Al-Asmaʿī reported—on the authority of Ibn ʿAwn—who said: A man would address Muʿāwiyah, “By Allah, Muʿāwiyah, you will set matters right for us, or we will set you right.” Muʿāwiyah would ask, “With what?” They would reply, “With sticks.” He would then say, “In that case I shall comply.” (1)

Ibn ʿAbbās said: “I know the stratagem by which Muʿāwiyah dominated people: when they ‘took flight,’ he would land, and when they ‘landed,’ he would take flight.” (2)

Mujālid reported—through al-Shaʿbī, from Ziyād ibn Abīhi—who said: “Muʿāwiyah never outdid me in anything save one affair. I had appointed a certain man, and he defaulted on the land tax. Afraid I would punish him, he fled from me to Muʿāwiyah. I wrote to Muʿāwiyah, ‘Such behaviour shows bad discipline toward my administration.’ He replied, ‘We must not manage the people with a single policy: if we were both lenient they would frolic in disobedience, and if we were both harsh we would drive them to ruin. Rather, let your role be firmness and severity, and mine gentleness and rapport.’ (3)

Abū Mushir reported—through Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz—who said: Muʿāwiyah paid a debt of eighteen thousand dinars on ʿĀʾishah’s behalf.

ʿUrwah said: “Muʿāwiyah once sent ʿĀʾishah one hundred thousand; by Allah, night had not fallen before she had distributed it all.”

Ḥusayn ibn Wāqid reported—through Ibn Buraydah—that al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī visited Muʿāwiyah, who said, “I shall honor you with a gift no one before me has given,” and then presented him with four hundred thousand. (4)

Jarīr reported—through Mughīrah—who said: “Al-Ḥasan and Ibn Jaʿfar sent to Muʿāwiyah …”