The Umayyad Caliph & His Love for the Ahl al-Bayt

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

When Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah was killed, the Umayyad ruling family appointed his son, Hadhrat Mu’awiyah ibn Yazid (r.a.), better known as Mu’awiyah II, as the next caliph.  Hadhrat Mu’awiyah II (r.a.), however, was a very pious young man who had immense love for the Prophet (s.a.w.) and his family.  So, in his opening speech he said, “My forefathers unlawfully took this caliphate from those who deserved it much more than them.  And for this they fought and killed the closest of people to Rasulullah (s.a.w.).  They are now Answering for what they did.  I have no desire for such a position, and I give it up.  So, choose for yourself whoever else you want, and excuse me.” 

They, then, insisted he appoint someone else.  But he flatly refused, saying that he could not bear this burden, and left the mosque crying.  His entire family cursed him.  Eventually, they went to his shaykh, Shaykh ‘Amru (r.a.) and accused him of “brainwashing” the boy with the love of Ahl al-Bayt and other “wrong ideas”, and buried the old man alive.  Thereafter, the Umayyads poisoned Hadhrat Mu’awiyah II (r.a.) as well, and after his death, appointed the cursed Marwan ibn al-Hakam, as the caliph.  A year later, Marwan was killed by his own wife, the widow of Yazid.