How Did Mu'āwiyah React to the Martyrdom of 'Alī?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

‎ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

Translation: Dirār bin Dhamrāh al-Nahshālī entered upon Mu'āwiyah, so Mu'āwiyah asked him to describe 'Alī for him. Dirār said, 'Please pardon me from it'. Mu'āwiyah replied, 'But please do'. So he said, 'May Allāh have mercy upon 'Alī for he was amongst us, as one of us, he brought us nearer if we came to him and answered us if we asked him and took care of us well, if we visited him. His door was not closed for us and no one stayed as a barrier between us and him. And we, despite his closeness to us and his making us close to him, do not speak to him for his greatness and presence. Whenever he smiled it was like the pearls.' Mu'āwiyah then said, 'Tell me more!' Dirār said, 'May Allāh have mercy upon 'Alī, he would stay up late at night, not sleeping much, he read the Book of Allāh in the middle of the night and during the edges of the day. He was generous with his eyes (in shedding tears) and expressive in returning to his Lord. He would not close a door, nor find soft the leaning, nor would he find it hard being alone. If you would find him in his mihrāb, deep in the night, you find him touching his beard, crying the cries of a sad person whilst saying, ''O this life, to me you present yourself or do you miss me? I have no need in you'. Then he would say, ''O 'O for the distance of travel, the lack of provisions and the harshness of the road'. Mu’āwiyah began to weep, and said, 'Sufficient is that 'O Dirār, verily by Allāh, that is how 'Alī was. May Allāh shower Abū al-Hassan with His Mercy'."

Refutation:
First of all, thanks to brother Yusef (From Al Imamiyyah Discord). He provided the following:


“The narration contains 4 consecutive weak narrators:

1) Muhammad b Sinan:Najashi said very weak.

2) Mufadhal b Umar: disputed.

3) Yunus b. Dhibian: Weak according to Kashi and Najashi.

4) Sa'd b. Tarif: Weak according to Najashi and Ibn Ghadairi.”


Therefore this narration is weak. But to further refute the article let’s consider the narration as authentic and discuss it.

Brief list of things Muawiyah has done:


  1. Rose against Imam Ali (as) (who was the rightful caliph) in battle of Siffin, which led to the death of companions of the Prophet (sawa) and one of the greatest companions Ammar Ibn Yasir (ra).


  1. During his time people forsake the Sunnah of the Prophet (sawa) out of hatred for Imam Ali (as)
    https://sunnah.com/nasai/24/389

3. Killed Hajr Ibn Udai (A known companion of the Prophet) for refusing to disassociate from Imam Ali (as), as well as five others. (Al Istiaab Fe Ma’refat Al Ashaab by Ibn Abd Al Bar page 174)


4. Forced the son of Imam Ali (as), Imam Al Hassan (as) to abdicate his rightful caliphate in order to avoid bloodshed. As well as ordered his wife to poison him (Siyar Aa’lam Al Nubala V3 P274), and prostrating when news of Imam Al Hassan’s death reached him (Al Aqd Al Fareed V5 P119)


5. Actually Cursed Imam Ali (as) himself

https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah/-1/121

The link translates نال منه as criticized but it means cursed/insulted.

From the Al Maany dictionary, نال منه means: Cursed/ Insulted.


And many other narrations which show Muawiyah’s hatred towards Imam Ali (as) and his family. Therefore, even if the narration LeftShiism posted is authentic, it would only show Muawiyah’s hypocrisy as his actions have proven otherwise.


6. Sunnah to curse Imam Ali (as)!

Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani in Fath Al Bari V7 Page 71-72

https://islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&flag=1&bk_no=52&ID=6727:

"لم يرد في حق أحد من الصحابة بالأسانيد الجياد أكثر مما جاء في علي وكأن السبب في ذلك أنه تأخر ، ووقع الاختلاف في زمانه وخروج من خرج عليه ، فكان ذلك سببا لانتشار مناقبه من كثرة من كان بينها من الصحابة ردا على من خالفه ، فكان الناس طائفتين ، لكن المبتدعة قليلة جدا . ثم كان من أمر علي ما كان فنجمت طائفة أخرى حاربوه ، ثم اشتد الخطب فتنقصوه واتخذوا لعنه على المنابر سنة ، ووافقهم الخوارج على بغضه وزادوا حتى كفروه ، مضموما ذلك منهم إلى عثمان ، فصار الناس في حق علي ثلاثة : أهل السنة ، والمبتدعة من الخوارج ، والمحاربين له من بني أمية وأتباعهم"

"None of the companions had merits narrated (in good chains) as much as it had been narrated for Ali and the reason for that it that he was late (as in timeline), and conflicts occurred in his time and people deserted him, which led to increase of his merits narrated as a reply to those who opposed him, thus people were of two sects, but the Mubtadi'a (People of Bid'ah) were few, but then another sect rose to fight him, and aggression increased and they took cursing him on the Minbar as Sunnah, and the Khawarij went further and declared him Kafir (Also Uthman), thus people became of 3 sects: Ahlul Sunnah, Al Mubtadi'ah who were two, the Khawarij and the ones who fought him from Bani Ummayed and their followers"

Bani Ummayed made cursing Imam Ali (as) on the minbars as Sunnah!


7. Sending La'an on Imam Ali (as) after the end of a Khutba Tarikh Al Madhaib Al Islamiyah by Abu Zahra Volume 1 Page 35:


"Muawiyah made a bad Sunnah in his time and the time of his son and the ones after until the time of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, and that Sunnah is to curse (La'an) Imam Al Huda Ali Ibn Abi Talib after the end of the Khutbah"