Personal life and conduct, sign of fidelity or infidelity
Once, Moqaira bin Shaaba went to see Moawia. He advised him to give up some of his deeds and conduct a clean life. But Moawia told Moqaira that after death he wont be remembered. Besides such words, Moawia had some conducts in his personal life which were against Islamic teachings.
Ibn Abi al Aadid says: “clear wrongdoings of Moawia such as wearing silk clothes, using gold and silver cups, collecting the booties for himself, stoping enforcement of Islamic punishments on his beloved ones, attaching Ziad to himself and calling him his brother while the Prophet (PBUH) had said ‘person going to adulterer must be stoned’,
killing Hojr ibn Oday and his innocent followers, intimidating Abuzar by putting him on a camel with bare feet and sending him to Medina, cursing Imam Ali and Imam Hassan (PBUT) and Ibn Abbas in his speeches, appointing Yazid, the gambler and drinker as his crown prince … all prove his infidelity!
“I told Moawia” Abu Darda says “I have heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying whoever drinks from gold and silver cups, the fire from hell will fill his stomach, but Moawia answered I don’t see anything wrong with it”.
“Strange!” Abu Darda replies “I narrate the Prophet (PBUH) and he replies with his own idea! I no longer remain in any land where you are.”[1]
These words and Moawia’s behaviour have caused many Muslim thinkers to doubt his firm belief in Islam.
Source: Payame Amir al-Momenin (PBUH), vol. 3
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Note:
[1] Sharhe Nahjal Balaqa, Ibn Abi al- Hadid, vol. 5, p. 130
