al-Nahiya an Tan Amir al-Muminin Muawiya
- Author died
- 1240 AH
- Editions
- Ghirās li-l-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘
al-Nāhiyah ʿan Ṭaʿn Amīr al-Muʾminīn Muʿāwiyah (The Prohibition Against Defaming the Commander of the Faithful Muʿāwiyah) is a theological treatise by the Indian Hanafi scholar Abd al-Aziz ibn Ahmad ibn Hamid al-Farharawi (al-Multani, d. after 1240 AH / 1824 CE), dedicated to vindicating the Companion Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan and prohibiting defamation against him according to the tenets of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah .
Purpose and Scope
In the opening of the treatise, the author defines his purpose as calling the reader to follow the saved group (al-jamāʿah al-nājiyah) and abandon extremist sectarian factions and unsubstantiated rhetorical claims . The work focuses on establishing the Sunni creedal stance regarding the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, emphasizing the obligation to love both the Prophet's household (al-ʿitrah) and his Companions with moderation, to restrain the tongue from delving into the conflicts that arose among them, and to counter accusations leveled against Muʿāwiyah .
Structure and Content
The book is arranged into thematic sections (fuṣūl), addressing broader principles of creed and hadith before examining the specific case of Muʿāwiyah :
- Virtues of the Companions and the Prohibition of Reviling Them: The author compiles prophetic narrations warning against insulting the Companions or making them targets of criticism, citing the well-known hadiths forbidding their revilement and invoking divine curses on those who insult them .
- Prohibition of Slandering Muslims and the Dead: Sections detailing scriptural prohibitions against declaring Muslims to be sinners or unbelievers, reviling deceased persons, and casting curses .
- Prohibition of Delving into Disputes Among Companions: Citing scholars such as Ibrahim al-Nakhai, the author underscores that examining inter-Companion warfare (al-tashājur) risks generating bad opinions of them . He explains that Sunni scholars discussed these historical events primarily because innovators forged falsehoods, necessitating proper contextual interpretation (taʾwīl) of sound historical reports and the outright rejection of irreconcilable solitary accounts .
- Virtues of Muʿāwiyah: A dedicated chapter presenting hadiths on Muʿāwiyah's merits, including the Prophet's supplication recorded in the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: اللهم علم معاوية الكتاب والحساب وقه العذاب ("O Allah, teach Muʿāwiyah the Book and calculation, and protect him from punishment") . In this section, al-Farharawī discusses the status of the Musnad, citing scholars such as Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani on its reliability while criticizing Ibn al-Jawzi's overreach in declaring certain narrations in it to be fabricated .
- Replies to Criticisms: The author states that Ahl al-Sunnah do not claim infallibility (ʿiṣmah) for the Companions, as infallibility belongs exclusively to prophets and angels . He emphasizes that when objectionable acts are reported concerning any Companion, the Sunni methodology requires attempting a sound interpretation (taʾwīl); if none is possible, the report must be rejected, and Muslims must observe silence and maintain good opinion (ḥusn al-ẓann) and reverence for them .
Modern Editions
The treatise was edited, annotated, and had its narrations verified by Ahmad ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Tuwayjiri, featuring an introduction by Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Aqil, and published by Gheras Publishing and Distribution in Kuwait (first edition, 1422 AH / 2001 CE) .
Answer updated