Did Hazrat Muawiya, may Allah be pleased with him, claim himself to be more deserving of the Caliphate than Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and insult him?
This is also one of Engineer Sahib's major objections against Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he declared himself more deserving of the Caliphate than Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and then Engineer Sahib presents this as a great blasphemy and insult. Accordingly, he says:
"According to Sahih Bukhari International numbering, in the chapter of the Battle of the Trench, hadith number 4108, which I call a bitter pill! After the issue of arbitration at Siffin, when Hazrat Amir Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Medina, he gave a speech there — 'Sahih Bukhari 4108' — which does not appear in Bukhari: 'The punishment for a thief is mine, rather the punishment for an apostate is mine, but if it does appear, then grab those Mullahs by their collars and ask why they do not tell you the truth? I could not write Bukhari! - Bukhari 4108 - So after the arbitration issue, when Hazrat Amir Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Medina, he gave a speech, a sermon. When he gave the sermon, Hazrat Hafsa Umm al-Mu'minin, who was the daughter of Hazrat Umar and sister of Abdullah ibn Umar, told Abdullah ibn Umar: 'Abdullah, do this: Amir Muawiyah has come and is giving a speech; you go and listen to his speech so that in your absence it is not considered a fitna that Abdullah ibn Umar is running his own campaign.' Abdullah ibn Umar said, 'Okay, sister.' So he went there, and there Hazrat Amir Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the sermon. After that, pointing towards Abdullah ibn Umar, he said: 'Whoever desires the Caliphate, let him raise his head; I am more deserving of the Caliphate than his father!' 'Wa al-‘audhu billah ta‘ala' — Who is Abdullah ibn Umar's father? Hazrat Umar, Mawla Umar! I am more deserving of the Caliphate than Mawla Umar! People say, 'Yes, that was the retaliation for Uthman, this and that,' now it is clear what it was! Those who asked for forgiveness at the conquest of Mecca say that we are more deserving of the Caliphate than Umar, the one who destroyed the Roman Empire at Yarmouk and the Persian Empire at Qadisiyyah, because of whom you are sitting in Sham, and today you come and say that I am more deserving of the Caliphate than Umar. Actually, the revenge was not taken because there is a hadith in Bukhari where Hazrat Umar said that I consider only six people deserving of the Caliphate after me, naming first Ali, Uthman, Talha, Zubair, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, and Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, not even naming his own son. He said: 'You named six people? Ali is first, and now I will answer after your death: whoever desires, let him raise his head; I am more deserving of the Caliphate than his father!' And then when the speech ended, Habib ibn Muslimah said: 'I said to Abdullah ibn Umar: Such insult to Hazrat Umar by Hazrat Amir Muawiyah and you did not respond to him there?' Abdullah ibn Umar said: 'I intended to open my mouth and reply. I am not reading any history; this is hadith 4108 in Bukhari. I said I would reply to Muawiyah immediately: Muawiyah, the one more deserving of the Caliphate than you is the one who made you and your father Muslim by killing you repeatedly, (that is) Mawla Ali! He was Muslim and you and your father Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with them) were disbelievers at that time, and he fought you. Today, after the conquest of Mecca, you ask for forgiveness and say you are more deserving of the Caliphate than my father? Then Abdullah ibn Umar said: I remained silent out of fear of fitna and bloodshed, then I remembered the blessings of Paradise and contented myself with Paradise. Habib ibn Muslimah said that Abdullah ibn Umar saved both his honor and his life by remaining silent. Now it is clear what happens when one opens their tongue?'
Mas'alah 101 - 59:29
In another video, it is said:
"According to Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, chapter of the Battle of the Trench, hadith number 4108 in international numbering, the 'bitter pill,' Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) says: When matters were ongoing between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them) during the Battle of Siffin, the retaliation for Uthman was just an excuse; later the issue became something else. When these matters were ongoing, Hazrat Hafsa Umm al-Mu'minin said: Abdullah ibn Umar, my brother, go so that no other issue arises in your absence; your presence there is necessary, issues among Muslims are about to be resolved... (When Abdullah ibn Umar arrived) Hazrat Muawiyah was giving a sermon. Someone informed Muawiyah that Abdullah ibn Umar wants to become Caliph, so he pointed towards Abdullah ibn Umar and said ironically: 'Whoever desires the Caliphate, let him raise his head; I am more deserving of the Caliphate than him and his father.' 'Wa al-‘audhu billah ta‘ala' — such a blasphemous statement about Hazrat Umar! I shudder reading this..."
Mas'alah 61- 1:13:22
Mirza Sahib's method is that he takes the names of Bukhari and Muslim and gives complete references to create the impression among the public that every statement is referenced, that whatever is said is present in that reference. But in reality, there is nothing like this in the narration that he cites by name. Here too, Engineer Sahib makes noise by naming Sahih Bukhari: "Muawiyah insulted Umar, Muawiyah disrespected Umar!" And then to strengthen his point, he repeatedly repeats words like "Astaghfirullah" and "Na‘udhu billah," deceiving the common people and shaping their mindset. In this narration of Sahih Bukhari, there is no indication whatsoever that Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said this about Hazrat Umar or Ali (may Allah be pleased with them), as we will clarify with evidence. But even if it is accepted that the indication was towards Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), where is the insult or blasphemy in it? Did Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) say he was more deserving of the Caliphate than Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? Or was it in his tone or words?
Where is the insult?
If we talk about tone and words, it should be stated that this tone and these words belong to Engineer Sahib himself, not to Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him)! This is exactly his trickery—that the matter is something, but with his special style and selected words, he makes it something else. And here too, if anyone finds this offensive, it is because they are hearing or reading this narration in the context of Engineer Sahib’s brackets, his own added words, artificial tone, and the extra spices he adds from his side. You yourself should focus solely on the original words of the narration and see whether the matter is as they portray it.
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى حَفْصَةَ وَنَسْوَاتُهَا تَنْطُفُ، قُلْتُ: قَدْ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ النَّاسِ مَا تَرَيْنَ، فَلَمْ يُجْعَلْ لِي مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ۔ فَقَالَتِ: الْحَقْ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَكَ، وَأَخْشَى أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي احْتِبَاسِكَ عَنْهُمْ فُرْقَةٌ۔ فَلَمْ تَدَعْهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ، فَلَمَّا تَفَرَّقَ النَّاسُ خَطَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ قَالَ: مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ فَلْيُطْلِعْ لَنَا قَرْنَهُ، فَلَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِهِ مِنْهُ، وَمِنْ أَبِيهِ. قَالَ حَبِيبُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ: فَهَلَّا أَجَبْتَهُ ؟ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ: فَحَلَلْتُ حُبْوَتِي، وَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ: أَحَقُّ بِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ مِنْكَ مَنْ قَاتَلَكَ وَأَبَاكَ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، فَخَشِيتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ كَلِمَةً تُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ الْجَمْعِ، وَتَسْفِكُ الدَّمَ، وَيُحْمَلُ عَنِّي غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، فَذَكَرْتُ مَا أَعَدَّ اللهُ فِي الْجِنَانِ۔ قَالَ حَبِيبٌ: حُفِظْتَ وَعُصِمْتَ ۔
Engineer Sahib has mentioned the translation of this narration on page number 3 of his research paper "The True Background of the Event of Karbala," so we present that exact text to you:
"In Sahih Bukhari, there is a hadith in which Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrates that I went to Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) while water was dripping from her hair. I said to her: You are well aware of the state of affairs among the people; I have no role left in this matter (caliphate and authority). Umm al-Mu'minin said: You should go now because people are waiting for you, and I fear that your absence will cause discord and division. Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) insisted on sending him off. Then all the people sat scattered in groups, and Hazrat Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) gave a sermon there (in Madinah Sharif) for the first time after the issue of arbitration and said: Whoever wants to speak in this matter (caliphate and authority), let him raise his head a little and show himself; indeed, we are more deserving of this (caliphate and authority) than him and his father (may Allah protect us from that............)."
In the Arabic text of this narration, the word "abiyah" is used, which has been translated as "father," whereas words like "walid" or "abu" could also have been used here, but Engineer Sahib always repeats "father" in his usual language to create a negative impression. Now replace the word "father" with "walid" in this narration, and since brackets are not part of the original text but added words from his side, remove the brackets and see how this text becomes:
"In Sahih Bukhari, there is a hadith in which Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrates that I went to Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) while water was dripping from her hair. I said to her: You are well aware of the state of affairs among the people; I have no role left in this matter. Umm al-Mu'minin said: You should go now because people are waiting for you, and I fear that your absence will cause discord and division. Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) insisted on sending him off. Then all the people sat scattered in groups, and Hazrat Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) gave a sermon there and said: Whoever wants to speak in this matter, let him raise his head a little and show himself; indeed, we are more deserving of this than him and his walid."
"Let him raise his head a little and show himself" is merely Engineer Sahib’s casualness; it could also be said as "let him raise his head." The words "little" and "show" are not in the Arabic text. Anyway, consider that this is Engineer Sahib’s own handwritten translation, and nowhere in it is the word "caliphate" present. Nor is the true background of the event present. In fact, the Arabic phrase uses the word "هَذَا الأمر" meaning "whoever wants to speak with us about this matter............" and "matter" refers to any work or issue. Now, this narration shows that some matter is being discussed, but what is that matter? Neither is it explicitly mentioned in this narration nor in any other narration. Yes! There is a suspicion that the matter is the caliphate. But our Engineer Sahib is scholarly and bookish, not a babbler; he argues everything with evidence and is fair-minded, not two-faced. According to him, his principles and rules never change. So, we say to him: Present one authentic narration with a continuous chain of transmission that clearly determines that this matter refers to the caliphate. Also, look at the words Engineer Sahib used in his video, which he attributed to Sahih Bukhari hadith number 4108, and compare them with the translation in his research paper. How many things did he say in the name of this narration that have no trace at all. And he says he is reading Bukhari, not a storybook.
Then, are you calling Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) disrespectful for considering himself more deserving of the caliphate than Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? This is outright deception and fraud. It can be called a difference in understanding, an ijtihadi error, or a mistake, but never disrespect or insult.
In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated that after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), when a dispute arose between the Muhajirin and Ansar regarding the caliphate, an Ansari companion stood up and addressed:
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَنَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللهِ وَكَتِيبَةُ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَأَنْتُمْ مَعْشَرَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ رَهْطٌ، وَقَدْ دَفَّتْ دَافَّةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِكُمْ. فَإِذَا هُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَخْتَزِلُونَا مِنْ أَصْلِنَا، وَأَنْ يَحْضُنُونَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ.......................
"After that, we are the helpers of Allah and soldiers of the army of Islam, and you, the group of Muhajirin, are a small group. A faction from your people has come here, and now they want to deprive us of our rightful share and exclude us from the matter of caliphate and leadership."
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari:6830)
While Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) were sitting in front, being addressed, would it be said that the Ansar companions were disrespectful to Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them)? They not only considered themselves more deserving of the caliphate than Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) but also taunted them, saying: You people migrated to us, and we helped you, gave you refuge, and now you want to rule over us? ............ If we speak in Mirza Sahib’s specific style and tone, the matter would escalate far beyond. It is Bukhari’s own words that in the same gathering, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the Ansar:
نَحْنُ الْأُمَرَاءُ وَأَنْتُمُ الْوُزَرَاءُ، فَقَالَ: حُبَابُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ لَا وَاللهِ لَا نَفْعَلُ مِنَّا أَمِيرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ أَمِيرٌ......
"We are the leaders, and you are the ministers." To this, Hazrat Hubab bin Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: No, by Allah! We will not allow that. (Yes, it may be that) one leader will be from among us and one leader from among you."
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari:3668)
Now, would they call Hazrat Hubab disrespectful by exaggerating the matter? Certainly not!
Listen further! Engineer Sahib says in one of his videos:
"In Sahih Bukhari, according to the international numbering—the chapter itself is titled 'The Statement about Appointing One’s Caliph,' see Imam Bukhari’s understanding—according to international numbering 7217 and in Sahih Muslim according to international numbering 6181 in the Book of Judgments chapter. (The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said to Amaan Ji Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her
I intended to call your brother, meaning Abu Bakr Siddiq’s son, and also Abu Bakr, and write to them. I fear that after me, someone will demand this matter. Then I thought that even if someone demands, God willing, my Ummah and Allah Almighty will not be pleased with anyone other than Abu Bakr; He will unite my Ummah on Abu Bakr. Now, this is not a new matter; the context is the same, the day of death is near, and obviously, the matter of succession is being discussed. This is present in both Bukhari and Muslim! And who is that demander? It is Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Ubadah, who will appear later in the hadith of Sahih Bukhari, who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr Siddiq, but may Allah be pleased with him!"55- b Mas'alah: Wassi -e- RASOOL kon hai - 1:30:39
See, Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) not only considered himself deserving of the caliphate but, according to you, he never pledged allegiance to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq throughout his life. And if Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) was demanding the caliphate, it is obvious that he considered himself more deserving of it than Hazrat Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). Yet, despite all this, no fatwa of disrespect is issued against him, nor is there any kind of insult! Rather, it is said in one place that we will pull the tongue of anyone who utters even a single sentence against Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah.
Therefore, it is proven that a companion who is lesser in virtue considering himself more deserving of the caliphate than the most virtuous companion is not disrespect or insult. You can call it political disagreement, ijtihadi error, or something like that, but not disrespect! Yes, if prejudice intervenes, then every matter will seem disrespectful.
