Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) Advises the Commander of the Army to Uphold Justice
Imaam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) narrates:
When Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was governor over Shaam, the people engaged in Jihaad and acquired booty and were victorious. Among the spoils of war was a beautiful slave girl who fell into the share of one of the Muslims. Shortly after, Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the commander of the army, had taken this slave girl for himself from the soldier in whose share she had fallen. Hazrat Abu Zar Ghifaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was in Shaam at that time and this soldier went to him and sought his assistance in recovering his slave girl from Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thus went to Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) with the man and thrice instructed Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) to return the slave girl to him. Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thereafter said, “Alas! By Allah! If you take the slave girl from this soldier unjustly then know that I have heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, ‘The first person to change my blessed Sunnah will be a man from Banu Umayyah.’” Saying this, Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) turned and began to walk away. Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) quickly followed him and asked, “I beg you in the name of Allah! Tell me, do you think that I will be the person who is referred to in this hadith?” Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “No.” after which Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) returned the slave girl to the man.
After narrating the above incident, Imaam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) mentioned, “Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), was the leader of the armies of Shaam in the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) referred to a person from Banu Umayyah changing his blessed Sunnah, Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) is not intended (as he was a Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and led an upright life conforming to the Sunnah). However, Imaam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) further explains that there was another person from the Banu Umayyah who shared the same name. He was Yazid bin Mu‘aawiyah, the son of Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and it seems that he was the one referred to in the Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Yazid, the son of Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was responsible for the great damage which befell Islam during the rule of the Banu Umayyah.
(Dalaa’il-un-Nubuwwah 6/410)
