✿ Overview of the Issue
The article by Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai رحمه الله responds critically to a two-part series published in the weekly Al-I'tisam (Vol. 49, Issues 31 & 32, August 1997) by Professor Muhammad Sharif Shakir. The professor attempted to establish that Yazid bin Muawiyah participated in the first Muslim expedition against Constantinople, invoking the Hadith of the “First Army to Attack Constantinople”.✿ Main Arguments Presented by Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai رحمه الله
❶ No Authentic Hadith Confirms Yazid’s Participation in the First Expedition:The author highlights that no sound (ṣaḥīḥ) or good (ḥasan) narration explicitly states Yazid’s presence in the “Awwal Jaish” (first army) that attacked Constantinople.❷ Historical and Hadith Literature Evidence Multiple Campaigns:
- Several expeditions against Constantinople occurred during the Sahaba era, not just one.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhari contains no explicit statement confirming Yazid's participation in the first campaign.
- The Hadith from Sunan Abi Dawud clearly indicates that Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid led an earlier expedition before Yazid’s known involvement.
❸ Chain of Narrators and Authentic Sources:
- Supporting evidence from Tafsir al-Ṭabarī, Tafsir Ibn Abi Ḥātim, and Tarikh Dimashq confirms Abdur Rahman bin Khalid as the general of one such expedition.
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar classifies Ibn Wahb, the transmitter, as non-mudallis (not a deceptive narrator), further strengthening the reliability of this narration.
❹ Critical Examination of the Claim about Yazid:
- The assertion that Yazid led the first army is built upon misinterpretation of sources and unsubstantiated reports.
- A narration in Sunan al-Tirmidhi mentions Faḍālah bin ʿUbayd as a commander, but this is shown to be mistaken or shādh (irregular), contradicted by stronger narrations.
❺ Confirmation from Other Historians:
- Ibn Kathīr records multiple campaigns under Muawiyah, including attacks in summer (Ṣawāʾif) and winter (Shawātīʾ).
- Yazid is mentioned only as a commander in later campaigns, not the first.
- During the first expedition in 32 AH (652–653 CE), Yazid was around six years old, making his participation chronologically implausible.
✿ Summary Conclusions
✔ It is not proven that Yazid bin Muawiyah participated in the first campaign against Constantinople.✔ The authentic Hadith about the first army to attack Constantinople (أول جيش يغزو القسطنطينية) cannot be applied to Yazid.
✔ Yazid is not a reliable narrator in Hadith transmission, and the best stance regarding him is silence.
✿ Final Notes on Hadith Evaluation
- The Hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud and corroborating narrations in Tafsir, History, and Hadith collections establish other commanders besides Yazid.
- The supposed association of Yazid with the first expedition is not supported by strong isnāds (chains of transmission).
- Statements in Tirmidhi and other sources that seem to support Yazid’s leadership are overturned by stronger chains and historical evidence.
