Hilm Muawiya li-Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- Author died
- 281 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Bashā'ir
Hilm Muawiya (The Forbearance of Muawiya) is a biographical monograph by the Baghdadi traditionist and educator Abu Bakr Ibn Abi al-Dunya (208–281 AH / 823–894 CE), collecting historical reports and sayings dedicated to the clemency, composure, and political forbearance (hilm) of the Umayyad caliph Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan .
Subject and Content
The work compiles narrations with chains of transmission (isnads) that document the proverbial forbearance, self-restraint, and deliberation of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan in his governance and personal encounters . The reports feature appraisals by early Muslim figures, including statements attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab regarding Muawiya's political skill and composure under anger, as well as remarks attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib . It also includes testimonies from contemporaries such as Qabisa ibn Jabir, who described Muawiya as unmatched in forbearance and patience, alongside anecdotes illustrating his calm responses to sharp criticism and insults from his subjects .
Transmission and Reception
The book was transmitted from Ibn Abi al-Dunya by the Andalusian scholar Ibrahim ibn Musa ibn Jamil (d. 300 AH), who heard it in Iraq and related it in Egypt . In al-Andalus, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Muawiya al-Qurashi transmitted it from Ibn Jamil, through whom it passed to Abu al-Fadl Ahmad ibn Qasim al-Bazzaz, then to the traditionist Ibn Abd al-Barr, as recorded by al-Humaydi and Ibn Umayra al-Dabbi .
Later historians and biographers, including al-Suyuti in Tarikh al-Khulafa' (History of the Caliphs) and al-Isami in Simt al-Nujum al-Awali, noted that Muawiya's forbearance became proverbial and highlighted that both Ibn Abi al-Dunya and Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Asim compiled standalone monographs on the subject . Extensive excerpts from Ibn Abi al-Dunya's transmissions on this topic were also preserved by Ibn Asakir in his Tarikh Dimashq (History of Damascus) .
Editions
The text was edited by Ibrahim Salih and published by Dar al-Basha'ir in 1424 AH / 2003 CE .
Answer updated