Mu'awiya I

Mu'awiyah I ( 602 - May 6 , 680 ), early Muslim leader and founder of the great Umayyad Dynasty of caliphs . He is also considered one of the four brilliant arabs along with his generals Amr ibn al-As , Al-Moughierah ibn Shou'bah and Ziyad ibn Abeeh . He fought against the fourth caliph, 'Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law), seized Egypt , and assumed the caliphate after 'Ali's assassination in 661 . He restored unity to the Muslim empire and made Damascus its capital. He reigned from 661 to 680 .

Muawiyah I ( Muʿāwiyah ibn ʾAbī Sufyān ; 602 – April 29 or May 1, 680) established the Umayyad Dynasty of the caliphate , and was the second caliph from the Umayyad clan , the first being Uthman ibn Affan . Muawiyah was politically adept in dealing with the Eastern Roman Empire and was therefore made into a secretary by Muhammad. During the first and second caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar (Umar ibn al-Khattab), he fought with the Muslims against the Byzantines in Syria . To stop the Byzantine harassment from the sea, Muawiyah developed a navy in the Levant and used it to confront the Byzantine Empire in the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara . The Caliphate conquered several territories including Cyzicus which were subsequently used as naval bases. The History of the Prophets and Kings (Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk ), Vol. 18 Between Civil Wars: The Caliphate of Mu'awiyah 40 A.H., 661 A.D.-60 A.H., 680 A.D. Sahih Muslim , The book of (Virtues of the companions), narration no. [6409]:168-(2501) numbered by mohammad fo'ad abdul-baqi A Chronology Of Islamic History 570-1000 CE, By H.U.

He became caliph less than 30 years following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and very shortly after the reign of the four "rightly guided" ( Rashidun ) caliphs. Although considered to be lacking in the justice and piety of the Rashidun, Muawiyah was also the first caliph whose name appeared on coins, inscriptions, or documents of the nascent Islamic empire. Muawiyah and his father Abu Sufyan had opposed Muhammad, their distant Qurayshite kinsman, until the latter captured Mecca in 630, after which Muawiyah became one of Muhammad's scribes. He was appointed by Caliph Abu Bakr ( r. 632–634 ) the commander of the vanguard of his brother Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan 's army during the conquest of Syria and he moved up the ranks until becoming governor of Syria during the reign of Caliph Uthman ( r. 644–656 ). He allied with the province's powerful Banu Kalb tribe, developed the defenses of its coastal cities and directed the war efforts against the Byzantine Empire , including the first Muslim naval campaigns. After Uthman's assassination in 656, Muawiyah took up the cause of avenging the caliph and opposed his successor, Ali . During the First Muslim Civil War , the two led their armies to a stalemate at the Battle of Siffin in 657, prompting an abortive series of arbitration talks to settle the war. Afterward, Muawiyah gained recognition as caliph by his Syrian supporters and his ally Amr ibn al-As , who conquered Egypt from Ali's governor in 658. After the assassination of Ali in 661, Muawiyah compelled Ali's son and successor Hasan to abdicate in Kufa and Muawiyah's suzerainty was acknowledged throughout the Caliphate. Domestically, Muawiyah relied on loyalist Syrian tribes and Syria's Christian-dominated bureaucracy. He is credited with establishing government departments responsible for the postal route , correspondences and chancellery. Externally, he engaged his troops in almost yearly land and sea raids against the Byzantines, including a failed siege of Constantinople , though the tide turned against the Arabs toward the end of his reign and he sued for a truce. In the provinces of Iraq and the eastern Caliphate, he delegated authority to the powerful governors al-Mughira and Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan , the latter of whom he controversially adopted as his brother. Ziyad restarted the eastward Arab conquests in Khurasan and Sijistan and reformed Iraq's army and tax administrations. Under Muawiyah's direction, the Muslim conquest of Ifriqiya (central North Africa) was launched by the commander Uqba ibn Nafi in 670. Although Muawiyah confined the influence of his Umayyad clan to the governorship of Medina , he nominated his own son, Yazid I , as his successor. It was an unprecedented move in Islamic politics and opposition to it by prominent Muslim leaders, including Ali's son Husayn and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr , persisted after Muawiyah's death, culminating with the outbreak of the Second Muslim Civil War .

Founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 680 For other persons named Mu'awiya, see Muawiya (name) . Mu'awiya I ( ; c. 597, 603 or 605 –April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate , ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and immediately after the four Rashidun ('rightly-guided') caliphs. Unlike his predecessors, who had been close, early companions of Muhammad , Mu'awiya was a relatively late follower of the Islamic prophet. Mu'awiya and his father Abu Sufyan had opposed Muhammad, their distant Qurayshite kinsman and later Mu'awiya's brother-in-law, until Muhammad captured Mecca in 630. Afterward, Mu'awiya became one of Muhammad's scribes . He was appointed by Caliph Abu Bakr ( r. 632–634 ) as a deputy commander in the conquest of Syria . He was appointed governor of Damascus by caliph Umar ( r. 634–644 ) and later, governor of Syria during the reign of his Umayyad kinsman , Caliph Uthman ( r. 644–656 ). He allied with the province's powerful Banu Kalb tribe, developed the defenses of its coastal cities, and directed the war effort against the Byzantine Empire , including the first Muslim naval campaigns. In response to Uthman's assassination in 656, Mu'awiya took up the cause of avenging the murdered caliph and opposed the election of Ali . During the First Muslim Civil War , the two led their armies to a stalemate at the Battle of Siffin in 657, prompting an abortive series of arbitration talks to settle the dispute. Afterward, Mu'awiya gained recognition as caliph by his Syrian supporters and his ally Amr ibn al-As , who conquered Egypt from Ali's governor in 658. Following the assassination of Ali in 661, Mu'awiya compelled Ali's son and successor Hasan to abdicate and Mu'awiya's suzerainty was acknowledged throughout the Caliphate. Domestically, Mu'awiya relied on loyalist Syrian Arab tribes and Syria's Christian-dominated bureaucracy. He is credited with establishing government departments responsible for the postal route , correspondence, and chancellery. He was the first caliph whose name appeared on coins, inscriptions, or documents of the nascent Islamic empire. Externally, he engaged his troops in almost yearly land and sea raids against the Byzantines, including a failed siege of Constantinople . In Iraq and the eastern provinces, he delegated authority to the powerful governors al-Mughira and Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan , the latter of whom he controversially adopted as his brother. Under Mu'awiya's direction, the Muslim conquest of Ifriqiya (central North Africa) was launched by the commander Uqba ibn Nafi in 670, while the conquests in Khurasan and Sijistan on the eastern frontier were resumed. Although Mu'awiya confined the influence of his Umayyad clan to the governorship of Medina , he nominated his own son, Yazid I , as his successor. It was an unprecedented move in Islamic politics and opposition to it by prominent Muslim leaders, including Ali's son Husayn , and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr , persisted after Mu'awiya's death, culminating with the outbreak of the Second Muslim Civil War . While there is considerable admiration for Mu'awiya in the contemporary sources, he has been criticized for lacking the justice and piety of the Rashidun and transforming the office of the caliphate into a kingship. Besides these criticisms, Sunni Muslim tradition views him as a companion of Muhammad and a scribe of Qur'anic revelation.

Founder of the Umayyad Caliphate "Mu'awiya" redirects here. Mu'awiya I ( c. 597, 603 or 605 –April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate , ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and immediately after the four Rashidun ('rightly-guided') caliphs. Unlike his predecessors, who had been close, early companions of Muhammad , Mu'awiya was a relatively late follower of Muhammad. Mu'awiya and his father Abu Sufyan had opposed Muhammad, their distant Qurayshite kinsman and later Mu'awiya's brother-in-law, until Muhammad captured Mecca in 630. Afterward, Mu'awiya became one of Muhammad's scribes . He was appointed by Caliph Abu Bakr ( r. 632–634 ) as a deputy commander in the conquest of Syria . He moved up the ranks through Umar 's caliphate ( r. 634–644 ) until becoming governor of Syria during the reign of his Umayyad kinsman , Caliph Uthman ( r. 644–656 ). He allied with the province's powerful Banu Kalb tribe, developed the defenses of its coastal cities, and directed the war effort against the Byzantine Empire , including the first Muslim naval campaigns. In response to Uthman's assassination in 656, Mu'awiya took up the cause of avenging the murdered caliph and opposed the election of Ali . During the First Muslim Civil War , the two led their armies to a stalemate at the Battle of Siffin in 657, prompting an abortive series of arbitration talks to settle the dispute. Afterward, Mu'awiya gained recognition as caliph by his Syrian supporters and his ally Amr ibn al-As , who conquered Egypt from Ali's governor in 658. Following the assassination of Ali in 661, Mu'awiya compelled Ali's son and successor Hasan to abdicate and Mu'awiya's suzerainty was acknowledged throughout the Caliphate. Domestically, Mu'awiya relied on loyalist Syrian Arab tribes and Syria's Christian-dominated bureaucracy. He is credited with establishing government departments responsible for the postal route , correspondence, and chancellery. He was the first caliph whose name appeared on coins, inscriptions, or documents of the nascent Islamic empire. Externally, he engaged his troops in almost yearly land and sea raids against the Byzantines, including a failed siege of Constantinople . In Iraq and the eastern provinces, he delegated authority to the powerful governors al-Mughira and Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan , the latter of whom he controversially adopted as his brother. Under Mu'awiya's direction, the Muslim conquest of Ifriqiya (central North Africa) was launched by the commander Uqba ibn Nafi in 670, while the conquests in Khurasan and Sijistan on the eastern frontier were resumed. Although Mu'awiya confined the influence of his Umayyad clan to the governorship of Medina , he nominated his own son, Yazid I , as his successor. It was an unprecedented move in Islamic politics and opposition to it by prominent Muslim leaders, including Ali's son Husayn , and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr , persisted after Mu'awiya's death, culminating with the outbreak of the Second Muslim Civil War . While there is considerable admiration for Mu'awiya in the contemporary sources, he has been criticized for lacking the justice and piety of the Rashidun and transforming the office of the caliphate into a kingship. Besides these criticisms, Sunni Muslim tradition honors him as a companion of Muhammad and a scribe of Qur'anic revelation. In Shia Islam , Mu'awiya is reviled for opposing Ali, accused of poisoning his son Hasan, and held to have accepted Islam without conviction. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).