An example of these persons was al-Mughira bin Shu‘ba about...

An example of these persons was al-Mughira bin Shu‘ba about whose trick and cunning it has been said: “If al-Mughira was in a city with eight gates and none could pass through them except through trick and deception, he would pass through all its gates!” And it was said concerning his great cunning: “When an affair happened to al-Mughira, he found an outlet to it.

When two affairs became vague to him, he showed an opinion of one of them.” Yet another example of such people is Amr bin al-‘Aas who was a castle of cunning and falsehood. In respect of describing him it was said: “I have never seen (a man) greater than Amr bin al-‘Aas in overcoming the men when they came together and in spending!” He was on top of those who raised the flag of the revolt against ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan, for the latter removed him from his office.

He moved against him in spites of the people and urged those far and near to fight against him. In this respect he said: “By Allah, when I met a shepherd, I provoked him against ‘Uthman! Besides (I provoked against him) the heads and the prominent persons!”When he heard of the murder of ‘Uthman, he said: “I am Abu Abdullah.When I move an ulcer, I make it bleed!” He had deceived the Iraqi Army through raising copies of the Qur’an. He divided the Army into parts and made it different in desires.

Mu’awiya attracted these cunning people, who mixed poison with honey, clothed falsehood with the garment of truth, did not refrain from sin, and detested things for their evil tendencies. They had no objective except putting an end to the progeny of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and those associated with them from among the righteous Muslims. That was because they wanted to put an end to Islam and to go too far in practicing dissoluteness wherever they wished.

As for Imam al-Hasan (a.s) he took the decisive attitude that thinkers took. He protected the progeny of Allah’s Apostle (a.s) and spared the blood of the believers from among his followers. He thought that the sacrifice at that time would never give general interests to the Muslims, for the Umayyads would give to it various kinds of distortion and misguidance through which it would lose its morale and originality.

Enormous Properties Mu’awiya had immense wealth in Sham prepared throughout his governing it.