Diwan Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan
- Author died
- 60 AH
- Editions
- Dar Sadir
Diwan Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan (The Poetry Collection of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan) is a collection of poetic verses and fragments attributed to the companion and first Umayyad caliph Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan (d. 60 AH / 680 CE) .
Scope and Themes
The collection compiles poetry composed or cited by Muawiya across different periods of his political and personal life, particularly relating to early Islamic political history, the civil strife, and governance . A substantial portion of the verses consists of poetic exchanges, letters, and political statements addressed to prominent contemporaries, including Ali ibn Abi Talib, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Amr ibn al-As, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, Ziyad ibn Abihi, Abd Allah ibn Abbas, and Abd Allah ibn Ja'far .
The themes of the poetry encompass political dispute, forbearance (hilm), generosity, the realities of warfare, reproach of tribesmen and adversaries, reflections on old age and transient authority, and personal remarks regarding family members such as his wife Maysun bint Bahdal and his son Yazid ibn Muawiya .
Structure and Organization
The work is organized into alphabetical sections based on the rhyme letter (qafiya), opening with the rhyme of hamza (Qafiyat al-Hamza) and proceeding through subsequent letters, including ba', ta', ha', dal, ra', zay, sin, and dad .
In addition to the primary alphabetical corpus, the collection includes a specific section devoted to verses attributed to Muawiya that he recited, quoted as exempla (tamaththul), or whose attribution is subject to question (al-Shi'r al-mansub li-Mu'awiya mimma anshadahu aw tamaththala bihi aw li-shubha 'aradat) . The text also provides source documentation and critical apparatus for tracing the provenance and attribution of the poems (takhrij) .
Editions
The collection was assembled and edited by Faruq Salim ibn Ahmad and published by Dar Sader in Beirut in 1996 CE .
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