Abu Sufyan too was sometimes commissioned to collect alms.

Abu Sufyan too was sometimes commissioned to collect alms. One day the Prophet sent Ibn 'Abbas to fetch Mu'awiyah to write a letter and carry out an order for him. Ibn 'Abbas found him at his meal, so he returned and reported it to the Prophet. Once again Ibn 'Abbas was asked to go to fetch Mu'awiyah. After he found him still at his meal, and Mu'awiyah refused to come.

This incident occurred for the third time, and when Ibn 'Abbas was unable to fetch him to carry out the Prophet, the Prophet cursed Mu'awiyah with these words: "May God never satisfy his belly!" 79 Later on Mu'awiyah stated: "The Prophet's curse was fulfilled in my case", for, he partook of several meals a day, and an enormous quantity of food 80 and still he felt hungry, so that his gluttony had become proverbial, and the people said of a gluttonous person: "It seems as if Mu'awiyah is in his belly!" Irrespective of the position of scribe which was not so significant owing to the multiplicity of the Prophet's scribes, Mu'awiyah was not regarded as an important personality even though he was the son of the former chief of the Quraysh and top person of Mecca, since the position of Abu Sufyan as a chief no longer existed with the overthrow of the domination of the Quraysh.

There were also other reasons for this indifference: firstly he did not possess such qualities as chastity and knowledge which inspire true respect. Secondly, now he was not financially so rich as to dazzle the shallow-minded with his wealth. One day female Emigrant consulted the Prophet about her marriage with Mu'awiyah or one of the two other Muslims.

The Prophet said: "Mu'awiyah is an indigent man who has no wealth."81,82 The future black deeds of Mu'awiyah could not be hidden from the discerning and divinely penetrating eyes of the Prophet of Islam. Therefore on various occasions he warned the Muslims about Mu'awiyah and his associates.

We see many examples of this in historical incidents, such as the following: One day when the Prophet was leaving Medina in a journey, he heard two people singing, and each one repeated the following line after the other: "The bones of our friends are still exposed, The war has prevented their burial and concealment, The Prophet said: 'find out who they are!' They said: 'They are Mu'awiyah and 'Amr ibn al-'As!' The Prophet raised his arms in prayer and said: 'O God!

Throw these two in mischief 79.