The absconding of non-Bani Hashim was a regular feature...

The absconding of non-Bani Hashim was a regular feature, what is surprising however is the presence of Abu Sufyan in the battlefield. The Banu Umayyah who had recently converted to Islam were present in the battlefield. But they were not fighting. They stood aside and watched the fighting and laughed at the difficulties suffered by the Muslims. In this battle, the chief of Bani Umayyah, Abu Sufyan was present. But they did not help the Messenger of Allah (S) even in a small measure.

He continued to watch the spectacle, laughing in merriment. These were the new Muslims and it was their first test of having accepted slam. The fact was that this person had become a Muslim under duress since the conquest of Mecca. He had accepted Islam only when he had realized that Islam had become powerful and there was no other way. If this person had been a true Muslim, he would not have remained a spectator, laughing at the combat.

He would have accompanied the holy warriors and helped the religion of Allah if he had been a sincere believer. His behavior shows that inwardly he desired the defeat of Muslims. If the situation had turned against the Muslims and they had been routed, he would surely have rushed to the tribes of Saqifah and Hawazin to congratulate them for their victory. Indeed, to refer to Bani Umayyah as Muslims is a one-sided affair. The fact is that Abu Sufyan and his men were hypocrites.

They had apparently become Muslims because they were subjugated. This tribe seems despicable from all aspects. If this tribe had not been there, the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq had not occurred. The religion of Islam had spread in peace and the lives of so many innocent people had not perished. Abu Sufyan and his people had left no stone unturned to harm Islam. If the Almighty had not appointed Ali (a.s.) as the defender of Islam, there would have been no way to protect this faith.

Apart from this, the Bani Umayyah were notorious for their moral decadence and famous for their evil deeds. It is but natural for every righteous person to despise this tribe. Thus, it was not without cause that the Holy Prophet (S) had hated this tribe. Ali (a.s.) was aware of the Prophet’s dislike of this tribe, and since he obeyed and followed the Messenger of Allah (S) to perfection, after the passing away of the Prophet, he never let the Bani Umayyah near him.