2314 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to me; Abū al-Mughīra narrated to us; Hishām ibn al-Ghāz narrated to us; Yūnus al-Haram narrated to me, from Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī, that he once called out to Muʿāwiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), son of Abū Sufyān, while Muʿāwiyah was seated upon the pulpit in Damascus, and said:

“O Muʿāwiyah, you are but one grave among many. If you arrive with something, something will be granted to you; but if you arrive with nothing, then nothing will be yours. O Muʿāwiyah, do not imagine that the caliphate is merely gathering wealth and distributing it. Rather, the caliphate is to act according to the truth, to speak with justice, and to hold people accountable for the sake of Allah.

“O Muʿāwiyah, we care nothing for the muddiness of the rivers so long as the head-spring remains clear for us—and you are the very head-spring, the apple of our eyes. O Muʿāwiyah, should you show special favor to one tribe of the Arabs, your justice will erase whatever bias may appear. ”

When Abū Muslim had finished his address, Muʿāwiyah turned toward him and said, “May Allah have mercy on you, may Allah have mercy on you.”