Sunni view on Yazid Bin Mu’wiya.

Compiled By: Mufti Abdun Nabi Hamidi

Yazid Bin Mu’wiya (May Allah give him what he deserves, and May Allah be
pleased with his Father Hazrat Ameer Mua'wiya ‫)رضي هللا عنه‬
It has been noticed that some people in their indirect or even direct hatred for
Ahlul Bayt (Family of Prophet ‫ )صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬try to cover the acts of Yazid
and in this process they try to paint him into a great personality. With the
Grace of Allah we shall see how this traitor to Islam (i.e. Yazid) got Imam
Hussain ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬martyred and how he ransacked Madina Al-Munawwara
and committed heinous crimes therein.

Firstly we would like to present this beautiful Sahih hadith of Prophet ‫صلي هللا‬
‫ عليه وسلم‬regarding people who “Ransack” our beloved sanctuary called Madina
Al Munawara.

Imam Ahmed narrates this report from Sa’ib bin Khalad ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬that the
Prophet of Allah ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬said: Whosoever spreads injustice and
frightened the people of Madina, then Curse of Allah, his Angels and all the
people is upon such a person. [Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal as narrated by Ibn
Kathir in Al Bidayah Wal Nihayah Vol 8 Page No. 274]
Quran states: Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed
them in this World and in the Hereafter and has prepared for them a
humiliating Punishment (33:57)
What could be a bigger annoyance to the Prophet ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬than getting
his grandson brutally martyred and looting the place which he had declared as
Haram (i.e. Sacred)

1. The heinous crimes of Yazid

Ibn Kathir says in his Tarikh under events of 63 AH

"Yazeed committed a blunder and that too a disgusting one by ordering
Muslim bin Uqba to make Madina "mubah/permissible" for three days. This
was his biggest and ugliest blunder. Many Sahaba and their children were
slaughtered. As it has been mentioned before that Yazid made UbaydUllah
Ibn Ziyad kill the grandson of Rasulullah ‫ صلي هللا عليك وسلم‬Husayn and his
companions and in those three days huge heinous crimes happened in Madina
about which nobody knows except Allah. Yazeed wanted to secure his
governance by sending Muslim bin Uqbah but Allah did against his wishes and
punished him. Verily Allah killed him likewise Allah made grip over the
oppressing towns, no doubt His grip is painful and strict".[Al Bidayah Wan
Nihayah, Vol 8 Page 283]

2. Even Ibn Ziyad got outraged by Yazid

Yazid’s crimes were so heinous that even his loyal UbaidUllah Ibn Ziyad (whom
he had sent to murder Muslim bin Aqeel and later Imam Hussain too) said:

When Yazid wrote to Ibn Ziyad that he should go to Makkah and besiege
Abdullah Ibn Zubayr ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬he refused to do so and said: By Allah I will
not combine two things for a Fasiq (i.e. Yazid). I have already killed the son of
Prophet ‫‘ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬s Daughter (on his order) and now he asks me to
wage war on Bayt ul Haram? However when he martyred Imam Hussain ‫رضي‬
‫ هللا عنه‬,his mother Marjana said to him: May you die! What have you done and
what crime have you committed, she also scolded him severely. Yazid was
informed that Abdullah Ibn zubair ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬used to say in his speeches that
Yazid was a fraud, drunkard, one who abandons Salah and one who stays with
singing women. [Al-Bidayah Wal Nihayah, Volume 8, Page No 279]

Ibn Kathir further narrates:

And he Muslim bin Uqba who is known as As-Salf Musraf bin Uqba, May Allah
not do well to this leader of evil and ignorance, he made Madina legal for 3
days on the order of Yazid. May Allah also not grant reward and khayr to him
(i.e. Yazid), he got many righteous killed and also looted the wealth in
Madina in great numbers, this has been multiply narrated that he created a lot
of Shar and Fasad. It is mentioned that Hadrat Muafl bin Sanan ‫رضي هللا عنه‬was
tied infront of Ibn Uqba and then martyred, you were his friend before but
later you used strong words against Yazid due to which he became angry at
you. [Al-Bidayah Wal Nihayah, Volume 8, Page No 280]

3. Yazeed’s aggression against the leading Tabi’i called Sa'eed Ibn Musayyib
‫رحمه هللا‬

Al Mudaini ‫ رحمه هللا‬said: Sa’eed Ibn Masayyib ‫ رحمه هللا‬was brought to Muslim
(bin uqba), He asked him to give bayah. (Sa’eed ibn Musab) said: I will give
bayah on seerah of Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna Umar ‫رضي هللا عنهما‬.
(Muslim) ordered to get him killed but a man said This person (i.e. Sa’eed ibn
Musayyib) is a mad man (in order to save him), at this he was left alone. [Al
Bidayah Wal Nihayah, Volume 8, Page No 281]

4. Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani ‫رحمه هللا‬

Imam Ibn Hajr ‫ رحمه هللا‬writes:

Loving and glorifying him (Yazid) is not done “EXCEPT BY A HERETIC” who has
void belief because he (Yazid) had such characteristics that his lover deserves
to be faithless, because to love and hate just for the sake of Allah is a sign of
faith. [Publisher's name: Dar ul Kutb al iLmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Book name:
al-Imta bil al-Arba'in al-Matbainatus Samah ( ‫اإلمتاع باألربعين المتباينة‬
‫)السماع‬, Author: Imam Ibn Hajr Al Asqalani ‫رحمه هللا‬, Publication date: 1997, Page
No. 96]

Yahya bin Abdul Mulk bin Abi Ghania "WHO WAS AMONGST THIQA
NARRATORS" he heard from Nawfl bin Abi Aqrab "WHO IS THIQA" he narrates:
Once in the gathering of Umar Bin Abdul Aziz ‫ رحمه هللا‬people talked about Yazid
bin Muawiya, someone among the people mentioned Yazid with the title of
Ameer ul Momineen, hearing this Hadrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz ‫ رحمه هللا‬replied
(in anger): You have called Yazeed Amir Ul Mominein? Then he gave order of
20 lashes to be given to the person [Imam Ibn Hajr al Asqalani in Tahdhib ut
Tahdhib, Volume No. 6, Page No. 313].

5. Imam Jalal ud din Suyuti ‫ رحمه هللا‬in Tarikh ul Khulafa

He states: You (Imam Hussain - Radhi ‫ )رضي هللا عنه‬were martyred and your
head was brought to Ibn Ziyad on a plate. "May Allah's Curse be upon the
person who killed you, also Ibn Ziyad "AND UPON YAZID" [As-Suyuti in Tarikh
ul Khulafa, Page No. 165]

Imam Jalal ud-din Suyuti ‫ رحمه هللا‬writes: Nawfl bin Abi Firaat ‫ رحمه هللا‬said that
once he was sitting with Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz ‫ رحمه هللا‬when a man called
Yazid as "Ameer ul Momineen Yazid bin Muawiya" at this (Umar bin Abdul
Aziz ‫ رحمه هللا‬said in anger): you call this person as Ameer ul Momineen?! and
then he ordered that person to be "lashed 20 times" in 63 AH Yazid got to
know that people of Madina have rejected him and are preparing to wage war
upon him, knowing this Yazid sent a huge army to Madina and "declared war
upon people of Madina" after looting in Madina he sent the army to martyr
Hadrat Abdullah bin Zubayr ‫ رحمه هللا‬in Makkah and so the incident of "HURRA"
took place, do you know what Hurra is? Regarding it Hassan (a Tabi'i) said:
When Madina was attacked, there remained not a single person who was safe
from it, "huge amount of Sahaba and others were martyred and Madina was
looted and thousands of virgin girls were raped" ‫انّأ هلل وانّأ عليه راجعون‬. The
Prophet ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬said: Whosoever frightens People of Madina then
Allah will frighten them (the attackers) plus Curse of Allah, his Angels and all
the people is upon such a person (Sahih Muslim) the reason why people of
Madina did not give bayah to Yazid was because he was indulged in “too many
sins” al-Waqidi narrates from Abdullah Bin Khazlatal Ghusail (a Sahabi) that he
said: By Allah we did not revolt against Yazid until we were sure that “WE WILL
BE SHOWERED WITH STONES FROM SKY” (the Yazidans) started to do Nikah
with their mothers, sisters and daughters, they started to drink openly and
neglected prayers! Imam Dhahabi ‫ رحمه هللا‬said: When Yazid did such things
with people of Madina although “he was indulged in drinking and other evil
deeds even before” then the people of Makkah also revolted against him and
rose against him from 4 sides and then Allah did not put Barakah in life of Yazid
(Then it mentions that Yazid attacked Makkah and got the Abdullah Ibn Zubayr
Martyred) Reference: As-Suyuti, Tarikh ul Khulafa, Page No. 167

6. Allama Aloosi ‫ رحمه هللا‬writes under 47:22-23 in his magnificent Ruh ul

Ma’ani

The Proof of sending Lan’ah/Curse upon Yazid is derived from this (ayah), as
was mentioned by Al-Barzanji ‫ رحمه هللا‬in his Al-Ashaat and Imam al-Haythami
‫ رحمه هللا‬in As-Sawaiq from Imam Ahmed ‫ رحمه هللا‬that his son Abdullah asked
him about cursing Yazid, (Imam Ahmed) said: Why cannot La’nah/curse be
sent on him when Allah has cursed him in Quran, Abdullah ‫ رحمه هللا‬asked:
Recite the Kitab of Allah so that I know how yazid is cursed? Imam Ahmed ‫رحمه‬
‫ هللا‬mentioned these verses: Would you then, if you were given the command,
work corruption in the land and sever your ties of kinship? Such are the men
whom Allah has cursed. (47:22-23) Hence what could be a bigger Strife than
what Yazid did?[ [Ruh ul Ma’ani by Imam Al-Alusi, Volume 9 Under Surah
Muhammad 22-23]

2) Allama Alusi said: And I say what is prevalent over my mind that (Yazid)
Khabith/wretched did not testify to the messengership of the Holy Prophet
‫صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬. According to me it is correct to curse a person like Yazid,
although one cannot imagine a Fasiq/wicked like him and apparently he
never repented, the possibility of his repentance is weaker than the
possibility of his faith (Iman). Along with Yazid, Ibn Ziyad, Ibn Sa'ad and his
group shall also be included. Verily, may Allah's curse be upon all of them, their
friends, their supporters, their group and upon everyone who inclines towards
them until Qiyamah and until an eye sheds a tear for Abu Abdullah Hussain
‫رحمه هللا‬. [Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, Volume 26, Page No. 73]

7. Imam Dhahabi ‫ رحمه هللا‬writes about Yazid

He (Yazid) was a disgusting Nasibi (i.e. those who hate Ahlul bayt). He drank
and did evil. He started his kingdom with the killing of the Shahid al-Hussain
‫ رضي هللا عنه‬and ended it with the incident of al-Hurra (i.e. besiegement of
Madina which also makes him directly liable for curse as sahih ahadith prove).
Hence the people hated him, he was not blessed in his life, and many took up
arms against him after Imam Hussain ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬such as the people of Madina
- they rose for the sake of Allah[Siyar A'lam an Nubala, Volume No. 4, Page No.
37-38]

2) Imam Dhahabi ‫ رحمه هللا‬writes: I say: 'When Yazid did heinous things to the
people of Madina, killed Imam Hussain ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬, his brothers and progeny,
Yazid drank alcohol, performed abominable things, then the people hated him
and rose up against him more than once. Allah didn't bless his life and Abu Bilal
Mirdas bin Adya al-Hanzali rose against him.' [Tarikh al-Islam: wa-tabaqat al-
mashahir wa-al-a`lam, Volume 005, Page No. 30]

3) Imam Dhahabi Writes: Ziyad Haarthi narrated: 'Yazid gave me alcohol to

drink, I had never drunk alcohol like that before and I enquired where he had
obtained its ingredients from'. Yazid replied: 'it is made of sweet pomegranate,
Isfahan's honey, Hawaz's sugar, Taif's grapes and Burdah's water'. Ahmed bin
Masama' narrated: 'Once Yazid drank alcohol and started to dance, suddenly
he fell down and his nostril began to bleed'. [Siyar A'lam an Nubalah, Volume
004, Page No. 037]

8. Qadhi ThanaUllah Panipati ‫ رحمه هللا‬on Yazid

Another great Mufassir and author of great books, a scholar accepted by all
Sunni Muslims i.e. Qadhi Thana Ullah Panipatti ‫ رحمه هللا‬quoted Quranic ayah
14:28 and writes:

Quran states: Have you not seen those who gave the grace of Allah
in exchange for thanklessness and led their people down to the Abode of
Loss (14:28)

Tafsir: Banu Ummaiya had always rejoiced upon Kufr, however Abu Sufyan,
Ameer Mu’awiya ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬and Amr bin ‘Aas ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬and others became
Muslims. Later Yazid and his companions rejected the blessings of Allah and
raised the flag of enmity towards Ahlul Bayt and finally brutally martyred
Imam Hussain ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬to the extent that Yazid even denied the Deen of
Muhammad ‫صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬. After the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ‫رضي هللا‬
‫ عنه‬he said: Had my predecessors lived they would have seen how I took
revenge from the family of Prophet ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬and Bani Hashim, The
couplet which Yazid made had this in the end: I will avenge Ahmed (i.e.
Prophet ‫ )صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬for whatever he did with my predecessors in Badr
(‫)نعوذ باهلل‬. Yazid even declared alcohol as permissible and in praise of it he said:
If liquor is Haram in the Deen of Muhammad ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬then take it to be
permissible according to the deen of Isa Ibn Maryam ‫سالم‬ ّ ‫عليه ال‬. [Tafsir al
Mazhari Volume 5, Pages 211-212]
9. Ibn Kathir's comments on Yazeed
Ibn Kathir himself writes in al Bidayah Volume 8 page 1169 "Dhikr Yazeed bin
Muawiyah":

"Traditions inform us that Yazeed loved worldly vices, would drink, listen to
music, kept the company of boys with no facial hair [civil expression for
paedophilia with boys, a form of homosexuality], played drums, kept dogs
[civil expression for bestiality], making frogs, bears and monkeys fight. Every
morning he used be intoxicated and use to bind monkey with the saddle of a
horse and make the horse run".
Reference:Al Bidayah Wal Nihayah, Vol 8 Page 1169

10. Ibn Atheer's comments on Yazeed

In Tareekh al Kamil Volume 3 page 450 Ibn Atheer narrates from Munzir bin
Zubair:
"Verily Yazeed rewarded me with 100,000 dirhams but this cannot stop me
from highlighting his state, By Allah he is a drunkard"

11. Ibn Jauzi's comments on Yazeed 'the drunkard'

Ibn Jauzi in Wafa al-Wafa:

"Yazeed appointed his cousin Uthman bin Muhammad bin Abu Sufyan as
Governor of Madina. He sent a delegation to visit Yazeed who bore gifts so
that they might take the oath of allegiance to him. Upon their return they said
'We have returned having visited a man who has no religion, he drinks, plays
instruments, keeps the company of singers and dogs [civil word for
bestiality], we declare that we have broken our allegiance to him. Abdullah bin
Abi ‘Amr bin Hafs Makhzumee commented 'Yazeed gave me gifts. But the
reality is, this man is an enemy of Allah and a drunkard. I shall separate myself
from him in the same way that I remove my turban [from my head]."

12. Puncturing the devil's dream on Hadith of Qustuntunia

"He heard the Prophet ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬saying, 'Paradise is granted to the first
batch of my followers who will undertake a naval expedition.' The Prophet
‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬then said, 'The first army amongst my followers who will
invade Caesar's City will be forgiven of their sins.'" (Sahih Bukhari volume 4
hadith 175)

Firstly Yazid was not in the first army to wage war on caeaser's city as
Sahih hadith in Sunnan Abi Dawud states:

Aslam Abi Imran ‫ رحمه هللا‬said: We went out on an expedition from Madina with
the intent to attack Constantinople. Abd al-Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid was
the leader of our group. [Sunnan Abi Dawud, Volume No. 2 Hadith # 2512,
Albani Salafi declared it Sahih in his Takhrij]

Imam At-Tabri says in his Tarikh

In (44 AH) The Muslims with Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid entered
Rome and the War took place [Tarikh at-Tabri under events of 44 AH, Volume
005, Page No. 212: Published by Cairo: Dar al-Ma'arif]
Whereas Yazid went way later i.e. in 49 or 50 AH. Even later yazid was sent as a
punishment and he mocked at Muslims warriors who had gone before

Imam Ibn Al-Atheer writes:

In this year i.e. 49 AH or 50 AH, hazrat Ameer e Muawiya ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬sent a
huge army towards Rome. He made Sufyan bin Awf ‫ رحمه هللا‬as its commander
and he ordered his son Yazid to go with them, however Yazid “ACTED TO
HAVE BECOME SICK AND DENIED TO GO” When the warriors were struck with
harsh hunger and diseases, Yazid (mockingly) said this poetry:

At Farqudwana immense wrath covered them, whether they had fever or

whatever I don’t care because I am sitting on a high carpet and Umm ul
Kulthum (one of his wives) is between my armpits.

When Ameer Muawiya ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬heard these phrases he made Yazid to take
an oath and join Sufyan bin Awf in Rome so that “HE COULD ALSO BE STRUCK
BY THESE SAME DIFFICULTIES AS THE WARRIORS OF ISLAM HAD FACED (THIS
WAS PUNISHEMENT TO YAZID)” Yazid became helpless and he had to go and
Ameer Muawiya ‫ رضي هللا عنه‬sent another army with him [Tarikh Ibn al Atheer,
Volume No.3, Page No. 131]

Imam Badr ud-din Ayni ‫ رحمه هللا‬said:

I say that it is obvious that the great amount of sahaba went under the
leadership of Sufyan bin Awf ‫ رحمه هللا‬and “NOT WITH YAZID BIN MUAWIYA
BECAUSE HE WAS NOT DESERVING OF LEADING THEM” [Umdat ul Qari, Sharh
Sahih ul Bukhari 14/197-198]

So Yazeed was in the seven'th attack, not in the first attack and in Bukhari
Shareef it is mentioned that 'The first army amongst' my followers who will
invade Caesar's City will be forgiven of their sins.'

13. Yazeed's rejection of the Qur'an

Refer these sources:

1. Al Bidayah wa al Nihayah Volume 8 page 204 Dhikr Ras al Husayn
2. Minhajj al Sunnah Volume 2 page 249 Dhikr Yazeed
3. Sharh Fiqh Akbar page 73 Dhikr Yazeed
4. Sharh Tafseer Mazhari Volume 5 page 21 Surah Ibrahim
5. Shazrah al Dhahab page 69 Dhikr Shahadth Husayn
6. Maqatahil Husayn Volume 2 page 58 Dhikr Shahadath Husayn
7. Tadhkira Khawwas page 148
8. Tareekh Tibari Volume 11 pages 21-23 Dhikr 284 Hijri
9. Tafseer Ruh al Ma'ani (commentary of Surah Muhammad)

14. In Tafseer Ruh al Maani Declairing Yazeed a kafir

"Allamah Alusi stated, Yazeed the impure denied the Prophethood of

Rasulullah ‫صلي هللا عليك وسلم‬. The treatment that he meted out to the people of
Makka, Medina and the family of the Prophet ‫ صلي هللا عليه وسلم‬proves that he
was a kaafir".
Once in the gathering of Amir Ul Mominein Hazrat Umar Bin Abdul Aziz ‫رحمه هللا‬
people talked about yazeed, someone among the people said ( Amir Ul
Mominein to Yazeed ) Hazrat Ummar Bin Abdul Aziz ‫ رحمه هللا‬replied in anger,''
you call Yazeed ( a wicked Person ) as Amir Ul Mominein?. Then Hazrat Umar
Bin Abdul Aziz ‫ رحمه هللا‬gave order of 20 lashes to the person who called
Yazeed Amir Ul Mominein [ Tahdheeb Al'Tahdheeb Vol 1 Page 361]

Conclusion: Indeed some scholars did curse Yazid such as Sa’d Udeen al-
Taftazani, See: Sharh al-Aqa’id Al-Nasafiyya, P. 2845, but the majority of the
Sunni Ulama have cautioned against cursing him because his Kufr has not been
decisively established. Therefore, we will not curse him and those Ulama who
curse him we will not stop them and we will talk openly about his wicked
personality and his filthy criminal activities.