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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib Mu`awiyah Ibn Abi-sufyan Mu`awiyah was born from the womb of Hind bint `Utbah and was the son of Abū-Sufyan ibn Harb. Hind was first married to Fakihah ibn Mughirah. When Fakihah was killed at the hands of Banū-Judhaymah, she married Hafs ibn Mughirah, and married Abi-Sufyan when Hafs died. Hind was on top of the roster of women of ill repute in Makkah and was in the forefront of the enemies of Islam.

In the Battle of Uhud, she rendered martial songs to encourage the infidels to fight the Muslims. She chewed the liver of the Prophet’s uncle, Hamzah, and set a record of barbarity. She was known from that time as The Eater of the Liver. Similarly Abū-Sufyan too was a sworn enemy of the Prophet of Islam (a.s) and was a part of the conspiracy that forced the Prophet (a.s) to migrate from Makkah to al-Madinah.

Even after the Migration Abi-Sufyan continued to fight with the Prophet (a.s) and the battles of Badr, Uhud and al-Ahzab were fought by the infidels at his instance. When Makkah was conquered in 8H, he accepted Islam along with his son Mu`awiyah to save his and his children’s’ lives. Jalaluddin al-Suyūti has written: “Mu`awiyah, along with his father, accepted Islam on the day Makkah was conquered and participated in the Campaign of Hunayn.

He was in the list of al-Mu’allafatu-Qulūbuhum” The al-Mu’allafatu-Qulūbuhum are the persons who did not embrace Islam through their own conviction but they had done it out of fear for their lives. It was like the abjectly defeated surrendering to the victor! Therefore, Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) has said about them, “By Allah!

They had not embraced Islam but had bowed down their heads!” Notwithstanding this explicit Islam of those persons, the Prophet (a.s) included them in the fold so that they might slowly understand the teachings of the Faith. In fact, to humor them he gave them more facilities than to the other Muslims. Therefore, from the booty of the Battle of Hunayn he gave more to Abū-Sufyan and his two sons Yazid and Mu`awiyah.

Abū-Sufyan and his two sons got the share of al-Mu’allafatu-Qulūbuhum , that was a hundred camels each while the other Muslims got four camels each. The control of Mu`awiyah over the territory of Syria came about in the following manner. Abū-Bakr decided to attack Syria He organized four contingents of men under Shurahbil ibn Hasnah, Abū-`Ubaydah al-Jarrah, Yazid ibn Abi-Sufyan and `Amr ibn al-`As.