Mu'awiya ibn abi Sufyan: From Arabia to Empire

by Stephen Humphreys

Overview

In this accessible study, Stephen Humphreys introduces the most elusive of the early caliphs, Mu'awiya ibn abi Sufyan (602-680). Notoriously guarded about his thoughts, motives and emotions, Mu’awiya was universally known as a figure of immense political acumen. Beyond this, opinions are deeply divided. Throughout history, some have accused him of being the first caliph to diverge from Muhammed’s model of ideal Muslim leadership whilst others credit him with uniting an empire in disarray and transforming the Caliphate into a practicable form of government. In light of this, Humphreys critically analyses his sources, and seeks to get as close as possible to a historical account of the great man.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851684021
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	10/01/2006
Series:	Makers of the Muslim World
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Stephen Humphries is professor of History and Islamic Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is author of Islamic History: A Framework for Inquiry.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments



1 THE PROBLEM OF MU‘AWIYA

Mu‘awiya in the eyes of later Muslims

How do we know what we claim to know: the sources for Mu‘awiya’s life

Mu‘awiya’s career: a chronological sketch

2 THE FIRST THREE DECADES (600–632)

The Meccan milieu

The politics of genealogy: why Mu‘awiya’s ancestry is important

The lineage of Mu‘awiya

The Banu Umayya

The descendants of ‘Abd Manaf: the clans of ‘Abd Shams and Hashim

3 LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF POWER: MU‘AWIYA AS MASTER OF SYRIA (632–656)

Mu‘awiya and the conquest of Syria

Mu‘awiya becomes Governor

The war against Byzantium

The war at sea: creating the Muslim navy

The war in Anatolia and Armenia

Mu‘awiya and the Arab tribes in Syria



4 THE FIRST CIVIL WAR AND MU‘AWIYA’S RISE TO POWER (656–661)

The revolt against ‘Uthman

The aftermath: who can claim the right to rule?

The confrontation between ‘Ali and Mu‘awiya



5 COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL (661–680)

The war against Byzantium renewed



6 THE PRINCE OF OUR DISORDER: MU‘AWIYA AS A SYMBOL OF CULTURAL TENSION

Bibliography

Index