Muāwiyah’s merits in good governance, justice, and benevolence were many.
It is related in al-Sahīh that a man said to Ibn Abbās:
“What do you say about the Commander of the Faithful, Muāwiyah? He performed the witr prayer as one rakah (1).”
He replied:
“He was correct; he is a jurist (2).”
Al-Baghawī narrated in his Mujam with his chain of transmission—and Ibn Battah narrated it through another route—both of them from Saīd ibn Abd al-Azīz, from Ismāīl ibn Abd Allāh (3) ibn Abī al-Muhājir, from Qays ibn al-Hārith, from al-Sunābihī, from Abū al-Dardā, who said:
“I have never seen anyone whose prayer more closely resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—than this leader of yours.” He meant Muāwiyah (4).
This (5) is the Companions’ testimony to his juristic understanding and religious devotion: the one who attested to his juristic understanding was Ibn Abbās, and the one who attested to the excellence of his prayer was Abū al-Dardā—and what eminent authorities they both were! Reports corroborating this are numerous (6).
(1) N and M read: “He performed one rakah as witr.”
(2) This report from Ibn Abbās appears in al-Bukhārī, 5/28–29 (Book on the Merits of the Prophet’s Companions, chapter “Mention of Muāwiyah—may Allah be pleased with him”). Its wording is: “What do you think of the Commander of the Faithful, Muāwiyah? He performed witr with only one rakah.” He replied, “He is a jurist.”
(3) N, M, and R read: “ibn Ubayd Allāh.”
(4) The report appears in al-Haythamī’s *Majma al-Zawāid*, 9/357. He said: “Al-Tabarānī narrated it, and its narrators are narrators of the *Sahīh*, except Qays ibn al-Hārith al-Madhhijī, who is trustworthy.”
(5) N and M read: “Thus, this.”
(6) Among such reports is that narrated by al-Haythamī in *Majma al-Zawāid*, 9/357, from Abd Allāh ibn Amr: Muāwiyah served as a scribe in the presence of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Tabarānī narrated it with a *hasan* chain of transmission. Another is the report narrated by al-Haythamī, 9/356–357, which also appears in *Fadāil al-Sahābah*, 2/913–915, from al-Irbād ibn Sāriyah and others: the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “O Allah, teach Muāwiyah writing and arithmetic, and protect him from punishment.” The hadith has been transmitted through several weak or *mursal* routes, but they mutually reinforce one another. See also Ibn al-Arabī’s discussion in *al-Awāsim min al-Qawāsim* and Professor Muhibb al-Dīn al-Khatīb’s comments on it, pp. 202–211 (al-Salafiyyah ed., Cairo, 1371 AH).