Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (3/133)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

even though at times some of them felt aggrieved by him—such, after all, is the nature that befits a sovereign.

And though many other Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were by far better, more virtuous, and more upright than he, this man nevertheless attained mastery and ruled the world through the perfection of his intellect, the breadth of his forbearance, the generosity of his soul, and the strength of his shrewdness and judgment. He had his lapses and shortcomings, and to Allah is the final appointment.

He was beloved by his subjects. He served as governor of Syria for twenty years and as caliph for another twenty; during his reign no one dared provoke him. Rather, nations submitted to his authority, and he ruled both Arabs and non-Arabs. His dominion encompassed the Two Sanctuaries, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Khurasan, Persia, the Jazīrah, Yemen, the Maghrib, and other lands besides.

Ismāʿīl b. Umayyah relates that ʿUmar entrusted Syria exclusively to Muʿāwiyah and granted him a monthly stipend of eighty dinars. The sound version (1) is that it was ʿUthmān who placed Syria under Muʿāwiyah’s sole command.

A man reported: When ʿUmar arrived in Syria, Muʿāwiyah met him with a magnificent cortege and splendid array. As he drew near, ʿUmar said, “Are you the one who travels in that grand procession?” He replied, “Yes.” ʿUmar added, “Along with (2) what I have heard about the long wait that petitioners endure at your door?” He answered, “Yes.” ʿUmar asked, “And why do you do that?” Muʿāwiyah replied, “We live in a land teeming with enemy spies, so we must display the majesty of authority in a way that strikes fear into them. If you forbid me, I will desist.”

ʿUmar said, “O Muʿāwiyah! Whenever I question you about something, you leave me like a morsel caught between the molars—if what you say is true, it is the judgment of a perceptive man; and if it is false, it is the stratagem of a cultured one.” Muʿāwiyah responded, “Then command me.” ʿUmar answered, “I neither command you nor forbid you.”

Someone remarked, “Commander of the Believers, how excellent was the outcome of the matter you raised!” He replied, “Because his points of departure and his replies were so sound, we imposed on him what we imposed on him. (3)"

(1) In the printed edition it was corrupted to read “al-mafhum.” (2) The word maʿ (with) is missing from the printed text. (3) Reported by Ibn Abi Dunya, as quoted by Ibn Kathir, 8/124, through the chain: Muhammad ibn Qudama al-Jawhari – Abd al-Aziz ibn Yahya – an unnamed shaykh.

بَعْضُهُمْ تَأَلَّمَ مَرَّةً مِنْهُ، وَكَذَلِكَ فَلْيَكُنِ المَلِكُ. وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرُهُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْراً مِنْهُ بِكَثِيْرٍ، وَأَفْضَلَ، وَأَصْلَحَ، فَهَذَا الرَّجُلُ سَادَ وَسَاسَ العَالَمَ بِكَمَالِ عَقْلِهِ، وَفَرْطِ حِلْمِهِ، وَسَعَةِ نَفْسِهِ، وَقُوَّةِ دَهَائِهِ وَرَأْيِهِ. وَلَهُ هَنَاتٌ وَأُمُوْرٌ، وَاللهُ المَوْعِدُ. وَكَانَ مُحَبَّباً إِلَى رَعِيَّتِهِ. عَمِلَ نِيَابَةَ الشَّامِ عِشْرِيْنَ سَنَةً، وَالخِلاَفَةَ عِشْرِيْنَ سَنَةً، وَلَمْ يَهِجْهُ أَحَدٌ فِي دَوْلَتِهِ، بَلْ دَانَتْ لَهُ الأُمَمُ، وَحَكَمَ عَلَى العَرَبِ وَالعَجَمِ، وَكَانَ مُلْكُهُ عَلَى الحَرَمَيْنِ، وَمِصْرَ، وَالشَّامِ، وَالعِرَاقِ، وَخُرَاسَانَ، وَفَارِسٍ، وَالجَزِيْرَةِ، وَاليَمَنِ، وَالمَغْرِبِ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيْلَ بنِ أُمَيَّةَ: أَنَّ عُمَرَ أَفْرَدَ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالشَّامِ، وَرَزَقَهُ فِي الشَّهْرِ ثَمَانِيْنَ دِيْنَاراً. وَالمَحْفُوْظُ (١) : أَنَّ الَّذِي أَفْرَدَ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالشَّامِ عُثْمَانُ. وَعَنْ رَجُلٍ، قَالَ: لَمَّا قَدِمَ عُمَرُ الشَّامَ، تَلَقَّاهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ فِي مَوْكِبٍ عَظِيْمٍ، وَهَيْئَةٍ، فَلَمَّا دَنَا مِنْهُ، قَالَ: أَنْتَ صَاحِبُ المَوْكِبِ العَظِيْمِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: مَعَ (٢) مَا بَلَغَنِي عَنْكَ مِنْ طُوْلِ وُقُوْفِ ذَوِي الحَاجَاتِ بِبَابِكَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: وَلِمَ تَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: نَحْنُ بِأَرْضٍ جَوَاسِيْسُ العَدُوِّ بِهَا كَثِيْرٌ، فَيَجِبُ أَنْ نُظْهِرَ مِنْ عِزِّ السُّلْطَانِ مَا يُرْهِبُهُم، فَإِنْ نَهَيْتَنِي، انْتَهَيْتُ. قَالَ: يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ! مَا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ تَرَكْتَنِي فِي مِثْلِ رَوَاجِبِ الضَّرِسِ، لَئِنْ كَانَ مَا قُلْتَ حَقّاً، إِنَّهُ لَرَأْيُ أَرِيْبٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ بَاطِلاً، فَإِنَّهُ لَخُدْعَةُ أَدِيْبٍ. قَالَ: فَمُرْنِي. قَالَ: لاَ آمُرُكَ، وَلاَ أَنْهَاكَ. فَقِيْلَ: يَا أَمِيْرَ المُؤْمِنِيْنَ! مَا أَحْسَنَ مَا صَدَرَ عَمَّا أَوْرَدْتَهُ. قَالَ: لِحُسْنِ مَصَادِرِهِ وَمَوَارِدِهِ جَشَّمْنَاهُ مَا جَشَّمْنَاهُ (٣) .

(١) تحرف في المطبوع إلى " المفهوم ". (٢) كلمة " مع " سقطت من المطبوع. (٣) أخرجه ابن أبي الدنيا فيما ذكره ابن كثير ٨ / ١٢٤ من طريق محمد بن قدامة الجوهري، عن عبد العزيز بن يحيى، عن شيخ له.