and the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to win over the leading men whom their clans obeyed] (1). Had Muāwiya been a fugitive, he would not have been among those whose hearts were to be reconciled. Had he embraced Islam only five months before the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—died, he would not have been given any of the spoils of Hunayn.

Anyone whose sole aim was to embrace the faith would have had no need to be won over.

Some people maintain that he embraced Islam before then, for it is authentically reported that he said:

“I trimmed the Prophet’s hair at al-Marwa.”

This was narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim [with the wording: “Do you know that I trimmed the hair of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—at al-Marwa using the blade of an arrow?” He said this to Ibn Abbās, who replied, “I know this to be an argument only against you.”] (2).

It has been said that this occurred during the Farewell Pilgrimage. However, this contradicts the hadiths narrated (3) through mass transmission from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They unanimously establish that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not exit ihram during the Farewell Pilgrimage until the Day of Sacrifice, and that he instructed his Companions (4) to exit ihram completely and perform Umrah followed by Hajj, except for anyone who had brought a sacrificial animal. Such a person was to remain in ihram until the sacrificial offering reached its appointed place. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Alī, Talha, and a group of his Companions had brought