Next comes the ḥadith of Ibn Abī ʿUmayrah:
“O Allah, make him a guide, one who is himself rightly guided.” (1)
I say: Al-Bukhārī, in the Book of Merits (2) under the entry “Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān,” said:
“Al-Ḥasan ibn Bishr narrated to us; al-Muʿāfā narrated to us; from ʿUthmān ibn al-Aswad; from Ibn Abī Mulaykah, who said: Muʿāwiyah performed witr after the ʿIshāʾ prayer with a single rakʿah while a client of Ibn ʿAbbās was present. The man went to Ibn ʿAbbās and said (3): ‘Leave him alone, for he kept company with the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him.’
“Ibn Abī Maryam narrated to us; Nāfiʿ ibn ʿUmar narrated to us; Ibn Abī Mulaykah narrated to us, who said: It was said to Ibn ʿAbbās, ‘What do you say about the Commander of the Believers, Muʿāwiyah? He performs no witr except a single rakʿah!’ He replied, ‘He is correct; he is a jurist.’
“ʿAmr ibn ʿAbbās narrated to us; [Muḥammad ibn] Jaʿfar narrated to us; Shuʿbah narrated to us; from Abū al-Tiyāḥ, who said: I heard Ḥumrān (4) ibn (5) Abān report from Muʿāwiyah that he said, ‘You people are praying two rakʿahs; we accompanied the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and never saw him pray them. Indeed, he forbade them,’ meaning the two rakʿahs after ʿAṣr.”
Al-Bukhārī then said:
“Under the heading of Hind bint ʿUtbah bint Rabīʿah: ʿAbdān narrated to us (6); ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us; Yūnus narrated to us; from al-Zuhrī; who said: ʿUrwah told me that ʿĀʾishah said:
‘Hind bint ʿUtbah (7) came and said, “O Messenger of Allah! There was no household on the face of the earth that I wished to see humiliated more than the people of your household; [and today there is no household on the face of the earth that I love to see honored more than the people of your household] (8).” He replied, “And likewise, by Him in Whose hand is my soul.” She (9) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Abū Sufyān is a tight-fisted man; is there any sin on me if I take from his wealth to feed our dependents?” He said, “No [as I see it], only what is reasonable” (11).’ ”
The commendation lies in his statement, “And likewise, by Him in Whose hand is my soul.” Formerly he wished for Hind, her people, and every disbeliever to be abased while they remained in disbelief; but once they embraced Islam he desired that they be honored, and Allah indeed honored them—that is, the people of her household.