBUH

2- Yazid is not a companion. Hence, Muslims consider him as a one of the Muslim rulers who has good deeds and bad deeds

Other than that he didn't not participate in killing Ahlul Bayt (AS). Also, the martyr of Hussien (RA) happened when Yazid was the Ruler. So Muwayah had nothing to do with it.

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Excluding the virtue of being a companion of the prophet the prophet (PBUH) which is enough to put (RA) after his name, Muawiyah has a few rare virtues:

- Mu’aawiyah was one of the scribes who wrote down the Revelation - [Source]

- Muawiyah was politically adept in dealing with the Eastern Roman Empire and was therefore made into a secretary by Muhammad

- A narration also tells that Muhammad prayed to God in favor of Muawiyah:

Allahumma (O Allah) guide him and guide people by him.

This narration is in many hadith (narration) books.

Al-Dhahabi says that this narration has a strong predication (reference), and Al-Dhahabi also explained how some scholars erred in saying that the narration is weak.

While Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (a modern narrations critic) also said:

"all the men of the predication (reference) are trustworthy. and then he explained how the predication is strong."

- Muawiyah was very active in the Arab–Byzantine wars and was also involved in the siege of Jerusalem.

[Source: Wikipedia]

For more Hadiths and narrations regarding him, check this doc file. Sheik Muhamed ameen al Shanqedi(An amazing scholar) has gathered all the hadiths in this file. but note that it is all in Arabic

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Here are more virtues:

This virtue below always give me chills

It was narrated that Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said:

I said to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah – Ahmad ibn Hanbal –

Who is better, Mu’aawiyah or ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez? He said: Mu’aawiyah is better; we do not compare the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to anyone. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of mankind are my generation among whom I was sent.”

Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal (2/434).

He was given the name "maternal uncle of the believers" – as his sister "Umm Habeebah" was the Mother of the Believers – this is proven from some of the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah, chiefly "Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal"

It was narrated from Abu Taalib that he asked Abu ‘Abd-Allaah – Ahmad ibn Hanbal – about saying “Mu’aawiyah the maternal uncle of the believers” or “Ibn ‘Umar the maternal uncle of the believers”. He said:

Yes, Mu’aawiyah was the brother of Umm Habeebah bint Abi Sufyaan, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and may Allaah have mercy on her), and Ibn ‘Umar was the brother of Hafsah the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and may Allaah have mercy on her). I said: Can I say Mu’aawiyah the maternal uncle of the believers? He said: Yes.

Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal (2/433), Dar al-Raayah edition.

It was narrated from Haroon ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that he said to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah –Ahmad ibn Hanbal - :

A letter came to me from al-Raqqah saying that some people say: We do not say that Mu’aawiyah was the maternal uncle of the believers. He got angry and said: Why are they objecting to this matter? They should be shunned until they repent.

Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal (2/434).

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn Abi Haroon and Muhammad ibn Abi Ja’far that Abu’l-Haarith told them:

We sent a note to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah – Ahmad ibn Hanbal – saying: What do you say, may Allaah have mercy on you, about that who say: I will not say that Mu’aawiyah was the scribe of the revelation and I will not say that he was the maternal uncle of the believers, because he took the caliphate by the sword and by force? Abu ‘Abd-Allaah said: These are bad words and these people should be avoided and shunned, and we should warn the people about them.

Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal (2/434)

All the Isnaads of these reports are saheeh as you will see in the examination of the book by Dr. ‘Atiyah al-Zahraani.

[Source]

For more of his virtues and what he did to the Muslims and Islam, check this doc file. Also in Arabic but by a different Author

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If you would like to read books:

The name of the book in Arabic:

أمير المؤمنين معاوية بن أبي سفيان

محمد مال الله ، وهو كتاب مهم جمعه من كلام شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية ، ورتبه وعلق عليه

The name of the book in English:

Ameer Al Muameen Mu’aawiyah bin Sufiyan - Author Muhamed Mal allah. Which contains all the sayings of Ibn Taymiyah regarding Mu’aawiyah (RA)

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Off topic :

- Ruling on hating the Sahaabah

- Our attitude towards Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah

Answer 2

You are assuming that رضی الله عنه is applied rightfully only if the person was included in this verse. That doesn't need to be true. The verse says these groups God is pleased with, it doesn't say God is only pleased with these people. E.g. consider the prophets before our prophet like Ibrahim (PBUH), it is clear that God is pleased with him, but he is neither of these three groups. Another explicit example in Quran is verse 19:55 which says is God is please with Yahya (PBUH).

You are right that Muawiyah was not among the first two groups. In fact he was one of people perusing and trying to kill the prophet when he was moving to Medina and he only accepted Islam after Muslims defeated them and conquered Mecca (still one might argue that he was one of the third group in the verse) (see e.g. Suyuti's Tarikh al-khulafa).

When trying to understand this verse it is good to look at the two verses following it. They say that there were two other groups around prophet. These two groups are not in the three groups mentioned in this verse and even the prophet does not recognize them (see verse 9:101) but God does: one group who are hypocrites and disbelievers in secret and God will punish them and another group who confess their sins and have mixed deeds and may God forgive and have mercy on them.

Those who put رضی الله عنه after Muawiyah believe that he was a rightful ruler and a good Muslim and seems to be the main reason why they put رضی الله عنه after his name. As far as I understand, according to mainstream Sunni belief all companions of the prophet are revered Muslims and Muawiyah was one of the prophet's companions (though this view of the prophet's companions is not shared by other Muslims). Those who don't put رضی الله عنه after his name mainly do so probably because they think he was not a rightful ruler or a good Muslim.

Answer 3

No Muawiyah was not a companion. Rasullullah saw lived for 2 years after Muawiyah accepted Islam following their defeat in Makkah. He knew the prophet saw of course but so did many others . The companions are a select group.

Look for hadith related by Muawiyah if he was a sahabi. Also the idea of Muawiyah being the scribe of revelation should be scrutinised more closely. It makes no sense for the scribes of more 20 years to be replaced by Muawiyah. If it's true why was he not involved in the production of the Uthmani quran.

As a rebel and one who seized power by the sword and passed on the Kingship to is bad so Yazid he was condemned by his own generation. These actions should be inconceivable for a companion of Rasullullah saw.

Answer 4

I've also been thinking on this man Muawiya for some time and by now I am more than convinced that he is not entitled to the kind of respect that people give him for the awe of being "Sahabi". Not only that he was not a Sahabi, not only that he is not to be remembered with RaziAllah Anhu etc, he is a patent Munafiq. Let me declare that I am not a Shia, I have rather very stern views about this "sect", but I am convinced in the light of Quran and Ahadees that Muawiya and his father were amongst the Munafiqs but were not exposed by Allah Almighty due to His own Grand plans which we know not. You need to go through the book Khilafat-o-Malookiyat by Modudi and that will make things clear to you. Modudi and other scholars are very careful for the same 'awe' that I mentioned above. I do not hesitate in saying what I believe in, AlHamduLillah.

Answer 5

We cannot judge Muawiya. Only Allah SWT knows truth. This should be the view of any general Muslim. True, there may be 'evidence' of his wrong doings, but to judge someone because of that which may or may not be true?

We must leave this decision to Allah SWT. He and only He knows the exact truth of what became of his actions. May Allah SWT guide you all and forgive your wrongdoings

I am neither Sunni not Shia I AM MUSLIM

Answer 6

Muawiyah was not R.A (God be pleased with him), he was not a Muslim because of the Hadith that says:

The Prophet said: "Of whomsoever I had been Master (Mawla), Ali here is to be his Master. O Allah, be a supporter of whoever supports him (Ali) and an enemy of whoever opposes him and divert the Truth to Ali" [Hadith of Ghadir Khumm]

So Muawiyah was ejected from Islam.