“If he were to die, Muzaynah would never prosper again;
so fasten upon him, O Muzaynah, every protective charm.” (1)

Yazid then walked away while Fakhitah kept her eyes on him and said, “May Allah curse the blackness of your mother’s shins!” Muʿawiyah replied, “By Allah, he is better than your son ʿAbd Allah”—and ʿAbd Allah was indeed her son, but he was foolish.

Fakhitah protested, “No, by Allah; rather you favor him over my son.”
He said, “I shall make that clear to you before you rise from this very seat.”

He summoned her son ʿAbd Allah and said, “It has occurred to me to grant you whatever you ask of me during this sitting.”
ʿAbd Allah answered, “My need is that you buy me a fine dog and a donkey.”
Muʿawiyah retorted, “My boy, you are a donkey yourself and you want me to buy you a donkey? Get up and leave.”
Then he turned to her: “What do you think now?”

Next he called for Yazid and said, “It has occurred to me to grant you whatever you ask of me during this sitting; so ask for whatever you wish.” Yazid fell in prostration; when he raised his head he said, “Praise be to Allah who has prolonged the life of the Commander of the Believers to this point and inspired him with this view of me. My request is that you confirm the pledge of succession for me after you, appoint me this year to lead the Muslims’ summer campaign, grant me permission to perform the ḥajj on my return and to preside over the pilgrimage season, increase the stipends of the people of Syria by ten dinars for every man at my intercession, and assign fixed allowances to the orphans of Banu Jumah, the orphans of Banu Sahm, and the orphans of Banu ʿAdiyy.”

He asked, “And what concern have you with the orphans of Banu ʿAdiyy?”
Yazid replied, “They have entered into alliance with me and have moved to my residence.”
Muʿawiyah said, “I have granted all of that,” then kissed his face and said to Fakhitah bint Qarazah, “What do you think now?”
She replied, “O Commander of the Believers, commend him to treat me well, for you know him better than I.” And he did so.

In another account, when his father said, “Ask me your need,” Yazid replied, “Deliver me from the Fire and Allah will deliver your neck from it.”
He asked, “How is that?”
Yazid said, “I have found in the transmitted report: ‘Whoever shoulders the affairs of this ummah for three days, Allah will make the Fire forbidden for him.’ So appoint me as your successor.” And he did. (2)

Al-ʿUtbi said: Muʿawiyah once saw his son Yazid beating a servant and said, “Know that Allah has more power over you than you have over him. Shame on you! Do you strike someone who cannot defend himself? By Allah, my own power has restrained me from exacting vengeance upon those with whom I have grievances, and the one most entitled to pardon is he who is able to retaliate.”

I say: It is authentically established that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Abu Masʿud striking his servant and said, “Know, Abu Masʿud, that Allah has more power over you than you have over him.” (3)

Al-ʿUtbi also said: Ziyad arrived with vast sums of money and with a casket filled with jewels for Muʿawiyah, and Muʿawiyah was delighted with that, so he rose