What is the ruling on one who insults Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him)?
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The questioner : Shaykh, we love you for the sake of Allah. What is the ruling on one who insults the Companion Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, who is from the people of the Sunnah?
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that he has committed a sin, and that he is sinful. Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the Caliphs of the Muslims and one of the scribes of the revelation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entrusted him with writing the revelation, which is the greatest of matters, then he is trustworthy. It is not permissible for us to insult him because of what occurred between him and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), because that occurred due to independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). A scholar who exercises independent legal reasoning in this Ummah receives one reward or two: if he errs, he receives one reward, and if he is correct, he receives two rewards. We do not doubt that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was closer to the truth than Mu'awiyah, but we do not insult Mu'awiyah for what happened because it was due to independent legal reasoning. For this reason, it is said in the creed: "And we remain silent regarding the war of the Companions, for what occurred between them was pure independent legal reasoning".
The origin of this, meaning the cursing of Mu'awiyah, as the curser claims, is to defend 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "I hope that I and Mu'awiyah will be among those about whom Allah said:", meaning in Paradise. Then, Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was a Caliph by the indication of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who is better than his brother al-Husayn, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about him: Mishkat al-Masabih 30:159 So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made al-Hasan's (may Allah be pleased with him) relinquishment of the Caliphate to Mu'awiyah a reconciliation, and this is a type of approval of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is not hidden from any of the Muslims that al-Hasan is better than al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both), and that in the fighting that occurred, 'Ali was closer to the truth. But we also love Mu'awiyah and see that he was a Caliph with a legitimate Caliphate, and that what he did was on the path of independent legal reasoning that was not correct, and every person errs and hits the mark.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that he has committed a sin, and that he is sinful. Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the Caliphs of the Muslims and one of the scribes of the revelation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entrusted him with writing the revelation, which is the greatest of matters, then he is trustworthy. It is not permissible for us to insult him because of what occurred between him and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), because that occurred due to independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). A scholar who exercises independent legal reasoning in this Ummah receives one reward or two: if he errs, he receives one reward, and if he is correct, he receives two rewards. We do not doubt that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was closer to the truth than Mu'awiyah, but we do not insult Mu'awiyah for what happened because it was due to independent legal reasoning. For this reason, it is said in the creed: "And we remain silent regarding the war of the Companions, for what occurred between them was pure independent legal reasoning".
The origin of this, meaning the cursing of Mu'awiyah, as the curser claims, is to defend 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "I hope that I and Mu'awiyah will be among those about whom Allah said:
on thrones facing each other
على سرر متقابلينThis son of mine is a sayyid , and perhaps God m ay reconcile two large parties of Muslims by means of him.
إن ابني هذا سيد وسيصلح الله به بين فئتين متقاتلتين من المسلمينIt is not hidden from any of the Muslims that al-Hasan is better than al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both), and that in the fighting that occurred, 'Ali was closer to the truth. But we also love Mu'awiyah and see that he was a Caliph with a legitimate Caliphate, and that what he did was on the path of independent legal reasoning that was not correct, and every person errs and hits the mark.