# Was Muawiya a good ruler?

*Muawiya's rule: stability, expansion and Sasanid administration*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/8/
- Date: 2020-10-16 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (27:40–29:43)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=1660s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/

**Topics:** Umayyads and Abbasids; Succession and the first civil wars

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Under Muawiya there was stability, expansion and economic growth, helped by Sasanid revenue methods, but Banu Umayya's hold on power was cemented.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that under Muawiya's rule things were actually very stable, with renewed expansion and an improving economy.

**Evidence, his words at 27:40:** “But, on on the flip side of the coin in under Muawiyah's rule things were actually very stable. And there's once again expansion. There's there's the economy improves for Muslims.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=1660s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says that under Muawiya's rule things were very stable, with renewed expansion and an improving economy. He says there are many records of Muawiya asking former Sasanid imperial administrators how they raised revenue, and adopting their contracts on land and produce, including fiefdoms whose holders gave a share of the produce, a style of contract the Arabs had not known. At the same time, he says, Banu Umayya were consolidated and cemented in power, carrying a sense from before Islam that they were the real chiefs.

## Sources and names cited

- Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan
- the Sasanians
- Banu Umayya

## Transcript (machine tier, 27:40–29:43)

[27:10] If it will stop all of this and if it will bring peace and unity, then it makes no difference. And with that things actually for a few decades for a couple of decades stabilize. But, what this does do is it solidifies once again Bani Umayya. So, Bani Umayya once again because once Muawiyah gets into control he makes sure that obviously his people are everywhere.

[27:40] So, Bani Umayya once again in the powerful positions. But, on on the flip side of the coin in under Muawiyah's rule things were actually very stable. And there's once again expansion. There's there's the economy improves for Muslims. There's many records of how Muawiyah even looks into how can we expand on the economy. And he learns from certain of the previous Sassanid imperial administrators that how did you guys used to raise revenue?

[28:15] Like apart from just saying take it off the people. Like how did you used to do and they speak to him about they guide him on how certain treaties and contracts worked with land and produce. So, he then implements part of that. Like he sets up certain these people who had certain fiefs you know, fiefdoms and they had certain land and they would have a certain contract on when we produce this we give this much of the produce and we do it in this particular way.

[28:46] And they were Sassanid kind of contracts and administration that the Arabs weren't familiar with that particular style of contracts that they had, but he learns it from the Sassanids and and kind of employs it within the Middle East. But, the point is that there's some there is stabilization, there is peace to a great degree under his rule, but on the same token Bani Umayya are once again kind of consolidated.

[29:18] So, they become just they're really cemented. Now, you have to remember they have this history of feeling that we really were the the real chiefs. They do have this that they feel that look ultimately in the time you know, pre-Islam we were the you know, we were the daddies.

[29:42] They do have this kind of attitude. So, what happens as Muawiyah is to pass away? He says that I will I'm setting about an heir to the throne. The heir is none other than Yazid. That's his son. So, Muawiyah just has one son. And this is, you know, it's Yazid.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment iaBL5ViS3Rg/s/8. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/8/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.