ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Life of Imam Husain ('a) Muawiyah’s Rule After the peace pact the Muslims welcomed Muawiyah’s rulership with terror and fear because they were aware of the reality of his affair and were cognizant of his way of thinking and his beliefs and faith. On the basis of this they feared him for their religion, life and property and that which they had dreaded happened.

Thus no sooner did he gain power over the provinces that he began to spread injustice, oppression and mischief in all lands. Historians say: He adopted such a policy for Muslims that before this they had not known it because the sign of his policy was death and destruction. As if it were an axe of destruction for all human and moral values while in his time the idol worship was revived though all the people were hateful of it.

Sayyid Amir Ali says: “With the rise of Muawiyah the oligarchic rule of the heathen times displaced the democratic rule of Islam. Paganism, with all its attendant depravity, revived, and vice and immorality followed everywhere in the wake of Umayyad governors and the Syrian soldiery. Hijaz and Iraq groaned under the usurper’s rule; but his hold on the throat of Islam was too strong to be shaken off with impunity.

The wealth which he pitilessly extracted from his subjects, he lavished on his mercenaries, who in return helped him to repress all murmurings…” [1] What is confirmed and proved is that the people did not willingly support Muawiyah in his policies. Their support was obtained forcibly from them on the point of sword. Muawiyah has himself confessed to this matter and in his statement to multitudes of crowds he has said: “By Allah!

I have not achieved rulership for the sake of love you have for me, or that you are happy for my rule. Rather I have fought you with the sword. If you have seen that I have not strengthened all of your congregation, then accept less from us…” After the treaty when the community came to him like a morsel he delivered an acerbic speech at Nakhila and spoke of his tyranny and force on the people and lack of any regard for the rights of people.

He clearly declared, “By Allah, I did not fight you to make you pray, fast and perform the hajj or pay Zakat. You already perform these duties.