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Mu'awiya II
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Mu'awiya II
Mu'awiya ibn Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (Arabic: مُعَاوِيَة بْنِ يَزِيد بْنِ مُعَاوِيَة, romanized: Muʿāwiya ibn Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya; c. 664–684), commonly known as Mu'awiya II, was the third Umayyad caliph. The last ruler of the Sufyanid line, he succeeded his father Yazid I in 683 (64 AH) but died after a reign of only a few months.
Mu'awiya II's accession occurred during the Second Fitna, a period of civil war where his authority was largely limited to Damascus and southern Syria. His rival, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, was recognized as caliph in the Hejaz and several other provinces. Mu'awiya II's brief tenure was marked by chronic ill health and minimal administrative activity, though he reportedly continued his father's policy of reducing taxes.
Historical accounts of his reign are often viewed as sectarian or unreliable. He is most famous for a provocative sermon recorded by Al-Ya'qubi, in which he allegedly denounced his predecessors and abdicated the throne. Because he died without heirs, his death triggered a succession crisis that eventually shifted power from the Sufyanid branch to the Marwanid branch under Marwan I. In later Islamic tradition, particularly within Sufism, he is remembered for his piety and perceived spiritual authority.
Mu'awiya was born in Syria as the son of Yazid I and an unknown mother from the Kalb tribe. She is often confused with Umm Hashim Fakhitah bint Abi Hisham, mother of Mu'awiya's half-brother Khalid ibn Yazid.
His father, Yazid died on 11 November 683 in the central Syrian desert town of Huwwarin, his favourite residence, aged between 35 and 43, and was buried there.
Before Yazid I died, he had the bay'ah made to his son Mu'awiya. Mu'awiya succeeded his father in Damascus in 64 AH (November 683 CE), at an age of somewhere between 17 and 23. He was supported by the Kalb tribe, but his authority was likely only recognised in Damascus and southern Syria, with Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr claiming the caliphate from his base in the Hejaz.
Mu'awiya's reign lasted between 20 days and four months, though most historians suggest a duration of no more than two months. Given this short span, few administrative events were possible, and he reportedly suffered from ill health throughout his tenure, remaining in the Umayyad palace (al-Khaḍrā’) in Damascus while his adviser Al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri managed practical affairs. What does seem certain is that Mu'awiya continued his father's policy and remitted a third of the taxes.
Because of the brevity of his rule, many accounts of Mu'awiya II's actions are considered by historians to be unreliable political or sectarian fabrications. These include his alleged membership in the Qadariyah and a public renunciation of his predecessors. In some traditions, he was mockingly given the kunya Abu Layla ("Father of Layla"), a name typically applied to weak individuals; the name was considered suspicious or derogatory as he had no children.
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Mu'awiya II
Mu'awiya ibn Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (Arabic: مُعَاوِيَة بْنِ يَزِيد بْنِ مُعَاوِيَة, romanized: Muʿāwiya ibn Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya; c. 664–684), commonly known as Mu'awiya II, was the third Umayyad caliph. The last ruler of the Sufyanid line, he succeeded his father Yazid I in 683 (64 AH) but died after a reign of only a few months.
Mu'awiya II's accession occurred during the Second Fitna, a period of civil war where his authority was largely limited to Damascus and southern Syria. His rival, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, was recognized as caliph in the Hejaz and several other provinces. Mu'awiya II's brief tenure was marked by chronic ill health and minimal administrative activity, though he reportedly continued his father's policy of reducing taxes.
Historical accounts of his reign are often viewed as sectarian or unreliable. He is most famous for a provocative sermon recorded by Al-Ya'qubi, in which he allegedly denounced his predecessors and abdicated the throne. Because he died without heirs, his death triggered a succession crisis that eventually shifted power from the Sufyanid branch to the Marwanid branch under Marwan I. In later Islamic tradition, particularly within Sufism, he is remembered for his piety and perceived spiritual authority.
Mu'awiya was born in Syria as the son of Yazid I and an unknown mother from the Kalb tribe. She is often confused with Umm Hashim Fakhitah bint Abi Hisham, mother of Mu'awiya's half-brother Khalid ibn Yazid.
His father, Yazid died on 11 November 683 in the central Syrian desert town of Huwwarin, his favourite residence, aged between 35 and 43, and was buried there.
Before Yazid I died, he had the bay'ah made to his son Mu'awiya. Mu'awiya succeeded his father in Damascus in 64 AH (November 683 CE), at an age of somewhere between 17 and 23. He was supported by the Kalb tribe, but his authority was likely only recognised in Damascus and southern Syria, with Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr claiming the caliphate from his base in the Hejaz.
Mu'awiya's reign lasted between 20 days and four months, though most historians suggest a duration of no more than two months. Given this short span, few administrative events were possible, and he reportedly suffered from ill health throughout his tenure, remaining in the Umayyad palace (al-Khaḍrā’) in Damascus while his adviser Al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri managed practical affairs. What does seem certain is that Mu'awiya continued his father's policy and remitted a third of the taxes.
Because of the brevity of his rule, many accounts of Mu'awiya II's actions are considered by historians to be unreliable political or sectarian fabrications. These include his alleged membership in the Qadariyah and a public renunciation of his predecessors. In some traditions, he was mockingly given the kunya Abu Layla ("Father of Layla"), a name typically applied to weak individuals; the name was considered suspicious or derogatory as he had no children.
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