Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 5998

Mention of the virtues of Sayyiduna Sufyan bin Awf al-Ghamidi (may Allah be pleased with him): He was from Hims and was a Companion of the Messenger. He was an extremely brave, fearless and generous man. It was he who raided Hit and al-Anbar during the time of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), in which there was killing and taking of captives. Among those killed at his hands was Hassan bin Hassan al-Bakri, the brother of al-Harith bin Hassan. On this occasion Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon and said: "The brother of the tribe of Ghamid (Sufyan) has raided Hit and al-Anbar." Sufyan bin Awf was in charge of the summer campaigns (al-sawa'if) during the time of Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) held him in high esteem. It is said that he would give away a thousand horses in a single sitting. After him, when Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Ibn Mas'ud al-Fazari over these campaigns, (the poets) said: "O Ibn Mas'ud! Hold the front firmly just as Sufyan bin Awf used to hold it, and trample the cities of Caesar just as Sufyan bin Awf used to do. Sufyan was a chief of a tribe that prevails over others, and there is no one among the people who can subdue them."