A Stance Of Muawiyah With The King Of Rome
Selections from the Book Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (His Character And Era) And The Sufyanid State …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (14)
The king of Rome took advantage of the conflict that occurred between Commander of the Faithful Ali and Muawiya, may Allah be pleased with them both, and he aspired to annex some of the lands under Muawiya’s control. Ibn Kathir said: “…and the king of Rome coveted Muawiyah after he used to fear him and be humiliated by him, as Muawiyah had defeated their armies and expelled them. But when the king of Rome saw Muawiyah preoccupied with the war against Ali, he advanced toward some territories with massive troops and desired to seize them. So Muawiyah wrote to him: By Allah, if you do not stop and return to your land, O cursed one, I will reconcile with my cousin against you, and I will drive you out of all your land, and I will make the earth, vast as it is, too narrow for you. At that, the king of Rome became afraid and withdrew, and he sent seeking a truce.”
This report indicates that the conflict between him and Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, would not last for a moment if the security of the Islamic state in al-Sham were threatened. Had the Romans not known that these internal disagreements were entirely forgettable, they would not have taken Muawiyah’s warning seriously and withdrawn their hands.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (His Character And Era) And The Sufyanid State, pp. 263-264.
- The Beginning and the End (8/122).
- The Political Role of the Elite in Early Islam, p. 211.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of “Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (His Character And Era) And The Sufyanid State” on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
