Documents of the Right Word

politics best. Wouldn’t your father like you to become the Emîrul-mu’minîn?’
Yezîd told his father about this. Hadrat Mu’âwiya
sent for Mughîra and asked him. Mughîra was one of the greatest
of the Sahâba and one of those who promised homage (to the
Prophet) under the tree. Mughîra said, ‘O Emîr al-mu’minîn! You
have seen all the so many tumults that have broken out and so
much blood that has been shed after hadrat ’Uthmân. Make
Yezîd Khalîfa! He will be an asylum for people. It will be an
auspicious deed. You will have prevented fitna.’ Mughîra chose
ten people from Kûfa and sent them to Damascus with his son.
They persuaded the Khalîfa. When Ziyâd heard about this, he
gave advice to Yezîd. Yezîd corrected his manners, habits and
attitudes. Hadrat Mu’âwiya convened many of his governors in
Damascus and consulted with them. One of them, Dahhâk by
name, asked for permission and said, ‘O Emîr al-mu’minîn! After
you, a person will be needed for the protection of Muslims. Thus
Muslims’ blood will not be shed. They will live in peace and
comfort. Yezîd is very clever. In knowledge and mildness he is
superior to us all. Make him Khalîfa!’ A few other outstanding
Damascenes made similar talks. Damascenes and Iraqis agreed in
Yezîd’s caliphate. Upon hearing these statements, hadrat
Mu’âwiya thought it would be auspicious to do so. He came to
Mekka, where he had sweet conversations with hadrat Huseyn,
Abdullah bin Zubeyr and Abdullah bin ’Umar. After making hajj,
he called them again and said to them, ‘You see how much I love
you. Yezîd is your brother. He is your paternal cousin. I want you
to accept his caliphate for the salvation of Muslims. Yet I shall put
the following stipulations: Appointment and dismissal of
governors, collecting zakât, ushr and other taxes, and delivering
the arriving property to the right places shall be under your
control. Yezîd shall not interfere with any of these procedures.’
[This meant to say that he was going to make a constitution]. They
were quiet. He asked them once more to answer him. They would
not answer this time, either. Then the Khalîfa mounted the
menber and made a speech: ‘Eminent ones of this Ummat have
accepted Yezîd as Khalîfa. (I offer you to) accept him, too.’ So
they accepted him. Then hadrat Mu’âwiya came to Medîna and
made the same proposition to its people. They, too, agreed. Then
he went back to Damascus.”
As it is seen, hadrat Mu’âwiya did not think of making Yezîd
Khalîfa. It was first suggested to him by people he trusted, then
advised by the eminent ones, and eventually approved by the
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