Muawiyah’s Early Islam Before Conquest of Mecca

Evidence of Muawiyah’s (RA) Islam Before the Conquest of Mecca

Imam al-Bukhari (رحمهالله) (d. 256 AH) said:

حَدَّثَنَاأَبُوعَاصِمٍ،عَنِابْنِجُرَيْجٍ،عَنِالحَسَنِبْنِمُسْلِمٍ،عَنْطَاوُسٍ،عَنِابْنِعَبَّاسٍ،عَنْمُعَاوِيَةَرَضِيَاللَّهُعَنْهُمْ،قَالَ:«قَصَّرْتُعَنْرَسُولِاللَّهِصَلَّىاللهُعَلَيْهِوَسَلَّمَبِمِشْقَصٍ»

“Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) narrated: ‘I shortened the hair of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with a pair of scissors.'” [Sahih al-Bukhari 1730]

The hadith in Sahih Muslim states that Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) cut this hair near “Marwah,” which is evidence that the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) was in a state of Umrah. [Sahih Muslim 1246]

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمهالله) (d. 852 AH) states:

«قولهقصرتأيأخذتمنشعررأسهوهويشعربأنذلككانفينسكإمافيحجأوعمرةوقدثبتأنهحلقفيحجتهفتعينأنيكونفيعمرة»

“Mu’awiyah’s (رضياللهعنه) statement, ‘I shortened,’ meaning I took from the hair of his head, indicates that this was during a rite of pilgrimage, either Hajj or Umrah. And since it is established that he shaved his head (Halaq) during his Hajj, it becomes determined that this was during an Umrah.” [Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar 3/565]

Now, let’s see which “Umrah” of the Prophet (ﷺ) this event belongs to. Besides the aforementioned Hajj, the Prophet (ﷺ) is proven to have performed Umrah three times:

➊ Umrah of Hudaybiyyah

➋ Umrah of Ji’ranah

➌ Umrah of al-Qada’ in Dhul-Qa’dah

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① As for the “Umrah of Hudaybiyyah,” it cannot be the one intended here because the Prophet (ﷺ) had his head shaved (Halaq) during it. The words in Sahih al-Bukhari are:

«حلقرأسه»

“Meaning, he (the Prophet ﷺ) had his head shaved (during the Umrah of Hudaybiyyah).” [Sahih al-Bukhari 1812]

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② As for the “Umrah of Ji’ranah,” it cannot be the one intended here either because:

• Firstly: He performed this Umrah at night, and besides some of the Muhajirun, no one else was aware of it, as is evident from the narration in Tirmidhi. See [Sunan al-Tirmidhi, ed. Shakir, no. 935, authenticated by al-Albani]. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمهالله) writes:
  ”ولميعدمعاويةفيمنصحبهحينئذ“
  “Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) is not mentioned among those who accompanied him at that time.” [Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, Ma’rifah ed., 3/566]
• Secondly: Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمهالله) writes:
  ”ولاكانمعاويةفيمنتخلفعنهبمكةفيغزوةحنينحتىيقاللعلهوجدهبمكةبلكانمعالقوموأعطاهمثلماأعطىأباهمنالغنيمة“
  “And Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) was not among those who stayed behind in Mecca during the Ghazwa of Hunayn, that it might be said he met the Prophet (ﷺ) in Mecca. Rather, he was with the army, and the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) gave him a share of the spoils of war just as he gave his father.” [Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, Ma’rifah ed., 3/566]
• Thirdly: In this Umrah too, the Prophet (ﷺ) had his head shaved (Halaq). Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمهالله), refuting those who considered it to be the Umrah of Ji’ranah, states:
  «وفيهنظرلأنهجاءأنهحلقفيالجعرانة»
  “This view is questionable because it is narrated that he had his head shaved (Halaq) at Ji’ranah.” [Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, Ma’rifah ed., 3/566]

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③ This leaves the “Umrah of al-Qada’ in Dhul-Qa’dah,” which is the Umrah during which Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) cut the hair of the Prophet (ﷺ).

This Umrah occurred in the seventh year after Hijrah [Fath al-Bari 7/500]. The Conquest of Mecca was an event of the eighth year after Hijrah. This proves that Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) had accepted Islam before the Conquest of Mecca. As for the narrations that mention Mu’awiyah was not a Muslim before the Conquest of Mecca, it is because Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) had not openly declared his Islam before the conquest.

From this detailed explanation, it is clear that al-Waqidi correctly reported that Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) used to say:

«ودخلرسولاللهصلىاللهعليهوسلممكةعامعمرةالقضيةوأنامسلممصدقبه،وعلمأبوسفيانبإسلاميفقاللييوما:لكنأخوكخيرمنك،فهوعلىديني،قلت:لمآلنفسيخيرا.وقال:فدخلرسولاللهصلىاللهعليهوسلممكةعامالفتحفأظهرتإسلاميولقيتهفرحببيوكتبتله»

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered Mecca in the year of the Umrah of al-Qada’, I was a Muslim and believed in him. My father, Abu Sufyan, knew about my Islam, so one day he said to me: ‘But your brother is better than you; he is on my religion.’ I replied: ‘I have not spared myself any good.’ He then said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered Mecca in the year of the conquest, I made my Islam public and met him. He welcomed me, and I wrote for him (the revelation).” [Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra 1/106]

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمهالله) in Fath al-Bari, keeping this hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari in view, has affirmed with great confidence that Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) had accepted Islam before the Conquest of Mecca. In fact, after presenting various authentic hadiths and reconciling them, he proves this very point and then states:

«وحصلالتوفيقبينالأخباركلهاوهذاممافتحاللهعليبهفيهذاالفتحوللهالحمدثمللهالحمد»

“Thus, reconciliation between all the narrations is achieved. And this is a matter that Allah has opened up (fath) for me in this Fath (a reference to his book, Fath al-Bari). All praise is for Allah, and again, all praise is for Allah.” [Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, Ma’rifah ed., 3/566]

● And in “Taqrib al-Tahdhib,” where Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمهالله) presents the summary of all his research and study, he also describes Mu’awiyah (رضياللهعنه) as having accepted Islam before the Conquest of Mecca, writing:

«معاويةبنأبيسفيانصخربنحرببنأميةالأمويأبوعبدالرحمنالخليفةصحابيأسلمقبلالفتحوكتبالوحي»

“Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayyah al-Umawi, Abu Abd al-Rahman. He was a Caliph and a Sahabi (Companion). He accepted Islam before the Conquest (of Mecca) and was a scribe of the revelation.” [Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar: no. 6758]

● Imam al-Dhahabi (رحمهالله) has also adopted this position, writing:

«معاويةبنأبيسفيان…أسلمقبلأبيهفيعمرةالقضاء»

“Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan… accepted Islam before his father, during the Umrah of al-Qada’.” [Tarikh al-Islam by al-Dhahabi, ed. Bashar, 2/540]

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From this detailed account, it is established that Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (رضياللهعنه) had accepted Islam before the Conquest of Mecca. However, he openly declared his Islam on the day of the Conquest of Mecca.

(Abul Fawzan Kifayatullah Sanabili)