It was Muʿāwiyah’s long-considered wish that after his death, his son Yazīd should inherit the caliphate. He had his reasoning: continuity, unity, the prevention of chaos. In the year 56 Hijrah, Muʿāwiyah made this ambition public. Decrees were sent to every province, urging people to pledge allegiance to Yazīd.
Many complied. But some of the most eminent companions of the Prophet ﷺ quietly withheld their hands. Among them: Abdullah ibn ʿUmar, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr, al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, ʿAbdullah ibn al-Zubayr, and ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbās.
Muʿāwiyah took this hesitation seriously. During his next visit for ʿUmrah, he passed through Madinah and met with each of them face to face — especially Ibn ʿUmar. He brought up Yazīd’s succession. Some responded with open hostility and later softened. But Ibn ʿUmar had from the beginning approached the matter with quiet reasoning, not harshness. He neither shouted nor submitted, but simply made his position clear.
Muʿāwiyah said: “I only want to do this so that after me, the people won’t scatter like shepherdless sheep.”
Ibn ʿUmar replied: “If the people all agree on one man, I will not stand apart — even if that man is a one-eyed slave.” Muʿāwiyah had always recognized Ibn ʿUmar’s stature. In one speech, he remarked: “There are those among you more righteous than I — like ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar and ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ. But in terms of strength, vision, and the ability to protect the frontier and the treasury — I believe I serve you best.”
On his deathbed, Muʿāwiyah advised his son Yazīd: “Among the Quraysh, you will find many noble men. But Ibn ʿUmar is unique — a man shaped by worship. He will not oppose you unless he believes there is someone more deserving. And if he finds no one, he will pledge allegiance.”
When Muʿāwiyah died, Yazīd’s rule was not accepted in Madinah. But Ibn ʿUmar — true to his word — remained consistent. He gathered his sons, kin, and close companions and said: “I heard the Prophet ﷺ say that on the Day of Judgment, every traitor will stand with a flag of betrayal. We pledged allegiance to this man — Yazīd — in the name of Allah and His Messenger. That’s not something trivial. So I say to you: None of you should withdraw from that pledge until there is a final judgment from Allah.”
His aim was not to endorse Yazīd’s personal merit — but to protect the unity of the Muslims and avoid further bloodshed. Yet, Madinans broke ranks. They deposed Yazīd and pledged allegiance to ʿAbdullah ibn al-Muṭīʿ.
Ibn ʿUmar heard of it and went directly to Ibn al-Muṭīʿ. The new governor greeted him with honor: “Bring a cushion for Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān! Let him sit.”
But Ibn ʿUmar declined. “I did not come here to sit. I came to relay something I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: ‘Whoever withdraws from an oath of allegiance will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment without a proof in his defense. And whoever dies without having pledged allegiance will die a death of ignorance.’”
This was not politics. It was principle. His loyalty was not to a man, but to the sanctity of unity. Some came to him again, arguing: “You don’t claim Yazīd is a virtuous or wise ruler. We don’t either. So why defend him?”
Ibn ʿUmar replied: “True. I do not say he is the best of men. He is not deeply knowledgeable, nor especially righteous. I acknowledge that. But I desire unity, not division. That is why I stand firm.”
Then he posed a question: “If all of the Ummah walks through one gate, can one person alone claim to walk through another?”
They answered, “No.”
“Then if each man in this Ummah resolved not to shed the blood of another, not to seize his property — would that be impossible?”
They fell silent.
“That is the only thing I ask.”
And when Yazīd officially took power, Ibn ʿUmar’s response was simple and serene:
“If he is good, may Allah bring us benefit through him. And if he is a trial, then may we endure with patience.”
No fanfare. No compromise. Just quiet conviction —
So that the thread would not tear.
