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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Muawiya Mu'awiya 'the Hadi' Took Interest We read in Muwatta Book 31, Number 31.16.33 under the chapter "Selling Gold for Silver, Minted and Unminted": Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan sold a gold or silver drinking-vessel for more than its weight.

Abu'dDarda said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbidding such sales except like for like." Muawiya said to him, "I don't see any harm in it." Abu'd-Darda said to him, "Who will excuse me from Muawiya? I tell him something from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he gives me his own opinion! I will not live in the same land as you!" Then Abu'd-Darda went to Umar ibn al-Khattab and mentioned that to him.

Umar ibn al-Khattab therefore wrote to Muawiya, "Do not sell it except like for like, weight for weight." Muwatta Book 31, Number 31.16.33 Just contemplate the significance of this narration. Mu'awiya had entered in to a profit making transaction that was haraam. Abu'd-Darda corrected him and told him of the verdict of Rasulullah (s) on the matter only permitting such transactions on a 'like for like' basis.

Rather than concede that he was wrong, Abu Sulaiman's Hadi replies "I don't see any harm in it" - thus justifying his opinion over that of Rasulullah (s). We congratulate Abu Sulaiman for grasping a Hadi who has no shame in holding an opinion different to that of Rasulullah (s)! One would think that the natural response would be for Mu'awiya to desist from such actions in the future, Mu'awiya had been told clearly by Abu'd Darda and Umar that an individual can only sell a like for like item i.e.

Gold for Gold. The position under the Sharia had been made clear and yet as Khalifa, Abu Sulaiman's Hadi Imam continued to ignore the order of Rasulullah (s) on the matter. We read in Sahih Muslim Book 010, Number 3852: "Abil Qiliba reported: I was in Syria (having) a circle (of friends). in which was Muslim b. Yasir. There came Abu'l-Ash'ath. He (the narrator) said that they (the friends) called him: Abu'l-Ash'ath, Abu'l-Ash'ath, and he sat down.

I said to him: Narrate to our brother the hadith of Ubada b. Samit. He said: Yes. We went out on an expedition, Mu'awiya being the leader of the people, and we gained a lot of spoils of war. And there was one silver utensil in what we took as spoils.