The First Naval Jihad and the Role of Muʿāwiyah (RA)
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah (Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām), vol. 2, p. 257
❖ Question
Was the first person to lead a naval jihad from the Muslim Ummah Muʿāwiyah (RA)?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The first army from my Ummah to wage jihad by sea has already made Paradise obligatory for themselves.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 2924)
✿ Participation of Muʿāwiyah (RA)
- Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān (RA) was part of this first naval jihad.
- This is confirmed in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī in:
- Kitāb al-Jihād, Bāb 8, ḥadīth no. 2799, 2800
✿ Occurrence During His Rule
- This naval jihad took place during the caliphate of Muʿāwiyah (RA).
- This is explicitly stated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
- Kitāb al-Istiʾdhān, Bāb Man Zāra Qawman Faqāma ʿIndahum, ḥadīth no. 6282, 6283
ھٰذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
