It may be replied:
They may well know (1) a man’s doctrinal affiliation, yet they do not address him by this name, but by another of his names, so determined are they to shun it altogether. Another manifestation of their bigotry is that whenever they encounter someone named Ali, Jafar, Hasan, or Husayn, they hasten to honor him (2), even though he may be a flagrant sinner and may secretly be a Sunni, for Sunnis also bear these names. All of this stems from bigotry and ignorance. Another manifestation of their bigotry and ignorance is that they hate every member of the Banū Umayya because some of them hated Ali.
Yet there were righteous men among the Banū Umayya who died before the civil strife. Moreover, more of the Prophet’s officials came from the Banū Umayya than from any other tribe. When he conquered Mecca, he appointed Attāb ibn Asīd ibn Abū al-Īs ibn Umayya (3) to govern it. He also appointed Khālid ibn Saīd ibn al-Ās (4) ibn Umayya and his two brothers (5), Abān ibn Saīd (6) and Saīd ibn Saīd, to other offices (7), and he appointed Abū Sufyān ibn
(1) A and B read: “They already know.”
(2) N and M read: “to treating him with honor.”
(3) *Sīrat Ibn Hishām*, 4/83, states: “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—appointed 'Attāb ibn Asīd ibn Abī al-'Īs ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams as governor of Mecca over those who remained behind. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then continued on his way to confront Hawāzin.” The manuscript copies read: “'Attāb ibn Asīd ibn Abī al-'Ās ibn Umayya,” which is an error. See *al-Isāba*, 2/444.
(4) A and B read: “ibn Abī al-'Ās”; this is an error.
(5) N, M, and W read: “and his brother.”
(6) The words “ibn Sa'īd” are omitted from A and B.
(7) *Sīrat Ibn Hishām*, 5/229, states that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—appointed Khālid ibn Sa'īd ibn al-'Ās to collect the obligatory alms among Murād, Zabīd, and all of Madhhij. *Al-Isāba*, 1/24, states: “A report in al-Bukhārī and Abū Dāwūd, narrated from Abū Hurayra, says: ‘The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—dispatched Abān ibn Sa'īd ibn al-'Ās in command of an expedition toward Najd....’ Al-Wāqidī said: ‘Ibrāhīm ibn Ja'far narrated to us, from his father, from 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azīz, who said: “The Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—died while Abān ibn Sa'īd was governor of Bahrain.”’” *Al-Isāba*, 2/45, states concerning Sa'īd ibn Sa'īd ibn al-'Ās: “The Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—appointed him to oversee the market of Mecca.”